For years, Charlie Vandini held court regularly from a bench inside his North Plymouth store. Along with Gus, an exuberant golden retriever with the same upbeat personality as the shop’s owner, he greeted everyone who entered Charlies’ North Plymouth Ace Hardware with a big smile and hearty welcome. “We used to call him the Mayor […]
Tag: Feature
Posted inEducation
Wandering kindergartner prompts tighter security
Plymouth school officials say they have increased staff monitoring after a kindergartner was inadvertently allowed to walk away from a before-school program at Nathaniel Morton Elementary School earlier this month. The five-year-old boy apparently left to walk home and was missing approximately six minutes before an alert bus driver spotted the child walking on South […]
Posted inCulture Calendar
Comedians to raise money for toddler facing cancer
You’re invited to submit a listing for this column: It’s easy. Email your information to listings@plymouthindependent.org at least 10 days in advance. A good quality photo without type on the image – sent as a jpeg attachment – helps. “Stand Up for Hope – A Comedy Night for Nathan” a fundraiser for two-year-old cancer patient […]
Posted inBusiness
Scaled back apartment complex OK’d for Sandwich St.
While much attention has been focused on the massive condo complex developer Pulte Homes plans for North Plymouth, a 26-unit apartment building on the southern side of downtown was recently was recommended by the Planning Board and approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals over the objections of some neighbors. Twenty-six one- and two-bedroom apartments […]
Posted inGovernment
Town Meeting form of government under fire again
A move to toss out Plymouth’s Town Meeting form of government – one critics call antiquated and inefficient – is in the works, renewing an effort that’s failed at least twice since the turn of the century. The latest attempt surfaced at Tuesday’s joint meeting of the Select Board, Planning Board, and Plymouth Foundation called […]
Posted inHistory & Architecture
Cure for the winter blues? A cozy historic home with eight fireplaces.
As much as I love Plymouth, I don’t appreciate the extended time from shortly after the new year starts until about St Patrick’s Day. Just the other day it was so dark and gray midmorning that the outside Christmas lights, which I haven’t taken down, turned on. Ugh. It’s not so much the cold I […]
Posted inCulture
Making a case for the arts as essential
To be creative, artists need to reflect the truth as they see it. Autumn Wilson understood that concept when she performed a blues song she wrote in front of more than 100 people at last week’s Arts Summit, a program presented by the Plymouth Public Schools. To rousing applause and laughter, the 10-year-old Hedge Elementary […]
Posted inReal Estate Sales
Will lower interest rates spark Plymouth’s real estate market?
Mortgage rates last week fell to their lowest level in more than three years, with 30-year loans averaging just over 6 percent and a 15-year note at about 5.4 percent. It’s a welcome turn for prospective buyers pacing the sidelines. Cheaper borrowing may also nudge homeowners who would want to move but have been reluctant […]
Posted inPolice & Fire
Charges dropped against Plymouth man accused of threatening Trump
A judge has thrown out charges against Michael McMahon, a Plymouth man accused of posting online threats against President Donald Trump. Plymouth District Court Judge Benjamin Barnes this week allowed a motion to dismiss filed by McMahon’s lawyer, Lauren Baker. McMahon, 68, allegedly posted multiple menacing comments directed toward Trump on his Facebook page between […]
Posted inGovernment
As budget crisis looms, Select Board won’t back significant cuts
Under fire for suggesting last-minute cuts to the town budget, Select Board members voted to back off on a proposal to slash $2.5 million in spending next year. Instead, the board on Tuesday recommended adopting far more modest cuts totaling $28,047, including $10,000 from the town manager’s office, $2,550 from human resources and $15,497 from […]