Friday's Minute: 5.5.23: School committee open to a turf settlement; Stillpoint finally approved; and West Tisbury fearin g a pricey PFAS remediation bill.

Stillpoint approved
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission voted to finally approve a request by nonprofit Stillpoint Martha’s Vineyard Inc., to repurpose a West Tisbury barn as an Islandwide gathering space. Stillpoint plans on offering a wide range of programs, workshops, classes, and more to the community. Commissioners weren’t sure about the project at first, citing concerns about noise, zoning, and intensity of use. But on Thursday, after months of review and hearings, the assurances from the nonprofit’s reps that they plan to keep in compliance with conditions and regulations was enough for commissioners to greenlight the project in a 10-1-1 vote. Here’s that story.

MEETINGS

The Edgartown Select Board meets at 4 pm Monday. Remote access. Here is the agenda.

The Tisbury Select Board meets at 4 pm on Monday. Hybrid access with in-person location at Katharine Cornell Theatre. Here is the agenda.

The Chappy Ferry Steering Committee meets at 5 pm Monday. Remote access. Here is the agenda.

The West Tisbury Planning Board meets at 5:30 pm Monday. Remote access. Here is the agenda.

The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Committee meets at 6 pm on Monday. Hybrid access with in-person location at MVRHS library. Here is the agenda.

Quote of the Day
"We plan to start a revolution."
— Lucy Dahl and other Edgartown residents are objecting to the renovations of a South Water Street house that some fear could block the view of Edgartown Harbor.

Hot Topic Comment
"What an awesome honor for an outstanding human! Congratulations Danielle. You have given us another reason to be ‘Proud to be from OB.’"
— Stacey Morris-Porterfield on an Oak Bluffs resident who earned a scholarship through the Legal Defense Fund.

Hot Topic Letter
Tisbury resident Doreen Kinsman writes to us about her memories as a child in Canada greeting the British royalty, ahead of the maybe tamer celebrations this weekend:
"Today, ‘God Save the King’ will reverberate somewhat less enthusiastically the polls suggest, in Britain, but obviously not at all by me, a naturalized American citizen, who will have experienced in my lifetime, three English crown heads, father, daughter, and grandson."

This weekend: Start Saturday with Yoga at the Museum. This is for all levels, and if the weather is dandy you can do it outdoors. 9 am. The Community Greenhouse hosts its Members Plant Sale from 10 am to 3 pm. Chef Look Cooks Empanadas at the Edgartown library. This is one I’d definitely like to see. I could eat them all day. 11 am. Kids of all ages can drop by the Oak Bluffs library and plant flower and/or vegetable seeds. Watch the seeds sprout on a windowsill and celebrate spring. 11 am. Native Earth Teaching Farm offers Composting Grief: A Creative Grief Work Mini Retreat from 1 to 7 pm. You can explore and process grief by engaging in meditation, conversation, self-reflection, and more. The First Baptist Church in Vineyard Haven hosts a Spring Tea & Sale with sandwiches, cookies, and tea, plus a sale of food and gifts. 1 to 3 pm. Learn about the African Artists Community Development Project with director Marsha Winsryg. She’ll talk about 20 years of experience in Zambia, working with a community of families who have children with disabilities. Oak Bluffs library. 2 pm. Learn about the Power of the Protest Song at a presentation hosted at the Edgartown library. 4 pm. I love those songs best.

On Sunday, our friend and writer Holly Nadler shares how her recent M.V. housing search has guided her spiritual path and her recent book "The Hobo Diaries: Down and Out on Martha's Vineyard." Unitarian Universalist Society. 10 am. Visit the Ag Hall for the Climate Action Fair from noon to 4 pm. Photographer Lynn Christoffers will offer free portraits to all grandmothers, mothers, and families in honor of Mother’s Day. I’ve always loved this event. Lynn is such a great photographer and this is free. West Tisbury library. 1 to 3 pm. The Kids and Teens 4‑H Club meets at the Ag Hall. Go find out what they’re all about. 1 pm. Get crafty at the Vineyard Haven library’s Adult Crafts happening at 3 pm. This time they’re working with custom iron-ons. Have a great weekend. I think we’ll be able to turn the heat back off soon.. –C.B.

Movies! Check out what’s playing this weekend at Island theaters here.

Real Estate Confidential: New-to-market for May
Sponsored

Real Estate Confidential is a biweekly chit-chat about new listings, sales, or other insider information on the Martha’s Vineyard Real Estate market, presented by Fred Roven, owner/broker of Martha’s Vineyard Buyer Agents. It appears every other Friday in The Minute.

Every week lately I have been watching the number of new-to-market single-family homes and condos, holding my breath. For what it's worth, considering the number of homes in past years, we are just two away from 100! Unfortunately, that is still not enough to stop the ever increasing prices.
April 2022, with its smaller inventory compared to April 2023, is a perfect example. Last year there were 22 single-family home closings recorded at an average price of $1,736,009 and median of $1,362,000, with 38 average days on market. This past April, closings were at 25 with an average price of $2,787,840, a median of $1,700,00, with an average 96 days on market.
This year did have a few higher-priced waterfront properties that pushed those averages a bit, and the direction is still clear. There are still some interesting values in new-to-market homes this week, with a wider range of prices than in years past. There are a few properties ideal for investment with renovation and expansion possibilities, a few walkable to down-Island towns, and some up-Island properties with their wide-open views and docks, plus resident access to North Shore and South Shore beach access in Chilmark and Aquinnah.
If there is an amenity you want, 72 Chappaquiddick Avenue will have it. This property is being offered turn-key for $3,800,000. The home has six bedrooms, five baths in the primary home, plus a two-bedroom, two-bath guest house. In addition, there is a pool house with a bathroom and kitchenette, a workout and game barn, plus a volleyball and tennis/basketball court. All of this is located on three acres of private land on Sampson Hill with distant water views. This Chappy compound has been meticulously grown and maintained over the years through architectural design, professional decorating, and professional landscaping . . .

For the rest of this Real Estate Confidential, click here. For more Real Estate Confidentials, click here.

Dining out?

The Barn Open Monday through Saturday 11:30 am to 11 pm for lunch, dinner & bowling. Text Barnmv to 508/696/9800 to receive deals & specials.

The Sweet Life Open year-round! Serving dinner Wednesday through Saturday, and brunch on Sunday. Live music with Jeremy Berlin on Thursdays.
@sweet_life_mv 508/696/0200 sweetlifemv.com.

Click here for more details and specials

Restaurant owners: Are you open? Let our readers know, and support local journalism while doing so!

Contact jenna@mvtimes.com to discuss promoting your dining specials with the MV Times.

On his way
Jonathan Burke takes us along as he kayaks around the pilings and explores Vineyard Haven Harbor up close in this month’s On My Way column. "I felt the industry all around me. The driven steel pilings danced in the fading light. The tall crane with its mallet stood idle on the barge. The front-loader continued its work. The Woods Hole was steaming into the harbor. I went back off the shores of Beach Road. I climbed up and over the hills and valleys of the little swells." Read the whole story here. You’ll feel like you were right there with him.

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