|
Town of Scarborough Newsletter
|
|
There is much to look forward to—starting imminently with the last day of school on Friday! For some, it's anticipating beach days and concerts. For Council, its preparing for major facilities project discussions and onboarding their newest Councilor (look further for election results). And our Public Works Director has his retirement to look forward to! There are many ways you can get involved with the Town during this time. Read on for details on a Council Corner Live event to share your thoughts, take the online Parks & Recreation Facilities survey, and join one of the many programs being offered by Community Services this summer.
|
|
Looking Ahead:
- Town offices will be closed on Monday, June 20 in honor of Juneteenth (Trash pickup will remain on schedule).
- Town offices will be closed on Monday, July 4 in honor of Independence Day (Trash pickup will remain on schedule).
- As the 4th of July approaches, please be aware of the Town's Consumer Fireworks Ordinance and 2021 amendments made to acceptable use areas. A Notification of Intent must be submitted to the Scarborough Fire Department prior to use. This online form can be found on the town website under the Residents menu.
- Save the Date! Summerfest will be held on Friday, August 19. This year it will also include a Public Safety Open House. More details to come.
|
|
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.
|
|
|
Pine Point Beach cleanup happens every Friday in the summer season in Scarborough. Our Public Works crew rakes the seaweed weekly in order to prepare for the anticipated busy weekend ahead. They start at 4am from the Hurd Park entrance and make their way south toward the Old Orchard Beach line.
Conservation is critical: a spotter walks ahead of the tractor looking for the piping plovers and their nests to keep a safe distance, and raking only weekly limits the removal of natural materials that protect the beach from coastal erosion.
The process is also a reminder that we are at the mercy of Mother Nature when it comes to tidal occurrences and debris, and some weeks the seaweed is more abundant than others. Regardless, we hope you enjoy the beauty of Scarborough's coastline this summer season.
|
|
Tuesday, June 14 was Election Day. Here are the unofficial results for the School Budget and Special Municipal Election:
Question 1: School Budget Validation Referendum Election
2,115 YES*
915 NO
54 BLANKS
Question 2: School Budget to Continue for Another 3 Years
2,143 YES*
867 NO
74 BLANKS
Town Council — Term to Expire in 2024
1,182 Freilinger, Peter J.
1,376 McGee, Nicholas S.*
273 Topol, Martin C.
245 BLANKS
*Denotes winning vote
|
|
|
June 16: Council Corner Live Event
Conservation & Sustainability in Scarborough
|
|
Thursday, June 16
Public Safety Building Community Room
Join us for the return of 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.
The session will be hosted by Councilors Jon Anderson and April Sither on the topic of Conservation & Sustainability in Scarborough. Share your thoughts on how you think the Town is doing towards addressing these issues and opportunities for collaboration with the many local organizations working toward aligned environmental goals. We want to hear from you: What is Scarborough doing well? What could be better? What are the short- and long-term areas of focus? Learn more about the ongoing Town initiatives around Scarborough Marsh and infrastructure resiliency, renewable energy, waste management and recycling, adaptive traffic signals, stormwater management, endangered species protection, and more.
|
|
|
Public Works Director Retires After 25 Years with Town
|
|
Scarborough Public Works Director Mike Shaw retired this June after 25 years with the department.
“Mike has been a trusted and invaluable member of my leadership team,” says Scarborough Town Manager Tom Hall. “His level of commitment to the Town and its residents was unmatched and I always appreciated his positive outlook and ‘can do’ attitude. He will be hard to replace.” Shaw was responsible for a number of innovative initiatives during his time as Director and held leadership roles outside of the organization, including most recently as President and Chair of the Ecomaine Board of Directors.
