Since the Plymouth Independent launched on Nov. 20, 2023, we’ve operated with a staff of three – me, Andrea Estes, and Fred Thys – buttressed by a formidable cast of contributors. We’ve published more than 1,000 stories, along with many letters, columns, photos, obituaries, and images from local artists. The Independent has chalked up millions […]
Author Archives: Mark Pothier - Independent Staff
Posted inGovernment
Can Memorial Hall be saved?
I wouldn’t recommend taking a shower at Memorial Hall. The stalls sit behind frosted glass in a cramped hallway leading to a dank dressing room – not exactly luxury accommodations. A pallet of anti-bacterial soap couldn’t get me to step in there. That was one of my takeaways from a recent tour of the 100-year-old […]
Posted inBusiness
Select Board inches toward action on Bert’s eyesore
Town Meeting member Richard Serkey has long campaigned to get the town to do something about its most notorious blighted property – the former site of Bert’s restaurant at the entrance to Long Beach on Warren Avenue. His persistence may finally be paying off. The retired local attorney has spoken about Bert’s four times over […]
Posted inReal Estate Sales
Plymouth’s real estate market remains stuck
This summer’s local housing market isn’t as hot as the weather. Just three more homes were sold in June than in May – 91 compared with 88, according to the Warren Group, a regional real estate tracking firm. Both numbers are far below the last peak in 2019, even though inventory (the number of properties […]
Posted inCulture
A picture perfect Fourth of July
People here and across the country are sharply divided on the state of the nation this summer, but there was consensus in Plymouth on Independence Day: The weather made for a classic Fourth of July holiday, with temperatures topping off around 80 degrees and the humidity low. The ideal conditions seemed to make for a […]
Posted inPolice & Fire
Where you can’t park over the July Fourth holiday
The Fourth of July holiday is reason to celebrate our freedom (while we still can?). In Plymouth, it also means dealing with plenty of parking and road restrictions. The police department has released the details of where you can’t park on July 3 and 4. It says that “no parking” areas will be marked with […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Thinking of going to Long Beach this week? Here’s what you need to know.
With the Fourth of July week here, a day at the beach is on many people’s calendar. But if you’re planning on going to Long Beach, be prepared for bird-related restrictions. The town’s Department of Energy and Environment’s latest beach report says there are still about a dozen unhatched piping plover nests, prompting limited access […]
Posted inGovernment
Hot tip: Stay indoors if you can
This isn’t breaking news, but it is a hot story. Like most of the state, Plymouth is in the middle of a brutal stretch of weather that started Sunday and will peak Tuesday with temperatures nearing 100 degrees, and a heat index value of 104, according to the National Weather Service. Even late at night, […]
Posted inBusiness Beat
John Carver deal may mean an upgrade for the town’s hotel scene
The lack of a truly “nice” hotel in the downtown and waterfront area has long been a drag on Plymouth’s tourism industry. Sure, there are charming bed and breakfasts in the business district, but that type of accommodation has narrow appeal. (“What time does the gym open?”) There are several perfectly pleasant chain hotels farther […]
Posted inGovernment
Citing ‘significant’ safety concerns, town opens emergency access lane at Long Beach
Getting in and out of Plymouth’s Long Beach may be tougher over the summer. And this time it’s not about nesting plovers. Citing “significant public safety concerns,” the town says it has assembled a vehicle corridor using Jersey barriers “at the northernmost end of the public/day parking area.” The measure was needed, it says, to […]