One thing that surprised me when I first learned about The Pinehills was how big it is—in square miles, it is about the size of the town of Belmont. And I also was surprised to learn that the town of Plymouth is the largest in the state, at 134 square miles. With a population of more than 65,000 and 10-12 village centers in the town, there is a lot to learn about the government, environmental issues, business community, entertainment, shopping, services, tourist and historic sites, etc. When my husband and I first moved to The Pinehills in 2007, one important way to find out what was going on in town was the local newspaper, the Old Colony Memorial. But over time, it became less local in its focus, as its ownership evolved from a small player to a large player and then an even larger one, Gannett. This happened in many cities and towns, as large companies, foreign investors and venture capitalists bought out traditional newspaper companies. Having once covered the newspaper publishing industry as an investment analyst, it has been disheartening to see the industry lose its historic strength and focus. The phrase "news desert" has emerged as the appropriate description of what has happened.

In late 2022, I was part of a team doing a pro bono consulting project for a new digital nonprofit newspaper, the New Bedford Light. Its focus was what was going on in that city and local area and the concept was generating great interest. By coincidence, in early 2023, a Plymouth friend reached out to say that he and some others were working on the idea of a local digital newspaper and asked if I would be interested in helping. Absolutely! Seeing the success of the emerging NBL, I was very excited about the prospect of bringing something similar to Plymouth.

In the fall of 2023, the nonprofit digital news site, The Plymouth Independent, was launched. One of the resources we had was, and is, the great journalistic talent here in Plymouth, and The Pinehills in particular. Two Pinehills residents have been invaluable and both are fellow board members. One is Walter Robinson, who I already knew; Robby led the Pulitzer Prize-winning Spotlight team at the Boston Globe and has had an extensive career as a local and national reporter, foreign correspondent and in various editor positions. He covered four presidential elections, served as Middle East bureau chief, and was a White House correspondent. The other notable Pinehills resident is Tom Redburn, who had a long distinguished career in reporting and editorial roles at the LA Times, the International Herald Tribune, and the New York Times. He was at the Times for 23 years, notably, as economics editor and deputy business editor. From our broader Plymouth community, we have been fortunate to find our editor Mark Pothier, who had more than two decades of experience at the Boston Globe, board member Bill Harting, who was at the Globe for over 30 years, as copy editor and then director of newsroom technology, and Andrea Estes, who was an investigative reporter at the Globe for more than 20 years.

When I think of the Plymouth Independent, words that come to mind are things like community, commitment, service. And those words come to mind when I think of The Pinehills. It truly is a community, not just a development. We have made many friends and have shared happy and serious moments with them. We've traveled around the world with them. We've turned to them for advice and help. In a broader sense, we've seen how Pinehills residents have reached out and become active in serving in numerous volunteer roles for Plymouth organizations. We see their commitment in supporting entities that are important for the future of our town. That's community and it's been part of The Pinehills for 25 years.

– Darice Wareham

Celebrating 25 Years

When I think of the Plymouth Independent, words that come to mind are things like community, commitment, service. And those words come to mind when I think of The Pinehills.

Welcome Center

The Summerhouse

Keep In Touch