“I appreciate the opportunity to serve the people of Scarborough for the last 25 years,” says Shaw. “The residents of the town as well as my coworkers are wonderful people and I can honestly say I feel very fortunate to have worked at Scarborough Public Works all these years.”
|
|
|
Scarborough Community Services and Southern Maine Agency on Aging (SMAA) are working together to offer a Meals to Go program. If you are 60 or older, you can get 3 pre-cooked freezer meals to enjoy when you need them for a suggested donation of only $10. If you are not registered with SMAA, we will need you to fill out a form over the phone.
Upcoming Dates:
• Thurs. June 30 (Register by 4pm, June 22)
• Thurs. July 21 (Register by 4pm, July 13)
• Thurs. August 25 (Register by 4pm, Aug 17)
Pickup will be at the Hub on 418 Payne Rd from 12:30-1:30pm. To register, please call (207) 730-4173.
|
|
|
We offer Senior Programs, too! There are programs happening nearly every weekday for ages 55+. Take a look at the May-July Brochure for a schedule and registration details.
|
|
First Concert in the Park on June 30
|
|
Our free and family-friendly concerts, co-sponsored by Scarborough Chamber of Commerce and Scarborough Community Services, are held on Thursdays evenings at 6:30pm for six weeks in the summer. Be sure to pack a picnic dinner, bring your chairs or blankets, and visit the park for one (or all) of the concerts:
June 30: Time Pilots
July 7: Sixties Invasion
July 14: Don Campbell Band
July 21: Motor Booty Affair
July 28: Something Stupid
August 4: Running Down a Dream
Additional parking is available at the High School. In the event of rain, concerts are moved to the high school auditorium.
|
|
|
June 25: Relay for Life Held in Scarborough
|
|
Saturday, June 25
4:00-10:00pm
Kippy Mitchell Sports Complex, Scarborough
Join Scarborough for our 1st Annual Relay For Life of Southern Maine benefitting the American Cancer Society. This family friendly event includes music, games, activities, themed laps, food, survivor celebrations and emotionally charged ceremonies. For more information please contact Diane Nicholson at 631-379-7778 or diane.nicholson@cancer.org or visit www.relayforlife.org/southernme. Log onto this site to join the community.
|
|
|
Park & Recreation Facilities Survey Open to All
|
|
Take our Parks & Recreation Facilities online survey to help inform the direction of the future of our parks!
The Town of Scarborough is conducting a comprehensive parks and facilities master plan to allow for meaningful park and recreation facility improvements within Scarborough Community Services. Community input is an important part of this process. The survey is now open to the public and should take 10-15 minutes to complete. If you received a postcard or letter in the mail, please access the survey using your protected passcode.
|
|
|
Coming Soon: July is Parks & Rec Month
|
|
July is National Parks and Recreation Month! Scarborough Community Services will celebrate by offering FREE fitness and wellness activities almost every day of the month, made possible with the help of Martin's Point Healthcare. Check out the schedule and class descriptions on our website.
|
|
Scarborough Community Services also holds ongoing programs for all ages weekdays throughout the summer. See the scope of opportunities in their Summer Brochure.
|
|
Scarborough Police Does Torch Run on Route One
|
|
Last week, members of the Scarborough Police Department participated in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. Officers ran the torch along US Route 1 from the Saco to South Portland line.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics is the movement’s largest fundraiser and public awareness vehicle. At its most basic level the Torch Run is a running event in which officers and athletes run the Flame of Hope to the Opening Ceremonies of local Special Olympics competitions and State and National Games.
For athletes and officers, the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics is a story of success, love, respect and commitment between law enforcement officers and Special Olympics athletes.
|
|
Participating were Chief Holmquist, Admin. Asst. Sperlich, Detective Sgt. Laflin, Deputy Chief Grover, M. Trudeau, Lt. Vaughan, Detetctive Strout
|
|
Assessing: Valuation Notices to be Mailed
|
|
At the end of June, the Assessing Department will mail valuation notices to properties that have an upcoming change to their assessment for Fiscal Year 2022-2023. Only properties experiencing an increase will receive a notice.
