With all that is happening in Scarborough at any given moment, we do our best to keep you informed of the high level happenings, and we invite you to dive deeper into what interests you most. The best place to see weekly updates is by clicking through our Town Calendar, where you'll have access to watch meetings, see what's coming up, and read through agendas. The What's Happening page is another useful reference to see the latest ongoing projects and supplemental resources. Below are some updates on the upcoming election, seasonal programs and more. Thank you for being an active, civic-minded follower of Scarborough news.

🌳 Test drive electric cars and bikes

🌳 Listen to live music from the Maine Marimba Ensemble (11-1)

🌳 Walk through the farmers market (9-1)

🌳 Attend a workshop on food waste, money-saving energy upgrades, or sustainable transportation

🌳 Grab good food from Terra Firma and Nate & Ollie's Rolled Ice Cream

🌳 Talk with and learn from 20+ vendors, including:

• Bicycle Coalition of Maine
• Citizens Climate Lobby
• Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District
• Dave's World
• Efficiency Maine
• Fiddlehead Center for the Arts
• Go Maine
• GoGo Refill
• Ketcha Outdoors
• Maine Audubon
• Maine Solar Solutions
• Project GRACE
• and more!

Workshops

11:00am Nibbled: Recipes, Tips, and Tricks to Reduce Food Waste with Kids

Laura Petrolino, MePowered Pastries

Three half eaten apples, one bite of banana, two licked granola bars...combating food waste when you have kids can seem insurmountable at times. In this hands-on workshop, Laura Petrolino, founder of MePowered Pastries, will walk you through tactics to reduce food waste and recipes to quickly and easily transform discarded food into delicious snacks. Bring your kids to learn some fun recipes you can easily repeat at home.

12:00pm Efficiency Maine Resources for Homeowners

Bridget Gifford, Efficiency Maine

Learn about incentives, financing, technical resources, and Efficiency Maine's database of independent installers. Incentives include State rebates, discounts, and federal tax credits. Special focus on heat pumps, hybrid heat pump water heaters, insulation, and electric vehicles.

1:00pm GoMaine: Sustainable Transportation and Community Connections

Isaac Onos, GoMaine

Learn about GoMaine’s free statewide sustainable transportation options. Whether you're seeking carpool connections, public transportation details, or sustainable travel solutions, GoMaine provides free resources and rewards for all Mainers to navigate their commuting needs efficiently and sustainably.

Sustainable Scarborough Day will be held on Sunday, October 6 from 10:00am-2:00pm at the Wentworth School, 20 Quentin Drive. Free!

Upcoming Deadline: Senior Property Tax Assistance

Apply by October 15th

The Senior Property Tax Assistance Program is one of multiple forms of tax relief that Town of Scarborough has for residents looking for assistance with their property taxes. If your annual property tax burden exceeds 5% of household Adjusted Gross Income, you may be eligible for a return of up to $1,000 at the end of the year. For residents who rent, including owners of properties within a Manufactured Home Park, rent paid is considered part of your property tax burden. 

Eligibility Requirements

1. Applicant is age 62 or older as of the application deadline

2. Applicant has been a Scarborough resident for at least 10 consecutive years as of October 15, 2024

3. Federal Adjusted Gross Income (household) does not exceed $60,000*

*This fiscal year, the Scarborough Town Council increased this program’s maximum household AGI from $50,000 to $60,000 and the maximum benefit amount from $750 to $1,000.

Applications for the Property Tax Assistance Program are available online or in the Assessing Office. The deadline to apply is October 15, 2024.

When you submit your application, we will need to see identification and proof of income, either your 2023 Tax Return or your 2023 Social Security Benefit Statement, if you don’t file taxes. If you rent, we will also need a statement of rent paid between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.

Please contact the Assessing office at (207) 730-4060 or visit our office on the lower level of Town Hall if you have any questions.

Upcoming Election: November 5, 2024

Plan Ahead: Request Your Absentee Ballot

Request an absentee ballot ahead of time by completing an Application for an Absentee Ballot. Please print and complete the form, then mail it to the Scarborough Town Clerk's Office at P.O. Box 360, Scarborough, ME 04070-0360 or fill out the e‑form request. Absentee ballots will be mailed when they are available in early October.

