Island Leaders Act to Block Decisions on Fast Ferry Service to New
Bedford
By JULIA WELLS and JOSHUA SABATINI
In an unexpected move that marks a new turn in the road for the
Steamship Authority, the All-Island Selectmen's Association voted
without dissent this week to tell the Vineyard boat line governor to put
the brakes on plans for high-speed ferry service between New Bedford and
the Vineyard.
Justice System Often Fails in Rape Cases
By MANDY LOCKE
When asked about their experiences with the criminal justice system,
the women paused and then broke the silence with strained laughter.
For the four sexual assault and rape survivors who offered their
stories to the Gazette with the promise of anonymity, their hesitation
to proceed through the courts - or their frustrating experiences
once involved in the system - force these women to find meaning
and resolution outside the criminal justice system.
Selectmen Support Tough Moped Laws
All-Island Selectmen Association Hears Emotional Appeal
To Pressure Boston to End Carnage on Island Roads
By JOSHUA SABATINI
After listening to a presentation by Sam Feldman of the Mopeds Are
Dangerous Committee, the All-Island Selectmen Association unanimously
decided to support legislation that would require a motorcycle license
to rent a moped.
The county manager and the chief executive officer at the
Martha's Vineyard Hospital scrambled to contain the damage this
week after the surprise revelation last week that the county will
collect a $50,000 fee on an unusual contract that will funnel some
$500,000 in taxpayer money into the hospital.
The taxpayer money is intended to help defray the cost of emergency
services at the hospital.
School Bells Ring for 2,400 Island Children
New Academic Year With High Energy to Reach Goals
By MANDY LOCKE
The school children waiting at the ends of driveways Thursday
morning confirmed what the empty shelves of school supplies at area
stores suggested earlier this week.
Nearly 2,400 Island children - filled with stories from summer
adventures - headed back to school yesterday.
And there to welcome each and every one were eager teachers and
administrators.
The state's fire control plans for the 5,200-acre Manuel F.
Corellus State Forest have come under attack by the scientific community
and the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), a
watchdog organization. The advocacy group threatens possible legal
action to block state forest teams from clearing hundreds of acres of
woodland along strategic fire lines.
Overall traffic on Steamship Authority ferries is either flat or down slightly for the year, but in fact peak-season summer traffic on ferries to the Vineyard - both passenger and automobile traffic - has been healthy.
Also, the patchwork of parking lots in Falmouth and Bourne that are used to service boat line ferries to the Vineyard were never completely filled this summer, raising some question about the recent statements by the boat line general manager about the need to shift passenger traffic to New Bedford.
Just when the stress of the summer season starts to ease up for most Islanders, it's a whole different story for teachers and children in the school system.
The 129-foot Freedom topsail schooner Amistad was the celebrated
guest of the Vineyard community this weekend, and will be back for
another visit. Capt. William (Bill) Pinkney said on Sunday the community
welcome received by the ship and her crew went beyond everyone's
expectations. As a result, they hope to return.
"The response here was just exceptional," the captain
said.
Oak Bluffs police say former Tisbury selectman A. Kirk Briggs was driving drunk just before midnight Tuesday when his 1989 Chevy pickup truck hit a 25-year-old woman from Estonia who was walking her bicycle along New York avenue just west of Our Market.
