Thanksgiving is just ahead, and so too is the busy holiday season! We're taking this time before the hustle and bustle to reflect on the Scarborough community. We are thankful to you for making this a vibrant place to live and work. You voted in our local election, get involved in town issues that you care about, and make the most of the resources that Scarborough has to offer. Read on for upcoming reminders and updates on what's happening in our town.

Check our Town Calendar for upcoming meetings. The next Town Council meeting is Wednesday, November 19th and has a workshop on growth beforehand (details below).

Thanksgiving Week: November 24-28

Town Hall Hours

Town Hall will be closed on Thursday, November 27th for Thanksgiving. We will reopen on Monday, December 1st.

Trash Collection Changes

Please be aware of the following changes to the trash pick-up schedule for Thanksgiving week:

• No trash pickup on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 27th

• If your trash day is normally Thursday, it will be picked up on Friday, November 28th

• If your trash day is normally Friday, it will be picked up on Saturday, November 29th

If you have any questions, please contact Public Works at pwinfo@scarboroughmaine.org or (207) 730-4400.

Scarborough Welcomes Ten New Firefighters

November 3rd was the first day for our 10 new firefighters! They begin their career with Scarborough Fire by participating in a Probationary Fire School that was developed to support new firefighters with their transition into the department. Their first week consisted of breathing apparatus (SCBA) orientation, engine and truck company operations, and Rapid Intervention Training. Graduation day will be on Wednesday, December 3rd!

Of the 10 new firefighters/EMS providers, 8 of these are new positions that were approved in the FY26 budget. Two are backfilling vacancies in the department. The new positions were created to continue to meet the needs of the community. With increased staffing, we are now able to staff a third ambulance 24/7 (learn more & watch a video about this).

Scarborough Fire has been posting updates on their Facebook page. Check it out if you're on Facebook!

November 4, 2025 Election Day Results

There were 9,764 voters who cast ballots in the November 4, 2025 Municipal Election (4,486 were absentee ballots). The overall voter turnout was 52%. Here are the results from the municipal and State ballots:

Municipal Election

Town Council (2 seats, 3-year term)

Hayes, Michelle T.: 7,103*

Shupe, Karin B.: 6,417*

Blank: 6,008

Board of Education (1 seat, to fill a term)

Maurer, Crescencia: 7,490*

Blank: 2,274

Sanitary District (2 seats, 3-year term)

D'Amelio, Anthony: 7,582*

Crockett, Leroy (Write-in): 159*

Carroll, Joseph (Write-in): 23

Miscellaneous Write-in: 369

Blank: 11,395

Question 1 – $129.85M School Project

Yes: 5,742*

No: 3,737

Blank: 285

Question 2 – Additional $10M Middle School Expansion

Yes: 5,591*

No: 3,909

Blank: 264

*Denotes winner

State Election

Question 1 - Citizen Initiative (Limit Absentee Voting)

Yes: 2,473

No: 7,263*

Blank: 30

Question 2 - Citizen Initiative (Temporarily Prohibit Weapons)

Yes: 7,704*

No: 2,003

Blank: 59

*Denotes winner

A Letter from the Superintendent

"We are thrilled to share our sincere gratitude following the passage of both school referendums. This is truly a historic and pivotal moment for our community and our schools: one that represents several years of thoughtful exploration of every possible solution to meet our needs in a fiscally responsible way.

Thanks to broad community engagement and trust, we have secured $139.8 million to renovate, add to, and rebuild facilities that will impact five of our six schools. This investment reflects a shared belief in the future of our students and a commitment to providing learning environments that meet Scarborough’s needs now and for generations to come.

We also want to extend special thanks to the many community members who have worked tirelessly since the start of 2024. This includes members of the SBAC 1 and 2 committees as well as our Building Communications Committee. This diverse and dedicated group of volunteers were thoughtful with their questions, helped share information, answered questions, and fostered open dialogue with one another and the larger community. Together with district officials, the Town Council, and the School Board, these community volunteers brought a wide range of perspectives and ideas. Through respectful discussion and collaboration, they helped unite our community around a shared vision for our schools, both now and into the future.

We also want to acknowledge and thank all voters who participated in this important decision, regardless of how they voted. Every voice in this process mattered. For those who voted “no,” we sincerely hope you will remain engaged in the public process. Your perspectives are valuable, and your involvement can continue to shape the work happening in our community.

As we move into the next phase, the Town Council will be considering ways to minimize the tax impact of these projects. This ongoing work provides another important opportunity for community members to stay informed and engaged. We encourage everyone to continue participating, asking questions, and sharing ideas because this moment has shown what’s possible when Scarborough citizens work together toward a common goal.

