Sam Bungey
Sitting outside Up-Island Cronig’s earlier this week, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s 2008 valedictorian Truman French appeared to wearing much of the earth he had shifted around a Chilmark home that day, during a 12-hour landscaping shift.
“I’m trying to get a couple years’ college paid for,” he explained. Along with the rest of his class, Truman finished his final classes less than a week ago.
Pay increases for top administrators at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School were approved this week, completing a round of raises for nonunion administrative staff in Island schools. The increases, which ranged from 3.5 to 6.5 per cent, were recommended by Vineyard schools superintendent James H. Weiss based on several factors including cost of living, performance and reaction to raises resulting from teacher contract negotiations last year.
The Edgartown North Wharf fueling dock remained closed today — much to the chagrin of early summer boaters and Edgartown harbor master Charles Blair among others — as the latest in a series of deadlines to ready the station were missed by fueling company R.M. Packer Inc.
“They changed some rules on us,” said Mr. Packer yesterday, referring to increased state fire safety requirements, “and there will be more changes in the fall.”
The words “goofy” and “high school principal” are unlikely to follow one another in a game of free association. For Margaret (Peg) Regan, who will resign as principal of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School this month after nine years in the job, that’s been part of the problem, particularly recently. Sitting in her office last week she explained why it is time for a break.
Ten smiling students will appear in the Gazette next week as the top-ranking academic performers in the 2008 graduating class of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, following a decision by high school principal Margaret (Peg) Regan to continue a longstanding tradition.
The lines sprang into Jemima James’ head, complete with melody, sometime in the 1970s: “Raised in a home, his back got no bone.” The rest of the song, Billy Baloo, soon followed.
“I just liked the way it sounded,” she said, sitting in the wind outside the Scottish Bakehouse in Vineyard Haven this week. Though the story didn’t pair with reality, she found that changing the words messed with the tune. And she trusts the songs that arrive this way.