Happy peak summer! July brings along a number of events, updates, and ways to connect with fellow community members. Kick off the month with Fourth of July celebrations, then gear up for some free Park & Rec Month programs thanks to Scarborough Community Services, and evening concerts in Memorial Park. Read on for more updates, then unplug for the holiday weekend.

Have you caught any beautiful skies, summer sunsets, or wildlife over the marsh yet this season? Enter your favorites into our 3rd annual summer photo contest, launching today!

4th of July 🎆

Fireworks Dos & Don'ts

With 4th of July celebrations happening this week/weekend, please be aware of the Town's Consumer Fireworks Ordinance and acceptable use areas:

• Fireworks can only be set off on July 3rd & 4th and December 31st & January 1st beginning at 9:00am until 10:00pm.

• Use of fireworks is prohibited in the Higgins Beach area (ocean side Spurwink Road beginning at the intersection of Black Point Road and Spurwink Road to the Cape Elizabeth line).

• A Notification of Intent must be submitted to the Scarborough Fire Department prior to use. This online form can also be found on the town website under the Residents menu.

Trash Collection

No changes to trash collection for the week of the Fourth. Public Works will be closed on July 4th and 5th.

Neighborhood Parades with Scarborough Public Safety

Join the Fire Department for their annual Kids Fun Run and the 22nd annual 4th of July neighborhood parade at Pine Point! The parade begins at Hurd Park at 9:00am on Friday, July 4th and ends at the Engine 4 Fire Station. Come see the Fire department and their muster truck, and stop into the station after the parade for a serving of strawberry shortcake. Marine Resource Officer Daryen Granata and Sergeant Andrew Flynn on his motorcycle will represent the police department. There will also be VIPs (Volunteers in Police) in attendance and several veterans from the Maine Veterans Home. New features this year are the Mainely Scoops Ice Cream truck and hands-on nature activities with Maine Audubon.

The Prouts Neck neighborhood parade kicks off at 2:50pm, and the Higgins Beach parade will start at 4:00pm.

Enter Our "Summer Outdoors" Photo Contest!

Outdoors is the place to be this summer in Scarborough—its parks, nature preserves, and beaches provide the perfect setting for the season. We want to see these spaces through your lens. Snap photos while you're out enjoying scenery or time with family, and share with us for a chance to win!

Submit up to three photos with a title and caption (optional). They must be taken in Scarborough and outdoors to qualify! For each photo, select which category to enter it into:

Categories

• Beaches
• Scenic Landscapes
• Nature & Wildlife
• Parks & Paths
• Pets, Family & Fun

Photos will be uploaded to Facebook on a rolling basis. The photo with the most 'Likes' in each category will win a gift card from a local Scarborough business. Thanks to Dairy Corner, El Rayo, Cafe Luna, and Dunstan Tap & Table for the great prizes!

"Summer Concert" by David Meserve (Families & Fun category)

"Family And Friends getting together to listen nice Concert in the park"

"Twilight" by Mary Hawko (Scenic/Natural Landscapes category)

"Calm, serene, fullness at day's end."

"Seagull on Scarborough Beach at Dawn with a Crab" by Jenn Guneratne (Wildlife category)

"I walked along Scarborough Beach at dawn and spotted a group of seagulls looking for crabs on the rocks. I managed to get a shot of this one in flight while carrying a crab in its beak."

"Summer Vibes" by Michelle Moscoffian

(Beaches category)

"Our favorite place, Ferry Beach!"

Submissions from last year's photo contest. Enter yours!

It's Beach Season!

Check out the FAQs on our website for some reminders (dog times, plover protection, lot fees, and more). Heading to the beach often? Purchase a beach pass from Town Hall to avoid daily parking fees.

July is Parks and Rec Month!

View full Park & Rec Calendar and details

Join us and the National Recreation and Park Association as we celebrate and recognize the people, spaces, and programs that create a sense of belonging in our community. Thanks to our partner Martin's Point Health Care, we are thrilled to offer a variety of events including fitness, wellness, and kid-approved activities. Be sure to save the calendar to join in on the fun!

For 40 years, the nation has celebrated Park and Recreation Month in July to promote building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation. This year’s theme, “Build Together, Play Together”, reminds us of the contributions of more than 160,000 full-time park and recreation professionals—along with hundreds of thousands of part-time and seasonal workers and volunteers—who maintain our country’s close-to-home parks.

