Julia Wells
Developer Threatens MVC Ruin in Campaign to Force Golf Deal
By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer
The developer who wants to build a luxury golf course and an array of private homes in the southern woodlands section of Oak Bluffs threatened to "bring down" the Martha's Vineyard Commission last week if the commission refuses to sign on to a back-room deal to approve the lucrative development scheme, the Gazette has learned.
Camping Area Gains Support
Environmental Bond Bill Carries $3 Million Earmark Toward Purchase of Old Webb's Site in Southern Woodlands
By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer
A $700 million state environmental bond bill is now set for a vote in the state legislature, and includes a $3 million earmark toward the purchase of the former Webb's Camping Area in Oak Bluffs.
SSA Members Express Concern Over Troubled High Speed Ferry
By JULIA WELLS
After two years of breakdowns and mechanical problems on the high-speed ferry Flying Cloud, the Steamship Authority chief executive officer said last week that he had negotiated a nine-month extension on the warranty for the ferry's engine.
"Although the relationship is frayed and strained, the company continues to provide support," boat line CEO Fred C. Raskin told board members at the monthly SSA meeting on Nantucket.
The Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust confirmed this week that it will buy Union Chapel, the storied Oak Bluffs chapel whose rich history forms
Steamship Authority Board Members Clash Over Chief Executive Officer Role
By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer
Struggling with issues of governance and lines of authority, a sharply divided Steamship Authority board of governors failed to find common ground yesterday in an executive session that will ultimately determine the future for boat line chief executive officer Fred C. Raskin, who has been on the job for just four months.
New Bedford Suit Against SSA Brings Sharp Queries from Judge
By JULIA WELLS
BOSTON - In a courtroom grilling that went on for nearly three straight hours, a federal judge put the lead attorney for the city of New Bedford on a hot spot this week, prodding him to produce a set of plausible legal arguments that show why he should not dismiss the Whaling City's case against the Steamship Authority.