At what point do you stop pouring money into a car with sentimental value and a growing list of problems? It’s not a perfect analogy, but close enough to apply to Memorial Hall. The century-old downtown venue has been decaying for years. I first wrote about its sad state last July, after touring the space […]
Author Archives: Mark Pothier - Independent Staff
Posted inCulture
For once, All Things Plymouth was more than an online cage fight
Facebook’s All Things Plymouth page can feel more like a toxic waste site than community gathering place. With a purported 150,000 “members” – exceeding by two times the total of every adult and child in town – it’s often a steaming caldron of bad grammar stirring hate, ignorance, and racism. But last week’s crippling blizzard […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Blizzard bears down on Plymouth
With Plymouth in the crosshairs of a massive nor’easter expected to slam into the coast Sunday night deep into Monday, creating dangerous blizzard conditions, the town has declared a “local weather emergency.” Schools and municipal buildings will be closed Monday, recreation programs and Meals on Wheels deliveries have been cancelled, and a parking ban in […]
Posted inReal Estate Sales
Cold, snowy winter adds an extra chill to the real estate market
As Mick Jagger once sang, “It’s sure been a long, cold winter.” And that’s not conducive to buying or selling a home. But people who are looking to cut a deal this time of year are generally “motivated” – they need or want to sell for a variety of reasons. So while there may not […]
Posted inNews Analysis
When a private property becomes a public problem
Almost every Plymouth neighborhood has a home or business in disrepair no one seems to care about. From trash-strewn yards to sagging siding to rusting cars propped on blocks, they are the definition of blight. But the stories behind them can be nuanced. Maybe they’re the result of financial hardship or illness, physical and mental. […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
More snow, another parking ban
Light snow began falling mid-morning Saturday, in sync with the start of another parking ban in the downtown and North Plymouth areas. With a fast-moving Alberta Clipper system expected to drop between 5 and 8 inches of snow on Plymouth Saturday – followed by extreme cold for the rest of the weekend – the town […]
Posted inBusiness
Plymouth preps for the Super Bowl
Here’s a Super Bowl bet you can count on: Late Sunday afternoon will be a good time to shop at Market Basket. Like most of Massachusetts and New England, the buzz over the Patriots return to the biggest stage in sports – for a record 12th time – is becoming a roar as the weekend […]
Posted inBusiness
Sandwich St. gas station complex getting overhaul
There’s a little more space on Sandwich Street these days – temporarily. The Canaan Fuels gas station/convenience street complex at the intersection of Lincoln and South streets has shuttered as a complete rebuild of the site gets underway. The first phase of the project involved the recent razing of an office building on the property […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
On again, off again: Town rescinds Sunday parking ban
Saturday afternoon, the town announced a 24-hour parking ban would take effect in the downtown and North Plymouth areas, in advance of what was expected to be a modest Sunday snowfall that could also bring powerful wind gusts. The move surprised some residents and business owners because the predictions called for just a few inches […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
As storm nears, town announces parking ban, offers resources
An apocalyptic event for the history books, or just the kind of significant snowfall we used to expect every January? It depends on who’s delivering the forecast or writing the headline. But there is a major storm headed this way, on top of brutally cold temperatures that arrived during the early morning hours of Saturday. […]