This success belongs to all of us: students, families, staff, and community members alike. Together, we have shown what can be achieved when we listen, collaborate, and stay focused on what matters most: creating the best possible learning experience for every child."

With gratitude and excitement for what’s ahead,

Diane Nadeau, Ph.D.

Superintendent 

Now Accepting Letters to Santa 🎅

The elves are back! Scarborough Community Services will be your resident elves in November and December, collecting letters from local children to deliver to Santa. In return, Santa will send a personal response to each child. There is no better way to kick off the holiday season with a little magic! Letters to Santa are due no later than December 5th.

How to return letters:

• Drop in the North Pole Express mailbox at the front of Town Hall beginning 11/7

• Drop off at the Hub at 418 Payne Road

• Mail to P.O. Box 360, Scarborough, Maine 04070-0360

• Scan and email to comserv@scarboroughmaine.org

December 6: Sparkle in the Park

Saturday, December 6

5:00-7:00pm

Memorial Park 

Free!

Bundle up the family and head to Memorial Park to welcome Santa and Mrs. Claus to Scarborough! Shuttles from the High School parking lot will begin making their rounds at 4:30pm. We’ll be getting in the Holiday spirit with sweet treats, activities, music, fireworks, and more. Fireworks begin at 5:00pm. During that time shuttles and walking down to the park will be paused to ensure safety of attendees. Please make sure to arrive early if you want to see the show!

Help us spread the holiday cheer: Bring Santa a nonperishable item to donate to the Scarborough Food Pantry.

Register for Programs! Winter Brochure Out Now

The Winter 2025-26 Brochure is here! Check out our upcoming activities for Active Adult Programs, Teen Programs, Youth Programs, and Special Events

Register/Renew Your Dog License

Dog license registration is now open for 2026, and are valid through December 31, 2026. Register or renew your dog license in person at the Clerk's office or online. (If you register your dog(s) online, you will receive your tag(s) at the beginning of the next month). All dog renewals must be completed by January 31, 2026. The cost is $6 (spay/neutered) or $11 (not spayed/neutered). There is an additional $25 late fee after February 1st. To receive a license for your dog, please come into the Town Clerk's Office at Town Hall during our business hours, Monday through Thursday from 7:00am-5:00pm.

November 19: Growth Workshop

The second workshop in a 2-part growth series will be on November 19th at 5:30pm. It will cover “where we are going” with consideration for recommendations from recent plans, as well as new state laws going into effect. 

This workshop is timely. The community has expressed concerns in surveys, in council meetings, and online about the pace of growth and how it is being managed. We’re nearly halfway through the 10-year Comprehensive Plan (adopted in 2021) and preparing for the Council’s goal-setting session for 2026.

Links to agenda materials and to view remotely are available on the Town Calendar. Click on the event to see more.

Payne Road Work Nearly Complete

Road work on two areas of Payne Road (intersection of Gorham Road, and the intersection of Mussey Road) is nearly complete and is expected to wrap up by November 26th. Expect delays and seek an alternate route if possible. The projects are to address safety concerns, as both the Town and Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) have identified these as high crash areas. We appreciate your patience during this disruption of travel as we address this. The Mussey/Payne Road intersection safety project will be fully completed with the installation of traffic lights in summer 2026.

Great Portland Metro Seeks Scarborough Input

Attend Today's Workshop!

Greater Portland Metro announced last month its plans to expand to Scarborough in 2026. The service in Scarborough is expected to have both a fixed-route and an on-demand component, but specific details have yet to be determined. Additionally, Metro plans to launch an on-demand “microtransit” service in Scarborough and South Portland that will help connect residents to fixed-route transit routes as well as destinations that are outside of Metro’s fixed-route network.

Greater Portland Metro is seeking feedback from people who live, work, and visit South Portland and Scarborough to help design new and updated bus services. Attend the in-person workshop today, November 15th from 2:00-4:00pm at the Scarborough Public Safety Building (275 US Route One).

Take the online survey. Your feedback will be used by Greater Portland Metro to determine route updates, stop locations, and micro-transit operations that will help ensure transit access for everyone.

Printed copies of the survey are available at Scarborough Public Library or can be downloaded at gpmetro.org/nextstop.

New Online Dashboard Tracks Land Conservation

With the growth experienced over the past 20 years, Scarborough hopes to preserve its unique seashores, salt marshes, wetlands, forests, uplands, tidal rivers, and streams. Over the past several months, the Town developed an Open Space Plan to inventory existing conserved lands. It was adopted in April and sets a baseline as we track our efforts toward 30x30, a Town initiative to conserve at least 30% of Scarborough’s land by 2030.

