Tribe vows to continue to fight for bingo hall – MV Times

Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, chairwoman of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), called a stay the Supreme Court petitions expected and disappointing. – Stacey Rupolo

The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) is vowing to continue to fight for its homeland after the town, state, and a community group filed petitions to have the gambling issue decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

In an email to the Times, tribal council chairwoman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais wrote that the filings were expected. “The most recent actions by the commonwealth, the town, and the community association continuing their efforts to stifle the tribe’s sovereignty and rights are not unexpected — albeit disappointing,” she wrote. “Our tribe has lived on Noepe [Martha’s Vineyard] for over 13,000 years, and we will continue to defend our homelands, our people, and our rights from the overreach by those who have come to our homelands with the intent to control our community and disregard our rights.”

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One building, one adult, one kid, and one book – Block Island Times

aquinnah library
Aquinnah Library

The greatest gift a young child can ever receive, is to be read to, and then have the desire to read on his own. People young and old, love to be read to. Regardless of our age, having a story told to us is a powerful experience. It’s an organic exchange of energy; the book becomes the nexus between the giver and the receiver of the content. Most importantly, the giving of time is required for this contract to hold up, and give the experience some traction.

Children’s books are structured in a layout of simple and declarative sentences: nouns, verbs and an adjective or adverb is all you need. “See Spot run.” Subject, verb, and direct object. However, it’s how these words are spoken that makes the difference. It takes energy from the giver, to hold the attention of the receiver. Punctuation, is an important method to create tension in a story. Exclamation points get the receiver’s attention. Get it! Moreover, vocal inflection creates tension in the simplest of narratives. Wild or minimal hand gestures and facial contortions can also create and accelerate conflict and drama. (All of this stuff also happens in a staged play, which in nothing more than a story being told to us by some actors.) We all need stories, regardless of our age.

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Vineyarders want to relocate historic lighthouse – Boston Globe

Endangered Gay Head Light
Endangered Gay Head Light

For more than 150 years, Gay Head Light has stood high atop the cliffs of Martha’s Vineyard, its guiding light sweeping out to sea. But time has steadily chipped away the clay bluffs, threatening to send the iconic landmark to a watery demise.

Now, residents are racing against the clock to save the historic lighthouse, seeking to move the 400-ton structure to safer ground.

“It’s a shared heritage for all of us,” said Len Butler of the Save the Gay Head Lighthouse committee.

The money will also finance an extensive renovation of the lighthouse.

Continue reading…..

Casino At The Heart Of Tribal Election On Martha’s Vineyard

WBUR Radio, Boston:  AQUINNAH, Mass. — An opinion from the National Indian Gaming Commission recognizing the Wampanoag tribe’s right to build a casino on Martha’s Vineyard is now at the heart of Sunday’s election for tribal chairman.

If the casino is built, people would have to travel there on a narrow two-lane road called State Road. The countryside there looks like much of the countryside all over the island, and especially in the part of the island called “up island.” There’s a lot of scrub. There are some short trees all barren of leaves now and old New England stone walls in perfect alignment.

Ally's general store in West Tisbury on Martha's Vineyard. (Fred Thys/WBUR)

Ally’s general store in West Tisbury on Martha’s Vineyard. (Fred Thys/WBUR)

A letter from the National Indian Gaming Commission released this week gave the green light to a casino. But there is disagreement as to how much legal weight that letter carries.

Ron Rappaport didn’t give it much importance. He is the attorney for five of the towns on the Vineyard, including Aquinnah. Continue reading….

Registration Opens for Gay Head 10K Race

What could become an annual road race at the western tip of Martha’s Vineyard, the Gay Head 10K, will start at 10 am on Sunday, October 6 at the Aquinnah Circle. Organizers of the race, which will benefit the Save the Gay Head Lighthouse project, predict several hundred runners competing in several age categories.

gay head lighthouse close to edge
Gay Head Lighthouse is only 46 feet from the cliff edge

Registration is limited to 500 runners for this first race, said race committee member Martha Vanderhoop. “It’s a real community event, but we hope people from all over the region will want to race this beautiful and challenging course,” she told the AGHCA. The course, which will start at the crosswalk near the shops at the Aquinnah Circle, will proceed down State Road, turn onto Moshup Trail, follow along the coastline, back around the Circle past the lighthouse, and end at the entrance to the town beach parking lot.

Organizers say they need volunteers to help before, during and after the race.  Information about volunteering, the race itself, and registration can be found at the Save the Gay Head Lighthouse website, gayheadlight.org.