Chilmarkers had just days from the time Alex Preston announced his plans to step aside as selectman to the deadline for returning papers for town office. In that short span, two candidates, J.B. Riggs Parker and Mary Murphy Boyd, stepped up to give the town what promises to be a lively, multigenerational race.

Both candidates are familiar figures in town and deeply rooted in Chilmark's affairs. Election day on April 28 will offer voters a choice between an Island political veteran and a young teacher making her first venture into the political arena.

Mr. Parker, 70, served as a Steamship Authority governor from the fall of 2000 to the end of the following year. More than 30 years ago, he was a founding member of the Chilmark planning board. He is a Philadelphia securities attorney, and over the years he has shared his legal acumen with the town on a number of fronts.

Mrs. Boyd, 25, teaches second grade at the West Tisbury School and is an assistant coordinator for the Tri-Town Ambulance. She teaches CPR and has been an emergency medical technician for eight years. Her father, Chris Murphy, is a Menemsha commercial fisherman. She is working on her master's degree in literacy at Lesley University.

One personal fact the candidates share is that a little more than a week ago, neither was thinking of running for selectman. Their decisions to run came only after Mr. Preston announced his plans to step down.

Mrs. Boyd was born in Chilmark, which makes her a native. But Mr. Parker has been a resident of town for more than 30 years, which makes him a Chilmarker five years longer than she.

Both want to serve the town they love.

"Menemsha is the jewel of the Island," Mr. Parker told the Gazette this week, "and it is particularly important that we preserve it. I have cruised up and down the East Coast and there are few commercial fishing ports left. It is a treasure we need to protect and enjoy for generations to come," Mr. Parker said.

"When you talk to people about what is important, Menemsha is frequently what is brought up, and it is important to keep Menemsha a viable fishing port with working commercial boats," Mrs. Boyd said.

Right now there aren't many political differences between Mr. Parker and Mrs. Boyd. They see the same issues, but from the perspectives of different generations.

Mr. Parker said he was among those in Chilmark who brought together its first youth lot program. His wife, Helen, is a member of the conservation commission and also serves on the community preservation committee.

Mrs. Boyd and her husband, Jonathan, a carpenter in the winter and a charter fisherman in the summer, were the beneficiaries of a youth lot in 2000 and thus were able to build their home on Basswood Lane. Mrs. Boyd sees an urgency to the affordable housing issue that directly affects her generation: "I see less of my peers being able to stay in town. I see them leaving the Island, not just Chilmark. They can't raise a family here. I think we are at a crossroads in terms of the makeup of this town."

Mr. Parker is part of the growing community of elders. He has a perspective gained from watching the town change over a long stretch of time: "During the last 30 years, Chilmark has changed regularly. It is important for townspeople to bring to bear the experience of their people during this change, to see us through to the next period."

Mrs. Boyd said she believes that as a selectman, she would bring a fresh new voice to the dialogue. As a coordinator and a teacher, she sees the opportunity to bring people together to talk and resolve issues.

Mr. Parker said: "I have had five kids attend the Menemsha School, and I have put seven through the high school. I have a lot of experience on town affairs. I believe strongly we should do our share to help the town when the need arises."

Looking ahead to her first campaign, Mrs. Boyd said: "It should be a great race. It will be a fabulous experience."