For further information on Absentee Voting and Voter Registration, please contact the Scarborough Town Clerk's Office at 730-4020.

Early Voting Begins October 7th

Early voting by absentee ballot will begin next week on Monday, October 7 at the Public Safety Building (275 U.S. Route One).

Hours

Monday-Thursday, 7:00am-5:00pm

Saturday, October 26, 8:00am-12:00pm

Early voting runs through the week prior to Election Day, Thursday, October 31. Early voting on November 1 & 4 require a special circumstance (coordinated with Clerk's office).

Local Candidates on the Ballot

The following candidates will be on the ballot this November to fill the open seats:

Town Council - 2 seats for a 3-Year term to expire 2027

• Fellows, Cory R.

• Maurer, Crescencia (Cresci)

• Doherty, Scott W.

Town Council - 1 seat to fill a vacancy created by Jean-Marie Caterina, with a term to expire in 2026

• Donovan, William J. (Bill)

School Board - 1 seat to fill a vacancy created by Carolyn Gammon, with a term to expire in June of 2026

• Rockenstire, Mitchell T.

Sanitary District Trustees - 2 seats for a 3-Year term to expire 2027

• Rico, Nicola F. (Nick)

• Stein, Michael A.

Candidates Night

All candidates introduced themselves and answered questions for the community during Candidates Night on September 25th. Click Here to view the recording. Skip ahead to the following timestamps: Sanitary District Board of Trustees (21:00), Board of Education (37:45), Town Council (54:30).

Referendum Items on Local Ballot

Sustainability Matters Series: Sustainable Scarborough Day

Our Sustainability Manager Jami Fitch supports all sustainability-related projects underway within the Town's scope of work. Right now she is busy coordinating the Open Space Plan and Vulnerability Assessment, plus gearing up for Sustainable Scarborough Day on October 6 (this Sunday!). This is our final feature of a 3-part series with Jami, where we dive deeper into each of these projects. Here's what she says about the upcoming event:

What are you most looking forward to for Sustainable Scarborough Day? 

Sustainable Scarborough Day is such a fun event! It’s great the see and talk with so many community members who care about the environment and want to learn how to live more sustainably. 

What may surprise the public about this event? 

There are A LOT of local groups and businesses working on sustainability issues. We have more than 30 groups signed up to provide information and activities on a wide variety of topics. The full list of vendors is available on our website!

Who is this event geared towards? 

There’s something for everyone at Sustainable Scarborough Day. The groups and businesses attending will cover topics related to sustainable homes and landscapes, recreation, transportation, buying, and more. They'll have interactive activities for kids and adults alike. The Scarborough Land Trust plans to offer a bandana-making activity, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service will offer pollinator trivia. Fiddlehead’s Tinker Bus will be back with an upcycling activity and other family fun. We will also have live music, local food trucks, and workshops on reducing food waste, sustainable transportation, and energy incentives. 

What’s something new happening at this year’s event?

The EV test drive portion of Sustainable Scarborough Day will be more prominent at this year’s event. Last year, the electric vehicles and e-bikes were at the Library, and I think a lot of people missed them. This year, EVs and e-bikes will be located in the parking lot of Wentworth School. There will also be an on-road test drive course for those who want to try out an electric vehicle. We’re excited that Sustainable Scarborough Day was approved as an official National Drive Electric Week event.

The Tinker Bus was a hit last year and will be back this time around! Be sure to check it out on Sunday.

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

Welcome Brett Frank: New Public Works Deputy Director

Meet Brett Frank, our new Deputy Director of Public Works. He started in this role a few weeks ago after a recent move to Maine this summer. Brett was formerly the Public Works Director for the City of Batavia, New York, where he oversaw a department of 57 full-time employees.

Brett was drawn to Maine, and the Scarborough area specifically, after several vacations here...and stops at The Cheese Iron! "Every time we came to Maine we just continuously found ourselves coming back to Scarborough". Now that he's here for good, he looks forward to becoming involved in the Scarborough community and developing relationships within the Public Works department and other town departments.

Public Works impacts citizens' lives on a daily basis. Brett describes the department as "the backbone of a community" and along with first responders, it helps ensure the safety of every Town resident. In his role, Brett will work with the Doug Howard, the Public Works Director, and support each member of the team.

