Ringing school bells, packed backpacks, and the sight of yellow buses mean that Summer's end is right around the corner. Although Labor Day weekend is fast approaching, there are still plenty of ways to get out and enjoy the summer season while it is still here! While the beaches are still drawing crowds, we are as busy as ever here at the Town Hall. Our Fire Department welcomed a new jet ski, our Library welcomed new patio furniture for reading and the beaches welcomed a new beach wheelchair. Read about these improvements and more and find out how Wells is sliding into September.
Did you know...Select Board meetings are streamed live for your viewing on Facebook and YouTube? You can watch previously recorded meetings at any time, or tune in live to share a comment or question for the chance to have it shared during the public forum.
Stay up to date and view the meeting minutes at your convenience.
Shellfish Lab celebrates successful summer months
Michael Yorke, Harbormaster
Looking back as the summer season winds down, this was another banner year for Wells Harbor. The Wells Harbor Shellfish Lab has entertained thousands of visitors during this summer season. Our resident Marine Biologist, Olivia Hardy, has done a fantastic job explaining life below the ocean to them all.
Without a doubt “Sarge” the blue Lobster is the big draw, but the Horseshoe crabs in the touch tank receive plenty of attention as well.
As the lab's interior nears completion, resident photographers Matthew Rainey and Jen Lippe, along with Matthew’s wife Nancy are taking over the walls at the lab. They have Carte ’blanche to decorate with their incredible ideas and photos. The community's contribution to this project has been phenomenal, from the ground up many hands have assembled this puzzle and I hope many more join the effort.
The Wells Shellfish Committee would love to have more volunteers to keep the building operating through the shoulders of the season. If you are interested in joining our efforts, stop by or call the Harbormaster Office on weekdays at (207) 646-3236.
Second Annual Electric Vehicle Show to be held
Wells Energy Advisory Committee
The Town of Wells Energy Advisory Committee will hold its second annual, free electric vehicle show at the Wells Public Library on Sunday, September 11, 1-4 PM, rain or shine. Provided they have them in stock, many Southern Maine car dealers will be bringing electric vehicles for public inspection, including Rowe Ford of Westbrook, Bill Dodge of Saco and Westbrook, Ira Jack of Saco, Key Ford of York, Patriot Subaru of Saco, Volkswagen of Saco, and Arundel Ford. Vehicles will include the Kia Niro, Ford Mustang, Chevy Bolt, Hyundai Kona, Nissan Leaf, Subaru SUV, Teslas, and hopefully, the new all electric F-150 Lightning pick-up truck. Test drives will be possible for several models.
Local EV owners and organizations will also be on hand to show their own cars and discuss the pros and cons of going electric in Maine. Included in the “pros” will be the extended range of new models, their low maintenance costs, and their remarkable acceleration. Federal tax credits are still available for some models. Vehicles will include a Tesla, a Kia Niro, several Nissan Leafs, a Chevy Bolt, a Prius Prime Plug-in, as well as other models as car owners join us from Southern Maine and New Hampshire. Efficiency Maine will be present to provide any interested buyer with the details about cash rebates on both new and used EVs, as well as rebates on a whole range of products from heat pumps to washing machines.
Because they run on electricity, much of which is generated from renewable sources, EVs are the cars of the future. They are economical, “green,” low-maintenance, and becoming more available now than ever before.
“Come and take a look,” says Beth Widmayer, chair of the Energy Committee. “It may change everything you think about cars."
Fire Department expresses gratitude for beach improvements
Mark Dupuis, Fire Chief
First, we would like to say thank you to the Town of Wells for approving the purchase of a replacement Jet Ski. With 10+ miles of beach, this will help our lifeguards patrol the beach shore, help with water rescues in rough surf, safely identifying marine life and many other ways to keep our beaches and communities safe.
