All those “no” signs sprouting up on lawns all over Plymouth were paid for by a fundraising campaign that has brought in five times the amount of money raised by supporters of a prohibition on alcoholic beverage nips. Plymouth voters will decide on Saturday, Jan. 13, whether to uphold the ban, which was passed by […]
Author Archives: Fred Thys - Independent Staff
Posted inGovernment
Nonprofits distance themselves from liquor store ad urging nip ban rejection
Peter Balboni, owner of Pioppi’s Liquors, is facing pushback from some nonprofit organizations he has supported after he took out an advertisement in the Old Colony Memorial newspaper urging them to return the favor by backing his efforts to overturn Plymouth’s nip ban. Some of the groups listed said that their policies prevent them from […]
Posted inGovernment
As nip ban vote nears, it’s litter reduction versus convenient consumption
It’s a typical day for Paul Tosi – he’s picking up discarded plastic nips, this time along Court Street. Tosi, a runner for years, had often seen the tiny plastic liquor bottles – 100 ml or less – along the side of roads on his route, but he didn’t give them much thought. Then on […]
Posted inBusiness
Free parking on Main and Court streets might expire
Finding a coveted parking spot on Main and Court streets downtown depends on the time of day and season. Midday on a Monday or Tuesday in December is easy. Saturday after 5 p.m. can be tougher as restaurants and bars fill up. Summer can be even more of challenge. Sure, there are public lots and […]
Posted inGovernment
Contentious Planning Board meeting marked by charges of racism, disrespectful behavior
Wednesday’s marathon Plymouth Planning Board meeting was marked by an apology, a call for punishment, and a fair amount of confusion. Following a four-hour session, the board allowed member Birgitta Kuehn – an outspoken critic of development – to remain as its representative on the Community Preservation Committee. But Kuehn can’t actually serve on that […]
Posted inGovernment
Redbrook affordable housing plan may get $4m in Community Preservation funds
The Community Preservation Committee Thursday approved spending $4 million to go toward building a 52-unit affordable apartment project at the Redbrook development on land donated by A.D. Makepeace Co. The money was awarded to the Grantham Group LLC, based in Marlborough. But the committee was split on whether the project, which will total about $25 […]
Posted inGovernment
Democrat Fernandes launches run for Moran’s Senate seat
Less than two weeks after state Senator Susan Moran said she would not run for re-election, a candidate has emerged for the Plymouth and Barnstable Democrat’s seat. State Representative Dylan Fernandes, a Falmouth Democrat, said he wants to move over to the Senate chamber on Beacon Hill. In a statement, Fernandes said he wants “to […]
Posted inEducation
Fresh off a national award, North’s Shelley Terry keeps challenging students
Every three to four weeks, students in Michelle “Shelley” Terry’s broadcast journalism class at North Plymouth High School produce a live 25-minute newscast. They do all the reporting and writing, shoot the video, and run the equipment in the television studio and control room. People outside of Plymouth have taken notice. The course earned first […]
Posted inGovernment
‘You’re a pathological liar’
Over the objection of its longtime chair, the town’s Community Preservation Committee Thursday narrowly voted to fund an administrative position that would do some work for the committee but report to the town manager. Creation of the part-time job has been the subject of a long tug of war between chair Bill Keohan and other […]
Posted inGovernment
Moran says she’s not running for re-election to the state Senate
State Senator Susan Moran, a Plymouth and Barnstable Democrat, is not running for re-election in 2024, and instead plans to run for clerk of Barnstable County Superior Court in next year’s general election. Moran told the Independent that her decision was motivated by the 2022 election of Democrats Donna Buckley as Barnstable County sheriff and […]