Declaring that her selectmen show no respect for town employees and have lost touch with the voters, Aquinnah treasurer and town administrator Beverly A. Widdiss abruptly resigned Monday night in the midst of a selectmen's meeting.

Her announcement was the first in a series of tense moments between selectmen and a handful of town residents who filled a small meeting room in the town hall.

Heading into this year's fall football season, Martha's Vineyard Regional High School head coach Donald Herman knew his team was going to face new challenges. He just didn't expect them to come from off the field.

A string of disciplinary actions - resulting in numerous team suspensions - has thrown the Vineyarders' season into a tailspin.

A semi-retired financial consultant from Vineyard Haven is the lone challenger vying to unseat one of three incumbents in this year's race for a spot on the Dukes County Commission.

George J. Balco, a Republican from Vineyard Haven and former chairman of the Martha's Vineyard Airport Commission, is running against Democrats John S. Alley of West Tisbury, Leonard Jason Jr. of Chilmark and Roger Wey of Oak Bluffs.

Aquinnah Override Is Rejected for Third Time in Five Months

By MAX HART

A large turnout of Aquinnah voters said no to a Proposition 2 1/2 override yesterday for the third time in five months, dealing a final blow to the town selectmen on the subject of town spending - except when it comes to plowing snow.

In the end, it was a 12.48-pound false albacore hooked in the shallows off Memorial Wharf in Edgartown, and a 10.13-pound bonito snagged in 60-foot seas off Noman's Land that proved to be the grandest catches of all as the 59th Annual Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby came to a close on Sunday.

Aquinnah residents head to the polls next week in the latest attempt by selectmen to override the state-mandated tax cap and ease the town's financial crisis.

At a special town election Thursday residents will vote whether to approve a Proposition 2 1/2 override request. The override request - the third since the beginning of the summer - comes in conjunction with a $103,000 supplemental budget, approved at special town meeting in late September.