Tisbury voters narrowly approved their first general budget override in more than two decades at the annual town election Tuesday.

The ballot question passed by just 21 votes, with 367 voters in favor of the override, and 349 against.

Demolition of the old public works building, a new beer and wine license for Cafe Moxie and three signatures on a new cable contract for the town were all in a day’s work for the Tisbury selectmen at their meeting Tuesday.

At the request of town building inspector Ken Barwick, selectmen voted to approve the demolition of the old DPW building on Spring street “at the earliest reasonable time.”

By an overwhelming margin, Raymond LaPorte was elected to the Tisbury board of selectmen Tuesday. He welcomes the challenge and speaks confidently, not arrogantly, about the role he looks forward to playing in the highest elected position he has ever held on the Island. His strength stems in part from his years of volunteer work and his active lifestyle.

Tisbury Selectmen Reject Bid to Bring Fox Ferries Into Harbor

BY JOSHUA SABATINI

Fox Navigation, owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in Connecticut, wants to resume high-speed ferry service to Vineyard Haven harbor next season, but Tisbury selectmen denied the company a harbor use permit at a public hearing Tuesday night.

Striking a far more conciliatory tone, the Tisbury selectmen stood their ground this week in opposing a set of proposed Steamship Authority schedule changes for next year, also calling on boat line leaders to play a role in creating a better traffic layout at the Vineyard Haven terminal.

HYANNIS - In the latest skirmish in the continuing battle between the Tisbury board of selectmen and the Steamship Authority, the port council yesterday backed a boat line plan to shift three summer trips from Vineyard Haven to Oak Bluffs.

The decision by the council, which advises the SSA board of governors, came over the bitter protests of council member and Tisbury selectman Thomas W. Pachico and fellow selectman Tristan Israel. The council voted 5-1, with Mr. Pachico dissenting and Nantucket member Nathaniel Lowell absent, to back the SSA plan.

After nearly four years of negotiations between attorneys representing the town of Tisbury and Ernest Boch Jr. about the so-called Boch Park, no progress has been made, Tisbury selectman Tristan R. Israel announced last week.

Mr. Israel said at last Tuesday's meeting of the board that the town is closing the door on the saga surrounding the waterfront land and building near the Five Corners intersection that have been vacant for most of the last two decades.