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 […]
Tag: Feature
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 […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Controversial condo development would overlook toxic waste site
It’s a beautiful location offering sweeping harbor views. But Pulte Homes’ proposed six-story condo building on Sandri Drive also overlooks a mostly empty expanse of weeds and trees once declared a toxic waste site by federal environmental authorities. It is the Plymouth Harbor/Cannon Engineering Corp. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site, where officials found lead, fuel […]
Posted inGovernment
New hurdle emerges in Pulte land deal
A controversial proposal to develop a 163-unit affordable condominium complex near the North Plymouth waterfront may have hit another roadblock last week over allegations the sellers have been quietly maneuvering to change the terms of the land sale. It’s the latest skirmish in a long battle between Plymouth officials and developer Pulte Homes of New […]
Posted inGovernment
Residents turn out in force to debate immigration policy
In a marathon five-hour session Tuesday night before a rare standing-room-only crowd at Town Hall, the Select Board considered a policy to further restrict town officials from participating in federal actions against any undocumented residents. In the end, the board voted unanimously not to change the policies after Police Chief Dana Flynn detailed restrictions already […]
Posted inGovernment
Plymouth needs more commercial development. Bureaucracy has kept it to a trickle.
As a gloomy fiscal outlook descends on Town Hall, there’s added urgency to bolster local revenue to avoid layoffs, service cuts, or a Proposition 2 ½ override. Growing the commercial sector is not a new idea, but it has not been Plymouth’s strong suit for decades. Most of the growth here over the past 25 […]