Nantucket Current

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UPDATE: Father Max Wolf said St. Paul’s Church on Fair Street would take up the mantle of hosting a reading of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights on the morning of July 4th. Time is TBD. Father Wolf said it was not about repudiating the Unitarian Church’s position, but rather bringing people together. “Those documents are aspirational,” he said. “We may not be there yet but we felt it was improtant to gather together and try to live up to the promises our country has made.”

Nantucket’s Unitarian Church has canceled its annual Fourth of July celebration, which traditionally includes a reading of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, in an act of political protest. The annual celebration has been hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House at its Orange Street church for the past 25 years. But as the nation celebrates its 250th birthday this year, that tradition will be on hiatus following a decision by Rev. Erin Splaine and the Unitarian Church’s Board of Trustees. Read it here: nantucketcurrent.com/opinion/unitar…

😮 Billionaire Herb Chambers’ super yacht “Excellence” rounded Brant Point Wednesday morning, dwarfing the Hy-Line’s fast ferry Grey Lady IV as the two vessels passed the lighthouse. The 262-foot yacht has a unique inverted bow, and is among the largest vessels that can safely navigate into Nantucket Harbor. Chambers, who made his fortune by building an empire of car dealerships, grew up in Dorchester, Mass., and dropped out of high school before joining the U.S. Navy as an aviation electrician. When he got out of the Navy, Chambers started bartending at his mother’s bar in the South End, but she fired him after just two months for missing a shift. He went on to found a successful copier distribution company before acquiring his first car dealership in Connecticut in 1985. Chambers is now 84 years old, and his yacht Excellence has made several stops in Nantucket Harbor in recent years. 📸: @kitnoble

Where the Figawi? nantucketcurrent.com/news/55th-figa…

Old Glory is up on the Brant Point Lighthouse ahead of Memorial Day weekend thanks to the crew at Coast Guard Station Brant Point 🫡 🇺🇸

It's time to make the donuts. After a year and a half in exile, the beloved Downyflake will soon make a triumphant return to Nantucket in a new home: the Fairgrounds restaurant. nantucketcurrent.com/news/time-to-m…

The Last Mudslide? Steve Karp’s Nantucket Island Resorts, which owns most of the commercial real estate in downtown Nantucket, is pushing out the owner of the iconic Tavern and Gazebo after 34 years: nantucketcurrent.com/news/the-last-…

@MaryLyn02374447 Please read the story

@ACKCurrent Isn’t Ralph Lauren a chain?

Last summer, the Roller Rabbit store on Centre Street was found in violation of Nantucket's so-called chain store ban, otherwise known as the formula business bylaw. Less than a year later, a gaping loophole in the bylaw has allowed it to reopen: nantucketcurrent.com/news/after-bei…

"I just hope I don't get fired tomorrow in the lobby of the police department." Several current and former Nantucket 911 dispatchers spoke out during public comment at Wednesday night’s Select Board meeting regarding their ongoing contractual grievance over third-party details. They included Chris Tolman, Chris Reynolds, and Patrick Considine, the former 911 dispatch assistant supervisor who was fired two weeks ago after speaking out about the grievance. Members of the public sat in the audience wearing "I Stand With Dispatch" t-shirts while the three men made their remarks. Background: nantucketcurrent.com/news/public-sa…

A Nantucket jury on Wednesday awarded millions of dollars in damages to the neighbors of the Veranda House who filed lawsuits against the owner of the hotel and its staff after the massive fire that struck the historic structure nearly four years ago: nantucketcurrent.com/news/deliberat…

Now that’s a proper sunset 🤩 🎥: Ty Fleischut > Kit Noble > Chris Sleeper > Jason Graziadei

A little rain didn’t dampen the spring tradition of opening day at the Hospital Thrift Shop Monday morning. Despite a few showers, the line of people waiting to get in stretched down India Street nearly to Centre Street before the ribbon was cut and shoppers raced into the store in search of some of the best deals in Nantucket. Today’s opening marked the Thrift Shop’s 97th year in business selling donated used goods to support Nantucket Cottage Hospital. Last year the Hospital Thrift Shop, which is open from mid-May through mid-October, donated a record $660,000 to the hospital.

@banderson5775 We are aware. But the owner of said restaurant is not yet prepared to talk about the situation. Sounds like negotiations are still underway.

Artificial turf or natural grass? Island voters chose turf this week, approving a $26 million plan to upgrade the athletic facilities at Nantucket High School that includes a new artificial turf field and synthetic track. nantucketcurrent.com/news/turf-fiel…

Madame Moderator Sarah Alger is a national treasure. Thank you Sarah for 30 years of wit and wisdom leading us through Nantucket’s Town Meetings. 🙏🫡

Town Meeting has blocked a proposed expansion of the controversial geotube erosion control project along the Sconset Bluff on a 182-163 vote. nantucketcurrent.com/news/voters-re…

Nantucket’s Town Meeting has endorsed a $126 million appropriation to fund the construction of a new skilled nursing facility. Nantucket is the only town in Massachusetts that operates its own nursing home. The spending must still be approved on the ballot: nantucketcurrent.com/news/our-islan…