From the March 24 1995 edition of the Vineyard Gazette by Jason Gay:

It’s deadline week at The Chilmark Chronicle, and things are getting hectic around the Menemsha School newsroom. The laser printer has gone haywire, a front-page story needs revision, a political cartoon lacks a punchy headline and class recess is minutes away. To make matters worse, the entire fifth grade is on a ski vacation, so a skeleton crew of fourth graders is cranking out the third edition of the school paper.

But Sophie Abrams remains unfazed by the clamor as she sits at a Macintosh computer terminal, typing in headlines for the front page. “We do this so people can see a kid’s point of view,” she says. “A lot of parents read it.”

A lot of parents and a lot of other people, too. Since its creation last fall, The Chilmark Chronicle has become a new resource for the up-Island community, featuring eight pages of insightful writing, commentary and art from students at the State Road school. It has a circulation of 200, is sold at outlets like Alley’s and Menemsha Texaco, and is a recognized source for local news — despite not having a reporter on its staff old enough to drive.

With two issues to its credit, The Chronicle has introduced Chilmark to breaking stories like “Chilmark Students Gypped Out of New Gym,” and “Boy Catches Baby Barracuda.” This week, they blow the lid off water quality in Menemsha harbor, and explain why students won’t fit into the new school plans. Their cub reporters have scooped both the Gazette and Martha’s Vineyard Times on several occasions, and the paper has attracted more than a dozen advertisers.

“It gives kids a chance to express themselves, and update what they are doing in the school,” explains fourth grader Ryan Kurth.

On this morning, Ryan, Sophie and classmates Matt Seeman and Willie Mason are mapping out the final proof sheets before the paper is printed. The Chronicle still does old-style galley layouts, using a light table to align columns on pages. Matt is obsessing over the sports page: He’s straightened out a graphic of a soccer ball, but he still needs a credit line for the artist, and the page won’t be put to bed until he’s done.

“We made a couple of mistakes, but not many,” Sophie says of the editing process. The Chronicle operates much like its professional competitors, beginning every issue with an editorial conference to brainstorm story ideas. They’ve chosen to be more aggressive than typical school newspapers, taking sides on issues and examining new patterns in preteen life. This week, the sports reporters take a hard look at playing time in soccer games — finding that most kids would prefer equal field time for all players to winning every contest.

Polls are big. The Chronicle has found that Chilmark schoolers prefer The Black Dog over all other Island restaurants by a 25-vote landslide (the tres-chic Savoir Fare in Edgartown picked up two protest votes). And Easter took first as favorite student holiday, Christmas second and the popular May Day festivities third, beating even Thanksgiving and Halloween.

And through every column inch, The Chronicle resonates with the voices of young children. It’s written in a plain-speaking, conversational tone — not the bureaucratic gobbledygook the pros often spin — and there’s great detail as well. Witness this paragraph from a recent profile of new Chilmark School principle Rick Tomlinson:

“Rick is fun. He gives out popsicles, and he teaches us silly songs. We like Rick as a principal. We interviewed Rick to find out more. His full name is Rick Tomlinson.”

The Chronicle is the brainchild of Chris Burrell, the school’s technology coordinator and project facilitator and a recovering newspaperman himself. After several years in the journalism business, he’s switched over to education, but he hasn’t lost his appetite for a good story. This time, however, he’s letting nine and ten-year-olds take the bylines.

“I don’t think of myself as training future journalists as much as helping them do something productive.” Mr. Burrell says. “This is a place for kids to have a voice and tell people what they think.”

But don’t expect the Chronicle staff to be chomping on cigarettes and swilling coffee like old-fashioned news hounds. Mr. Burrell preaches a different brand of journalism, one where students take a strong position and flesh it out in print. “I think we need a more subjective voice,” he says. “I think the media has gotten pretty cynical.”

Still, Ryan Kurth says working on The Chronicle has made him more appreciative of all journalism. “I look for ideas to improve our paper,” he says. “There’s always something that needs to be done.”

But right now, it’s morning recess. There’s plenty left to do in the newsroom, yet Sophie, Ryan, Willie and Matt grab their jackets and head for the exit. It’s time for a game of kickball and a snack ­— the news of the world will have to wait.

Compiled by Hilary Wallcox

library@vineyardgazette.com