State High Court Ruling Protects Tiny Park Lands in Oak Bluffs
Subdivision

By IAN FEIN

Affirming the value of open space, no matter how small, the
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court this week blocked development on
three wooded lots behind Crystal Lake in Oak Bluffs.

The seven-page decision, which unanimously reversed two lower court
rulings, was issued on Tuesday.

The case has wider significance because it could help secure the
fate of dozens of similar parks throughout the town and many more across
the commonwealth.

Tisbury Voters Agree to Spend, but Argue Long on Sewer Plan

By MAX HART

After breezing through a 40-minute special town meeting last week,
voters in Tisbury had little problem approving all 21 articles at the
annual town meeting Tuesday night, saying yes to everything from
$600,000 in capital expenditures to a $17.5 million operating budget for
the upcoming fiscal year.

And while voters also supported a town-sponsored plan to allocate
$271,500 in embarkation fee money, the evening was not entirely without
debate.

Voters at the Oak Bluffs annual town meeting next week will consider
a number of articles that could radically alter the design and layout of
the town for generations to come.

Town Assessor Serves 30 Years, and Wants More

By IAN FEIN

Last in a series of profiles leading up to the West Tisbury town
election.

When Michael Colaneri first walked into the West Tisbury
assessors' office more than 30 years ago, the method for
determining property values was simple: handwritten three-by-five cards
listed the owner's name, the acreage and the number of houses.

Hospital Statistics Point to Baby Boomlet

By JAMES KINSELLA
Gazette Senior Writer

Delight courses through Althea D'Antonio's voice as she
talks about giving birth last week to twin boys at the Martha's
Vineyard Community Hospital.

"It went really, really, really well," Ms.
D'Antonio said Wednesday, in between to cooing to her newborns.
"I'm up and having fun."

Tax Board Chairman Hangs on to Position

Anne Foley Is Under Pressure to Resign Amid Maneuvers on Beacon
Hill, but Will Stay on Graham Case

By IAN FEIN

The chairman of the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board survived an
attempted political coup in recent days and it now appears she will
remain in office long enough to rule on a personal property tax case of
importance not only to the Vineyard but possibly to the entire
commonwealth.

Edgartown Convenes on Tuesday

By JAMES KINSELLA

Proposals including emergency repairs to the Edgartown public
library, the construction of a public well, a change in quorum
requirements and a 4.1 per cent increase in the operating budget will
come before Edgartown voters Tuesday at the annual town meeting.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Old Whaling
Church on Main street. Philip J. Norton Jr. will moderate the meeting.

The meeting warrant contains 69 articles, most of which concern
spending requests.

Closing a chapter in the landmark sovereignty case, the Wampanoag
Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) this week agreed to submit town permit
applications for the shed and pier it built on Menemsha Pond in 2001.

The announcement comes at a time of renewed cooperation and
communication between the town and tribe, and marks a significant moment
in the long-running case that has garnered widespread attention and
reached the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Study Assesses Costs in Up-Island Schools

Long-Awaited Analysis of Finances for Regional District Concludes
Cost Allocation Formula Is Fair

IAN FEIN

The cost allocation formula for the Up-Island Regional School
District is substantially fair, according to a long-awaited independent
analysis released yesterday.

Tisbury Voters Endorse Formula for Allocating Ferry Fee Revenue

By MAX HART

Tisbury voters breezed through special town meeting Tuesday night,
approving each of the 12 warrant articles with relative ease. The hard
part was getting them to show up.