The effort to stem homelessness in Plymouth took a major step forward this week with news that a planned Housing Resource Center has received crucial state funding. The center, operated by the regional nonprofit Father Bill’s & MainSpring, is set to be built at 41 Westerly Road, off Summer Street, on the site of the […]
Author Archives: Mark Pothier - Independent Staff
Posted inGovernment
Why did Town Meeting reject a 1% budget cut?
You’ve heard the saying “kick the can down the road.” Politicians have fashioned it into an art form, especially in Washington, where decisions on thorny issues like Social Security and a ballooning national deficit are endlessly deferred. Some say Plymouth’s own legislators – its 162 elected Town Meeting members – acted the same way last […]
Posted inBusiness
Downtown changes bloom with spring
Aside from peeling paint and weather-worn facades, the effects of a brutal winter have faded from the downtown area. Restaurants and shops are emerging from the year’s slowest stretch – almost as fast as people stripped off cold-weather clothes for a few days earlier this month. Merchants and restaurateurs hope to rebound from what was […]
Posted inReal Estate Sales
There are 84 houses for sale in town. Thirty-seven are priced at $1 million or more.
This week’s cool temperatures are a reminder of spring’s fickle nature in New England. But to the relief of real estate brokers, weather doesn’t necessarily correlate with activity in the local housing market this time of year. It comes as no surprise that home sales in Plymouth rose last month following a frigid February. Sixty-two […]
Posted inGovernment
A negative sign for the Select Board race
Political signs sprout like grass around town during campaign season. The rite of spring is about showing support for a favored candidate. But something is different this year. In recent days, a bluntly-worded message aimed at incumbent Select Board member Kevin Canty has appeared on some properties, giving an already unusual race a new – […]
Posted inGovernment
With finances slim, Town Meeting to decide whether to spend more on parades, fireworks
You know the old saying: “Everyone loves a parade.” I suppose the same goes for Fourth of July fireworks displays, although Plymouth’s dogs may, uh, beg to differ. Then why are so few people willing to come up with a few dollars to support these annual festivities? And why should the town have to dip […]
Posted inGovernment
Keith drops out of Select Board race
The Select Board race has taken a dramatic turn with the withdrawal of Stevie Keith, one of five candidates running for two open seats in the spring election and the only fresh face in the field. Keith, 38, said a family health issue makes it impossible for him to continue his campaign. “This was not […]
Posted inGovernment
Cavacco and Quintal are running as a team. What does it mean for the Select Board race?
Like the Red Sox spring lineup, the roster for the next Plymouth Select Board is in soft focus. Whether it looks like a winning season ahead depends on your political perspective. For those keeping score at home, five candidates are competing for two seats on the five-member board. Incumbents Kevin Canty and Dick Quintal are […]
Posted inCulture
Thomas Dolby is drawn to the ‘next new thing.’ It’s bringing him to Plymouth.
Thomas Dolby is coming to the Spire Center for the Arts? Along with longtime David Bowie bass player and singer Gail Ann Dorsey? Am I reading this correctly? That was my reaction to seeing the listing for Dolby’s (sold out) April 14 show at the 280-seat downtown venue. His biggest hits, “She Blinded Me With […]
Posted inReal Estate Sales
Just 42 homes sold in Plymouth last month
There’s no way to take the chill off this: Last month’s local real estate market was in a deep freeze. No, it wasn’t because of the February blizzard – the effects of that storm on home sale closings won’t show until April or May – but the snow and cold certainly didn’t help motivate people […]