Friday's Minute: 07.15.22: Water test results cause alarm; Court cases aplenty; and airport wants wastewater upgrade

Toxic shock
A test sample at Vineyard Montessori is causing alarm for the school’s director because of the high levels of lead and copper. The sample was taken because of earlier concerns about lead found in the school’s drinking water. The school has been supplying its students with bottled water since the first results came in. Town officials are perplexed by the recent results because lead isn’t showing up in other places and are planning to retest. Reporter Rich Saltzberg has this story.

Touch down delayed
Stop us if you’ve heard this before. There is a housing crisis on the Island and this time it’s causing some issues for the new football coach at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. Tony Mottola was hired in May to replace long-time coach Don Herman. He’s moving to the Island, but hasn’t been able to find a place to live until next month. He’d like to get here earlier to start working on preseason workouts. Reporter Eunki Seonwoo spoke to Mottola and has the details.

Quote of the Day
"I don’t know what the future holds, but at this time the construction team wants to house six people there. There’s a list of items they would have to do to the house in order to bring it up to code … I don’t know what the value of that work is."
–Tisbury town administrator Jay Grande on a plan to house construction workers from WT Rich at the town-owned former waterworks building

Hot Topic Comment
Carl Kelly commented on recent remarks made by Chris Kennedy about the Trustees of the Reservations draft management plan. "We have a finite amount of natural resources that should be cherished and taken care of WHILE enjoying them responsibly. What good is baking the best cake if you can’t eat it? Hold those accountable for not respecting the public lands but let people enjoy them."

Hot Topic Letter
In an op-ed, Meghan FitzGerald wrote about something other than COVID-19 that is pushing emergency departments at hospitals to the brink. "The hospital emergency department is the frontline for mental health emergencies, yet there is mounting evidence it should not be. Crowding, limited resources, clinician time constraints, lack of beds, and an incongruence of care sets the ED as a site for subpar mental healthcare. Unfortunately for millions of patients, it’s the only place to receive care, as one-third of Americans live in areas lacking mental health professionals."

This weekend: On Saturday, the Lagoon Pond Association holds their annual meeting at the Sailing Camp Park in Oak Bluffs, from 9 to 11 am. Learn what's happening that may affect the future of Lagoon Pond and how you can help. Hear updates on water quality, recreation, marinas, shellfish, and septic issues. Folks also have the opportunity to learn about the work that goes on at an apiary with local farm Ginny Bee Honey Farms. Get over to Norton Farm from 9:30 to 11 am, put on some protective clothing, and take a tour through the world of bees with the experts. From 10 am to 4 pm, the Simon Gallery in Chilmark invites members of the public to view Peter Simon photography and Ronni Simon Designs, including signed photos of famous people, plus jewelry, calendars, posters, and much more. All ages are invited to witness educator, actor, and choreographer Godfrey Muwalya at The Yard in Chilmark, from 10 to 11:30 am. Muwalya returns to the Island with his high-energy workshops in East African traditional dances, drumming, and music. Bring a mask. Don’t miss the 15th Annual Native American Artisans Festival from 11 am to 4 pm at the Aquinnah Cultural Center. View a wide array of indigenous art and enjoy an immersive shopping experience that celebrates the native culture of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head and other indigenous nations. –L.T.

Get out and get your body moving for a good cause with Slough Farm on Sunday. Starting at 9 am, a class complete with yoga, sound healing, massage, food, and gifts will benefit Tommy’s Place, a care and support center for children fighting cancer. Later in the morning, at 10:30 am, the Martha’s Vineyard Black Lives Matter group will gather at the Chilmark library for a vigil honoring African American and indigenous people harmed by police and the criminal justice system. Have a fun weekend! –L.T.

Movies! Check out what’s playing at the movies.

Real Estate Confidential: A slight movement in the market
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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.

So, the less than good news first. The high end of the market keeps its move forward with a new "highest" of $39,500,000 for the spectacular MOHU on Lamberts Cove. Even leaving that property out of the equation, the new median list price for a home on Martha’s Vineyard is $3,000,000.

On to the better news. The median list price for a three-bedroom home is just under two million dollars. A more important number to look at here is the median selling price for a 3-bedroom home in the past 3 months was $1,250,000. A spread has always existed between median list price and median selling prices. Part of this is because the homes at the higher end of the market have fewer sales to push that median up in any given quarter.

Possibly, though, we might be moving slowly toward the buyer’s market many of my clients have been waiting for. There has been a slight drop in mortgage rates and a significant increase in homes for sale. The most encouraging sign for me is the increasing numbers of price reductions in every price range. This might not translate into a quarterly drop in median sale prices, but could certainly mean there is a slowing of the trend toward higher prices. Some recent list prices may not have considered this slight slowing of sales plus the increases in inventory in every price range.

So, this week I took a careful look at price reductions. The last month has seen price reductions for an up-Island cottage on Abel’s Hill up to waterfront properties in West Chop and Katama.

In a quiet neighborhood in the village, with proximity to the best Edgartown has to offer, is this fabulous four-bedroom home at 12 Norton Street. The first floor contains a guest suite with a private bath, washer/dryer, and sitting room, with a separate entrance and access to the deck. A perfect retreat for extended family and guests looking for privacy. Surrounded by substantial homes, you are a short stroll to some of the best chefs and shops (and ice cream) the Island has to offer. For those dog lovers, the entire yard is fenced in with an ample dog run . . .

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

Dining out?

The Barn Open for lunch & dinner Tuesday through Saturday 11:30 am to 9:30 pm. Bowling available Tuesday through Saturday at 5 pm. Text Barnmv to 508/696/9800 to receive deals & specials.

The Dunes Welcome to The Dunes, Martha’s Vineyard’s Only Restaurant at South Beach! Enjoy casual, relaxed dining, refreshing sea breezes, and a fabulous ocean view. Visit us via our spectacular water taxi cruise from Edgartown. Serving breakfast and dinner from May 19th – October 22nd, 2022. Lunch served at the Poolside Grill. thedunesmv.com / 508-627-3663

Farm Neck Come check out Farm Neck's newly renovated Cafe, patio and bar!
Enjoy indoor or outdoor seating with open air views of our championship golf course and ample TVs in the bar area.

We are now serving breakfast daily from 8 am to 10:30 am, lunch daily from 11:30 am to 5 pm and dinner Tuesday through Sunday from 5 pm to 9pm. Call 508/693/3560 for reservations or visit farmneck.net

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.

Do you know this woman? Submit your best guess to newsletters@mvtimes.com within 24 hours and check the next Minute for the correct answer. That’s right, you asked and we listened. You won’t have to wait until the end of the month to find the answers. We’ll throw all winning guesses into a pot at the end of the month and someone will win their choice of a $100 Lift certificate to an Island business or $100 to go toward an Island charity of their choice. For previous Do You Knows, see our archive.

Thursday’s answer:
Arnie Fischer

Growing together
The folks over at Island Grown Initiative have a constant ambition to provide knowledge and resources to anyone looking to get involved in agriculture, whether professionally or just to start up a home garden. The Community Garden at the organization’s Thimble Farm is a unique program that allows people to apply for a farm plot on their land. Don’t have that much farming experience? Don’t worry, Island Grown Initiative has the tools and the knowhow to support every experience level, from greenhorn to green thumb. Read intern Anna Nesser’s story on the growing program.

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