Storm Buries Vineyard Under Tons of Snow

Northeaster Strikes on Monday, Slowing Island Life to Crawl

By MANDY LOCKE

Mother Nature showed little mercy this week - bringing the Vineyard to a standstill beneath mounds of snow and whipping winds.

From slightly before 8 o'clock Monday morning into the wee hours of Tuesday, snow buried all that did not move and slowed to a crawl the few who did venture out in the blizzard-like conditions.

SSA Receives Bids for Service

Two Bidders Respond to Request for Ferry Service Proposals from New Bedford; One Offers Year-Round Run

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

Expanded ferry service between New Bedford and the Vineyard moved one step closer to reality this week after senior managers at the Steamship Authority got their first look at two proposals from private companies who have an interest in running the route.

Up-Island School Budget Jumps 15 Per Cent

By CHRIS BURRELL

Taxpayers in Aquinnah, Chilmark and West Tisbury will see the cost of educating schoolchildren rise sharply next year as the proposed budget for the Up-Island Regional School District goes from $5.9 million to more than $6.8 million, a 15 per cent increase.

The reasons are much the same as at the regional high school, where the budget will jump by almost 10 per cent next year. State aid is dropping, and the cost of insurance is climbing.

A shed and a pier in the tiny town of Aquinnah were the fulcrum for court arguments this week that will ultimately test the question of whether the

Selectmen of Tisbury Approve Police Department Expansion

By JONATHAN BURKE

After reviewing a new report by an independent consultant, the Tisbury selectmen agreed Tuesday night to increase the police force to 13 full-time officers.

In a 2-1 vote, the selectmen agreed to a $982,000 police department budget for the year ahead that includes funding for two new full-time officers. With an officer leaving the force at the end of this month, that will bring to three the number of officers that Ted Saulnier, police chief, needs to hire.

They are the Island's most beloved bridges. The Big Bridge and the Little Bridge are going to be rebuilt in concrete, if the state has its way.