The county manager and the chief executive officer at the
Martha's Vineyard Hospital scrambled to contain the damage this
week after the surprise revelation last week that the county will
collect a $50,000 fee on an unusual contract that will funnel some
$500,000 in taxpayer money into the hospital.

The taxpayer money is intended to help defray the cost of emergency
services at the hospital.

School Bells Ring for 2,400 Island Children

New Academic Year With High Energy to Reach Goals

By MANDY LOCKE

The school children waiting at the ends of driveways Thursday
morning confirmed what the empty shelves of school supplies at area
stores suggested earlier this week.

Nearly 2,400 Island children - filled with stories from summer
adventures - headed back to school yesterday.

And there to welcome each and every one were eager teachers and
administrators.

The state's fire control plans for the 5,200-acre Manuel F.
Corellus State Forest have come under attack by the scientific community
and the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), a
watchdog organization. The advocacy group threatens possible legal
action to block state forest teams from clearing hundreds of acres of
woodland along strategic fire lines.

Overall traffic on Steamship Authority ferries is either flat or down slightly for the year, but in fact peak-season summer traffic on ferries to the Vineyard - both passenger and automobile traffic - has been healthy.

Also, the patchwork of parking lots in Falmouth and Bourne that are used to service boat line ferries to the Vineyard were never completely filled this summer, raising some question about the recent statements by the boat line general manager about the need to shift passenger traffic to New Bedford.

Just when the stress of the summer season starts to ease up for most Islanders, it's a whole different story for teachers and children in the school system.

The 129-foot Freedom topsail schooner Amistad was the celebrated
guest of the Vineyard community this weekend, and will be back for
another visit. Capt. William (Bill) Pinkney said on Sunday the community
welcome received by the ship and her crew went beyond everyone's
expectations. As a result, they hope to return.

"The response here was just exceptional," the captain
said.

Oak Bluffs police say former Tisbury selectman A. Kirk Briggs was driving drunk just before midnight Tuesday when his 1989 Chevy pickup truck hit a 25-year-old woman from Estonia who was walking her bicycle along New York avenue just west of Our Market.

Call It Evolve

Rosabeth Kanter Weaves Big Ideas Into a New Book

By JULIA WELLS

The book lecture was about to begin, and suddenly Rosabeth Moss
Kanter, celebrated author and star of the event, spotted a friend in the
front row. Against a backdrop of the grand Stanley Murphy murals in the
Katharine Cornell Theatre, hugs were exchanged, lipstick smudged.
"I had a big idea the other day - a very big idea -
I'll tell you about it," Ms. Kanter said.

It was a classic Rosabeth moment.

Television police dramas depict officers arriving at the scene of the rape - often a dark public park - where they meet a shaken young woman who describes with perfect accuracy the bearded man who raped her. After searching the park, the officers find the rapist, arrest him and the woman presses charges without hesitation.

Hollywood's depiction of the typical sexual assault and the survivor's response strays far from reality. Women often hesitate before contacting the police, and the attackers often get away.

Labor Day Holiday Marks Turn In the Rhythms of Vineyard Life

By MANDY LOCKE

There's something different in the Vineyard air these days.

The goldenrods stand sturdy along the side of the road. Cars now
manage to work their way along Upper Main street faster than
pedestrians. Morning delivers an autumn chill before it builds to
afternoon heat. Red and white "help wanted" signs hang
pleadingly on store windows. Children's dreams of days on the
beach fade to thoughts of the first day of school.