It's November, and Election Day is next week. It's also the season of giving, gratitude, and...winter preparations. Read on for the traditional Fall reminders, like setting the clocks back and yard cleanup. Plus we share some upcoming events and highlight a few great accomplishments happening across several departments. As always, thank you for staying connected to your community!

Check our Town Calendar for a look at upcoming meetings. The next Town Council meeting is on November 9 (there is no November 2 meeting). The meeting was postponed to allow the council to certify the election results sooner. Their following meeting will remain as scheduled on Wednesday, November 16. (Council meetings are typically the 1st & 3rd Wednesday monthly).

A section of Gorham Road (Route 114) will be closed to thru traffic from Wednesday, November 2 at 8:00pm until Thursday, November 3 at 6:00am due to construction. The closed portion will run from approximately 67 Gorham Road (The Rock Church) to 172 Gorham Road (Nonesuch River). Only residents along Gorham Road and emergency vehicles will be allowed through the work zone, as needed. Please find alternate routes during this time period.

Early in-person absentee voting is available at Town Hall on weekdays until Thursday, November 3. Our regular weekday hours are 8:00am-4:00pm, and on Wednesday, November 2 voting will be available until 6:00pm.

Early voting after November 3 (the Friday and Monday prior to Election Day) will require a Special Circumstance. Please contact the Town Clerk's office to learn more.

If you have an absentee ballot, drop it off at the Town Clerk's office (to the left through the main entrance) or in the ballot box in front of the entrance at any time of day before 8:00pm on Election Day.

For further election information, please contact the Scarborough Town Clerk's Office at 730-4020.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, 2022 for the Municipal and Referendum Election, as well as the State of Maine General Election. Review our Voter Guide and look at sample ballots to see what questions are being asked ahead of time.

All Town Offices will be closed on Veterans Day, Friday, November 11. Trash and recycling pickup will remain on schedule for the full week of November 7-11. Any Public Works questions regarding trash collection can be directed to [email protected] or (207) 730-4400.

Fall brings with it the joy of yard clean-up. As you clear your lawn of leaves and other fall debris, please refrain from moving it onto the street. There is a Town ordinance that prohibits putting any yard waste or wood waste into any paved street or the Town’s right of way, which went into effect in March 2019. Remind any landscaping contractors of this ordinance as well; landscapers need to haul away the yard debris, and/or dispose of it in a lawful manner. 

This ordinance is outlined in Chapter 901 - Garbage and Recycling Collection and Disposal Ordinance. 

Section 1.02 - #17 (page 6) Wood Wastes: "Wood wastes" means brush, stumps, lumber, bark, wood chips, shavings, slabs, edgings, slash, sawdust and wood from production rejects, that are not mixed with other solid or liquid waste. For the purpose of this definition, "lumber" is entirely made of wood and is free from metal, plastics, and coatings. 

Section 1.02 - #18 (page 6) Yard Waste: "Yard waste" means earthen fill, soil, sand, grass clippings, leaves, and other vegetal matter other than wood wastes and land clearing debris.  

Article VI (page 13) Penalties: Any person who violates any provision of this Ordinance commits a civil violation, punishable by a civil penalty of not less than $200 and not more than $2,500 for each violation. Penalties shall be recovered upon complaint made by the Town. Each day upon which a violation continues shall be considered a separate violation. The Town shall be entitled to recover its attorney's fees and court costs in any action in which the court finds that a violation has occurred. In addition to penalties, the Town may seek injunctive relief to prevent the continuance of an ongoing or recurring violation.

Free Yard Waste Disposal

Scarborough residents may dispose of yard waste (leaves, grass clippings, and small amounts of household brush) at the Casella Transfer Station located at 594 County Road (Westbrook) at no cost. Their hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, and Saturday from 8:00 am - 1:00 pm. 

Winter is on its way! Chances are, you don’t need to be reminded of such a significant (and yearly) event, but here are a few other reminders that go hand in hand with the upcoming (and unavoidable) arrival of the winter season:

• Clear all items (basketball hoops, etc.) from the edge of the roadways. (This means back at least 12 – 15 feet from the edge of the pavement) This better enables us to clear the roads properly, as well as reducing the chance of items and equipment being damaged. 

• Please be aware of and abide by parking bans. When cars are left parked on the street during a storm/parking ban, it significantly affects our ability to clear the roadways, and entire sections of streets may be negatively affected as a result. (Plus, your car may be towed at your expense. No one wants that). 

• Snow tires are important. Very important. If you don’t have them, you should get some.  

