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.

Developer Vows Total Clearing of Woodlands; MVC Votes for Review

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

The developer of the Down Island Golf Club went toe to toe with the Martha's Vineyard Commission one more time last night, publicly declaring his intention to clear-cut 270 acres in the southern woodlands and openly challenging the commission to try and stop him.

Boat Line 2004: Big Challenges, with Some Internal Tensions

By JULIA WELLS

The monthly meeting was canceled, but there is no shortage of business news at the Steamship Authority these days, where revenues are down, a new but poorly defined marketing push is under fire and fissures between Nantucket and the Vineyard have grown wider.

And the monthly meetings keep getting canceled.

Tree-Cutting Questions Pull Southern Woodlands Back Before Commission

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

Connecticut developer Corey Kupersmith came back onto the radar screen this week in a fresh collision with the town of Oak Bluffs and the Martha's Vineyard Commission - this time over a tree-cutting project that may or may not be in violation of state and local laws.

In Passionate Session, Aquinnah Makes It Official: Not Appealing

By JULIA WELLS

A passionate and sharply drawn discussion in the village of Aquinnah fell silent this week when the town selectmen voted without dissent to abandon a court appeal of the sovereign immunity case - and along with it a 20-year-old landmark Indian land claims agreement.

"This community is the tribe and sovereignty is something I must uphold," declared selectman James Newman, who changed his vote in a surprise move at the close of a public hearing on Monday night.

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.