Changes are due to the following:
• Changes based on a building permit
• New construction or new additions
• Corrections to Town assessing records
The notice will include the property card so that any changes can be reviewed. Please bring any errors to our attention as soon as possible, as the proposed assessment will be the basis for your property taxes starting with the Fall 2022 bill.
|
|
|
If you have any questions concerning your assessment, please contact our office at (207) 730-4060 or email efennell@scarboroughmaine.org.
|
|
Transition to Organic Lawn Care this Spring
By Rita Breton, Conservation Commission and Jami Fitch, Sustainability Coordinator
|
|
Passed in September 2011, the Scarborough Pest Management Policy ensures that all those who use Scarborough parks, playgrounds and sports fields have greatly reduced exposure to pesticides. More and more homeowners are following the Town’s example to commit to learning about and transitioning to organic lawn care. If you are interested in a lawn that is healthy and safe for people, pets, and pollinators, here are a few easy things you can do this Spring to get started:
• Start with a soil test
• Over-seed with perennial rye grass
• Pull young weeds by hand and learn to "read your weeds"
• Sharpen lawn mower blades
• Mow smart; cut little and often
• Leave grass clippings
• Plant native-growing lawn alternatives
• Skip the fertilizer
|
|
|
Council Corner: Long-Term Facilities Planning—We must invest, but when?
By Jon Anderson, Town Councilor
|
|
Unfortunately, we have not done the best job on long-range facilities planning. As Scarborough grew rapidly this past decade, the Town did not have an absorption plan to ensure our facilities grew along with us. Now we are at a bit of a crossroads. There are many facilities needs being actively discussed right now in Town. The Council will have a workshop in July highlighting all the major facilities projects so the community can have a good baseline of the facility investment needs in the near term. Some of the key projects to be discussed include the Library Expansion, Community Center, and Consolidated Primary School.
|
|
|
These are just three major priorities that meet different, and in some cases complementary, needs of our community. It excludes other major facilities and infrastructure work that need to be done also captured in our capital improvement plan, including enhancements to existing roadways and sidewalks and the priorities that will come out of the Parks and Facilities Master Plan, which some of you may have recently received a survey request for in the mail to help prioritize needs.
What is the best path forward on all of these needs? Given the affordability crisis in Scarborough, how do we do this in a manner that is planful with appropriate financial impact to residents? We’ve delayed some of these for so long, the longer we wait the more expensive they will become and the quality of life or education in Scarborough will begin to deteriorate. We must invest as a community, but on what and when? This is a tough task, choices will need to be made. I hope you will be vocal and share your views to help guide decisions as we navigate these investments in our Town’s future.
|
|
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Scarborough Town Council.
|
|
Scarborough Town Council
John Cloutier, Chair • Ken Johnson, Vice Chair • Jonathan Anderson • Jean-Marie Caterina • Don Hamill • April Sither
Town Council meets the first and third Wednesday of each month. Visit our online calendar for links to attend and view agendas.
|
|
|
Message from Scarborough School Board
Gratitude to Staff, Students, Families & Community
|
|
As the 2021-22 school year comes to an end, the Board of Education would like to extend our gratitude to staff, students, families and the community for continuing to support the mission of Scarborough Schools and for making this year a success. The past 2 ½ years have presented challenges that no one could have anticipated. Navigating these challenges has required patience, professionalism, and perseverance from everyone.
To the staff: Your jobs have been redefined in many ways and you have worked tirelessly to keep students at the forefront of all that you do. You have been a calming presence for students throughout all of the uncertainty of the pandemic, even when you felt unsure of things. Helping students recall expected behaviors, learn how to interact with one another again and regain their academic footing was a tall order, but you far exceeded the expectations. We simply can’t thank you enough for your dedication to your students and your profession.
