English Classes Open Horizons for New Islanders

By CHRIS BURRELL

The morning lesson Tuesday in Matt Malowski's class at the regional high school starts off with calisthenics for the tongue. They are trying to master one of the most common and — for foreigners — one of the most confounding of English words.

"He pulled his tongue in and blew air out," says Mr. Malowski, getting down to the nitty-gritty of lingual mechanics. "Perfect, you just said ‘the' with no accent, just like an American."

Three feet of snow blanketed the ground that day in 1977 when more than two dozen Islanders trudged into the First Congregational Church in West Tisbury, hoping to win a small piece of the Vineyard.

Ann Milstein was pregnant. Pat Carlet had three small daughters in tow. One by one, Vineyard Open Land Foundation (VOLF) officials pulled names out of a box, awarding five Island families the right to buy land in Pilot Hill Farm at a bargain rate.

Years of Talks Pay Off in 62-Acre Conservation Gift Along Middle Road

By JULIA WELLS

A wide swath of rolling farmland and wooded hillside that includes a high ridge perched above the scenic Middle Road in Chilmark and West Tisbury will remain forever wild, thanks to an unusual conservation gift from Virginia Crowell Jones and Everett Noteman Jones to The Nature Conservancy and the Vineyard Conservation Society, the Gazette has learned.

Aquinnah Voters Face Financial Questions And a Choice for Selectman in Elections

By JULIA WELLS

Money is the main theme in Aquinnah next week when voters will take up the question of how much to spend, or more correctly, how much to overspend when it comes to the state-mandated tax cap.

The annual town meeting gets under way on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the historic Aquinnah town hall. Moderator Walter E. Delaney will preside over the session.

Transit Authority Scrambles, Fills Summer Workforce Needs

By MANDY LOCKE

Six weeks ago, Vineyard Transit Authority (VTA) administrators worried they'd be forced to leave some bus riders stranded on the side of the road this summer.

Now, on the eve of the summer season, VTA officials say they have found enough drivers to meet summer demands.

Last month, the public bus system faced a 30 per cent hole in its summer workforce - the result of a decision by federal immigration officials to enforce a limit on temporary visas (H2Bs) for foreign wor

Political Veteran Elected in Chilmark

By MANDY LOCKE

J.B. Riggs Parker is back in the front lines of Chilmark politics.

Chilmark voters returned him to the thick of town affairs Wednesday, electing this longtime official to the post of selectman over political newcomer Mary Murphy Boyd. Mr. Parker secured 306 votes to Mrs. Boyd's 142.

"I'm grateful for the support of the citizens of Chilmark. I look forward to giving what I can to get things done reasonably and creatively," Mr. Parker said yesterday after his victory.

Mr.

Katama Bay Anchorage Closed to Protect Waters

By MANDY LOCKE

Boaters looking for a place to anchor for the night won't
find refuge in Katama Bay this summer.

Citing a deterioration in water quality in Katama Bay over
the last several years, Edgartown officials have banned boaters from
anchoring overnight in the area.

"The town made a decision. Do we want two months of boating
or a year-round shellfishing industry?

Hauling in almost two-thirds of the votes, Tisbury selectman Tristan Israel won a fourth term in Tuesday's annual town election.

Hospital Leaders Revisit Building Plans

By JULIA WELLS

The plan has changed and the $50 million price tag is heading south — how far south, it's too early to say.

But leaders at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital confirmed this week that they have taken a fresh tack in their quest to replace the decrepit Island hospital with a new building.

"We said it's time to take a deep breath and rethink a few things," said Tim Sweet, who is vice president of the hospital board of trustees.

Nine months ago hospital trustees announced their

Boatline CEO Looks Ahead

By JULIA WELLS

Steamship Authority chief executive officer Fred Raskin said this week that reports of his impending resignation are premature, although he did admit that the decision is now at hand: Will he stay in the top post at the boat line that he stepped into barely two years ago, or leave?

"I haven't made a final decision, although I think I will shortly and I'll talk to the board about it before I make a final decision," Mr.