Union Dispute Is Still Stalled
Steamship Authority Managers Leave Last Offer on the Table; Vessel
Workers Will Continue Under Expired Contract
By JAMES KINSELLA
Gazette Senior Writer
Three days before Christmas, Steamship Authority management and the
union that represents 230 unlicensed vessel workers remain locked in a
protracted contract dispute, with no end in sight.
Some people crave the spotlight. Peter O. Bettencourt is not among
them.
"Oh, God," Mr. Bettencourt muttered Monday, when Arthur
Smadbeck, chairman of the Edgartown selectmen, let it be known that the
selectmen had a memento of appreciation for their town
administrator's nearly 40 years of full-time work for the town.
As revisions to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management Conservation Act of 1996 make their way through Congress, debate is intensifying over how to stop overfishing off the New England shoreline.
The stakes are high: The measures now being written into the act will affect fisheries management throughout the United States for the next five years. Much of the discussion of late has centered on quotas, a flash point in New England where management measures so far have stopped short of placing inflexible limits on the amount of any given species of fish that may be taken annually.
Immanuel: Christmas Is Still a Time of Such Joy
By REV. GERALD R. FRITZ
Merry Christmas. ‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la, or so
the song goes.
If Size Matters, Tiny Aquinnah Is Not So Small
By IAN FEIN
An oft-repeated phrase that has appeared in numerous Gazette news
articles and editorials over the years was found this week to be untrue.
Aquinnah is not the second smallest town in the commonwealth.
If Size Matters, Tiny Aquinnah Is Not So Small
By IAN FEIN
An oft-repeated phrase that has appeared in numerous Gazette news
articles and editorials over the years was found this week to be untrue.
Aquinnah is not the second smallest town in the commonwealth.
Vineyard SSA Governor Seeks Sweeping Review of License Agreements
By JAMES KINSELLA
Gazette Senior Writer
Alarmed by rising costs and falling ridership on Steamship Authority
ferries, Vineyard boat line governor Marc Hanover yesterday called for a
thorough review of SSA license agreements with private carriers.
"I'm not in favor of giving away one more seat,"
Mr. Hanover declared at the monthly boat line meeting in Woods Hole
yesterday morning.
Hospital Drive Gathers Steam
$42 Million Capital Campaign Surpasses $30 Million Mark; Leaders Say
Islanders Key to Completing Project
By JULIA WELLS
Less than six months after launching the largest
capital campaign in the history of the Vineyard, Martha's Vineyard
Hospital trustees announced this week that the drive to raise $42
million to build a new hospital has exceeded the $30 million mark.
Purchase Offer Accepted for Home Port Property
Home Port Restaurant owner William Holtham confirmed yesterday that
he has accepted a signed offer from a private buyer for the Menemsha
pondfront property that was the subject of a recent town meeting vote.
Citing the delicate nature of real estate transactions, Mr. Holtham
said he would not reveal the potential buyer, purchase price, or any
other details until the deal is closed sometime next month.
Della L. Brown Hardman Was Educator, Gazette Columnist
By ALEXIS TONTI
Della Louise Brown Hardman, the artist and educator who enriched the
Vineyard community as much by her gentle and gracious presence as by her
far-reaching volunteerism, died Tuesday, Dec. 13, at the Martha's
Vineyard Hospital following a brief heart-related illness. She was 83.
