Officials from Martha's Vineyard Regional High School joined forces with a determined group of student athletes this week to fight the recent decision by the South Coast athletic conference to remove several Vineyard sports teams from its ranks.

The Vineyard school is mounting a double-barreled effort, lobbying mainland officials for support while mulling a legal challenge to the removal.

Trying to get people\'s thoughts on the new Island Home ferry during its maiden voyage Monday afternoon was kind of like asking a child what they thought of their new stepmom or stepdad the same day their parents got divorced.

Trying to get people's thoughts on the new Island Home ferry during its maiden voyage Monday afternoon was kind of like asking a child what they thought of their new stepmom or stepdad the same day their parents got divorced.

A searing internal review prepared by two longtime Oak Bluffs attorneys concludes bluntly that the former town administrator had no legal authority to award personal service contracts and special one-time bonuses to a variety of town employees.

They hustled, they fought for rebounds and they battled through a tenacious full court press, but in the end the boys' basketball team just couldn't match a larger and quicker team from Scituate Wednesday, falling 73-41 in the second round of the Division 3 south region state tournament.

Earlier in the week, the Vineyarders overcame a first half deficit against a talented team from Carver to win their first round playoff game at home, before going on the road to face the 18-2 Scituate juggernaut.

Oak Bluffs finance director Paul Manzi routinely credits his Dukes County pension account with thousands of dollars he receives through special perks awarded to him through his personal service contract, including money for travel and lodging, the Gazette has learned.

Mr. Manzi has a contract with the town that pays him a base salary of $60,000 a year for a part-time position of 20 hours a week. Mr. Manzi ordinarily commutes to the job from his home in Tewksbury two days a week.