Public comment is an ordinary part of Select Board meetings, but on April 29 it was anything but. The speaker standing at the podium was the board’s chair, Dick Quintal, who had left his seat at the table to comment, he said, “as a citizen.” “I just feel that when it’s my own personal view, […]
Author Archives: Fred Thys - Independent Staff
Posted inGovernment
Vecchi blames ‘lack of leadership’ for Police Dept.’s hiring woes
Local candidates forums are typically low-key events, but that was not the case during Thursday night’s Plymouth Area League of Women Voters forum at Town Hall when the topic turned to a question on the May 17 election ballot regarding civil service. The Police Department, with the backing of the Select Board and Town Manager […]
Posted inGovernment
Meet the candidates for Planning Board and School Committee seats
The Planning Board and School Committee races in the May 17 annual town election are crowded this year. In total, eight candidates are running in three contested races for five seats. Here’s a look at the field. PLANNING BOARD Two seats are open on the Planning Board. Tim Grandy is running unopposed for a […]
Posted inGovernment
What you need to know about voting in the May 17 town election
There’s still time to register to vote in Plymouth’s annual town election. The official voting day is May 17, but you can cast a ballot earlier in-person or by mail. To register, visit the state’s Election Division. The deadline is Wednesday, May 7, at 5 p.m. If you’re already registered, you can check or change […]
Posted inGovernment
A look at who’s running for Select Board in next month’s election
What a difference a year makes in local politics. In 2024, only one candidate, David Golden, was on the ballot for Select Board. This year, five people are competing for two seats in the May 14 town election. Charlie Bletzer and John Mahoney are seeking re-election. They face three challengers: Scott Vecchi, Deb Iaquinto, and […]
Posted inBusiness
Struggling Mayflower Brewing has tapped a buyer
Amid a wave of consolidation and closings in the craft beer industry, Mayflower Brewing Company – Plymouth’s oldest and largest beer maker – is changing hands. Drew Brosseau said Tuesday that he is selling the business he founded in 2007 to Orleans-based Hog Island Beer Company for an undisclosed sum. But the Mayflower name and […]
Posted inCulture
Trump administration pulls funding for Pilgrim Hall work
In what is the first local example of a wave of federal budget cuts, the Trump administration has revoked a $200,000 grant to Pilgrim Hall Museum that would have supported modernization and preservation of four centuries of documents in its archives that are now housed in deteriorating boxes. In an email, Keith Sonderling, acting director […]
Posted inGovernment
Following Town Meeting vote on guns, Select Board backs off on ballot question
Voters will not be able to weigh in on whether to allow firearms in town-owned buildings and parks after all. By a 5-0 vote, the Select Board Tuesday reversed its earlier decision to put a non-binding referendum on the ballot in the May 17 town election. A yes vote would have supported exempting Plymouth from […]
Posted inGovernment
Krasinski’s ‘Farmhouse,’ which ran afoul of town officials, is for sale
The Farmhouse, a 9.7-acre property in Ellisville that ran afoul of town officials on several occasions over owner Paul Krasinski’s use of buildings to run educational programs without proper permits and in alleged violation of the state’s fire code, is apparently no more. Krasinski, the enigmatic and locally controversial brother of actor John Krasinski, […]
Posted inGovernment
Town Meeting wrap-up: Gun ban stays, Jenney Pond dam gets funding, school building maintenance change rejected.
Town Meeting members Saturday voted by a wide margin to keep in place a ban on firearms in town buildings, playgrounds, and parks, rejecting a call from Police Chief Dana Flynn and Town Manager Derek Brindisi to opt out of a clause in a state law that took effect in October. The spring gathering of […]