Transportation Forum Grapples with Growth; Vineyard Future Requires
Thoughtful Planning
By JULIA WELLS Gazette Senior Writer
The subject was transportation planning, but in the end it was a
night for thinking out loud about growth and all of its attendant
contradictions on an Island seven miles off the coast of Massachusetts.
Superior Court Judge Will Not Revisit Ruling on Sovereignty of Tribe
By JULIA WELLS Gazette Senior Writer
A Dukes County superior court judge yesterday stood fast by a
decision he made five months ago that the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head
(Aquinnah) cannot be sued because of sovereign immunity.
"This court declines the … invitation to revisit [the]
issues, leaving the propriety of its decision for resolution by a higher
court," wrote the Hon. Richard F. Connon, an associate justice of
the superior court.
At the Troubled Shellfish Hatchery, Good Work Depends on Good Water
By JULIA WELLS
This place runs on water.
Filtered salt water fortified with home-grown algae to feed the baby
shellfish. Pure pond water pumped straight from the Lagoon to feed the
adolescent shellfish. Fresh water pumped straight from a well to keep
everything - as Eloise's aunt would say - clean,
clean, clean.
Steamship Authority Leadership Proposes $68 Million Budget; Vineyard
Passenger Fares Would Rise by 50 Cents
By JULIA WELLS Gazette Senior Writer
Fare hikes for the Vineyard and Nantucket are now on deck at the
Steamship Authority, as boat line managers confront the realities of
keeping a $68 million operation afloat against a backdrop of anemic
revenues and rising operating costs.
Septic discharge from the Bridge housing project could pose a
problem for neighboring wells, the Martha's Vineyard Commission
water quality planner said last week.
In Passionate Session, Aquinnah Makes It Official: Not Appealing
By JULIA WELLS
A passionate and sharply drawn discussion in the village of Aquinnah
fell silent this week when the town selectmen voted without dissent to
abandon a court appeal of the sovereign immunity case - and along
with it a 20-year-old landmark Indian land claims agreement.
"This community is the tribe and sovereignty is something I
must uphold," declared selectman James Newman, who changed his
vote in a surprise move at the close of a public hearing on Monday
night.
Judge Rejects Neighbors' Pleas Over Katama Farm, Supports
Current Usage
By JULIA WELLS Gazette Senior Writer
In a detailed decision that explicitly recognizes the value of a
190-acre, town-owned farm in the Great Plains section of Edgartown, a
superior court judge late last week soundly rejected a request from a
group of neighbors who are trying to shut down Katama Farm.
Would Link the Vineyard With New Bedford Next Summer; Meanwhile,
Schamonchi Has Woes this Year
By JULIA WELLS
Steamship Authority governors danced a cha-cha this week over ferry
service between New Bedford and Martha's Vineyard, taking one step
back as they announced a delay in the start date for the passenger ferry
Schamonchi this year - and one step forward as they voted to move
ahead on a plan to develop high-speed passenger service for next year.
