NANTUCKET – The Nantucket Select Board has made the decision to cancel the Fourth of July fireworks, six months before they were scheduled, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The vote was 3-2.
“I think we learned that we don’t know what’s going to happen with the pandemic. It could be worse and I doubt it’ll be better than we think,” said Vice Chair Jason Bridges.
Although there was discussion on postponing the vote until later in the year, the slim majority of board members decided that it would be impossible to institute social distancing guidelines for an event that large.
“Even in July, gatherings are still going to be an issue, especially gatherings of that size,” said Town Manager Libby Gibson.
Going forward, the board will look to allocate the $54,000 traditionally used for the fireworks to struggling island businesses.
The 2020 Fourth of July fireworks were postponed until New Year’s Eve. However, those were cancelled due to concerns with safety distancing guidelines. Postponing the 2021 fireworks to next New Year’s Eve was also discussed.
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