“How come my property taxes went up by more than 2 ½ percent?” It’s a question heard across Plymouth – and statewide – every time bills are sent out. (The next quarterly payment is due on May 1.) The answer, as you might expect, is complicated. First, Massachusetts’s 45-year-old Proposition 2 ½ law does not […]
Tag: Feature
Posted inPolice & Fire
Firefighters, others find comfort in Rio
The stress level at Plymouth’s fire stations is likely lower these days – thanks to Rio. No, taxpayers are not funding vacations in Brazil for local firefighters. Rio is a 19-month-old black lab trained as a comfort dog. After learning the ropes of his new role – he completed training in February – Rio has […]
Posted inHistory & Architecture
These dishes were everyday meals growing up in North Plymouth. Now they’re fancy fare.
My three years on the West Coast were partially spent working as an architect for Gap. One takeaway from the experience was a glimpse into the inner workings of the clothing industry. Despite that – it wasn’t always pretty – I am still devoted to one of Gap’s brands, Banana Republic. It’s not cheap, but […]
Posted inBusiness
Beth Israel Deaconess nurses vote to authorize strike
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth nurses were back at the bargaining table Friday, one day after union members picketed outside the library and voted overwhelmingly to authorize a three-day strike. The nurses voted 279-19 in favor of striking, if agreement on a new contract can’t be reached. About 40 nurses did not vote. The authorization […]
Posted inGovernment
With the ‘discovery’ of 588 affordable apartments, town closer to gaining more control over development
The state has dramatically updated the number of affordable housing units credited to Plymouth, bringing the town closer to a long-elusive benchmark that would allow it to reject some residential development proposals. The revised figure comes after local officials discovered that Plymouth had not been given credit for 588 units of existing affordable housing. […]
Posted inGovernment
Select Board may rescind its support for allowing guns in Town Hall, other public places
Town Meeting may not decide whether to allow firearms in public buildings and parks after all. The Select Board next week is expected to reconsider its Feb. 25 3-2 vote recommending that Town Meeting in April approve an article proposed by Police Chief Dana Flynn – and backed by Town Manager Derek Brindisi – that […]
Posted inCulture
The wanderer: A newcomer discovers some of what downtown has to offer
When I moved to Needham in 1988, I took a walk downtown to familiarize myself with the place and wandered into Harvey’s Hardware, an absolute miracle of space utilization. It seemed to have every widget and doodad even vaguely hardware related in a space about the size of a broom closet. If you were looking […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Sheehan says Makepeace, others attacked her using an anonymous Facebook page
Environmental activist Meg Sheehan says A.D. Makepeace employees were behind a Facebook page called “Meg Costs Us Millions,” where anonymous critics bullied and berated her for more than a year. In new court filings, Sheehan alleges that the company’s in-house lawyer was the page’s administrator and that at least one other Makepeace employee may have […]
Posted inBusiness
They floated an idea for a convention center in Plymouth. It sank.
The idea of building a convention center in Plymouth may sound good in theory to some people, but in practice it has attracted no interest from hotel owners or developers. Buoyed by a state-funded feasibility study that found the Plymouth area is a viable location for a mid-size convention center, See Plymouth and the Plymouth […]
Posted inBusiness
Massachusetts needs 222,000 more homes. What does that mean for Plymouth?
In Massachusetts, the need for new housing is staggering. So the state is taking charge — whether cities and towns like it or not. In Plymouth, which has been growing rapidly for years, officials hope a new state law aimed at encouraging more housing will help give the town more control over when and where […]