At the annual Town Meeting late Saturday afternoon, an overwhelming majority of voters approved a measure that will allow Duxbury police officers to ticket to underage drinkers instead of arrest them. The vote on Article 14 was 181 in favor to 9 opposed. It was the last action voters took at the all-day session of town meeting on March 12. Duxbury Police Chief […]

By a margin of only nine votes, Duxbury adopted the local option meals tax at Saturday’s town meeting. The vote on Article 13 was 103 to 94, a slim majority but just enough to adopt a state law that allows cities and towns to collect an excise tax of .75 percent on the sales of restaurant meals originating within the town.  […]

For the second time in three years, voters have soundly rejected a plan to move town meeting from March to May. Article 12 was a citizen’s petition that proposed to change the date of town meeting from the second Saturday in March to the first Saturday in May. It was defeated 118 against to 80 in favor. In 2013, voters rejected […]

Voters at Saturday’s annual Town Meeting approved the FY2017 operating budget of over $73.1 million but only after an attempt by one resident to throw out the budget and start over by making the town commit to a two percent property tax increase.  After Town Manager René Read gave his 2017 budget presentation and after Finance Committee chairman Betsy Sullivan discussed […]

Four people stood on stage at Duxbury Performing Arts Center on March 9 for four different reasons but each message was ultimately the same – drugs and alcohol have dangerous consequences for everyone, but particularly for the developing minds of teenagers. The Duxbury Parent Connection, combined with Duxbury FACTS (Families, Adolescents and Communities Together), organized the presentation “Drinking, Drugs and […]

At least four neighborhood residents and an adjoining business owner have expressed uneasiness over the proposed installation of a Dunkin’ Donuts franchise in Cox Corner.  The Zoning Board of Appeals did not amend or transfer the existing special permits for the property at 1508 Tremont Street at its March 10 meeting and instead elected to continue the public hearing at a later […]

The annual Town Meeting began Saturday morning with the Special Town Meeting articles. All 13 articles were passed, but several residents still voiced their concerns about taxes and the usage of free cash.  Finance Director John Madden defined free cash as leftover money, or “an accident” of budgeting. Free cash is intended to be a source of “one-time revenue” and is […]

At Saturday’s annual Town Meeting, Friend S. Weiler Sr. was honored for the two terms he served as moderator from 2009 to 2016.  Board of Selectman Chairman Theodore Flynn and State Representative Josh Cutler both praised Weiler for his many years of service in Duxbury over the past few decades. Previously, Weiler was a Duxbury selectman and a member of the […]

Duxbury public school’s $33 million budget was overwhelmingly passed at Town Meeting Saturday, March 12. The vote was 171 to 27. School Superintendent Dr. Ben Tantillo noted that the budget marks a 2.7 percent increase this year, with a per pupil cost of $12,712 that is less than the state average by about $2,000 per student. “You’re getting a lot […]

A host of athletes were honored at Duxbury School Committee’s meeting Wednesday, March 2. Among those honored: • Four members of the DHS boys’ swim team, which won three state titles this year. The 200 yard freestyle relay team comprised of Nat Davenport, Brad Backlund, Mike O’Neil and Kevin Coghlan claimed the state title in that event. Davenport, a junior, […]