Sometimes life is like a puzzle and it is hard to visualize what the end product will look like unless of course you cheat and look at the box. But in life, there is no box so as you view the individual pieces, while some may seem important, like a border or integral part, each piece has its own function and without all of the pieces placed together, one cannot really appreciate the beauty of the final picture.

Last week, I got to enjoy the beauty of a real-life puzzle when standing before me was a young man named Nick. Let me tell you about some of the pieces of the puzzle.

In November of 2015, the Scarborough Police Department launched Operation HOPE in an attempt to help individuals who were struggling with substance use disorder (SUD). The program was geared in particular for those caught up in the opioid epidemic that was ravaging our state and country with an alarming death rate.

 

At about the same time we were getting ready to start construction on our new public safety facility. The town hired the local firm of Landry French to construct the building.

 

A few weeks ago, I noticed a couple of men, working in the new building. They were wearing yellow safety vests emblazoned with the MaineWorks logo. I knew MaineWorks to be an organization run by a wonderful woman named Margo Walsh. Margo recognized that people who have a history of substance use and/or criminal convictions, have a very difficult time finding meaningful employment. She started MaineWorks as a means of partnering with companies that are willing to give people a second chance.

 

Last week I happened to be leaving the building at the same time as one of the men wearing the MaineWorks vest. I had seen him for the past few days working very hard and putting in some long hours. I told him that I had noticed the vest and asked if he was working with Margo. 

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As many of you know, the Community Recycling Center on Runway Road in Scarborough has been, and continues to be, closed due to Coronavirus precautionary measures. We realize that this is particularly inconvenient; since many are taking advantage of the time at home to do some "spring cleaning" as well as projects they may have been putting off for a time. Either of which often results in large amounts or large items to dispose of.

Thankfully, the Riverside Recycling Center located at 910 Riverside Street in Portland is open and available to Scarborough residents. They are open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 am - 3:30 PM. The folks at Riverside Recycling Center are currently unable to assist you in unloading bulky/heavy items (COVID-19 precautions). So please either make sure you can unload your items yourself, or bring a fellow-household-quarantine-member to assist you. For more information, please either visit their website or call them at 207.797.6200

Another option for Scarborough residents is the Westbrook Transfer Station, located at 594 County Road in Westbrook. They are currently open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, as well as Saturdays from 8:00 am - 1:00 pm. For more information, please visit their website.

Please be aware that in these uncertain times, it is always possible that information may change. As always, if you have questions, please contact us by email or 207.730.4400. The Public Works administrative staff is currently working remotely, but we are still available to help!

Stay safe, healthy, and sane!

Each year, the second full week of April is dedicated to the men and women who serve as public safety telecommunicators. This year we honor the often unsung heroes of public safety, our dispatchers, during the week of April 12-18. Every emergency that a police officer or firefighter responds to either starts with, or is handled by, one of our public safety dispatchers. They are truly on the front line, and are generally the first person a citizen deals with during a crisis.

Scarborough is very fortunate to be one of only 24 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) in the State of Maine. This means that when a 911 call comes in for the town of Scarborough, it generally is routed directly to us, without the additional step of being transferred from another agency. There are a minimum of two dispatchers working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and more during peak times or significant events.

During the current pandemic crisis our dispatchers are asking a series of extra health screening questions when you call 911. The purpose of those questions is to try to identify patients who potentially have the Corona Virus so they can alert first responders of the need to don the appropriate personal protective equipment to assist the patient while also protecting themselves.

The dispatcher's duties don't stop at just answering 911 calls, they also include dispatching police, fire, & rescue services, coordinating efforts with the Public Works Department, Community Services, and the Sanitary District; answering the business phone lines with general questions and complaints, greeting citizens in the lobby of the public safety building, and several other tasks as assigned by the officers and firefighters.

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We hope this message finds you and your family doing well. As you are now aware, our students and families have been notified that all Scarborough Public Schools will be continuing with distance learning through the remainder of the current school year. Once again, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our district leadership, building administration, teachers, and staff for their tireless commitment to our students and community. 

 

The Board of Education has resumed our work in support of the district through remote-access Board meetings and committee meetings. These meetings will be streamed on YouTube for our community to watch.  In addition, if you would like to be an attendee and provide public comment at any of these meetings, you will be able to log in through a Zoom link which will allow you to provide a video comment or a text comment which will be read aloud by a designee. Links to both Zoom and Youtube will be provided on our calendar for each meeting. Step by step directions for accessing our meetings can be found HERE . Be sure to check our website  for the most updated meeting schedules. We are committed to ensuring our district is fully supported as we navigate these challenging times as a community.   

Please be safe and thank you for your continued support of our staff! 

Kind Regards, 

The Scarborough Board of Education 

Welcome to the official newsletter of the Town of Scarborough, Maine.  Brought to you by a team of Town staff, our mission is to keep you informed about town events and activities.  

Please note that the newsletter articles are intended to be brief and will often point you back to a link on the Town's Website or Facebook page. The website is the heart of the communication network within town and is the central repository for information on Town government.

Thanks for reading!  If you have ideas for stories, please email us.  

Your newsletter team:

Tody Justice, Town Clerk	Catherine Morrison, Public Library
Stephen Kramer, Community Services	Donald Begin, IT
Kailey Dubuque, Human Resources	Brian Longstaff, Codes & Planning
Kelly Johnston, Scarborough Public Schools	Michael Thurlow, Fire Department
Kim Sperlich, Police Department	Ruth Porter, Finance
Leona Oceania, Public Works	Larissa Crockett, Administration
Magdalena Slawiec, SEDCO