It’s hasn’t been spring-like this week but Memorial Day weekend – with more seasonable weather – looms and summer isn’t far behind. (Who knew?) That also means the return of seasonal rules and restrictions at Plymouth’s Long Beach. And yes, that includes regulations aimed at protecting nesting plovers, an endangered species. More on that later. […]
Category: Environment & Health
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Two key ocean buoys could be eliminated. That worries Plymouth’s harbormaster.
Plymouth harbormaster Chad Hunter, sitting at a table with an atlas of nautical charts spread out in front of him, is worried. That’s because the Coast Guard is considering removing two large Plymouth buoys, raising concerns about safety. One of the buoys warns mariners to stay away from Mary Ann Rocks, off Manomet Point. […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
A ride to simpler times on remote Saquish
In 1955, Ed Conathan made the decision of a lifetime. After serving on a supply ship in the Pacific during World War II, he had returned home to the South Shore, took a job with Regal Shoe Company in Whitman, got married, and started a family. By 1955, he and his wife Helen had six […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
In federal, state courts Sheehan pursues public officials, private companies
Environmental attorney Meg Sheehan is now leading a multi-pronged legal attack against private companies she alleges are plundering land and other natural resources with the help of town officials in Plymouth and Carver. Her federal case against Plymouth, Carver, and two private companies is moving forward after a judge denied their motions to dismiss much […]
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Manomet Conservation Sciences is still for the birds
From the North Slope of Alaska to Argentina, from Patagonia to Paraguay and places much closer to home, Plymouth-based Manomet Conservation Sciences is working to strengthen bird migration routes and protect coastal ecosystems across the Western Hemisphere. In Alaska, for example, it “conducts research to unravel the mysteries of shorebird migration and track changes in […]
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Opponents of Hedges Pond Road business park sue to stop work
Opponents of a 34-acre business park under construction on Hedges Pond Road in Cedarville filed a lawsuit Thursday to try to stop development of the site, which they say is a historic Native American cultural land that should be preserved. Seventeen residents filed the suit against Plymouth Select Board members, Standish Investment Group – the […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
A rainy weekend ahead, but there’s a ray of sunshine: drought conditions have improved
How about a positive spin on the rainy weather in this weekend’s forecast? All that water will further dampen the chances of a severe drought making a return appearance this summer. The precipitation expected over the next few days will likely buttress this week’s encouraging report from the Massachusetts Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs. […]
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What can be done about people who trash Prestige Way?
Plymouth DPW director Bill Coyle is more of a diplomat than I could ever be. When I recently asked him about people who toss trash wherever they please – including appliances, furniture, mattresses, and tires – I figured he’d jump at the opportunity to vent. After all, part of Coyle’s job is fighting the blight […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Dispute will delay Water Street sewer line repairs until at least December
Visitors and businesses along the waterfront will catch a break this spring, as repairs to the Water Street sewer line will be postponed until after Thanksgiving because of a dispute between the town and a contractor over the latest turn in the long-running project. Work to address the settling of underground piping was expected to […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
ZBA recusals delay appeal of controversial Hedges Pond project
An appeal to stop development of a business park at 71 Hedges Pond Road in Cedarville was delayed Monday night, because the Zoning Board of Appeals did not have a quorum available to hear the case. ZBA Chair Michael Main was present but recused himself because he is a defendant in a lawsuit brought by […]