With summer fading away, we're welcoming the changing seasons and looking forward to fall. There are some transitions happening within the Town, too. This week we welcomed our newest Deputy Fire Chief, completing our management staff after some retirements over the past few months. Beach season may be over, but it was a banner year for the plovers. We're also squeezing in a stretch of paving before winter arrives, and fall programs are up and running (over 600 participants in youth soccer!). Read through the newsletter for more updates, and towards the end is a note from Councilor Jean-Marie Caterina, who also reflects on what change in Scarborough means to her.

Have a new neighbor? Welcome them to Scarborough by inviting them to join this newsletter! Aside from our website, this is a go-to way for us to share out ongoing updates in a centralized place. Subscribe and view previous newsletters here. 

Our Public Safety team welcomed new Deputy Fire Chief Ian Tenney with a swearing-in ceremony on Monday, September 12th. He comes to us from the City of Hartford Fire Department in Connecticut, where he served for the past twenty years in varying capacities.

Ian began his career in fire service at an early age in his hometown, the City of Burlington, Vermont. He started working as a volunteer with their Fire Department and enrolled in the live-in program. He was also a firefighter for the City of East Hartford before ultimately landing in the City of Hartford where he retired as a District Fire Chief managing over 17 companies and nearly 30,000 calls for service each year. He was most recently the Assistant Chief of Operations with the City of Hartford.

Ian comes to the Scarborough Fire Department with a wealth of knowledge and experiences from his 27 years of service, largely in an active urban setting. He exemplifies a passion and willingness toward training the next generation of career firefighters and has over 20 years of teaching experience in Fire, EMS and Rescue at departmental, county, and state levels. Ian has his Bachelor’s degree in public administration and an Associate’s degree in fire science. 

The Scarborough Fire Department has spent the past six months reshaping the senior staff structure as a result of recent retirements. Deputy Chief Tenney fills the final role and completes the leadership team, made up of himself, Deputy Chief Kevin Duross, Deputy Chief John Brennan, and Fire Chief Rich Kindelan.

Fire Chief Kindelan highlighted some of Deputy Chief Tenney's career accomplishments before his official swearing-in was conducted.

From left to right: Deputy Chief Kevin Duross, Fire Chief Rich Kindelan, Deputy Chief Ian Tenney, & Deputy Chief John Brennan.

During September we recognize National Preparedness Month, a great opportunity to remind everyone about the importance of personal and family preparedness. This year’s theme is “A Lasting Legacy: The life you’ve built is worth protecting”. Our Scarborough Emergency Management office reminds you to follow these steps: Have a family plan in place, build a kit, know what natural disasters could occur, and talk to your kids about preparing for emergencies. Learn more at www.ready.gov.

Change is in the air! The Town switches to off-season beach rules after Labor Day, and that means:

• No parking fees are collected at Town beach lots

• Dogs are allowed on beaches, on or off leash (under voice and sight control)

• Dogs must be on leash from 1-3pm

We soaked up summer and now we’re diving into the “off” season…enjoy!

The 2022 piping plover nesting season has come to an end, and it was another record-breaking year for the endangered shore birds. Maine’s beaches (from Ogunquit to Georgetown) were home to 141 pairs of nesting piping plovers, and those parents raised 252 fledglings—birds that grow enough to be able to fly. 2022 marks the fifth year in a row the that Maine set a record for the number of piping plover fledglings on its beaches.

Scarborough’s beaches were home to 21 pairs of plovers and fledged 31 birds. The Town partners with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and Maine Audubon to carry out a monitoring program to help the plovers. This year, more than 60 volunteers spent time on our beaches, checking on the plovers, educating visitors, and serving as eyes and ears to protect the birds. Other towns throughout Maine have similar programs, but Scarborough’s is one of the largest in the state.

While the positive outcomes over the past several years are encouraging, there is still much work to be done to help with plover recovery. Every beach in Maine is important to support a healthy plover population, and according to Laura Zitske, Maine Audubon’s Director of Coastal Birds Program, healthy plovers also mean healthy beaches. “Protecting a federally threatened species such as piping plovers means not only protecting the birds themselves, but also safeguarding the habitat they need. Healthy beaches for plovers, in turn, benefit a suite of other species, including people,” Zitske said.