• Please remember to place your trash and recycle carts in your driveway, not on the roadside. They can be a few feet up into your driveway – the “arms” on the trash trucks can reach them even if they are a few feet back. 

• When it snows, road conditions worsen. It doesn’t matter if you drive a tank. Allow yourself extra time, go slow, and get to where you are going safely! 

• When clearing your driveway of snow, please do not shovel or snow blow the snow into the roadways. This creates additional dangerous (and unnecessary) conditions for everyone. Furthermore, when clearing the snow, remember to clear it to the down side (or right side) of your driveway. Trust me, this will save you a backache (and/or headache) when you have to re-clear your driveway after the plow comes through, and places it all right back into your driveway. 

• Dig out the snowblower. Doing this now, before you actually need it is a really good idea. Look it over, kick the tires, give it an oil change, and some general overall TLC. Remove the mouse nest(s). Make sure all parts are working correctly. If you do this, and do it well, maybe it won’t snow this year.  

Our clocks and watches turn back an hour on Sunday, November 6 at 2:00am for the end of Daylight Savings Time. Sunrise and sunset will occur an hour earlier as well. Bonus, you will get an extra hour of sleep!

The Town of Scarborough now has a newly formed department called Engineering & Technical Services, formerly part of Planning & Code Enforcement. The department is responsible for the coordination and implementation of a wide variety of technical projects and initiatives that span across all Town departments. Their focused disciplines are Engineering, Sustainability, and GIS services.

The need for a distinction of responsibilities into its own department has been building over the last several years. Growth and development in Scarborough over the past decade has increased a demand for coordinated construction oversight. Currently, the department oversees over 50 active construction sites throughout town, conducting inspections in order to ensure compliance with local, State, and Federal permitting and regulations.

The Town also has to comply with several State and federal permits for environmental protection, and the complexity of the requirements has also grown over the past few years. Moreover, these infrastructure projects, compliance requirements, and need for GIS planning and documentation span across multiple departments. The new Engineering & Technical Services department will streamline the processes already in place and be better equipped to manage the requirements that stem from increasing development and complex regulatory obligations.

Pictured left to right, the staff members in this department are Carrie Prescott (Engineering Technician), Jami Fitch (Sustainability Coordinator), Angela Blanchette, P.E. (Town Engineer), and Micah Warnock (GIS Administrator). 

The Engineering & Technical Services Department works closely with Public Works and the Planning Department to plan, administer, seek funding for, and construct traffic and transportation projects in Town. They also coordinate with State projects happening within Scarborough, and conduct construction oversight of many improvement projects carried out by private developers. The projects aim to mitigate the traffic impacts that development creates on our local roads, and to improve our overall transportation system.

With a number of transportation projects in the queue, we have created a new map to visually show the scope and specifics of projects happening within Scarborough’s public right-of-ways, currently and in upcoming years. Projects are categorized by the entity conducting the work: Maine Department of Transportation (DOT), Private Developers, and Town (Engineering and Public Works). 

Check out our new transportation improvements map. Click an icon to learn about the project timeline and more.

The map is located on the Engineering department's Transportation page.

The application deadline for the new Senior Stabilization program is quickly approaching. Applications must be submitted to the Scarborough Assessing Office by December 1. The law, which went into effect on August 8, created a new State program that allows certain senior residents to stabilize, or freeze, the property taxes on their homestead. An applicant must be at least 65 years old, a permanent resident of the State, and must have owned a Maine homestead for at least ten years. The Assessing Office has received and processed approximately 1,550 applications since August. If you or someone you know may be eligible and haven’t yet applied, please reach out to the Scarborough Assessing Office before December 1st. Program details and eligibility requirements are available on our website.

The Scarborough Police Department is in the process of transitioning to new uniforms. You will start to see officers wearing a navy blue uniform with heather gray accents.

The decision was made to allow officers to wear external ballistic vest carriers. The ballistic vest is worn in a carrier over the uniform so it better displaces the weight of the vest, and the carrier can be more easily removed if the officer is in the station and not interacting with the public. Pouches for items typically carried on the gun belt can also be attached to the vest carrier in order to better distribute the weight of those items. This comes at a time when officers are being required to have more items readily accessible for all of the situations they may encounter.

The vest carriers and standard uniform shirts are made by different companies, so we needed to change to a base color that most companies produce. We had also been told that the heather gray shirts would not be available in the next couple of years. Some people may remember that the new uniform is very similar to the one officers wore in the early 1990s. The colors are very similar, but the new material is stronger and more flexible. 

Here are different variations of the new uniform.

