Some people believe there is “no place to park” in downtown Plymouth. It’s not true but nonetheless makes for robust complaining by social media posters. (As if we needed more of that.) But for those who do venture into the increasingly popular business district – and manage to find a place to park – your […]
Author Archives: Mark Pothier - Independent Staff
Posted inCulture
Wetter or not, they made the best of it
The television ratings for Saturday’s Thanksgiving parade were probably up, thanks to a chilly rain that persuaded many people to take in the annual celebration from their living room instead of a sidewalk. But the thousands of spectators who dressed for the weather were rewarded with a spectacle of sights and sounds that unofficially ushered […]
Posted inReal Estate Sales
Plymouth home sales ticked up in October
With the approach of winter, home sales go into semi-hibernation. At least, that’s what has happened historically. But in recent years the market – like winter weather – has defied traditional patterns. With demand outstripping supply, prices rising, and many homeowners staying put because they’re reluctant to forfeit a super-low mortgage rate, predicting market trends […]
Posted inCulture
Fifty years ago this week, Bob Dylan rolled into Plymouth
I’m in Pilgrim Memorial State Park, standing near a landmark. Not Plymouth Rock or the Mayflower II, but a cluster of trees where Bob Dylan posed for the cover of his “Desire” album in late October 1975. The shoot, by famed photographer Ken Regan, took place when Dylan was here to launch the Rolling Thunder […]
Posted inCulture
‘Those things didn’t happen in Plymouth’
Last month, I asked to hear from people who lived in Plymouth when Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue arrived in October 1975. The tour, which has gained almost mythic status over the years, kicked off with two performances at Memorial Hall on Oct. 30 and 31. I wasn’t sure what the response would be, considering […]
Posted inBusiness Beat
‘I am the biggest fan of childhood magic’
Rick Vayo’s work isn’t always fun and games. But the prolific developer’s latest venture, a downtown store called Bamp’s Toy Vault, is exactly that. Last Thursday morning, eight days before its Oct. 24 opening, a surprisingly relaxed Vayo stands in the 36 Main St. shop amid a cluster of construction materials, equipment, display racks, and […]
Posted inGovernment
As many as 3,000 people attend ‘No Kings’ event
While Town Meeting members wrestled with local issues at Plymouth North High School on Saturday, demonstrators about a mile away put national concerns in the spotlight. The second “No Kings” rally on Water Street attracted a large and vocal crowd, with many people holding signs, and some wearing costumes, to protest what they say is […]
Posted inReal Estate Sales
More – but still not enough – homes are on the market in Plymouth
The local real estate market is sending mixed messages. So what else is new? More homes are going on the market in Plymouth, and it’s taking a bit longer for some of them to sell. But at the same time, of the 89 sales in September, more than half – 53 – closed at or […]
Posted inGovernment
A father’s grief, compounded by bureaucracy
David Berkeley’s life is shadowed by a black mass of sadness. At night, it steals his sleep. By day, it burrows into his thoughts. Like others who have lost loved ones – especially under sudden or shocking circumstances – his grief does not come with an expiration date. David’s 41-year-old son, Brent Berkeley, was gunned […]
Posted inReal Estate Sales
Fifteen Plymouth homes sold for more than $1m last month
I always have the same reaction to the monthly home sales figures for Plymouth: Thank God I’m not trying to buy my first house or condo. Consider that of the 95 closings in August, 15 went for more than $1 million. That compares with 82 total sales in July and is similar to the figure […]