This Jet Ski has been selected with many features in mind to help our rescue personnel navigate the salt water and make it easy to retrieve a swimmer in distress.
Lifeguard Captains Nick, Kyle and Zach, along with members of the fire department received training on all the ins and outs of operating this new machine.
We would also like to say thanks to Mr. Shockey for his incredible donation of a beach wheelchair to the town of Wells! Being part of the Beach Wheelchair program, we are ecstatic to offer these chairs to those in the community that would otherwise not be able to enjoy our wonderful beaches.
Thank you again Mr. Shockey, your donation will bring joy to many!
HarborFest was a blast again this year. The children of the community had so much fun going through our obstacle course and “putting out the fire” with the hoses.
We love participating in these types of events when possible. We hope to bring even more to next years HarborFest! We hope to see you all there!
HarborFest draws crowds for fun, food, games and more!
The 8th annual HarborFest, which took place on Saturday, August 6th at Wells Harbor Community Park, was a wonderful day for visitors of all ages. Crowds came out to enjoy the sunny day and the many activities, from a canine demo, to glitter tattoos, to bubble soccer and much more!
Thank you to all those who came out for the event and took part in the day’s activities! Most importantly, thank you to our incredible sponsors and volunteers who made this event possible! Sponsors this year are: Kennebunk Savings, Poland Springs, Wells Super Food Market IGA, Fisherman's Catch Restaurant, Save Our Shores Maine, Webhannet River Bait & Tackle, Rotary Club of Wells, and Congdon's Doughnuts…we couldn’t have done it without you!
Many of the day's events were supported by the generous donations of these sponsors, including the famous doghtnut eating contest and the 8th annual Lobster Trap Toss. A special thank you to our incredible volunteers who offered their time and skills to make the day run smoothly: Ryan Liberty, Mary Harrison, Dave Harrison and Lauren Deegan.
If you are interested in details for HarborFest 2023, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at (207) 361-8130 or at rkelley@wellstown.org
Police Department seeks new Animal Control Officer
Jo-Ann Putnam, Chief of Police
The Town of Wells is now accepting applications for the full-time position of Animal Control Officer (ACO). Candidates should be motivated, self-driven, and knowledgeable of animal behavior. Candidates are expected to become a certified ACO and sworn reserve police officer within six months of hire. The candidate will be expected to enforce the town dog licensing program, put on rabies clinics, and investigate and enforce dog bites and animal cruelty cases. Additional responsibility will include public speaking on animal control laws and working with the Maine Warden Service and non-profits for the betterment of human-animal interaction in the town.
Find out what makes Wells one of the best towns in Maine to work for! With supportive staff, competitive wages and benefits, discover if working for the "friendliest town in Maine" is the right fit for you!
Employment applications are available at Wells Town Hall at 208 Sanford Road, or through the Town’s website or by contacting Capt. Kevin Chabot at the Wells Police Department 207-646-9354, or employment@wellstown.org. 
Sign-Up September is here: Get your library card today!
Cindy Appleby, Library Director
Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s Summer Reading Program. Oceans of Possibilities was a huge success! We had 304 children, 116 teens, and 150 adults participate. A total of 2,523 people attended our 55 programs. Much reading was done, and many prizes were awarded! 
Many thanks to the Friends of the Wells Library for funding the supplies, programs, and performers. The library would also like to thank our sponsors who contributed prizes for Summer Reading:

