Vigorous environmental protection, in the form of a revised bylaw, was approved for five ancient ways by a throng of voters in Edgartown’s Old Whaling Church last night.

The popular vote was not swayed by the impassioned and sustained pleas of several members of the Hall family, whose 74 acres of property is crossed by several of the paths. Voters approved the bylaw by a margin of 199 to 47.

At a special town meeting Monday night, Chilmark voters approved a $500,000 purchase of two lots for the Middle Line Road affordable housing project, further voting to shift the entrance to Middle Line Road.

The town will construct roadway over the lots to create an improved sight line at the junction of Middle Line and Tabor House roads.

The move addresses concerns of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and the town planning board that the current turn-in to Tabor House Road poses a safety risk in the face of development plans.

Edward (Big Ed) Johnson is not physically large. In fact Mr. Johnson, who is serving a life sentence for gang-related homicide, looks wispy standing next to some of his fellow inmates. The origin of his nickname is likely wrapped up in the fact, as a convict at Donaldson Correctional Facility, Alabama’s highest security prison, he was a gang-leader in a prison populated by violent criminals.

That is, until taking part in the Vipassana Buddhist meditation program that forms the centerpiece of the documentary The Dhamma Brothers.

Edgartown is a place where special town meetings often fail to attract a quorum and selectmen’s meetings seldom push the half-hour mark. In recent years the town has not been known for its red-hot electoral battles.

Stephen Nixon, assistant principal of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School since 2004, will become principal in July, beating more than a dozen off-Island candidates for the position now held by Margaret (Peg) Regan, who resigns at the end of this academic year.

The announcement came this week from schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss, who made the final decision using the initial decisions of a screening committee and the recommendations of students, teachers and community members and a sub-group of the high school committee.

Vigorous environmental protection for five ancient ways will be the central issue at an Edgartown special town meeting set for next Thursday.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Old Whaling Church; moderator Philip J. Norton Jr. will preside over the session.