Outside of work, Brett has coached varsity baseball and football for the past ten years. Despite the move further east, he continues to stay loyal to his teams, the Buffalo Bills and the NY Mets.

Day in the Life of our Marine Resource Officer

Featured in the Fall issue of Scarborough Living magazine!

For the best office in town, don’t look farther than the Marine Resource Officer hut at Pine Point. Daryen Granata steps out and takes a deep inhale while looking out over the harbor. The parking lot and pier are abuzz with visitors and fishermen. That’s not to say it’s an easy job. Daryen’s on-call 24/7, he faces the outdoor elements year-round, and the schedule fluctuates day-to-day, largely based on the weather, the time of year, and the tide. The Marine Resource Officer (MRO) role requires a unique combination of expertise in law enforcement, conservation, boating, and customer service.

Fortunately for Scarborough and its visitors, Daryen is custom-suited to the position with an extensive background in public safety and marine resources. He began his career with the U.S. Coast Guard and has worked for the Biddeford and Saco police departments, Maine Marine Patrol, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, and the Fire Marshal’s Office. Nowadays his main priority is to be a good steward of Scarborough’s working waterfront. Here’s a glimpse at how Daryen spent a late August day on the job:

6am: Quiet time to have an early breakfast, drink coffee, and check email.

8am: Arrive at the office. Two fishermen are landing Atlantic bluefin tuna. They have boats moored here, so Daryen knows them and heads down to chat.

9am: Daryen goes to the public safety building to conduct a marine resource training for the dispatchers. If they receive a 911 call from a boat, they’ll know to contact him.

10am: A complaint came in about an illegal trap at Ferry Beach. Daryen investigates and finds that it is a legal conservation trap for green crabs. Commercial harvesters are required by town ordinance to help with conservation, either through shellfish survey data collection or green crab kills.

11am: Marine resource protection is a significant part of the MRO role, as is compliance with Town ordinances and State law. While at Ferry Beach, Daryen checks on a few shellfish harvesters, a daily routine. He verifies that they have current licenses and the clams they’re harvesting are above the minimum size requirement. Read more...

The "Day In the Life" feature of MRO Daryen Granata was published in the Fall issue of Scarborough Living, a free local magazine. Be sure to pick one up at one of several locations, including Scarborough Town Hall and Hannaford.

October is Fire Prevention Month

While Fire Prevention Week occurs during the first week of October, in Scarborough, our efforts to spread the fire prevention message encompass the entire month of October. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 2024 official theme for Fire Prevention Week is, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!”. This year's focus strives to educate everyone about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home. According to the NFPA, the majority of U.S. home fire deaths continue to occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Key Smoke Alarm Safety Tips & Guidelines

Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of the home.

Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.

Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or stop responding when tested.

Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.

Firefighter School Visits

Throughout the month of October, Scarborough Firefighters will visit our daycares and grades K-2 to deliver tips on the importance of smoke alarms in their home. They'll give out kid-friendly handouts, coloring activities and other items to bring home with them. 

A new and exciting addition to this year’s Fire Prevention Month program is a coloring contest for first and second graders. One winner will be chosen from each grade for a special prize: 

• First grade winner: Ice Cream Social for their class

• Second grade winner: A ride to school in a Scarborough Fire Truck

Your Scarborough Fire Department is committed to ensuring that Scarborough residents and visitors remain safe and healthy. If you have any questions about our Fire Prevention Month activities or any other fire prevention related topics, please feel free to contact Deputy Chief John Brennan at jbrennan@scarboroughmaine.org or (207) 883-4542.

Active Adults Programs & Trips

The Active Adults programming within Community Services has been...active, to say the least! In September, they went on a yarn store crawl as part of the "Maine Yarn Cruise". A group also rode the cog railway to the top of Mt. Washington (both pictured below). Check out more upcoming trips in our Fall Programs Brochure (upcoming trips begin on page 8).

Also as part of Active Adults programming, we offer activities based in the Community Services Hub at 418 Payne Road. There's Bingo on Mondays, cards and games on Tuesdays and Fridays, and a catered lunch every Wednesday which often has speakers or entertainment afterward (Lunch is $8, register by Mondays at noon). Learn more about these programs in the Fall Brochure. Register online or call (207) 730-4150.

