On the day that America celebrated its independence, and that
Edgartown held the big parade, another kind of parade streamed through
the tiny avenues of the Camp Ground in Oak Bluffs; a tetherball
tournament entertained employees of the Vineyard Yacht Club; and, by
night, post-fireworks revelers flocked to Circuit avenue, sidestepping
the blobs of melted ice cream left behind by toddlers before their
bedtime.

It was a warm and sunny weekend, until rains came Monday afternoon;
and the Vineyard took full advantage.

Showing the Colors Down-Island: Reports from Three Main Streets

By C.K. WOLFSON

The day was a reprieve from the lurch and jolt of national news
which often blurs patriotic instincts and makes us struggle for balance.

Independence Day: steady, reliable, served up in primary colors,
ornamented in blue skies, balloons and family reunions. It is an
occasion whose tradition and provenance singularly belong to the United
States, to be celebrated collectively, a festive reminder of the
precepts and privileges of our democratic system.

Changes Could Threaten Plan for Housing, MVC Is Warned

By MANDY LOCKE

As the Martha's Vineyard Commission (MVC) concluded its review
of a 60-unit affordable rental development in Edgartown, town leaders
warned commissioners that tampering with the proposal would jeopardize
the project.

"Some conditions placed on this could delay or kill the
project," Alan Gowell, a member of the Edgartown affordable
housing committee, told commissioners Thursday night.

Court Will Decide a Land Bank Issue

By ALEXIS TONTI

An ongoing tax dispute between the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank
Commission and the West Tisbury board of assessors has now landed in
front of the Massachusetts Court of Appeals for a ruling that will set a
precedent for how the conservation agency conducts its land transactions
Islandwide.

For Some, Fog Ruins Rockets' Red Glare; It's Just a July
Thing

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By ALEXIS TONTI

How Islanders rated this year's July Fourth fireworks display
all depended on their point of view - quite literally.

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Draft Legislation on Boat Line Break-Up Prompts Furor and Charges of
Bad Faith

By JULIA WELLS and ALEXIS TONTI

An underground group that wants Nantucket to break away from the
Steamship Authority is now circulating draft legislation on Beacon Hill
to establish a commission to study splitting the public boat line in
two.

The group is led by Nantucket SSA governor Grace Grossman, a
well-entrenched Democrat with powerful connections in the state house.

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.