Mark Alan Lovewell
The remnants of Hurricane Noel lashed the Island this past Saturday, bringing down power lines, sinking at least two boats and tossing several others ashore. Although no injuries were linked to the storm, a number of Vineyard homes were without electricity for well into Sunday. Steamship Authority ferry service to the Vineyard shut down at noon Saturday and didn’t resume until Sunday morning.
Vineyard commercial fishermen are coming out ahead in a price war over bay scallops.
Yesterday, Island commercial bay scallop fishermen received as much as $15 a pound, while their counterparts on Nantucket were paid only $11 a pound.
Consumers on both Islands yesterday were paying essentially the same price, around $18 a pound. In Orleans, the price was $29.99 a pound.
The Vineyard and Nantucket still have viable bay scallops fisheries, though Cape Cod does have pockets of success.
Mysteries of Vineyard forests were revealed in a walk last Sunday afternoon at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary.
An American president rarely speaks on a fisheries issue, but George W. Bush did so two weeks ago.
President Bush recently came out with an executive order directing the National Marine Fisheries Service to prohibit the commercial harvesting of striped bass and red drum in federal waters. A moratorium already is in place on the catching of striped bass in federal offshore waters for all commercial and recreational fishermen, so nothing changes.
A fast-growing puppy named Biggie and a cockatiel named Baby Bird from Florida were reunited with their Vineyard family recently after a summer of many tears and the coordinated effort of animal lovers.
“My dad gave me this dog before he died; I think this is my connection to him,” said Tiara Lee, 13, seated next to her eight-year-old brother Elijah Matthews. Their mother, Nicole Matthews, stands by and watches the three on the couch.
One of Menemsha’s most respected fishermen, Jonathan Mayhew, has quit fishing the high seas.