Scarborough Police Department Administrative Assistant Cathy Chandler was recently recognized for her 40 years of service with the Town of Scarborough. Cathy is only the third police department employee in our organization’s history to reach 40 years of service.

Cathy began her career in July 1981 when she was hired as reserve officer assigned to Higgins Beach foot patrol and was also hired as a part-time dispatcher a few months later. In June of 1982, she was hired as a full-time dispatcher. During her time in dispatch she received several commendations and was recognized as Employee of the Month in 1996 and 1997. Also in 1997, she transitioned out of the dispatch center and into a new role as the full-time records clerk. Two years later, Cathy became the Chief’s Administrative Assistant and has continued to be known for her steady work ethic, expertise and consistency.

Scarborough Police is very fortunate to have the caliber of person they have in Cathy Chandler. She has immense pride in the department and safeguards our reputation with her professionalism and institutional knowledge. Her tremendous support to everyone in the department is greatly appreciated!

Left to right: Deputy Chief Dave Grover, Chief Mark Holmquist, Cathy Chandler, Lieutenant Scott Vaughan, and Lieutenant Tim Barker.

42 Junior Firefighters (ages 14-18) representing eight Maine fire departments/firefighter programs came to Scarborough last weekend to participate in the 1st Annual Maine Junior Firefighters Muster. Participants competed in four events (two team events and two individual events) to put their skills to the test in front of their program advisors, family and spectators.

These young women and men serve their communities and are the future of the Maine fire service. At a time where all Maine Fire Departments are struggling to fill their rank and file, Sunday's friendly competition showcased the best of what Maine has to look forward to. Once these Junior Firefighters turn 18, they can become certified as interior firefighters. 

Awards were presented to the top three teams and individuals in each event. The top Junior Firefighter was Andrew Doughty, representing the Tri-County Technical Center. Andrew traveled as a solo participant and dominated the day's events. "From what was observed at the event, Maine has a very bright future in terms of dedicated individuals ready and willing to protect their communities as dedicated members of their respective fire departments," says the Scarborough Fire Department.

Scarborough Memorial Cemetery and Dunstan Cemetery are official locations for the 2022 National Wreaths Across America Day. They are part of the over 3,100 participating locations across the country to Remember, Honor, and Teach on Saturday, December 17.

Scarborough locals Bill and Anna Gallant have launched a Wreaths Across America in Scarborough this year. The goal is to raise enough funds to place sponsored veterans' wreaths on the headstones of all the local heroes laid to rest there, to ensure that the individuals who served to protect the freedoms of our country never be forgotten and to bring the community together in patriotic commemoration. They have been doing a lot of ground work and need some more help. On December 17, Scarborough Police department will assist them in placing wreaths at grave sites in the Dunstan Cemetery and also the Scarborough Memorial Cemetery (Old Blue Point Road).  

They currently have 101 wreaths that have been sponsored and need another 99. It is $15.00 to sponsor a wreath. Those interested in volunteering for Wreaths Across America or sponsoring a wreath for Scarborough cemeteries are encouraged to learn more and donate what you can. 

Monday, November 7

5:30-7:00pm

Biddeford City Hall

Register

Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG) is conducting a series of workshops to launch Vision Zero—a strategy to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries by changing the way we design our roads and systems. This strategy has been adopted across the globe and now GPCOG is working to bring it to the Greater Portland region. 

Scarborough residents are invited to join GPCOG for a public workshop on November 7 from 5:30-7:00pm at Biddeford City Hall (workshop for Biddeford, Arundel, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Scarborough). There will be a map of Scarborough to circle streets, crosswalks, and intersections where you feel unsafe. Pizza/refreshments provided. 

GPCOG is a regional planning agency responsible for transportation investments in Greater Portland.

Learn more at register at visionzerogreaterportland.org. 

Community Services is accepting letters to Santa this holiday season! Stop by Town Hall or the Hub to grab a Santa Letter template, print one off from your computer, or request a copy from us by emailing us. Have your kids tell Santa about all of the good things they have done this year and a few presents on the wish list. 

Print out this fill-in letter template, or pick up a paper copy at the Hub or Town Hall Clerk's Office. Completed letters can be dropped in the North Pole Express Mailbox at the front of Town Hall beginning Friday, November 11 or mailed to the address listed on the letter form (if you print the form from online, be sure to print double-sided so that you may fold and mail). Community Services will need letters before November 28 so they can get them to Santa and he can get a letter to you in return!

Parents, to make it a bit easier for Santa and his response, if you could make a mark next to an item your child wishes for that they are most likely to receive, that would be appreciated!

