State Finance Crisis Places New Strains on Budget of MVC

By JULIA WELLS

State budget cuts are expected to hit the Martha's Vineyard Commission hard in the coming fiscal year, and town assessments will go up as grant money goes down - way down.

MVC executive director Mark London said this week that state and federal grant money is expected to drop by some $200,000.

"We have tightened up every expense we can, but as we take on new planning responsibilities it is important that we keep our staffing intact," Mr. London said.

Boat Line Governors Dispute Legal Bills

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

Steamship Authority governors and senior managers said yesterday they were overbilled by a Boston law firm that represented the former Falmouth boat line member in his legal dispute with the town.

"There is no question that Smith & Duggan should receive a fair fee for their service. The question is what is a fair fee," said SSA general counsel Steven Sayers.

Transportation Forum Grapples with Growth; Vineyard Future Requires Thoughtful Planning

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

The subject was transportation planning, but in the end it was a night for thinking out loud about growth and all of its attendant contradictions on an Island seven miles off the coast of Massachusetts.

A special superior court sitting is now set for next month in Edgartown on a case that will ultimately decide whether the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) has the power to police itself when it comes to local zoning rules. The case will also decide the much larger issue of whether the tribe cannot be sued because of sovereign immunity.

The case has attracted little attention, despite the fact that the outcome could have far-reaching implications for every town on the Vineyard.

Boatline Enters Wind Dispute

SSA Will Contact Political Leaders to Express Serious Concerns About Sea Safety and Threats Posed by Wind Farm Plan

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

Steamship Authority governors will add their collective voice to the growing list of groups now logging in with an array of concerns about a giant wind farm that has been proposed for Nantucket Sound.

Charitable Giving Declines on Island

Vineyard Institutions Worry the Squeeze Will Eliminate Services in Competitive Market for Needed Contributions

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

It's known as the giving season, but as holiday lights glow along darkened main streets and the clock winds down on 2002, an array of vital Vineyard institutions report a troubling trend: Charitable contributions are down this year.