Draft legislation for the proposed Martha's Vineyard Housing Bank will circulate around the Island this month as organizers seek public comment before the bill is filed in the state legislature some time in early September.
If approved at the state level - a prospect that many are calling difficult - the legislation would still need to come back to the Vineyard for another round of binding votes.
Vineyard Artists Display Best Work at Annual Show in Tabernacle
By SAM TELLER
The towering martini glass is filled with what looks like a
strawberry margarita, and two swollen green olives peer out. The pimento
stuffing forms the pupils of an unusual pair of eyes. Set on a solid
black and marigold background, the olive eye cocktail is the subject of
artist Bill Buckley's oil painting, That's The Martini
Talking.
In West Tisbury, the board of assessors decides not to mediate a tax appeal, landing the town in an extended slugfest at the state level that has yet to conclude.
In Oak Bluffs, residents complain about what they see as a lack of responsiveness from the building department and the zoning board of appeals.
In Dukes County, a turf battle between the county and airport commissions has resulted in a legal judgment that could cost local taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Is Vineyard government, in some instances, going awry?
Testing Strength in Government
Analyzing Trends Across Island as Legal Disputes Increase; Citizens
Debate Causes, Leaders Take Stock
By JAMES KINSELLA
Gazette Senior Writer
In West Tisbury, the board of assessors decides not to mediate a tax
appeal, landing the town in an extended slugfest at the state level that
has yet to conclude.
In Oak Bluffs, residents complain about what they see as a lack of
responsiveness from the building department and the zoning board of
appeals.
Chairman Suspends Tax Hearing Until Attorneys Agree on View
By IAN FEIN
In a surprise decision this week, the chairman of the Massachusetts
Appellate Tax Board suspended a complex West Tisbury tax hearing until
both parties agree on a plan to visit the Vineyard properties in
question and take testimony from two more Island witnesses.
At press time yesterday attorneys on both sides were locked in a
legal standoff and it remained unclear when the hearing would resume.
Maasai Visitor: Regina Nakola Speaks History to Save Tribe
By MAX HART
Tucked in along one edge of the Chilmark Flea Market, between a
stone wall and a sea of fabrics, fine art and assorted kitsch, Naisiae
Regina Nakola\'s jewelry stand is hard to miss.
And not just because it is the first tent you pass when you drive
in, or even because of the tables full of elaborate and colorful
necklaces.
Maasai Visitor: Regina Nakola Speaks History to Save Tribe
By MAX HART
Tucked in along one edge of the Chilmark Flea Market, between a
stone wall and a sea of fabrics, fine art and assorted kitsch, Naisiae
Regina Nakola's jewelry stand is hard to miss.
And not just because it is the first tent you pass when you drive
in, or even because of the tables full of elaborate and colorful
necklaces.
County Weighs Legal Choices
Commission, Advisors Huddle in Aftermath of Court Ruling Ordering
Triple Damages; Appeal Still Possible
By JAMES KINSELLA
Still reeling from a heavy blow dealt by a superior court judge last
week in a civil dispute with its own airport commission, the Dukes
County commission this week began to ponder the next steps.
Two weeks ago the Hon. Robert J. Bohn ruled that the Martha's
Vineyard Airport Commission is by law vested with independent authority
to hire and set the salaries of its airport managers.
Talk Centers on Preserving Character
By IAN FEIN
The chairman of the Martha's Vineyard Commission said last
week that Vineyard residents will inevitably love the Island to death.
Commission Rejects Hotel Plan for Second Time in One Year
By IAN FEIN
Citing the need to contain increased commercial use in an eclectic
residential neighborhood at the fringe of the Oak Bluffs business
district, the Martha's Vineyard Commission voted last week to deny
a proposed expansion to a small inn and tennis center on New York
avenue.
The 9-0 vote marked the second time in 12 months for the commission
to turn down Jack E. Robinson's plan to expand his Martha's
Vineyard Hotel & Racquet Club.
