As the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) presses ahead on various fronts to win the right to build a casino in Massachusetts, a federal judge in Boston has set next Wednesday as the date for briefs to be filed in a complicated case that now involves the state and its gaming commission, a commercial casino developer and the Vineyard tribe.

The West Tisbury portion of Middle Road will be closed to through traffic from the town line to Music street on Sept. 10 and Sept. 11 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for road paving. The paving is the first portion of an extensive townwide road repair project that voters approved at the annual town meeting in April. Drivers and residents are asked to plan accordingly.

The Aquinnah fire chief told the town selectmen this week that he was concerned about his ability to provide adequate fire protection for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) after the tribe refused to allow him to inspect tribal buildings.

Town administrator John Bugbee will step down after nine years on the job, Tisbury selectman and board chairman Tristan Israel announced this week.

Reading from a brief written statement near the end of the selectmen’s meeting Tuesday, Mr. Israel said the selectman had decided it was time for a change.

Steamship Authority senior managers paid a visit to the Tisbury selectmen’s meeting Tuesday to discuss improvement projects around the ferry terminal.

SSA general manager Wayne Lamson, Vineyard governor Marc Hanover and port council member George Balco all attended.

Mr. Lamson said the SSA is ready to file for permits for dredging about 300 yards of sand next to the dinghy dock area in the Vineyard Haven harbor. He said he expects permitting to take at least nine months.