Featured Upcoming Community Programs

The Community Services Hub is located at 418 Payne Road (across from the new Hannaford) and is the central location for nearly all of our Community Services-offered services & programs.

Open Hub Party

Friday, October 4

Community Services Hub, 4:00-6:00pm (Drop-in)

Free! Activities best suited for ages 8 and under

We are opening the Community Services Hub doors for an evening of free play in our public spaces, as well as organized activities with our newest recreation provider in town, The Little Gym of Scarborough! The Little Gym of Scarborough staff will be on hand to guide children through movement-based activities, games and obstacle courses, creative crafts, and more.

Red Cross Babysitting Course

Saturday, November 23

Community Services Hub, 9:30am-3:45pm

$100 per person

Learn the responsibilities and qualities of being a good babysitter while in a fun and interactive environment. Upon completion of this course, participants will receive an American Red Cross Babysitting certification.

Free Chair Yoga Resuming this Fall

Wednesdays, 9:00-10:00am

Start date TBD

Scarborough Community Services will be offering free chair yoga sessions in partnership with Martin's Point Health Care. The exact start date is TBD and will be announced on our website, SCS Facebook page, and through email. To be added to the chair yoga mailing list, please be sure to register online or give our office a call at 207-730-4150.

Now Hiring: Open Positions

• Patrol Officer

• Public Works Maintenance Worker

• Before & After Child Care Counselors

View Full Job Board

Board & Committee Vacancies

• Coastal Waters

• Shellfish Commission

• Long Range Planning

• Community Service Advisory Board

• Planning Board

View Application (Reviewed on rolling basis)

Scarborough 6th Graders Featured On News

Last week the entire Scarborough 6th grade class took to Higgins Beach to collect data on invasive green crabs. The 235 students, led by their science teachers, Laurel Herendeen, Molly Chester, and Maura Lafond, were gathering data along the shoreline for the Gulf of Maine Research Institute's Citizen Science Initiative. GMRI scientists will analyze the data as part of a larger project about the species. Watch the quick News Center Maine clip featuring their work at Higgins Beach! 

Walk & Bike to School Day is October 9th

National Walk and Bike to School Day (walkbiketoschool.org), is celebrated this year on Wednesday, October 9, 2024. The event encourages students and families to walk or bike to school, fostering healthier habits, reducing traffic congestion, and decreasing air pollution around school areas. It also aims to raise awareness of the need for safe routes to schools, promoting pedestrian and cyclist safety, and building stronger connections between families, schools, and neighborhoods.

Live too far from school to walk or ride? You can still take part—find a safe space to park within walking distance of the school. For Wentworth, Middle, and High School students who live too far from school, consider the Eastern Trail parking lot on Eastern Road or the Rock Church at 66 Gorham Road as a meeting spot. We have permission to use the Rock Church parking lot for this event.

Safety is a priority for any Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day event. There will be a crossing guard at the intersection of Black Point and Route 1 in the morning and afternoon. Please note there are no formal chaperones, safety officers, or school officials walking with groups.

No formal sign-up needed; Plan a safe route, gather a few friends, and join the fun!

Town Council Corner: Fall Changes & Reflections

By April Sither, 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.

Fall is a time of change for many of us. In my house we pack away the beach towels that survived hundreds of hours in the sun, shake the last of the sand from the toys, and decide which pairs of goggles will live to see another season. The kids try on new sneakers and fall coats, while their dad and I try to remember where we put the “good mittens” and calculate the number of barrels we will need to remove all of these acorns. It is a busy time full of transition. 

Around this same time each year, the Town Council begins its preparations for the changes ahead. This November, the Council will be saying farewell to three current council members, Chairman McGee, Councilor Caterina, and Councilor Hamill. While each leaves huge shoes to fill, it is up to those of us remaining council members to ease the transition and help plan for the future.

Succession planning for our committees is well underway as each committee reflects on the work they have completed and begins to make suggestions for future work so that we stay aligned and on track with our 2024 council goals. I have no doubt that those on the ballot in November will have fresh perspectives, new initiatives, and an eagerness to serve the people of Scarborough. If you are interested in learning more about those running for office, I would encourage you to watch Candidate’s Night, which was hosted by the Chamber of Commerce on September 25. 

