After a sluggish off-season tied to the sustained national recession and an abysmal June blamed on terrible weather, several real estate professionals this week reported a dramatic spike in weekly rentals just as the weather improved and reports of an August visit from President Obama were revealed.
Two people were seriously injured in a two-car accident on Saturday that involved an antique Ford station wagon and a 1997 Toyota Camry near the intersection of Oyster Watcha Road and the Edgartown-West Tisbury Road.
Danielle Nickowal, 19, of Tisbury, was driving eastbound on Edgartown-West Tisbury Road just after 8 a.m. when she came upon a 1929 Ford Model A woodie station wagon stopped in the middle of the road. Ms. Nickowal tried to stop but could not, police said, and struck the rear of the antique car driven by Vernon Oliver, 69, of Tisbury.
A single-engine Cessna headed towards the Vineyard from New Hampshire crash-landed in a cranberry bog near Buzzards Bay on Sunday after the plane experienced engine problems and the pilot attempted an emergency landing. Although the plane was seriously damaged, all four people on board escaped without serious injuries.
A plan to convert the old Oak Bluffs library at the corner of Pennacook and Circuit avenues into a mixed-used commercial building with a pharmacy on the ground floor and affordable housing on the second floor has hit a snag, as bids for the project were substantially higher than expected.
The Oak Bluffs conservation commission this week received a waiver from the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act that is expected to fast-track plans to dredge Sengekontacket Pond. The dredge project is intended to improve tidal circulation and reduce bacteria levels.
Bacteria counts recorded in 2007 by the Division of Marine Fisheries during an annual spot check showed high levels of coliform bacteria, automatically triggering a three-year closure for shellfishing from June though September. This is the third year for the closure.
Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, the Island’s sole provider of many essential human services, unveiled a budget this week for fiscal year 2010 calling for a $500,000 — or 10 per cent — reduction in spending. The budget calls for cuts in salaries, benefits and hours as well as the outright elimination of two programs.