  • Wonder Mountain Fun Park
  • Big Daddy’s Ice Cream
  • Pizza Market
  • Las Olas Taqueria
  • Congdon’s Doughnuts
  • Scoop Deck Ice Cream
  • Dairy Queen of Wells
  • Village Toy Funatic of Ogunquit
  • Fisherman’s Catch
  • Wells Beach Resort
  • Harbor Flags
  • Wells Police Department
  • Wells Fire Department
  • Smitty’s Cinema of Sanford
 
Children’s programming will now take a short break (phew!) until September 6.

September is National Library Card Sign Up Month! If you don’t have a library card yet, now’s the time to come see what having a library card can do for you.
The library is happy to announce we have purchased new outdoor furniture for the deck and a new picnic table facing the junior high school. September is perfect weather to sit outdoors and read a book at the library! This project is made possible by a grant from the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (www.arsl.org) through the generosity of a regional partner foundation.
Van Delivery of Library Loans

Have you ever wondered how the inter-library book delivery system works? The Maine State Library (MSL) contracts with Freedom Xpress to provide delivery service by van to participating libraries. The Wells Library pays an annual fee to MSL for daily delivery Monday through Friday. 
When a Wells Library book is requested from another library, staff pull the item, scan it, and a transit slip is printed. Materials are grouped together by their destination and placed in zippered bags with labels indicating what library they are headed to. Then the bags are loaded in crates to await pick up by Freedom Xpress. Freedom Xpress takes the crates to a central warehouse in Portland where the crates are unpacked. Bags are sorted, and all Wells-bound bags are crated to head our way in the next day's delivery. The library typically sends out 3 to 5 crates per day and receives 3 to 5 crates per day.
Library staff then unpack the delivered crates, open the bags, and place the materials on a cart to be scanned. Some materials are items returning from being loaned out, and others are requests arriving for Wells library patrons. Once items are scanned that they have been received, they are either re-shelved or placed on our holds shelf to be picked up by patrons.
This popular service allows Wells patrons to access a much larger collection of materials than the library could ever purchase or house on its own.
Can I expand my condo? We have the answers you need...
Mike Livingston, Town Planner and Engineer
A frequently asked question we get in the Planning Office is, “I own a condo in Wells, can I expand my home?”
The question refers to a condominium unit which is a type of common ownership between multiple people or entities. The Town’s ordinances can regulate uses, not ownership. A condominium could be a “home” which would be a dwelling unit residential use. A dwelling unit can be in the form of a one-family, two-family or multifamily dwelling. The buildings or portions of buildings can be owned by individuals as separate units, but the land on which it is located is shared with all the other unit owners. Whether an expansion can be approved depends on the type of development and what is allowed per the Condominium Declaration.
A condominium can also consist of commercial uses such as seasonal cottages, hotels, businesses, restaurants, and mixed uses, all of which are different uses regulated by Town Ordinances. Each of these uses have ordinance requirements that the Town regulates and is reflected on a Site Plan approved by the Town.
So when someone asks a question about what they can do with their condo unit, the answer must be that it depends on what approvals the property is subject to, where/what zoning district the property is located in and what is the actual use of the unit.
Wells Summer Harbor Concert Series wraps up season
FinestKind to wrap 2022 Wells Harbor Summer Concert Series: September 3rd
Add Finest Kind to your Labor Day weekend plans as they close out the Wells Summer Concert series on Saturday, September 3rd, beginning at 6 p.m. Finestkind Country Band is a band in southern Maine featuring the best of traditional country music. Finestkind Country Band is made up of these fine musicians who are dedicated to enhancing your experience of traditional country music and its “kissin’ cousins,” blues and honky-tonk.
Jeff Merrow is a Nashville alum, having sought his fortune there before returning to Maine. He is a true natural, has played in several rock and blues bands and has a dynamic solo act. Mark Gunter is a local, much sought after keyboard player who is dedicated to music of many genres. He graces the stage with other bands but to us he is made for country. His licks, riffs, runs, and fills are original and will have you believing you're in the Lone Star state. Ron Breton on drums will make you smile. Ron is an experienced drummer and does not overpower the subtle sound that country music can call for. Upbeat, country blues seem to be his specialty as he anchors the Finestkind Band. Christopher Bailey is the bass player. An experienced player for several area bands he fills out our sound with the full undercurrent that defines the bass role. Janet Wentworth has been singing country songs since she was a young girl. She has won several singing awards from many of the country music associations throughout New England. Her love of traditional country songs drives the repertoire of Finestkind. 
This free concert will be at the Hope Hobbs Gazebo at Wells Harbor Community Park, 331 Harbor Road, Wells, beginning at 6pm. There is plenty of free parking and Admission is free (though contributions are accepted). There is abundant park bench type seating. You can bring your own blanket, folding chair and/ or a picnic and we highly recommend bringing a friend or two to enjoy some great music. Come to our final concert of the season for a fun, relaxed evening of wonderful entertainment in a truly beautiful setting. Visit our website for more information.
Want to work for Wells? We are hiring!
If you are interested in not only living in the Friendliest Town in Maine, but working for it too, there are openings that the Town of Wells is looking to fill! Browse the available offerings to see if there is a position that aligns with your skills, experiences and abilities.
Current Town of Wells Employment Opportunities include:

Follow the link below to read the full job descriptions and apply to these jobs today!
Golf Tournament, BBQ, Prizes and more!
Wells Ogunquit Senior Center
The Wells Ogunquit Senior Center will be hosting a Golf Tournament on September 12th, beginning at 11 a.m. Teams are wanted for this Golf Tournament benefiting the Wells Ogunquit Senior Center & Warriors Football Honor Flight Project. Join for a fun day of golf for two terrific fundraising goals!
Team Applications are available at 300 Post Rd (Senior Center) or on our website.
Please call (207) 646-7775 for more information, and follow the link below to register!
You are Invited...
There will be a memorial dedication ceremony at Southern Maine Veterans Cemetery on Saturday, September 24th to honor POW-MIA Veterans. This ceremony is presented by Rolling Thunder Chapter 1 ME. The event will begin at 11am, at 83 Stanley Road, Springvale Maine and will take place, rain or shine.
If you have submission ideas or requests for The Wells Connector, please contact rkelley@wellstown.org.
208 Sanford Road
Wells, ME 04090
207-646-5113