Martha's Vineyard News

County searches for stabler budgetary process »

To avoid the risks of being denied funding on the town meeting floors each year, Dukes County is looking at a new way to fund its budget moving forward. Toward this end, the county is looking to raise the allowable increase in the town assessments.  The issue was prompted this year at the continued rise in the budget. The county is looking at a fiscal year 2026 budget of $1.647 million, an anticipated $120,709.95 increase from this fiscal year 2025.  The operational costs — a third of the total…

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Tisbury chooses next town administrator »

Tisbury’s select board unanimously voted on Wednesday to ask Joe LaCivita, the general manager of Watervliet, New York, to become their next town administrator. LaCivita interviewed at Tisbury town hall, discussing his experience as an official in a city of 10,000 residents, as well as his background as a property developer. He told the select board that he can likely start working for Tisbury within 30 to 45 days. Tisbury’s search for a new top official comes at an important time for the town,…

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Packers look to expand Vineyard Haven terminal  »

The Tisbury Towing and Transportation Company (TTT), owned by RM Packer, is pursuing a federal grant to construct a new boat ramp at the Tisbury Marine Terminal, which proponents say could help alleviate the Steamship Authority of hazardous materials and trash, and increase commercial transportation between the Island and New Bedford.  If awarded the grant, Debby Packer, who was seeking support from the Dukes County Commission on Wednesday, said construction of a new boat ramp, repairs to existing…

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Oak Bluffs collision closes off New York Ave »

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MV Youth to benefit childcare, YMCA field house  »

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Vineyard needs a unified voice on offshore wind »

When news broke that a turbine blade fractured earlier this summer — with foam and fiberglass landing on beaches as far away as Rhode Island and Provincetown — the outcry on Martha’s Vineyard felt muted.  Aside from a few fishermen holding signs outside Vineyard Wind’s offices in Vineyard Haven, there was no public outrage at select board meetings or from elected officials, at least none that we saw documented or communicated. On our sister island of Nantucket, there was a clear and unified…

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Janet Messineo — fisherman, writer, taxidermist — dies at 76 »

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Oak Bluffs town clerk to retire »

Oak Bluffs Town Clerk Colleen Morris is retiring after the new year, but she’ll still be around to help the town in the transitional phase. “The good news is I will [be] working closely with the town for the next few months starting in January of 2025,” she told the Times in an email.  On Tuesday, the Oak Bluffs select board unanimously approved appointing Morris to an interim position, effective Jan. 4, until the April town election or a successor interim town clerk is appointed. Oak Bluffs…

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Town admin may have violated Tisbury policy »

Questions over laws prohibiting conflicts of interest and town officials’ obligations to live up to the guidelines are suddenly swirling around Tisbury Town Hall this week. Just days before he is set to retire from his role as Tisbury town administrator, Jay Grande finds himself the focus of a complaint to the State Ethics Commission that alleges he violated state guidelines. Grande is set to step down from his town role of 12 years at the end of the year, and is lined up for a job with Vineyard…

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A shifting wind »

Public sentiment on offshore wind developments in southerly waters off Martha’s Vineyard is shifting, with challenges mounting against the industry and controversy hitting home for Islanders. The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) have been outspoken critics of the offshore wind industry, and amplified those calls last week by supporting a lawsuit against Revolution Wind brought by a Rhode Island group. Nantucket officials over the past several months have been dealing with the aftermath of…

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