The Town recently launched an online dashboard to track progress toward achieving its 30x30 goal. It's made significant strides in 2025 alone: an additional 328.5 acres of land has been protected since the Plan was adopted in April 2025. The newly protected parcels brings Scarborough’s total conserved land to 24%. Check out the dashboard to see where these protected areas are located in Scarborough. See our progress on the tracker, currently showing that 7,302 acres are protected.

Questions? Contact Jami Fitch, Sustainability Manager, at jfitch@scarboroughmaine.org.

November 26: Passport Day (No Appointment Needed!)

Wednesday, November 26, 9:00am - 2:00pm

Community Services Hub

418 Payne Road, Scarborough 

Scarborough Community Services assists the U.S. Department of State with the acceptance of U.S. passport applications. Passports applications are accepted at the Community Services Hub by appointment only, but we offer occasional days when school is closed and it’s a little easier on families.

Our next Passport Day is Wednesday, November 26 (day before Thanksgiving). Staff will be on hand to answer your questions, assist with the process, and accept your applications. This will be drop-in only (no appointments). We expect it to be busy, so plan to arrive early to be sure that your application can be accepted.

Each applicant will need the following materials:

• Evidence of Citizenship

• Photo Identification

• Passport Photo

• 2 Checks or Money Orders

Additional documents may be required depending on individual circumstances.

For more information on what is required to apply for a passport, please call the Scarborough Community Services Office at 207-730-4150, or you may visit the only official website for passports at Travel.State.Gov.

See all the fun programs and events offered this season in our Fall brochure.

Share Your Thoughts: Community Survey Out Now

Were you one of 4,000 households randomly selected to receive our survey? If so, please respond soon to share your feedback! Anyone is encouraged to give their feedback on the online survey at scarboroughsurvey.org.

Rate your satisfaction with:

• The overall quality of customer service you receive from Town employees

• The overall appearance of the Town

• How well the Town is managing residential growth

& more

This survey will take about 15-20 minutes to complete. The Town will use the results of the survey to set council goals and inform projects/initiatives.

RSVP for Scarborough Community Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and it's time to make your reservation for the 10th Annual Scarborough Community Thanksgiving Dinner! Join Scarborough Community Services, Police Department, and other community partners at Scarborough Community Thanksgiving for a traditional turkey dinner at Wentworth. It will be held on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 27, from 11:00am - 1:00pm. This event is completely free and made possible by generous sponsors.

Eat Cake with the Councilors at a Location Near You

Our Councilors are hitting the road and coming to you! In an effort to learn more about what's going on across all areas of town, they'll be hosting "Cake with the Councilors" events at different meeting points periodically through the end of the year. And since managing the town is not always a "piece of cake", there will be cupcakes on hand as they engage and listen to people in Scarborough.

The dates are:

• November 20: The Hub (Scarborough Community Services), 6:00pm

• November 25: Scarborough Public Library, 6:30pm

• December 4: Pleasant Hill School, 6:30pm

• December 9: Blue Point School, 6:30pm

• December 16: North Scarborough Fire Station, 6:30pm

We hope you'll join us for this sweet series!

Eastern Trail Extension Stays Ahead of Schedule

Progress continues on the "Close the Gap" Eastern Trail extension project that began this summer. It will go from Wainwright Fields in South Portland, across Pleasant Hill Road, and connect to where it cuts off by Eastern Road. The first milestone of trail completion from Pleasant Hill Road to Wainwright Fields is expected to be ready by October 2026. Work will continue through the winter as conditions allow. Upcoming work includes preparation for bridge installation over the Nonesuch River and building retaining walls. A bridge installation over the railroad tracks will happen in the spring.

Council Corner: November Consequences

By Larry Cain, Town Council

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.

November is always a consequential month. We start the month by electing new officials to all levels or government, and we end the month giving thanks for all the good fortune, wonderful friends and cherished family in our lives. This November is no exception. The multiyear effort to pass bond initiatives that will renovate and replace five schools passed. That vote was the culmination of work by over a hundred community members, Town officials, school staff and outside consultants. While the outcome is exciting for the future of Scarborough, it begins another multiyear process of delivering this complex project on time and within budget.  

As a Town Councilor, I am very aware that 40% of the voters did not support this initiative. One of the major reasons for that is the overall cost. It is our responsibility to discover every possible tool to mitigate the tax impact that this spending will bring to all of us. In addition to a robust effort to reduce costs through the design and bidding process, there are a number of possible tools that have already been identified:

• The Senior Property Tax Rebate has already been increased to $1,200 per year. This is a direct rebate against property taxes for seniors that qualify for the program.

