Wampanoag Sovereignty Arguments Are Heard at State Supreme Court

By JULIA WELLS

Attorneys on both sides of the sovereign immunity dispute in the town of Aquinnah took their arguments to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court this week, in a landmark case whose outcome is expected to have far-reaching implications for every town on the Vineyard.

In the end the case will test the strength of the historic 1983 Indian land claims settlement agreement in this tiny town that is home to the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah).

Chilmark School Work Nears Completion, But First Days' Classes Will Be Elsewhere

JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

Repairs at the Chilmark School will not be completed in time for opening day, and yesterday school and town leaders were busy with last-minute arrangements for an alternative site for the children to attend school.

Opening day is Thursday for all five elementary schools on the Vineyard.

The Aquinnah planning board will seek criminal charges against two seasonal residents and a local landscape company who topped a large swath of trees off Lobsterville Road without permission this summer.

Unlocking a Puzzle: Quality of Our Waters

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

The diver goes over the side and disappears into the shallow saltwater pond with a small splash. Several minutes later he breaks the surface, cradling his prize: a clear plastic cylinder that contains a large plug of gravelly sand topped with pond water. A wisp of green algae waves gently in the watery top layer like a slender flag.

New Nantucket Member Joins Steamship Board; New Ferry Plans Advance

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

NANTUCKET - A new board member for Nantucket and a new ferry for the Vineyard - these were the benchmarks of the monthly Steamship Authority meeting yesterday morning when SSA governors tackled an array of business for the boat line which is the lifeline to the two Islands.

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.