Start participating tonight! There will be free yoga in Memorial Park from 6:00-7:00pm this evening, Tuesday, July 1st. No registration required.

Concerts in the Park

Join us Thursday nights at 6:30pm at Scarborough Memorial Park (5 Durant Drive) for free live music!

July 3 – 195th Army Band

July 10 – Don Campbell

July 17 – Plush

July 24 – Stolen MoJo

July 31 – Yellow Brick Road

Parking is available at the High School and shuttle transportation is provided (limited handicap parking at Memorial Park). Check the Scarborough Community Chamber of Commerce Facebook page for all up-to-date information regarding the concerts such as rain delays or venue changes.

Save the Date for Summerfest

Friday, August 15, 5:00-10:00pm

High School Sports Complex

Come celebrate the end of a great summer with your friends, family, and neighbors at Summerfest! The free annual event includes live music, food trucks, local businesses and organizations, a Kids Bounce Zone and more. It ends with a grand finale fireworks display when it gets dark. Free!

Current Road Work & Estimated Timelines

Maine DOT Projects Happening in Scarborough

Continuing This Week: Saco Street

Last week the Maine Department of Transportation began their paving project on Saco Street, from Gorham Road in Scarborough to Westbrook.

The timeline provided by MaineDOT is as follows and is subject to change:

• Week of June 30th: Prep work for paving including, work on shoulders, adjusting manholes, catch basins, and water valves, as well as paving in temporarily low spots in preparation for final pavement.

• July 7th: Grinding joints between where new pavement will meet old pavement creating a lip

• July 8th- July 9th: Surface pavement on Saco Street in Scarborough

• July 9th-July 10th: Paving of driveway aprons in Scarborough

• July 10th-July 11th: Surface pavement on Saco Street in Westbrook 

• July 11th: Clean-up of project area

This work is not associated with the Town of Scarborough. Any inquiries or questions regarding the project, including lane closures and detours, should be directed to MaineDOT Region 1 at 885-7000.

Starting July 7th: Spring Street

The Maine Department of Transportation will begin a paving project on Spring Street the week of July 7th, between Mussey Road and Scarborough Gallery.

The timeline provided by MaineDOT is as follows and is subject to change:

• Week of July 7th: Prep work for paving including, grinding of pavement, adjusting manholes, catch basins, and water valves, crack sealing and temporary striping.

• Week of July 14th: Paving in temporarily low spots in preparation for final pavement, adjusting structures, and ADA ramps.

• Week of July 21st: Work on ADA ramps and place loam and seed material

• Week of July 28th: Grinding joints between where new pavement will meet old pavement creating a lip, surface paving, driveway apron paving, and final striping.

Project anticipated to be completed by August 1, 2025.

This work is not associated with the Town of Scarborough. Any inquiries or questions regarding the project, including lane closures and detours, should be directed to MaineDOT Region 1 at 885-7000.

July 15: Council Corner Live on Housing

Scarborough's Housing Strategy

Tuesday, July 15, 6:00-8:00pm

Public Safety Building, 275 US Route One

Join us for Council Corner LIVE, a two-way conversation and a chance for you to get to know your councilors and talk with them candidly about hot topic issues in town. This next Council Corner Live topic is to reflect on housing affordability and the goals for Scarborough.

At the start of the year, the Council identified five goals for their area of focus in 2025. Their Growth, Housing, & Land Use goal is to "develop a basis for defining an affordable and workforce housing policy."

A June 4th housing workshop formally began these discussions. It gave a snapshot of housing in Scarborough and to lay a foundation of information to establish a local housing agenda. Their next step is to seek community feedback as they continue the conversation.

View the presentation slides from a recent Town Council workshop on the topic of housing (held on June 4th)

Rate of Growth Ordinance Annual Report on July 16

Since the new Rate of Growth Ordinance was adopted in 2023, it requires an annual report to the Town Council with the status of growth permits issued and remaining, and other performance metrics related to the impacts of growth. Planning and Codes Director Autumn Speer will present this report to the Council in their July 16 meeting. The highlights will be included in a later newsletter.

July 19: Free Household Hazardous Waste Disposal

Scarborough Public Works offers collaborative, multi-town opportunities to safely dispose of your household hazardous waste materials. This is a free service to residents of Scarborough, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, and Biddeford for all events (proof of residency is required).