• The professional cost estimates that were prepared to create the project budget include contingency percentages of up to 25%. That protects the estimates from unexpected inflation increases, and unplanned cost overruns.

• The spending for the project cannot exceed the bond amounts without going back to the tax payers for approval.  

• The Finance Committee is currently working on increasing tax impact fees related to new building in town. This revenue goes directly to paying down the school debt for the project.

• There are bond financing choices that can reduce the high tax impact in the early years of the project. These will be weighed against the total cost over the life of the bonds.

November voting also brought us one new Council member, one reelected member, and one new School Board member. Congratulations to Michelle Hayes, Karin Shupe, and Crescie Maurer. All are poised to contribute significantly to your Town government. Michelle replaced retiring Board Chair April Sither. April has given more time, knowledge and family sacrifice than anyone I know. Her legacy and impact will be felt for years to come. 

From a Council perspective, we are looking to create new ways to interact and communicate with the community. Our first effort is Cake with Councilors. We are visiting every area of town to meet with people in their own neighborhoods. These are informal meetings with no set agenda. We’ll come prepared to listen, and to give feedback on your most pressing concerns. Plus, we’ll bring cupcakes! You can see the schedule in this newsletter as well as at the Town website.

So as you can see, consequences are not always a bad thing. As I get to the end of November, I will be focused on being thankful for so much in my life. Near the top of that list will be how fortunate we are to live in Scarborough. Happy Thanksgiving!

Scarborough Town Council

Jonathan Anderson • Larry Cain • Scott Doherty • Bill Donovan • Cory Fellows • Michelle Hayes • 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.

Explore Independently-Owned Scarborough Businesses

The holiday season is around the corner and it's time to look locally for gift-giving! Scarborough Buy Local is helping us do just that. They have built a robust directory of independently owned businesses in town in industries ranging from food & beverage, to fitness, services, retail, banking, and more.

Residents - Do you want to keep it local? Check out the Scarborough Buy Local website and find local businesses. 

Scarborough Small Businesses - Register to be part of the Buy Local team and optimize the business search on our website. Plus, as a member you receive many other benefits such as advertisement and networking events. 

Upcoming Programs at Scarborough Public Library

Gentle Sound Bath & Guided Meditation

Sunday, November 16, 1:00-2:30pm

Register (Only 3 seats left!)

Has stress got you down? Let's breathe, relax, and zone out to the gentle peace brought by a Sound Bath & Guided Meditation with Kristine Keegan from Scarborough Yoga. This is not yoga, so the only experience you need is the ability to close your eyes and relax-- sometimes that's hard enough! Bring a blanket, yoga mat, or pillow for yourself (chairs also available).

Board Game Night & Potluck (All Ages)

Sunday, November 16, 1:00-2:30pm

Registration not required

Bring the whole family, a couple of friends, or come on your own for this intergenerational party! Now, with a "Thanksgiving Sides" themed potluck! Bring a dish or snack to share or just come without! We love to see you either way! There will be plenty of food. Games are suited for all ages.

Author Book Talk: The Women Behind the Door by Roddy Doyle

Tuesday, November 18, 6:30-7:30pm

Register (Online or in-person)

Join us in-person or online to discuss The Women Behind the Door with author Roddy Doyle. Doyle will be joining the discussion over Zoom from Ireland to talk about his brilliant trilogy on Paula Spencer—mother, grandmother, widow, addict, survivor—starting with 1996's The Women Who Walked Into Doors, then to Paula Spencer, and last year's The Women Behind the Door. This latest book is a devastating and spot-on examination of domestic abuse's impact on the mother and daughter relationship. This program is in partnership with Finding Our Voices and Blue Hill Memorial Library. Reading the book first is optional.

Roddy Doyle is a Booker Prize winner and the author of ten acclaimed novels.

Fortunate Sons Documentary Screening

Saturday, November 22, 1:00-3:30pm

Register

Join us for a pop-up showing of the documentary Fortunate Sons. Fortunate Sons is a feature-length documentary about the 1974 graduating class of the Harvard School…then a private, military school for the sons of the Los Angeles elite. Born into privilege and groomed to lead, they entered 7th grade of this all-male, military school in the cultural watershed year of 1968.

A universal story about friendship, life, loss, and renewal – culminating with the class’ 50th reunion in 2024 – it resonates powerfully with the developing national conversation about mental health, masculinity, and the power of connection and vulnerability.

In celebration of International Men’s Day, The ManKind Project and co-hosts The Good Men Project and Consciously Unbiased are proud to present an on-demand, virtual screening of this extraordinary movie. We’re excited for the opportunity to spark meaningful conversations and healing in communities around the country.