For years, Charlie Vandini held court regularly from a bench inside his North Plymouth store. Along with Gus, an exuberant golden retriever with the same upbeat personality as the shop’s owner, he greeted everyone who entered Charlies’ North Plymouth Ace Hardware with a big smile and hearty welcome. “We used to call him the Mayor […]
Author Archives: Dave Kindy - Independent Correspondent
Posted inCulture
Making a case for the arts as essential
To be creative, artists need to reflect the truth as they see it. Autumn Wilson understood that concept when she performed a blues song she wrote in front of more than 100 people at last week’s Arts Summit, a program presented by the Plymouth Public Schools. To rousing applause and laughter, the 10-year-old Hedge Elementary […]
Posted inCulture
‘It may be cold, but a lot of warm hearts help out’
For many veterans, the year-end holidays can be a time of financial strain and emotional need. That’s why Michael Duggan helped to hand out free meals and heartfelt thanks yesterday to those who served. Upwards of 500 veterans and their families were registered to receive food and cheer today at the Plymouth Area Veterans Center. […]
Posted inEducation
‘A random person is funding my education’
In this season of giving, it is important to express appreciation for the kindness shown by others. But that can be difficult when you need to thank someone whose name you don’t know. Ruby Blackwell understands that conundrum – she owes a debt of gratitude to a person she has never met. This fall, the […]
Posted inSports
Plymouth high school football headed to Fenway
If you were saddened by the lack of a Fall Classic for the Red Sox at Fenway Park this year, take heart. Plymouth’s two high school football teams are readying to help fill the void. On the day before Thanksgiving, Plymouth North and South will continue a nearly 30-year rivalry with a game at Fenway. […]
Posted inBusiness
How a Plymouth-based nonprofit is changing lives in Haiti and Kenya
Until a few years ago, Benjamin Dominic’s employment prospects were bleak. Living in rural Saint Rock, Haiti, with no electricity or running water, the young high school graduate had few hopes of becoming anything other than an unskilled laborer. Today, Dominic is a trained cyber security specialist who helps companies in Plymouth create websites and […]
Posted inPolice & Fire
‘We have to be our best on everybody’s worst day’
A police officer’s day is not easy. Like other departments, Plymouth Police deal with fatal traffic accidents, domestic violence, suicide, children’s deaths and other traumatic events – any of which can make it difficult to be emotionally and mentally prepared for the next challenge. “We have to be our best on everybody’s worst day,” said […]
Posted inPolice & Fire
‘The greatest danger Plymouth faces today’
This is the second installment of a two-part series on the Great Fire of 1900 and the prospects of such a blaze taking place today. In August, local fire officials kept an anxious eye on Hurricane Erin as it moved north along the East Coast. Most predictions had the storm staying steering clear of New […]
Posted inHistory & Architecture
Half of Plymouth was consumed by flames 125 years ago this week
Alfred R. Turner Jr. rowed like he had never rowed before. Pulling desperately on the oars of his rowboat, the wealthy industrialist from Newark, N.J., watched as a 30-foot wall of fire engulfed his spacious summer home on the shores of Little Long Pond. Driven by a 70 mile-per-hour gale 125 years ago, the massive […]
Posted inCulture
Museum mystery: How did a disembodied head end up in a historic Pilgrim Hall mural?
For 145 years, a disembodied head has stared at visitors to Pilgrim Hall Museum. No, it wasn’t a spectral visage or a floating face from another dimension. It was Mayflower passenger and eventual Plymouth Colony governor Edward Winslow popping up in a painting he wasn’t supposed to be in. Renovations at the 201-year-old downtown museum […]