The Town thanks the volunteers who spent more than 1500 hours on our beaches this summer. We also thank the many visitors who followed the Town’s rules that aim to ensure visitors, both human and animal, enjoy their time on our beaches!

Photo by Bruce Small

Our Town Clerk's office administers all elections and are already gearing up for the one this Fall on Tuesday, November 8. Ballot questions were finalized during last week's Town Council meeting and include a referendum question on the Library expansion project, as well as a few changes to the Town Charter, filling vacancies on the Town Council, etc. We are expecting a big turnout—it's also Maine's general election to select a Governor, Maine’s Representatives to Congress, Legislature, and certain county officers, and Scarborough has historically had an above average number of voters.

New to Scarborough? Register to Vote!

Voter registration is available for new voters or for existing Scarborough voters to change their address or name at Town Hall during regular business hours. Residents are encouraged to update their voter registration information or register to vote with the Town Clerk's office prior to Election Day to help reduce lines.

Find out more on Voter Registration on the Secretary of State's webpage.

Request an Absentee Ballot

The Town Clerk's office is preparing for Election Day and sent ballots to the printer this week. Voting will open on October 11 for those with absentee ballots. Request your absentee ballot by completing an application either in-person or online: 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. For further information on absentee voting and voter registration, please contact the Scarborough Town Clerk's Office at 730-4020.

This helpful crew will get you ready for Election Day! Stop by our Town Clerk's office, to the left through the main entrance of the municipal building.

Paving is underway on a portion of Black Point Road and Highland Avenue. This is a Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) project and will continue for another couple of weeks. Scarborough Public Works will conduct their own paving on some side streets in the Pleasant Hill area at the end of the month. Additionally, there are islands being constructed on Payne Road that reroute traffic flow—this project will be ongoing for another month. Lastly, the Gorham Road project continues to make progress and will wrap up for the season in late October. Traffic is reduced to a single lane during working hours.

Please Note: All schedule updates are subject to change based on weather and other variables.

Questions? Contact Public Works at (207) 730-4400 or [email protected].

Summer was good to us, so let's not forget it! Watch the Summerfest recap video for a look back at this annual event that's become a Scarborough tradition to celebrate the close of the season. It's put on every year by Scarborough Community Services with the support of some incredible local sponsors. Take a look at the lively time and remember it for next year!

In the meantime, SCS has an array of fall program offerings for youth, teens, adults, and seniors (55+). Read on for details.

Scarborough Community Services is excited to offer extracurricular and early learning programs for your children as the school year starts back up. This is a great opportunity for them to begin exploring their interests, building skills, and developing social connections outside of the classroom. Many programs start in early September, but it’s not too late to sign up! All programs are described in detail in our digital Fall brochure on our website. Some highlights:

Plover Program: A new pre-K enrichment program developed after increasing demand. Open to ages 4 and 5 entering Grade K in school year 2022-23. 4 spots left!

K-8 Rec Programs: Cross country, youth disc golf clinic, Lego building programs, fall theater program, and skateboarding clinics. Prices, location, age ranges, and schedules vary by program. 

Senior Programs: Include drop-in Games and Gather days, Crafts with Friends, and weekly Wednesday luncheons. There are many trips scheduled, with destinations like the Fryeburg Fair, Libby & Sons U-Pick Apple Orchard, and the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum. Full schedule, descriptions, and registration details on our Seniors page.

Register Online: All programs highlighted above are available for online registration, in person registration at the Hub, or over the phone at 207-730-4150. Follow Community Services on Facebook for the latest on any new programs that come up!

September 30: Community Services Blood Drive

Friday September 30

9:00am to 2:00pm

Community Services Hub (418 Payne Road)

Scarborough Community Services is hosting a Blood Drive on Friday, September 30. They have 50 spots to fill, and you could be one of them! By donating blood that day, you will be entered into a chance to win a VIP NASCAR Experience, and will receive a coupon by email for a free haircut at Sports Clips Haircuts.

The blood drive will be from 9:00am-2:00pm at our Community Services Hub, 418 Payne Road. Book your appointment through American Red Cross at RedCrossBlood.org or contact Nicole at Community Services to schedule one for you. She can be reached at (207) 730-4158 or [email protected].

