In the first regulatory review under its own maiden government since
the superior court decision on sovereign immunity last year, the
Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) this week permitted itself to
build a 6,500-square-foot community center off Black Brook Road in
Aquinnah.
The community center will be built around a wetland.
Aquinnah Camp Gets a Chance with an Anonymous Contribution
By JULIA WELLS Gazette Senior Writer
It's a camp that has no formal name but in the last two weeks
some possibilities surfaced. Camp Yes? Camp No? Camp Maybe?
"Camp Hope-So," declared Aquinnah selectman Jim Newman
yesterday.
The Aquinnah town summer camp, a creative program that serves some
40 children, was eliminated by voters last week during a severe
budget-cutting exercise on the town meeting floor.
Land Bank's Chappaquiddick ‘Prize' Will Bring
Island Trail to Pond's Edge
By JULIA WELLS
The Martha's Vineyard Land Bank announced this week that it
will buy the Wasey property on Chappaquiddick, a grassy, windblown
four-acre crest that embraces the unspoiled inner shore of Cape Pogue
Pond.
Interim Director of SSA Says Boat Line Will Work First to Fix
Reservations System
By JULIA WELLS
The improvements started yesterday.
This was the word from Steamship Authority acting general manager
Wayne Lamson, who said an array of changes are now under way aimed at
improving the telephone reservations system at the boat line. The
improvements include a change in operating hours at the central
reservations bureau in Mashpee, and a number of changes in the automated
telephone answering system.
On the subject of money, at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital
this year the watchword is up: Cash is up, patient volume is up and
contributions are up.
The hospital released draft combined financial statements this week,
and the numbers show that the Vineyard's only hospital ended its
fiscal year solidly in the black - even after factoring in a
$198,000 operating loss at the Windemere Nursing Home and Rehabilitation
Center.
State Attorney General Will Intervene to Appeal Tribal Sovereignty
Case
By JULIA WELLS Gazette Senior Writer
Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly quietly announced
this week that he will intervene in the Aquinnah court appeal over
sovereign immunity, adding clout to a case that will ultimately test the
strength of a historic 1983 Indian land claims settlement agreement.
"We intend to enter into the appeal on behalf of the
commonwealth," said Corey Welford, a spokesman for the state
attorney general, on Tuesday.
Boat Line Treasurer Says He Is Willing to Return to Role of Interim
Chief
By JULIA WELLS Gazette Senior Writer
Marking an auspicious new tack for the embattled Steamship
Authority, Wayne Lamson, the respected longtime boat line treasurer, has
volunteered to step in as interim chief executive officer, the Gazette
has learned.
In a letter sent to SSA governors last week, Mr. Lamson offered to
take over the top spot at the boat line as CEO Fred Raskin prepares to
leave after barely two years on the job.
West Tisbury Voters Reelect John Early and Approve Eleven Override
Questions
By JULIA WELLS
Voters in West Tisbury stuck with the old ways and handed longtime
selectman John Early a tenth term in the annual town election yesterday.
Mr. Early, who was first elected 27 years ago and is the senior
selectman on the Vineyard, won easily over challenger Cynthia Riggs. The
final tally was 553-189.
For Steamship Governor, Heated Questions About Direction,
Accountability
By JULIA WELLS Gazette Senior Writer
Amid fresh eddies of controversy swirling around the Steamship
Authority, Vineyard boat line governor Kathryn A. Roessel came under
heavy fire this week from an array of county officials - including
members of the Dukes County Commission, her appointing authority -
who demanded better communication and more accountability.
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