The remaining dates for the 2025 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days are:

• Saturday, July 19 (8am-Noon), Saco (15 Philips Spring Road)

• Saturday, September 13 (8am-Noon), Biddeford (371 Hill Street)

Please reference this flyer for a list of accepted materials and paints.

School Committee Recommends Renovations to Neighborhood Schools

The School Building Advisory Committee (SBAC) voted in their June 16th meeting on a recommendation for a K-8 solution for Scarborough’s schools. They recommended to maintain the three neighborhood schools, Wentworth School, and the Middle School to address current space constraints and accommodate for projected enrollment (expected 2028-29).

Eight Corners School, proposed for a rebuild, was built in 1959 and serves an area of Scarborough experiencing the highest population growth.

Recommended Scope

• Replace Eight Corners School with a new 380-student K-2 school on its existing site

• Renovate and add to Blue Point School to accommodate up to 232 students

• Renovate and add to Pleasant Hill School to accommodate up to 224 students

• Add to Wentworth School to accommodate anticipated enrollment increase (expected 2031-32)

• Renovate and add to the Middle School to accommodate the current student population in the building. This one-story addition will eliminate the aging existing portables and enlarge the currently undersized cafeteria. 

The committee made the decision after reviewing community feedback in surveys and public comment. They kept it within a $70M - $130M project budget (derived from community response related to taxes in the June 2024 survey). The estimated project cost — just under $130M — came in about $17M lower than the alternative proposal, which contemplated building one consolidated K-2 school on a new site in place of the current neighborhood schools, along with renovations and additions at the Middle School and Wentworth.

July 29: Community Meeting on East Grand Ave Project

Save the date for a community meeting that will be held at the Pine Point Fire Station (Engine 4, King Street) on July 29 at 5:30pm. Scarborough's Town Engineer will share more about the final design for a "complete streets" road project on East Grand Ave from Pine Point Road to the Old Orchard Beach town line. Early planning and funding for this project began from 2016-2019 and is now being resumed. Complete streets are designed for vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. Attend the community meeting to learn more.

Collective Bargaining Investments One Year Later

One year since finalizing updated Collective Bargaining Agreements, which took effect on July 1, 2024, the Town of Scarborough is experiencing nearly fully staff levels in frontline positions. Prior to adjusting wages, which studies performed found to be 3-8% below regional averages for entry-level positions, the Town had upwards of 10 vacancies across the Public Works and Police departments. The vacancies not only resulted in increased overtime pay, but also added strain and stress to the existing workforce. 

Swearing-in ceremony this spring for new Scarborough Officer Ted Gagnon.

Fast forward 12 months, and we are in a decidedly different place. The Police Department reached full staffing earlier this spring for the first time in many years, and included the recruitment of multiple experienced and trained officers from other agencies. As of this spring, our street maintenance division in Public Works is now fully staffed. Additionally, our 9-1-1 dispatch center is now on the cusp of being full staffed for the first time in well over three years. 

The quality of our business is directly related to the quality of our staff. Over the last two community wide surveys, our staff have received exceptionally high marks with the 2023 survey indicating 93% of the community is satisfied with Public Safety Services and 89% of the community is satisfied with the customer services received from Town Employees. The investments through our collective bargaining agreements have allowed us to move closer to full employment than we have been in many years, which will undoubtedly improve the already well regarded municipal services. This, coupled with the staffing investments in the upcoming fiscal year, will allow us to improve these essential services for the entire community. 

2025 Townwide Community Survey Coming This Fall

The community survey mentioned above, which asked residents their satisfaction with various departments and customer service received, was conducted in 2023 (learn more). Now, two years later, the Town of Scarborough will be conducting the same survey this fall to track trends for our community. Stay tuned in the coming months to learn more.

Date Announced for Sustainable Scarborough Day

Celebrate being green in your community! The Town of Scarborough is hosting its third annual Sustainable Scarborough Day on Sunday, October 5th. Meet with experts, local businesses, nonprofits, and enthusiasts on topics ranging from sustainable living, land conservation, climate action, and more.

All activities will be based at Wentworth School. Test drive an electric vehicle, listen to some live music, do a fun, hands-on activity, learn from experts. This is a free family friendly event with activities for all ages!

Find Archived Council Corner Articles Online

The Scarborough Town Council values public engagement. They have an active communications committee that meets monthly to plan efforts, have hosted Council Corner Live sessions over the past two years (an idea that started in the committee), and take time to hear public feedback at their meetings and via email. One of their biggest feats is this "Council Corner", an area of our newsletters for councilors to expand on the major issues and projects facing Scarborough. Each article is written by a rotating councilor from their own point of view. View the full archive on our website on the Council Outlook page.

