Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) needs local permits for bingo hall capecodtimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from capecodtimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Martha s Vineyard Times
They deserve a level playing field
To the Editor:
I graduated from Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School in 2019, and was a captain of the indoor and outdoor track teams, and the field hockey team. I now run Division 1 track and field.
With the school’s proposal for a new athletic facility, track, and a single turf field before the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, I believe some people are losing sight of what’s really at stake. And, frankly, what I hear too often are remarks that suggest this proposal is out of touch with the Island community, or that we shouldn’t think of ourselves as a launching pad for professional athletes. In short, what I hear is that what we have is good enough for the Island.
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission’s new energy policy is going back to the drawing board after commissioners raised questions about whether its requirements are too stringent.
The 10-page policy focuses broadly on eliminating the use of fossil fuels in Island building, maximizing energy efficiency and improving Island energy resilience. While some commissioners commended the policy, others took issue with its breadth and certain aspects of its language, stalling a final vote Thursday night.
Formulated over the past year by a commission subcommittee, commissioner Ben Robinson said Thursday that the policy is meant to focus on wide-ranging environmental goalposts rather than specific requirements for developments that come before the commission for review.
February 26, 2021
In Massachusetts and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) has reportedly lost its appeal against an earlier ruling that is preventing it from unilaterally bringing a Class II electronic bingo hall to land it owns on the island of Martha’s Vineyard.
According to a Thursday report from The Martha’s Vineyard Times newspaper, the federally-recognized tribe has long been hoping to open its envisioned Aquinnah Cliffs gaming venue on a 17-acre parcel of land situated near the tiny town of Aquinnah. However, this plan has purportedly attracted a number of legal actions from opponents who contend that the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) does not have the right to debut such a facility without first gaining local approvals.
A federal court has ruled that a Massachusetts tribe must work with local authorities on Martha’s Vineyard in building its gambling hall.
Aquinnah residents are seen here during their annual meeting last June. Local officials and community members in the Massachusetts town have expressed opposition to a gambling venue on Martha’s Vineyard. (Image:
Vineyard Gazette)
The US First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head must adhere to local planning and zoning rules in Aquinnah. It’s the latest legal decision in a controversial case that dates back to 2013.
The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head is one of two federally recognized tribes in Massachusetts. The tribe’s sovereign land is located on the most western end of Martha’s Vineyard. The tribe argued that it did not have to obtain relevant permits from the town since it’s building on its own sovereign land.