Anthony Boccalini, suffering from a rare inherited condition that caused his mother Judy’s death three years ago, is hoping for a kidney transplant that could save his life. Boccalini, 41, is the youngest of six siblings in the well-known Plymouth family. Four of them have the dominant gene that causes the deadly condition, a form […]
Author Archives: Fred Thys - Independent Staff
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Holtec owns a valuable 1,600-acre parcel around the nuclear power plant site. What’s to become of it?
On a recent day, Mark Withington walked along precarious ice-encrusted trails in the Chiltonville woods to a clearing at the boundary of the land owned by Holtec International, the company that is decommissioning the former Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Manomet. Withington has a vision for the nearly 1,600 acres of mostly forested property around […]
Posted inBusiness
State seizes waterfront restaurant over $228,000 in unpaid taxes
Carmen’s Café Nicole, a popular breakfast-and-lunch restaurant on Water Street, has been seized by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue for failure to pay taxes. According to the department’s website, the owner, Aria Capone, owes the state more than $228,000. Capone said in an email Thursday that she has been working with an attorney and a […]
Posted inGovernment
Number of polling sites dramatically reduced
Plymouth voters who prefer to cast their ballots in person will likely have to do more driving, starting with the May 17 town election. The Select Board Tuesday voted unanimously to reduce the number of polling sites from 14 to just 5, following Town Clerk Kelly McElreath’s earlier recommendation to consolidate voting locations. The […]
Posted inGovernment
A place for those who served the country to connect, prosper, and contribute
Bryan Wille wants everyone – not just veterans – to know about the Plymouth Area Veterans Center. “It’s my passion,” said Willie, who is site manager at the facility, which opened its doors at 20 North Park Ave. in October. “I absolutely love doing this.” “Everything that the state of Massachusetts will offer a veteran, […]
Posted inCulture
Grand finale: July Fourth group to disband after this year’s parade, fireworks
This year’s Fourth of July parade and fireworks display will be the last one organized by the volunteer organization that has overseen the events for decades. What happens after that is uncertain. Matt Tavares, who with his father, Ken Tavares, co-chairs the six-member July 4 Plymouth Committee, told the Select Board Tuesday night that it […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Avian flu believed to have spread to North Plymouth, Long Beach
As feared, the town’s presumed outbreak of avian flu is no longer contained to Billington Sea. The H5N1 virus that is likely infecting birds in Plymouth has spread from the 269-acre freshwater pond to Spooner Pond near Cordage Park on Route 3A in North Plymouth, and to Long Beach, according to town officials. On Friday, […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Plymouth’s apparent avian flu outbreak said to be state’s ‘largest ever’
State officials are calling the apparent presence of avian flu in Plymouth the largest such “outbreak in wild birds that we have seen in Massachusetts since the virus arrived in winter 2021-2022.” Julia E. Hopkins, spokesperson for the Dept. of Fish & Game, said in an email late Wednesday that “state officials are coordinating with […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Thin ice hampers collection of birds likely killed by avian flu
On a recent afternoon, Dave Gallerani looked out from his deck at ducks and swans swimming on Billington Sea. But on closer inspection, the scene was far from idyllic. He pointed to two dead swans on a frozen section of the pond. They were among the many dead and dying birds Gallerani has seen since […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Officials warn of ‘additional outbreaks’ of bird flu in Plymouth
Plymouth officials are warning residents to assume that the avian flu is present in town, and that the outbreak extends beyond the Billington Sea area, where about 70 dead birds were removed by environmental workers on Jan. 19. In a CodeRED alert sent out via text message, voicemail, and email Thursday evening, the town said […]