The Fourth of July weekend is here. Roses are in full bloom. And at every corner of the Island, signs of Independence Day blossom - signs as subtle as a flag in a window, as large as bunting on a wall.

Nearly every inn on the Island has, or will have, a no vacancy sign. Even the smallest byways are full of bustling traffic, and all the harbors at sunset have glistening, shiny aluminum masts and white hulls.

The Fourth is Sunday, and Monday is a legal holiday with the post office and many businesses closed.

Hot doughnuts from the back door of an Oak Bluffs bakery may be a popular late-night delicacy, but a hard-line decree from the town's board of health this week slammed the door shut.

A Small School's Examination: Can Chilmark Attract Others?

By CHRIS BURRELL

They like the small classes, the low student-to-teacher ratio and
the strong feeling of community at the Chilmark School.

But some of the parents surveyed this spring by a new task force
investigating reasons for low enrollment gave the grammar school low
marks in the areas of communication, leadership and staff turnover.

No More Picking: Vineyard's Last Landfill Closes; Some Mourn It

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By MANDY LOCKE

The days of dump picking, finding a treasure in another man's
trash, drew to a close on the Island this week.

As Aquinnah Struggles, Pact with Tribe Recalled

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

The agreement grew out of formal mediation and was signed in 1994
during one of the most heated debates in the history of the town, but
today it is a forgotten document, the details fuzzy and faded, even in
the memories of the people who signed it.

If the Vineyard suddenly smelled a little better this weekend, you can thank the army of volunteers at the Tisbury animal shelter who scrubbed, lathered and towel-dried 88 dogs Saturday.

At 12 bucks a pup, this dog wash was a bargain for pet owners and a boon for the town-owned pound. The dog-wash - which also offered a $5 pedicure for paws - netted $1,700.

That's more than enough cash to accomplish objective number one at the shelter: building sun shades for the outdoor dog runs.

Hospital Leaders Aim for No-Debt Financing

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By JULIA WELLS

All fund raising, no debt. This was the message from leaders at the
Martha's Vineyard Hospital this week when they hosted a forum to
update the public on plans to build a new hospital.

What Will Boat Line Chief Be Called? Chairman Says SSA Board Must
Decide

By ALEXIS TONTI

As the dust settles at the Steamship Authority following chief
executive officer Fred C. Raskin's resignation, the next step for
boat line governors will be one of semantics.

"First we've got to make a decision as to whether we
advertise for a CEO or an executive director or a general manager. One
of those categories we've got to decide on," Barnstable
governor and board chairman Robert O'Brien said yesterday.

Aquinnah Camp Gets a Chance with an Anonymous Contribution

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

It's a camp that has no formal name but in the last two weeks
some possibilities surfaced. Camp Yes? Camp No? Camp Maybe?

"Camp Hope-So," declared Aquinnah selectman Jim Newman
yesterday.

The Aquinnah town summer camp, a creative program that serves some
40 children, was eliminated by voters last week during a severe
budget-cutting exercise on the town meeting floor.

Tips Fail to Lead Police to Baby's Mother

By MANDY LOCKE

One week after a baby was abandoned on the steps of St.
Augustine's Church in Vineyard Haven, police have still not found
the infant's mother.

"We're not much further along than we were last week,
but we're still aggressively working on it," said State
Police Sgt. Jeff Stone, a detective assigned to the Cape and Islands
district attorney's office.