The Jan. 3 request from Independent reporter Fred Thys was a standard one: He wanted to speak to someone at Town Hall about a story. The response from communications coordinator Casey Kennedy was anything but standard. “Per the Town Manager’s email to Mark [Pothier] a few weeks back, the Town has paused its relationship with […]
Author Archives: Mark Pothier - Independent Staff
Posted inFrom the Editor
‘The PI is worth your time and money’
Since launching in November 2023, the Plymouth Independent’s reach has far exceeded our expectations. In 2024, the first full year of publication, there were nearly 800,000 site visits, and about 2.2 million page views. It’s clear that many of you crave and value local news, especially after years of virtually no coverage. But so far, […]
Posted inBusiness
Here are the 10 most read stories we published last year
As 2025 dawns, the Plymouth Independent has wrapped up its first full year of publication. And it truly was full. We published hundreds of stories, columns, letters, obituaries, videos, and images from local artists. Many thousands of you came to the site every week – almost 800,000 during the last 12 months. Close to 24,000 […]
Posted inCulture
This year’s menorah lighting at Plymouth Rock holds special meaning
Darkness arrives early in December, but it will be a bit brighter on the waterfront late Sunday afternoon. The Chabad of the South Shore is planning to light a public menorah at Plymouth Rock on Water Street at 5:30 p.m., Dec. 29, followed by a community celebration, marking the fifth night of Hanukkah. In addition […]
Posted inBusiness Beat
Will the Plymouth MBTA station ever reopen?
When the Plymouth Independent site went live on Nov. 21 of last year, the first batch of stories included one by Fred Thys about the status of the MBTA commuter rail station at Cordage Park. The headline read: “You still can’t get there from here.” More than a year later – and three and a […]
Posted inGovernment
For months, no one applied to fill a vacancy on the Planning Board. Now it’s a crowded field.
Two weeks ago, not a single person had applied to fill two seats on the Planning Board that had been empty for months. Now it’s become a crowded field, with 11 candidates vying to serve in the volunteer position. Normally, the Planning Board has five full members and one associate (otherwise known as an alternate). […]
Posted inReal Estate Sales
Want to know what your neighbor’s home sold for?
This story is repetitive, but it nonetheless holds true – Plymouth’s housing market is tight. Sales typically start to slow with the arrival of winter, but there are other factors at play here. Would-be sellers carrying mortgages are reluctant to trade a rock-bottom fixed rate for a higher one. Uncertainty over what the incoming administration […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
New kiosk provides a safe way to dispose of needles and medical waste
If you’re out and about regularly, you’ve likely come across a used needle on a sidewalk, the beach, or in a park. It’s a symptom of a problem that plagues every community – the improper disposal of syringes used to inject drugs. That’s one of the reasons why Plymouth’s Public Health Division, working with Fire […]
Posted inGovernment
Traffic alert: Clark Road widening project gets underway
Consider it a sign of how the Pinehills has grown into a town within the town: Clark Road, a once relatively quiet stretch off Route 3 connecting Long Pond and Beaver Dam roads, is getting a major makeover to better accommodate traffic going in and out of the massive residential community. The town this week […]
Posted inBusiness
Free parking makes its annual return
It’s that most wonderful time of year for Plymouth residents. No, not the holidays – the return of free parking downtown and along the waterfront. As of Dec. 1, you no longer must pay to park in metered spots or in lots with pay stations. The gratis-parking season extends all the way down the road […]