Boaters can again buy fuel in the Oak Bluffs harbor after the gas station owned by businessmen Mark and Mike Wallace at Church’s Pier reopened last week, just in time for the Fourth of July weekend. Meanwhile, a town-sponsored proposal to build a new station near the Island Queen dock has been put on hold, at least for the time being.
As a popular and sometimes controversial pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, Bill Lee, also known as the Spaceman, spoke up on just about every subject that popped into his head: Maoist China, population control, school bussing in Boston, Eastern philosophy, double-headers on Sunday and the legalization of marijuana.
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.
Things looked brighter on the Vineyard over the Fourth of July weekend, as the sun reemerged after a month of hiding and a healthy crowd of visitors arrived for the holiday.
Merchants reported a robust weekend, about on par with last year.
“It was awesome, we did well,” said Jason Leone, owner of the Island Hoppers moped dealership in Oak Bluffs. “After 40 days of rain it was nice to see the sun again. It finally felt like summer.”
Island police responded to numerous motor vehicle accidents, broke up several loud parties and placed a few intoxicated holiday revelers into protective custody over the weekend.
Edgartown
On Friday at 10:30 p.m. Edgartown police responded to a single-car accident on Meshacket Road near Morning Glory Farm. When officers arrived they discovered that a blue Chevrolet S10 Truck had gone off the road and struck the guide wire of a telephone pole.
The recession has hit Island nonprofits hard, a recent survey by the Martha’s Vineyard Donors Collaborative has found.
Released this week and based on a survey done in May of a wide range of Vineyard charities, the six-page report by the collaborative found that 56 per cent of Vineyard nonprofits had experienced a decrease in contributions over the winter, and 20 per cent saw a dramatic decrease.
“The Vineyard has struggled like the rest of the nation as the recession takes its toll,” the report says.
