SSA Member Skirts Issues
By JULIA WELLS

Vineyard Steamship Authority governor J.B. Riggs Parker said this week that he will take no formal position on the pending legislation to dramatically change the boat line governing board.

"We are servants of the legislature; we are servants of the state. The legislature is responsible for creating the framework of the authority and they are entitled to change that framework, and I don't believe that the authority member needs to take a particular position," Mr.

SSA Traffic Slips
By JULIA WELLS

Early summer passenger traffic on the Steamship Authority's newly acquired New Bedford ferry Schamonchi is down compared with last year, even though the boat line has launched an advertising program to boost ridership on the ferry.

"We're off," said boat line treasurer Wayne Lamson yesterday.

Passenger traffic on the Schamonchi is down 18.6 per cent for the month of June compared with last year, but Mr.

Transportation Chairman Speaks
By JULIA WELLS

This will not be a rush job.

That was the word yesterday from Rep. Joseph C. Sullivan about the new legislation now under consideration to dramatically change the Steamship Authority board of governors.

"This is a serious issue that needs to be studied and evaluated in a serious way, and it will be," said Mr. Sullivan, a Braintree Democrat who is co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Transportation in the Massachusetts legislature.

Against a backdrop of growing concern about the direction of the Steamship Authority and also about a new alliance between the Vineyard SSA governor and the mainland port communities, an emerging grass roots citizens group on the Island has issued a call to reunite Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket on boat line issues.

"We want to make sure that the focus is on the two Islands and that they are staying together.

Army Worms Invade Chappy
By JULIA WELLS

The people of Chappaquiddick may have declared an uneasy truce in their recent war of words over whether to enact a district of critical planning concern, but this week there was an army on the move on the small island at the extreme eastern end of Edgartown - and it had nothing to do with building moratoriums or long-range planning.

It was an army of worms - in fact an army of army worms - and at Pimpneymouse Farm they had just finished plundering a large hayfield on the southwest corner of the farm.

The developers who want to build a luxury golf club in the southern woodlands section of Oak Bluffs aimed conflict of interest charges at five memb