The Town of Scarborough is made up of around 180 full time employees working across departments like public safety (police, fire, dispatch), Public Works, Community Services, and more. Whether you're new to the workforce, experienced in your industry, looking for seasonal work, or ready for a change, our variety in positions offers several opportunities for you. See our current openings, and check back every so often as new ones are added.

The Maine Board of Pesticides Control is offering free collection of unwanted pesticides this fall. Those who wish to participate must pre-register by September 26, 2022. The chemical name, amount, and condition of the products to be disposed will be needed during the registration process. 

Collections will take place in October, and participants will be notified of the specific location, date, and time of the event in an informational packet, which will be sent two weeks prior to the event. 

Please contact the Maine Board of Pesticides Control with questions. They can be reached at (207) 287-2731 or [email protected].

In the mid 60’s, my best friend Deb moved to Pleasant Hill in Scarborough. I was horrified! Not only was I losing a friend, but she was moving to a poky little farm town in a new development that was built in the middle of farmland. How would she ever survive? She did. And not only did she survive, but her neighborhood was built out and became a “premier neighborhood” in real estate parlance. It is now a well established and well loved area of town. But at the time, what a travesty it was to take away farmland to build houses!

Fast forward to 1988 when I reluctantly moved to my husband’s grandparent’s farm. The corner at Payne Road consisted of some old farmhouses. There was no Sam’s, no Shaw’s, nothing at the intersection. It took some getting used to being so far out. Gradually, over the next few years, with careful planning, the Payne Road corridor was built out and I realized that, indeed, my home was perfectly situated to reach any and all amenities I might desire. The only downside being that 114 has way too much traffic at commute times, a situation that should be remedied by the Turnpike Bypass.

So, why do I write? Yes, Scarborough is growing. Yes, traffic has increased since my time here. The good news is that we have a carefully thought out growth plan that limits growth to certain areas of town. Developers who build in those areas must mitigate increases to traffic. We value our rural areas and limit development in them. We work hand in hand with the Scarborough Land Trust to preserve important ecosystems. (They can use your donations, too, if you want to help permanently preserve land.) Can you imagine? What would what happen if we did not have those controls in place?

Yes, Scarborough has changed. It has changed tremendously in my lifetime. Yet, it has been controlled change leading to a broad diversity of land uses. This diversity has allowed us to build value as a town which, in turn, leads to one of the lowest tax rates in the area. We have a fabulous school system and a sense of community unusual for a municipality of our size. We have the marsh and beaches, and the rural areas west of the turnpike. Let’s embrace it all. Let’s embrace guardrails that preserve this diversity, yet allow for change.

Former President John F. Kennedy said it best. “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

The Scarborough School Building Project Committee is inviting the public to take part in project development—still in its preliminary stages. Help them develop a project "Design Statement" as part of their third community forum. The statement will capture the essence of Scarborough's primary schools and be part of the vision that will help guide the design of the future consolidated primary school.

Regular Hours Resume: The Library will now be open until 5:00pm on Saturdays. See below for full hours.

New Cardholder Coffee

September 20, 9:30am

Are you one of the many, many new library card holders in Scarborough? We have experienced record registration in the last year and we are eager to get to know our newest patrons! Join us for coffee or tea, meet the staff, learn about our many resources, programs, and services, take a tour of the building, and explore volunteer opportunities. To RSVP, email [email protected] or call 883-4723 option 4. Evening New Cardholder event TBA.

Let's Talk About Hospice

September 26, 1:00pm

At this in-person program, learn how Hospice of Southern Maine provides compassion, care and comfort through end of life for patients with life-limiting illnesses, and support for their families. Calling Hospice of Southern Maine doesn't mean you're giving up, it means you're taking charge. Learn more about the services of Hospice of Southern Maine. Free and open to the public. Register here to attend in person.

Youth Programming Rebooted

The Library is offering new programs nearly every weekday for all ages! Check out Preschool Learning & Discovery Time and Rhythm & Rhyme for babies and toddlers. School age programs include Dungeons & Dragons and Mind Readers book group. Teens are invited to join the Teen Advisory Board (TAB) and take part in an early release activity. Find all program details online.

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