Martha's Vineyard Rachel Nava Rohr

Weary Firemen Put Muster on Hold

Rachel Nava Rohr | Monday, September 4 2006 - 8:00pm

Donning their favorite clothes and backpacks full of new pens and notebooks with corners still perfectly crisp, some 2,350 students will begin a new school year this week at the Island\'s seven public schools. Before the first bell, they will shut off their iPods, put their cell phones on silent and turn their full attention to their new teachers - and old friends, perhaps unseen since summer began.

Health Insurance for Vineyard Towns Costs Millions; Plans Seen as Outdated

Rachel Nava Rohr

Two outmoded health insurance plans no longer offered by most cities and towns in Massachusetts are the cause of dramatic increases in spending on health insurance for employees in Dukes County, including five of the six Island towns and public schools.

Superintendent Manages Year of Change

Rachel Nava Rohr

As 2007 gets under way, the Vineyard schools are swimming in challenges.

The West Tisbury School principal left for active Marine duty last weekend, the Edgartown School principal leaves today after resigning in November, the Oak Bluffs School principal will take a leave of absence next year and one of two assistant superintendents will retire at the end of this school year.

Edward Jerome Takes the Helm at West Tisbury School for Year

Rachel Nava Rohr

Retired Edgartown School principal Edward J. Jerome will take over on Tuesday as interim principal of West Tisbury School, superintendent of schools Dr. James H. Weiss announced this week. West Tisbury School principal Michael Halt, a lieutenant colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserves, leaves this weekend for active duty in California and Iraq.

Principal at West Tisbury School Is Called to Active Duty in Iraq

Rachel Nava Rohr

West Tisbury School principal Michael A. Halt, a lieutenant colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserves, was called back to active duty this week and will leave for training in just over a week to prepare for a tour of duty in Iraq.

Mr. Halt received the official letter on Wednesday and has known with near certainty that he would be leaving for a little more than two weeks. He must report for duty by Jan. 15.

Study Calls for Revival of Mill Pond

Rachel Nava Rohr

Without management, the Mill Pond off Edgartown Road in West Tisbury will look more like wetlands than a pond within the next decade, according to the senior biologist in charge of a town-commissioned report released last week.

Black Dog Will Pay Fine on Sweatshirts

Rachel Nava Rohr

The Black Dog Tavern Company, Inc. will pay a $50,000 civil penalty for not reporting continued sales of children's hooded sweatshirts after they were recalled for a strangulation hazard last February, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced this past Friday.

Commission investigators visited two Black Dog stores this past August and saw that the recalled sweatshirts with drawstrings were still for sale. The investigators purchased three of them.