Final West Tisbury Buildout Adds 3,000 Citizens to the Population

By MANDY LOCKE

West Tisbury's development spurt in the 1970s felt more like a surge to the year-round community of 500 living in the up-Island rural township.

The fast and furious growth, which tripled the housing stock and nearly quadrupled the permanent population, loomed over West Tisbury's 17,372 acres through the 1980s. And the townspeople watched beloved farmland, which made up nearly half of the entire town in 1950, dwindle from 710 acres in 1970 to just under 500 by 1990.

Laughter and money seemed to go hand in hand at last night's Possible Dreams auction in Edgartown. The better the one-liners, the higher the bids.

Fortunately, there were some pretty glib celebrities willing to stoke the fire, and in the end, the 24th annual auction of 53 dreams had pulled in more than $376,000. That figure fell short of last year's take of just over $400,000.

Best ever Possible Dreams moment? That's a tough one.

In 1994, Carly Simon sang a few bars of Anticipation to the crowd. They went wild, and a dream night of songs with Ms. Simon was auctioned for $81,000. Twice.

In 1998, a similar situation arose, and Washington Post owner Katharine Graham agreed to host three separate lunches. Each bidder (Merv Griffin among them) paid $25,000, and Mrs. Graham made a donation of her own as well. In minutes, $100,000 was raised.

Striped bass is one of the Island's favorite seasonal fish. And its season in fish markets and restaurants is about to close for another year.

SSA Reorganization Bill Passes Senate; New Bedford, Barnstable Win Seats; Governor Expected to Sign Law Soon

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

The state Senate followed the lead of powerful New Bedford Sen. Mark Montigny and turned a deaf ear on Cape and Islands Sen. Robert O'Leary this week, voting overwhelmingly to approve a hostile bill to restructure the Steamship Authority.

Moving Houses Recycles Island History

By MANDY LOCKE

As hundreds of Vineyarders pile trucks with clothes, furniture and children this fall to shuffle to another winter rental, two Edgartown houses will join the mass migration.

Destined for the dump when the owners decided to build new homes on the picturesque properties, both a 19th-century Victorian on the corner of Davis Lane and Pease's Point Way and a 1960s gambrel-roofed house off Meeting House Way will be relocated to town-owned property for use as affordable housing.