Dear Nantucket: You Owe Us $63.50 on the Cup

The Island Cup is a treasure shared by two Islands. Though tarnished, occasionally dropped and frequently squeezed, its sig­nificance has only increased. For 25 years the cup continues to be photographed, celebrated and cov­eted by athletes. And tomorrow, when Nantucket meets Martha’s Vineyard on the football gridiron, the cup is up for grabs again.

Fall of a Tree

From the sky down, goodbye to a grand old friend.

Oak Bluffs Tax Bills Going Up in Wake of Reassessments

Oak Bluffs Tax Bills Going Up in Wake of Reassessments

By CHRIS BURRELL

A high-priced real estate market coupled with the payback on capital
spending projects in Oak Bluffs is fueling tax increases that could hit
some taxpayers hard when they open their bills next month.

In some cases, property taxes in Oak Bluffs will increase by as much
as 36 per cent over last year.

Merchants in Oak Bluffs Win Effort to Keep Ferry Running to Mid-October

Merchants in Oak Bluffs Win Effort to Keep Ferry Running to
Mid-October

By CHRIS BURRELL

Under pressure from selectmen and business leaders in Oak Bluffs,
the Steamship Authority yesterday backed off a cost-savings plan that
would have closed down ferry service to Oak Bluffs two weeks earlier
than usual.

Shopkeepers protested, charging that the early closure at the end of
September - instead of mid-October - would have been
"devastating."

Nantucket Quarrels with Boat Line Plan

NANTUCKET - The people of Nantucket clashed openly with the
Steamship Authority yesterday, raising tough questions about boat line
spending and demanding that the SSA abandon a new marketing venture that
will allow J. Crew to hand out catalogues on ferries and in terminals
during the popular Nantucket Christmas Stroll.

Commission Invites Public Comment on Its Plan for Blind Charitable Trust

Commission Invites Public Comment on Its Plan for Blind Charitable
Trust

By MANDY LOCKE

Responding to criticism that their public agency should not mask the
identity of private donors, the Martha's Vineyard Commission last
night agreed to host a public forum for Islanders to air concerns about
the agency's recently established charitable trust.

State Auditors in Koines Case

State Auditors in Koines Case

Island Activates New State Law for Investigating
‘Irregularities' in Towns, School Districts; Will Search Go
Deeper?

By CHRIS BURRELL

After months of saying they wanted to put this controversy in the
past, high school leaders have called on state auditors to wade into the
Peter Koines scandal and issue a decision on whether they dug deeply
enough into the case of the culinary arts teacher who stole school
equipment, student funds and food supplies.

Aquinnah Deadlocks on Appeal of Tribal Sovereignty Decision

Aquinnah Deadlocks on Appeal of Tribal Sovereignty Decision

By JULIA WELLS

The Aquinnah selectmen announced this week that they are deadlocked
over whether to appeal a superior court ruling that found the Wampanoag
Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) cannot be sued because of sovereign
immunity.

"We are unable to reach a decision on this matter," said
board chairman Michael Hebert following an executive session Tuesday
afternoon with town counsel Ronald H. Rappaport.

Two Island Ports Vote on State's Ferry Fee

Tisbury, Oak Bluffs at Polls Tuesday

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

Voters in Tisbury and Oak Bluffs go to the polls Tuesday to decide
whether to adopt a ferry passenger surcharge that was approved by the
state legislature earlier this year.

Boatline Accident Report Faults Captain

Factors Listed in Islander Mishap

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

Poor preparation, faulty communication and the uncharacteristic
failure of an experienced captain to keep proper command of his vessel
- these are key factors that led to an alarming accident on the
ferry Islander five months ago, a Steamship Authority report has found.

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