HYANNIS - In a bold show of Island solidarity, Vineyard
Steamship Authority governor Kathryn A. Roessel led a move yesterday to
ice any expanded ferry service out of New Bedford next year, including
freight service.

The spirit and the first candle of the Grand Illumination was
carried by a 32-year-old sufferer of Huntington's Disease. With
her father, Walter, and her niece, Kyla McCartney, nearby, Tammy Frye
lit the first candle Wednesday night on the stage of the Tabernacle;
within seconds lanterns throughout the Camp Ground were aglow.

It was the 133rd annual Grand Illumination, and thousands of
well-wishers cheered the power and reach of a glowing candle.

A month ago, Island farmers were complaining that it was dry. Now,
halfway through August, it is even drier - so much so that
Vineyarders are looking for new superlatives to describe the arid
conditions.

The Cape and Islands led the state in rainfall earlier in the year.
But on Wednesday, the state announced that because of lack of rainfall
the region had moved from a drought advisory to a drought watch.

The activity filling the roadways in West Tisbury yesterday morning could only mean one thing: The 141st annual Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Society Livestock Show and Fair had opened its gates at 10 a.m. for the first of four eventful days.

Groups of kids stood at nearby bus stops, people walked along the road toward the event, cars full of parents and children began to back up for the field parking - and the fair had only just begun.

A father and son, after parking, sprinted to the ticket booth with smiles on their faces, laughing all the way there.

President Clinton Returns for Short Visit

Former President William Clinton will arrive on Martha's
Vineyard today for a long weekend with his wife, U.S. Sen. Hillary
Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), and daughter Chelsea.

The family will stay at the Chilmark home of Kenneth H. Iscol, a
cellular-telephone industry executive. Mr. Clinton will celebrate his
56th birthday here on Monday.

The Clintons first visited the Island in 1993 and except for 1996
have returned to its shores every year since.

Tisbury Faces Buildout Issues

State Forecasts Show Potential for 1,000 New Homes and Over 2,000
More Residents Before Town Reaches Full Capacity

By MANDY LOCKE

In a town that claims the largest year-round population and the
smallest geographic area, many citizens feel the crowding these days.
And the thought of planting another 1,000 homes within Tisbury's
six square miles or adding more cars to the Five Corners intersection
adds fuel to recent public debates over growth within the town.

MVC Returns to Golf Project

Commission Confronts Pressures from Oak Bluffs Selectmen and
Developers to Expedite Plan; Compromise Is Reached

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

The high-speed chase to force quick approval of a luxury golf and
housing project in the southern woodlands section of Oak Bluffs
continued without letting up last week when the Martha's Vineyard
Commission took up an unusual request to hold a high-speed public review
of the development plan.

FALMOUTH - - Adding fresh fuel to the fire that has burned around the Steamship Authority for months, the Falmouth selectmen voted 4-1 last night to take steps to remove Galen Robbins as the town boat line governor.

"Townspeople are in an uproar about this and I recommend we begin the process of removal," declared selectman Edward Marks.

"I believe that what's on the record is significant grounds and we may begin the process," said selectman Virginia Valiela.

The noisy, motley group of runners suddenly waxed silent and awaited
the bullhorn. When it blasted, the soles of more than a thousand running shoes
began pummelling Middle Road against a canvas of shadows and golden
light.

On Saturday morning the 25th annual Chilmark Road Race began just as
its predecessors - but with an even richer sense of history, and
featuring a wonderful new gadget.

The ferris wheel's been planted, the entry forms returned, the dogs bathed, allowances saved, curfews set.

In the final days before the 141st annual Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Society Livestock Show and Fair begins, volunteers are plugging through the fair's "to do" list. It's a list that Eleanor Neubert - fair manager for 19 years - knows well.