To the families and caregivers: Your patience has not gone unnoticed. Making decisions that impact so many people is a responsibility that we take very seriously and we know that not all decisions are popular. We recognize how hard it is to be supportive of decisions that you don’t necessarily agree with. We deeply appreciate all of you remaining engaged and sharing your thoughts with us to help guide our decisions. What we are most thankful for is the support and understanding that you gave to the staff and administrators. Our students are most successful when there is a partnership between their families and their schools.
To the Scarborough community: Thank you for your continued support of the schools. Every year you make a large financial investment in our schools and we are so grateful for that. Additionally, we know how committed so many of you are to providing extra support for students in the community via volunteer opportunities, jobs, extracurricular support and so many other ways. Thank you for all that you do.
Lastly to our students: Every day you amaze us. Your perseverance is nothing short of spectacular. You have experienced the pandemic in ways that no adult can truly understand. We hope that you have felt the love and support surrounding you, but recognize that you were the ones to carry yourselves through. You have faced some very difficult things and you continue to thrive. We hope you feel great pride in your hard work and accomplishments. Our favorite moments as a school board are when we get the opportunity to see you learning, laughing, and discovering the world around you. It is an honor and a privilege to watch you grow.
It is time to enjoy a wonderful Maine summer and we look forward to seeing you all in the fall.
|
|
Scarborough Public Library Upcoming Programs
|
|
Summer Reading Events are happening at the Scarborough Public Library—stop by the Library to sign up! There are Reading Logs for children of all ages, from babies to teens. Youth Services will be offering many activities, including Outdoor Story Time on Wednesdays, June 15, 22, and 29 at 10:00am. Children of all ages are also invited to sign up to read to a therapy dog. There are 15-minute time slots available to read to Walter, a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Myah, a Sheltie, and Ollie, a Greyhound. Sign up in Youth Services, by calling 883-4723, option 3, or emailing kids@scarboroughlibrary.org. Visit www.scarboroughlibrary.org/youth for updates.
The Library is kicking off Adult Summer Reading with an author talk by nationally known author Bill Roorbach, a Scarborough resident. Join us Tuesday, June 21 at 7:00pm to hear him read from and discuss Lucky Turtle, his newest book. Learn more.
|
|
New Youth Services Manager
The Library is pleased to welcome and introduce Deanna McNamara, the new Youth Services Manager at a Meet & Greet on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. Please join us for a fun afternoon in and around the Youth Services Room and the chance to say hello to a very important new member of the team at the SPL. All are welcome. No need to RSVP—come one, come all! Deanna brings many years of experience to Scarborough after fourteen years as the Children’s Librarian at the McArthur Library in Biddeford.
|
|
Friends of Scarborough Library Social
Saturday, June 25, 9-10am
A Thank You for the Friends of Scarborough Library: It's time for the Board of the Friends to say thank you for your support during these difficult pandemic years. Please join us for a Coffee Social at the Scarborough Public Library. Enjoy a coffee and goodies, renew your Membership, tour & view the library expansion plans, sign up as a volunteer to help us get out the "YES" vote for the library expansion, and donate a small bag of books for our FLASH sale that day.
The Social will be followed by a FLASH sale from 10am-12pm, open to the public. The Friends are not accepting donations of books, DVDs, or CDs.
RSVP for the Coffee Social: Email membership@scarboroughlibraryfriends.org or call 207-396-6279 to leave a message.
|
|
Library Hours
Monday – 9am to 5pm • Tuesday – 9am to 7pm • Wednesday – 9am to 7pm • Thursday – 9am to 7pm • Friday – 9am to 5pm • Saturday – 9am to 5pm • Sunday – Closed
|
|
Click on the calendar event to view Town Council meeting Zoom links
|
|
|
Find us on Facebook! Get the inside scoop from the Town of Scarborough on your newsfeed. Give us a like today.
|
|
Our mission is to keep you informed about town events and activities.
Please email us if you have ideas for stories. Note: Our website is the central repository for Town information.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|