The southwest view from the Gay Head Cliffs combines smooth beach and green hills, with tiny vernal pools dotting a landscape of leafy trees, wildflowers and dunes.

In a new partnership described as “the greatest of leaps,” Martha’s Vineyard Hospital has entered into an agreement for sharing staff and expertise with Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

The agreement means that the hospitals will share doctors, including specialists that the Island hospital does not keep on staff full-time, such as pulmonary physicians and oncologists. In addition, Island medical personnel will go to the Boston hospitals on occasion for training, and vice versa.

These days, the Island’s service organizations face great demands. With the Vineyard population swelling, groups such as Community Services, the boys’ and girls’ club and the school system need to expand. Meanwhile, new organizations — including the aquatics center — are struggling to establish themselves.

Members of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission heard last week about a comprehensive new effort to lessen the number of cars on Island roads and make sure that those roads maintain their rural character.

In order to solve the Island’s traffic troubles and preserve its country feel, the MVC must embrace a plan and aggressively seek federal funds for two goals, they were told: establishing a system for reducing the number of cars on Island roads and rewriting government standards for road construction, at least as they apply to the Island.

Developers at a hearing last night described the Meeting House Golf Club project as a blessing for the environment. The project would remove nitrogen from the groundwater, they said, improve the salinity of the Edgartown Great Pond and protect the rare plant known as gypsywort.

Some members of the public questioned those claims. And two opponents of the project hinted that scientific experts will appear, when the hearing continues, to offer different ideas about the environmental impacts of the golf resort proposed by Rosario Lattuca.

On a sunny and busy day this July, Oak Bluffs post office square was filled with the sounds of a man and a woman arguing angrily about whether or not the town should install a $14 million sewage system.

Across the Island, hundreds of acres of beautiful land were designated as conservation property and protected from development.

Still, prominent conservationists joined together to make a dire prediction, that all the Vineyard's undeveloped land will be built upon by 2005.

Meanwhile, throngs of cars were increasingly viewed as villains on the Island's two-lane roads.

The Fourth of July weekend in Oak Bluffs was a big mess last year, everyone said.

There was too much traffic. An ambulance couldn’t get through a street crowded with people. There were clashes between cultures and, when people talked about the weekend later, blatant racism.

Bob Holland of Oak Bluffs stayed home, but he heard all about it. And he sees no reason why all these people shouldn’t enjoy Oak Bluffs on its biggest holiday weekend.

So this year, he will be there to help with other members of the new Martha’s Vineyard Million Man Association.

David Corbitt of Indianapolis discovered Oak Bluffs this weekend. A second-year law student, Mr. Corbitt traveled here at the urging of a college friend.

Serena Henry came from Atlanta, and Phyllis Buford came from St. Louis, with her family. She joined friends from Kansas City, Mo.

Bobby Hall traveled here from Florida, and he had a great time.

“It doesn’t get much better than this,” said Mr. Hall, who joined about 800 people Friday night for live music, dancing and sunset at Inkwell Beach.

Several hundred people attended special events this weekend in Oak Bluffs, reducing gridlock downtown and adding to the festive atmosphere.

And it all happened because of a chance meeting on Memorial Day at the Dragonfly art gallery in Oak Bluffs.