Merchants in Oak Bluffs Win Effort to Keep Ferry Running to Mid-October

By CHRIS BURRELL

Under pressure from selectmen and business leaders in Oak Bluffs, the Steamship Authority yesterday backed off a cost-savings plan that would have closed down ferry service to Oak Bluffs two weeks earlier than usual.

Shopkeepers protested, charging that the early closure at the end of September - instead of mid-October - would have been "devastating."

Oak Bluffs Tax Bills Going Up in Wake of Reassessments

By CHRIS BURRELL

A high-priced real estate market coupled with the payback on capital spending projects in Oak Bluffs is fueling tax increases that could hit some taxpayers hard when they open their bills next month.

In some cases, property taxes in Oak Bluffs will increase by as much as 36 per cent over last year.

From the sky down, goodbye to a grand old friend.

NANTUCKET - The people of Nantucket clashed openly with the Steamship Authority yesterday, raising tough questions about boat line spending and demanding that the SSA abandon a new marketing venture that will allow J. Crew to hand out catalogues on ferries and in terminals during the popular Nantucket Christmas Stroll.

Tisbury, Oak Bluffs at Polls Tuesday

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

Voters in Tisbury and Oak Bluffs go to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to adopt a ferry passenger surcharge that was approved by the state legislature earlier this year.

Factors Listed in Islander Mishap

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

Poor preparation, faulty communication and the uncharacteristic failure of an experienced captain to keep proper command of his vessel - these are key factors that led to an alarming accident on the ferry Islander five months ago, a Steamship Authority report has found.