Oak Bluffs Leader Loses Vote at MVC

Commission Rejects by a Wide Margin Rusczyk Push to Change Commission On Kupersmith Housing Development

By JULIA WELLS

An Oak Bluffs selectman was rebuffed last week when he urged the Martha's Vineyard Commission to reverse its decision to go to court to compel a regional review of Connecticut developer Corey Kupersmith's affordable housing project.

SSA Stages Forum Tonight for Islanders in Oak Bluffs

The Steamship Authority will host a public hearing tonight to discuss a number of key issues surrounding the public boat line that was created 41 years ago to serve the two Islands.

Topics for discussion are expected to include expanded ferry service between New Bedford and the Vineyard, and the impact of capital spending on fares for Island residents in the years ahead.

The hearing begins at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of the Oak Bluffs School.

Windemere Shakeup Follows Severe Strain of Financial Losses

Leaders at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital announced yesterday that the administrator of the Windemere Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center has resigned.

Tom Dresser, who took over the top post at Windemere eight months ago, resigned for personal reasons and to pursue other professional interests, according to a WNR board member who spoke with the Gazette late yesterday. WNR Inc. is the corporate name for Windemere.

There are no ripples or wake anymore, but the impact of no Schamonchi and no fast ferry from New London, Conn., has hit some businesses in Tisbury hard, especially along Beach Road where the ferries used to dock and disgorge tourists by the hundreds.

Bus Ridership Climbs Sharply

Vineyard Transit Authority Puts Number of Passengers on Bus Routes at Roughly 400,000 For July and August Alone

By JOSHUA SABATINI

The Martha's Vineyard Regional Transit Authority carried close to 400,000 people in the fiscal year from July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001. Transit authority administrator Angie Gompert said she estimates 200,000 people were served this July and another 200,000 in August.

The Department of Environmental Management's Division of Forests and Parks won permission Tuesday to move forward with new efforts to manage the 5,