Scarborough Community Services is offering a number of upcoming youth programs, from Pleasant Mountain Ski Nights to December No-School Day coverage. Learn more about the latest offerings on our website.

Saturday, November 5

8:00am-1:00pm

Westbrook Transfer Station, 594 County Road, Westbrook, ME 04092

Join Casella Waste for a family fun Touch-A-Truck event! There will be activities for the kids, food, and a charity raffle. Kona Ice - Shaved Ice Truck of York County will be re-appearing at the event, as well as Texas Grace Kitchen out of Kennebunk, who will be serving up some great BBQ.

Because the composition of the council changes with every election, the dynamics of the group change. New councilors bring fresh perspectives and experiences to the table. Veteran councilors bring a sense of continuity to the process and results. Like the population we serve, some are more amenable to the art of compromise and search for reasonable solutions. Others are firmer in their resolves and do not budge from positions. Neither is wrong. I find myself compromising on some matters and standing firm in others. What is important is that we manage to arrive at solutions that are in the best interest of our constituents.

There are those who think that councils should be unanimous in their decisions. I am absolutely opposed to that belief. The best outcomes in contentious matters arise from the push and pull of beliefs. In the end, majority rules. But, as we believe in this country, the minority has the right to disagree and attempt to bring others to their side. Democracy is messy, thank goodness. I worry if we ever devolve into a society where everyone marches in step. I cannot think of anything more frightening. 

Every election matters. Regretfully, this election cycle, we have no competition for local seats. I thank those who are running for being brave enough to put yourselves out there. Believe me, it is not fun to take the heat some days! I look forward to serving with you. There is no more satisfying job than to be part of developing the future of Scarborough for all of us. I urge my readers to consider running in future. The more people who run, the better the discourse and opportunity for multiple voices to be heard. As for the rest of you, VOTE! It is the only way in which you have a thumb on the scales. It is the essence of our democracy. 

I wish to take this opportunity to thank Councilor Ken Johnson for his service. I enjoyed our debates and the give and take of your opinions in council meetings. You will be missed. 

Scarborough Public Library News

Election Reminder

The Library Expansion is on the ballot. Please visit the expansion website to review the space needs, FAQs, our timeline, the case statement and more. Please contact the Library for a tour or a chance to discuss your questions in person.

There are paper copies of the town’s Voter Guide under the information bulletin board across from the Circulation Desk.

A Conversation with Sarah Long, Channel 8 Meteorologist

Monday, November 7, 7:00pm

As part of the Emerson Lecture Series, the Friends of the Scarborough Library are happy to present meteorologist Sarah Long. A native New Englander, Sarah has been forecasting in northern New England for more than two decades. Her experience includes years atop Mt. Washington, known for some of the most extreme weather in the U.S.! Sarah will talk about her time at Mt. Washington as well as notable weather changes. Public welcome free of charge, no registration necessary.

Monday Movie Matinee

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Monday, November 7, 1:30pm

When a widowed housekeeper falls in love with a couture Dior dress, she raises funds in order to travel to Paris in search of a dress of her own. Rated PG; 115 minutes.

Seating will be limited and registration is required. Call 883-4723 option 4 or email [email protected] to register for the November 7, 2022 showing.

Getting the Most of Your iPhone

Tuesday, November 15, 10:00-11:30am

Learn how to take advantage of some of the amazing features your iPhone offers: great camera and video capabilities, text messaging, Siri, FaceTime, and more. This class will take place in-person in the Library Meeting Room and instructed by Adult Services staff member Hailie Posey. Please register on the library’s website. If the course fills up, we will open a waitlist. For more information call 883-4723 option 4.

The Big Library Read

Wednesday, December 7, 6:00pm

Families are invited to join us and participate in the Big Library Read, an all ages, student-led community/family book discussion, in partnership with the Scarborough Middle School. This year's title is A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger. This award-winning title draws on traditional Lipan Apache storytelling structure to weave an unforgettable tale of monster, magic and family. Scarborough Middle School's librarian, Jennifer Bishop, and the Scarborough Public Library’s youth services manager, Deanna McNamara, will co-host the discussion. Both libraries are making copies of the book available in print and e-reader formats. Registration opens soon!

Early Release Day Activity

The Wizard of Oz Interactive Movie

November 16, 2:00-4:00pm

Kids ages 10 and up are invited to join this fun audience participation showing of The Wizard of Oz (Rated PG). In our version, the audience will participate through song, call-back lines, and other actions throughout the show. Costumes are encouraged. Registration opens soon!

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