Sturdy brown envelopes, some of them mailed from as far away as the Netherlands, Italy and Russia, are stacked up tall on the desk of Wanda Williams, the town clerk in Edgartown.

Ask Ms. Williams or any of the Island's other five town clerks how things are going the week before Election Day, and you'll hear a deep sigh. They are swamped, not only with a surge of those brown envelopes containing absentee ballots but also with tallying up new voters.

A semi-retired financial consultant from Vineyard Haven is the lone
challenger vying to unseat one of three incumbents in this year's
race for a spot on the Dukes County Commission.

George J. Balco, a Republican from Vineyard Haven and former
chairman of the Martha's Vineyard Airport Commission, is running
against Democrats John S. Alley of West Tisbury, Leonard Jason Jr. of
Chilmark and Roger Wey of Oak Bluffs.

Community Services Launches Self-Study with Heller School

By C.K. WOLFSON

Martha's Vineyard Community Services announced this week that
it has launched a comprehensive internal management study with the
prestigious Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis
University.

The seven-month, privately funded study is aimed at developing a
strategic plan for the unique umbrella human services agency that was
founded in 1961.

Aquinnah Override Is Rejected for Third Time in Five Months

By MAX HART

A large turnout of Aquinnah voters said no to a Proposition 2 1/2
override yesterday for the third time in five months, dealing a final
blow to the town selectmen on the subject of town spending -
except when it comes to plowing snow.

In the end, it was a 12.48-pound false albacore hooked in the
shallows off Memorial Wharf in Edgartown, and a 10.13-pound bonito
snagged in 60-foot seas off Noman's Land that proved to be the
grandest catches of all as the 59th Annual Martha's Vineyard
Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby came to a close on Sunday.

Proposed renovations to the West Tisbury town hall will once again be the center of public debate when voters gather for a special town meeting in the elementary school gymnasium on Tuesday. Town moderator Pat Gregory will open discussion of the 11-article warrant at 7 p.m.

Other topics to be considered include an amendment to the affordable housing zoning bylaw, as well as appropriations for a consultant to examine the up-Island regional school district and preliminary planning of a path from the youth hostel to the town center.

Candidates Vie for Cape and Islands Seats

By CHRIS BURRELL

On paper, the race for the Cape and Islands senate seat in the state
house looks like a battle of the brains.

A pediatrician with a Harvard MBA, Republican challenger Dr. Gail
Lese is trying to bring down a history professor, the incumbent Democrat
Sen. Robert O'Leary. A third candidate, Luiz (Lou) Gonzaga,
running as an independent, holds a doctorate in business administration.

All top-heavy resumes aside, the politics in this race are anything
but tepid.

Island Teacher Challenges Eric Turkington

By IAN FEIN

The race for Cape and Islands state representative pits an
eight-term incumbent Democrat from Falmouth against a Republican high
school Spanish teacher from the Vineyard.

Rep. Eric T. Turkington is well known throughout the district that
he has served for 16 years. James R. Powell is best known in West
Tisbury, where his ancestors reach back to the Mayhews.

"I don't think [Mr. Turkington] is doing enough for our
district. He's not hustling enough," Mr. Powell said.

Passenger and Car Fares Stay the Same But Commuters, Truckers,
Schools All Can Expect Sharp Increases

HYANNIS - Vineyard residents will shoulder the bulk of next
year's rate increases, which were unanimously approved by
Steamship Authority governors at their monthly meeting in Hyannis on
Wednesday.

Aquinnah residents head to the polls next week in the latest attempt
by selectmen to override the state-mandated tax cap and ease the
town's financial crisis.

At a special town election Thursday residents will vote whether to
approve a Proposition 2 1/2 override request. The override request
- the third since the beginning of the summer - comes in
conjunction with a $103,000 supplemental budget, approved at special
town meeting in late September.