No Southern Woodlands Housing; Developer Says, ‘We'll Be
Back'; Courts to Sort Out Issues in Four-Year Dispute
By JULIA WELLS Gazette Senior Writer
The latest chapter in the four-year battle between developer Corey
Kupersmith and the Martha's Vineyard Commission ended last night
when the commission voted without dissent to reject a 320-unit housing
plan for 270 acres in the southern woodlands section of Oak Bluffs.
The Aquinnah selectmen heard a distinct plea from their up-Island
neighbors this week to formally appeal the recent superior court
decision that found the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) cannot be
sued because of sovereign immunity.
Boat Line Managers Recommend Private Firm for High-Speed, Year-Round
Service Between New Bedford and Vineyard
By JULIA WELLS Gazette Senior Writer
Senior managers at the Steamship Authority are expected to recommend
today that the boat line issue a long-term license to New England Fast
Ferry LLC to operate year-round, high-speed passenger service between
New Bedford and the Vineyard.
Traffic was down, but parking tickets were up. The weather was changeable; ditto for the restaurant and retail business. The wild blueberries were not so hot, but the fishing was great - lots of big bass and small bluefish, and on the full moon in July the fluke were so thick in some places you could practically throw out an old shoe and catch one.
These are the benchmarks of the summer of 2003, and as the official summer season came to a close this week, the people of the Vineyard took a quick look back, and most could agree on two things:
While Schools Here Rank High in Per-Pupil Dollars, Enrollments Head
Down
By JULIA WELLS Gazette Senior Writer
School spending on the Vineyard is steadily rising on a flood tide
of property tax money and now ranks in the top third for the state,
while enrollment is steadily falling and expected to ebb even more in
the next five years.
This is the latest profile of public education on the Vineyard,
sketched through an array of statistics from the state department of
education and the local schools.
Operating Loss of $500,000 Is Mainly Attributable to Loss of
Medicaid Payments from the State
By JULIA WELLS Gazette Senior Writer
Leaders at the Windemere Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center
announced this week that the Island's only nursing home ended its
fiscal year with a staggering $500,000 operating loss, more than
$300,000 over the projected loss for the year. About half the loss can
be traced to retroactive cuts in Medicaid reimbursements.
Public Hearing Set for Monday on Appeal of Sovereignty Case
By JULIA WELLS Gazette Senior Writer
Under pressure from a growing group of townspeople to appeal the
controversial superior court decision on sovereign immunity, this week
the Aquinnah selectmen agreed to call a public hearing and take a new
vote on whether to appeal the ruling.
The hearing will be held on Monday at 5 p.m. in the Aquinnah town
hall.
The Martha's Vineyard Commission announced yesterday that it
will join the town of Aquinnah and ask a superior court judge to
reconsider his recent ruling in favor of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head
(Aquinnah).
Two months ago the Hon. Richard F. Connon found that the tribe
cannot be sued because of sovereign immunity.
Crowd of 300 Convenes To Debate Withdrawing Oak Bluffs from MVC
By JULIA WELLS Gazette Senior Writer
Pull out, go it alone, use the assessment money to pay for a
planner, stick to the town's own knitting. Stay in, continue to be
a member of the six-town team and use the protection and power of a
unique regional planning agency created by an act of the state
legislature 27 years ago.
Life at The Ledge: Skateboarders Soar, and Wait for New Park
By JULIA WELLS
It's a weekday afternoon in downtown Vineyard Haven, and the
sounds of early autumn are all around. On Centre street, a narrow side
lane that angles steeply west of Main street, a light breeze ruffles the
canopy of venerable old shade trees. But on this day there is also
another, more distinctive sound in the air. It's the whack of
composite hitting pavement, followed by the low thunder of wheels
rolling.