As I reflect on our council goals, it is hard to imagine that it has been almost a year since I was out canvassing to speak to residents about the unified school project. Around that same time, I submitted a letter to the editor, which basically said, “If not this project, what? If not this committee, who?” And although I was disappointed to see the referendum fail, what came out of that defeat is something to be proud of. The most recent citizen-driven committee dedicated hundreds of hours to seeking a solution for our aging and crowded school buildings. They have proposed four possible solutions that will be more deeply examined by a phase 2 committee in partnership with a professional consultant. By all accounts, the Town Council and Board of Education have facilitated a plan that was almost entirely driven by community feedback. As the phase 2 committee begins their work in the next few weeks, I want to remind the community how critical your feedback has been and will continue to be. There are still many pivotal decisions to be made in order to be ready to put a school solution on an upcoming ballot. Be on the lookout for opportunities to make your voice heard and be proactive by reaching out to your town leaders. 

Looking ahead to 2025, working towards a school solution will remain one of my top priorities. Keeping the needs and wants of the greater community front and center has served this committee well to this point. I will be honest, it is unnerving to hear news from surrounding communities that have recently pursued a similar path, struggling once again to come to consensus. How do we as leaders avoid a similar fate here in Scarborough? I’d love to hear your thoughts. The current space, infrastructure, and programming challenges in our schools are simply not things that we can pack away with the goggles and forget about until next summer. 

Front, left to right: Tody Justice (Town Clerk), Nick McGee (Chair), Tom Hall (Town Manager)

Back, left to right: Karin Shupe, Jon Anderson, Don Cushing, Jean-Marie Caterina, April Sither, Don Hamill

Scarborough Town Council

Nick McGee, Chair • April Sither, Vice Chair • Jonathan Anderson • Jean-Marie Caterina • Don Cushing • Don Hamill • Karin Shupe

Town Council meets the first and third Wednesday of each month. Visit our Town Calendar for links to attend and view agendas.

Events & Programs at Scarborough Public Library

Changes to Medicare

Friday, October 4, 1:30pm

Register

Attention Medicare Beneficiaries: The Inflation Reduction Act will bring major changes to your Medicare plan in 2025. Karen Vachon, Licensed Insurance Agent, will be informing beneficiaries about these changes and answering questions. She will provide tips to help beneficiaries get ready for Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period which runs October 15 – December 7th.

eBooks 101

Monday, October 7, 10:00am

Register

Take a deep dive into using Cloud Library—a statewide collection of eBooks and eAudiobooks and Libby—an eBook platform that works with Kindle Paperwhites in addition to Android and Apple devices and computers. If you do not own your own compatible device but want to give eBooks a try, tablets are available to check out.

Die Well Death Cafe with Die Well Death Education

Tuesday, October 8, 6:30pm

Register

"We're all going to die, so why don't we talk about it?" –Leona Oceania, from Die Well Death Education

At a Death Cafe, people - often strangers - gather to eat cake, drink tea, and discuss death. Our objective is "to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their finite lives." It is a group-directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives, or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counseling session. All are welcome - join us! Individually wrapped, homemade skull cakelets will be provided. 

Author Talk with Bill Roorbach

Thursday, October 10, 7:00pm

Register

Inspired by orcas disabling boats off the coast of Spain and the deer, foxes, and bears who roamed our cities during COVID shutdowns, award-winning author of Lucky Turtle and Life Among Giants Bill Roorbach set out to write a book that might change the world, and with BEEP, he does just that. This inspired, one-of-a-kind novel tackles the pressing matter of climate change with infectious humor and wit, and introduces readers to a narrator like no other: a squirrel monkey who approaches human society with childlike curiosity, is shocked by the abundance of ignorance he sees, and decides to save monkeykind from human evil — even if he can’t save us from ourselves.

Russell Kaback's 25044: My Grandfather's Story

Thursday, October 17, 7:00pm

Register (Limited seats available)

25044 is a one-man musical story, written and performed by Russell Kaback, based on the life of his grandfather Szyjek Magier, a Polish Jewish teenager who spent four years in the Nazi labor and concentration camps. 

Presented in Russell's theatrical storytelling style that weaves together original songs on guitar, characters, sound effects and gestures, the piece incorporates personal interviews, testimonies, in-depth research and imagination, reminding us that life and hope can endure. The show runs 45 minutes and is intended for audiences age 13 and up.