Recent Articles

Housing Workshop Recap & Reflections (June 15, 2025), by Cory Fellows

Tough Choices Ahead for School Solution (June 1, 2025), by Charlie Peters, School Building Advisory Committee Chair

What's Next for the Flea Market Site? (May 15, 2025), by Jon Anderson

Growth in Scarborough: Let's Talk About This Greedy Town (May 1, 2025), by April Sither

Scarborough Town Council

April Sither (Chair) • Jonathan Anderson (Vice Chair) • Larry Cain • Scott Doherty • Bill Donovan • Cory Fellows • Karin Shupe

Town Council meets the first and third Wednesday of each month (third Wednesday only in July and August). Visit our Town Calendar for links to attend and view agendas.

Scarborough Land Trust Upcoming Programs

Yoga at Broadturn Farm

Saturdays, July 5 & July 12, 8:30-9:30pm

Broadturn Farm

$10, Register

Join instructor Heather Guglielmo for a morning of yoga among the flowers at Broadturn Farm. Heather started her yoga practice about nine years ago, and holds her RYT 200 Yoga Teacher Training with the Fluid Yoga School through Samudra in Biddeford, ME. Her infectious laughter, kind heart, love for Thriller Flash Mob, 80’s music, her two dogs and Ireland will keep you coming back for more. Attendees should bring their own yoga mat or towel, water, weather-appropriate clothing, and insect repellent. We plan to be outside unless the weather forces us into the barn. All ages and levels of experience are welcome.

Outdoor Storytime

Wednesday, July 9, 10:00-11:00am

Fuller Farm Preserve, 309 Broadturn Rd #299

Enjoy an engaging summer story, interactive activity, and short nature walk with Seasonal Education and Communication Specialist Emma. This event is geared toward children aged 3-6, but all ages are welcome.

Summer Learning at Scarborough Public Library

Reading Challenges for Kids & Adults

Scarborough Public Library has a whole host of Summer Learning activities planned! Kids can also pick up a passport full of at-home activities. Some of our planned activities give kids the chance to earn more prizes, sponsored by Big20 Bowling Center, Smitty's Cinema, and the Friends of the Scarborough Library.

Adult Summer Reading has two ways to play: a bingo sheet, for those readers who like a bit of a challenge, and a 5 Book Punch Card. People who complete the bingo challenge can enter a raffle for a bag of goodies with an Around the World theme!

Or use the 5 Book Punch Cards for more flexibility: For every five books you read (and write down on the card), you can enter a raffle! Enter as many times as you like for prizes from On the Vine Marketplace, The Maine Scoop Co., Dairy Corner, Blake Orchard, Dunstan Tap & Table, Big20 Bowling Center, Bullmoose, and Scarborough Grounds. Only books you've read this summer count, so don't mark something you read in May! And please note that audiobooks definitely count as books, so listen away in the garden or in your car to sneak in a little extra reading!

Circulation Questions You Were Afraid to Ask!

How & where do I return my materials?

You have two choices – yeah! For quick returns or when the library is closed, use the book slot on the left-hand side of the front doors. Inside the library, we have a Return Cart located across from the circulation desk.

What does it mean when my card expires?

Everyone’s card is good for one year, after that we ask you to call or come in to confirm your contact information. This is something that the Maine State Library asks all libraries to do, because phone numbers change, emails, or you move. Plus we want to make sure you receive information on all the fabulous programs and services at Scarborough Library!

What if I damage an item?

First, do not panic or feel bad as this happens to all of us (staff included) at some point. Please bring the item to the circulation desk and tell us what happened. We will let you know if you need to replace the item or not. For items borrowed from other libraries, you will need to pay that library by check. We do accept cash and credit cards for any necessary payments here.

Why is there a deadline for non-Scarborough billed items to be returned?

When joining Minerva all libraries agreed to settle billed items within seven weeks from the date due. If you do get a bill, I will call to remind you to return as soon as possible, and an email one week later if the item is not returned. If the item is not returned on the billed date Scarborough Library needs to send a check, then you need to reimburse us. This happens even if you return the item two days after the billed date. It my seem unfair, however, libraries need to reconcile their bills in a timely manner.