Reaching a consensus on anything these days can seem impossible, but you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who wasn’t dazzled by the Light the Night display that’s turned Brewster Gardens a winter wonderland during the holiday season. Started in 2022, thanks to the efforts of Christine de la Torre, the display has expanded each […]
Author Archives: Mark Pothier - Independent Staff
Posted inCulture
They said it, we published it
We listened to and spoke with hundreds of people for Plymouth Independent stories in 2025. Here’s a selection of what they had to say, and you can quote us on that. “I woke up the other morning and Sue was sitting on the side of the bed, staring at me. I said, ‘Good morning, what […]
Posted inReal Estate Sales
No surprise: Pinehills deals topped November home sales
As the town seeks to fend off a looming budget crunch, November’s home sales numbers serve as a reminder of why Pinehills taxpayers are so important for Plymouth’s fiscal stability. Of the eight sales that topped $1 million last month, six were in the upscale neighborhood that collectively is the town’s largest source of tax […]
Posted inGovernment
An early holiday gift: Free parking until April
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 […]
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 […]