Field Notes
by Peter B Brace
BEACH CLEANUP ON GREAT POINT The Trustees of Reservations, which owns most of Great Point and works with the Nantucket Conservations Foundation to watch over Coatue, Coskata and the Haulover, is looking for people who love to walk their beaches to help clean them up before winter. Along with any lures you might find, all the trash and ocean debris that washed up on the beach is fair game on this beach clean-up day planned for Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Anyone interested should meet at the gatehouse at the end of Wauwinet Road. Wear good walking shoes and work gloves. Bring whatever food you need. The Trustees will provide water.

RIFT ON HOLD Neighbors of Priscilla Reis' 4.4-acre property at 80 Miacomet Ave. patiently awaiting the Zoning Board of Appeals ruling on Reis' appeal of several cease and desist orders issued for the uses on her property by her son, Myles, will have to wait until the Nov. 3 ZBA meeting.

Through his attorney, Arthur Reade, Myles Reis requested a continuance of this hearing at the Oct. 13 ZBA meeting.

Reis is appealing cease and desist

orders issued by Zoning Enforcement Officer Marcus Silverstein. He alleges that Reis needs a change use permit from the ZBA to operate his sand and gravel, and vehicle storage on the property. If he cannot get relief from the ZBA, Reis is asking the board for the permit he needs to keep his business functioning.

The ZBA meets at 1 p.m. in the conference room of the Town Annex building at 37 Washington St.

GREEN PLANTS FROM CHINA Add Chinese Silvergrass to the list of invasive species that could potentially wreak havoc on Nantucket's native vegetation.

Invasive plant species expert Cheryl Beaton said the plant is identified by a distinctive white stripe down the mid vein. Beaton has sighted the plant on Madaket and Squam roads. If you want more information, give Beaton a call at the Maria Mitchell Association at 228-9198.

To learn more about invasive species on Nantucket, check out the Electronic Field Guide to Invasive Plants on Nantucket at http://orca.cs.umb.edu/efg/indexNant.html .

PLENTY OF TIME As ambitious as the Victor-Brandon Corporation may be, it, according to Planning Director Andrew Vorce, is not efficient enough to complete the construction of Nantucket's first roundabout by the end of this week. In last week's issue of The Independent, it was incorrectly reported that work on the roundabout, which replaces the old intersection of Sparks Avenue, Pleasant Street and Hooper Farm Road, would be done by the end of this week. Actually, said Vorce, the paving will be done fairly soon, but the finishing touches, including all the landscaping, will not be wrapped up until Memorial Day 2007.

SHAB'S QUORUM ISSUES Readers looking for news from the Shellfish & Harbor Advisory Board this month will have to wait until the second week of November for updates and reports.

SHAB failed to gather the minimum necessary members - four - to have a quorum for its Oct. 3 and Oct. 17 meetings, and both meetings were cancelled.

SHAB, a seven-member board, meets the first and third Tuesdays of every month, except July and August when it meets once a month.