A savory feast, decorations galore, homemade gifts...holiday season is underway! No matter how you celebrate, this is a time to hunker down for the long winter ahead and have some fun along the way. Read on for upcoming holiday reminders and updates on what's happening in our town, plus get to know some of the people who are making a big impact in Scarborough.

The next Town Council meeting (view agenda) is this evening Wednesday, December 1 at 7:00pm (preceded by a 5:30pm Workshop with Maine Turnpike Authority to discuss the proposed Gorham Connector). Join us in person at Town Hall or virtually through Zoom or YouTube.

Scarborough is currently in the process of conducting a community survey to seek resident feedback on a number of town-related issues and quality of services. The first phase of the survey administration was a mailing to a random sampling of 4,200 households. The survey is now open to all other residents who have not received a mailed copy. Please take 15-20 minutes to share your feedback in the online survey. Results will be processed and shared in a final report on our website in the coming weeks.

Click Here to learn more about the survey process on our website.

As we head into the winter storm season, one way to prepare is signing up for our Town's CodeRED computer alert system. It is used to quickly notify large groups of people for emergency situations like criminal activity, severe weather, road closures, evacuations, and missing persons. It's free and secure to sign up for cell phone alerts. Select how to receive alerts: text, phone call and/or email. Help us keep you informed and safe by signing up for CodeRED.

Snow will come any day now! Here are some reminders from Public Works:

• Clear all items (basketball hoops, etc.) from the edge of the roadways (at least 12-15 feet from the edge of the pavement). This better enables us to clear the roads properly and reduces the chance of items being damaged.

• When clearing your driveway of snow, please do not shovel or snowblow into the roadways. This creates additional dangerous and unnecessary conditions for everyone. Clear snow to the down side (or right side) of your driveway to save you a backache when you have to re-clear your driveway after the plow comes through.

• Be aware of and abide by parking bans. Cars left on the street during a storm/parking ban significantly limit our ability to clear the roads, and entire sections of streets may be negatively affected as a result.

• Place your trash and recycle carts in your driveway, not on the roadside. They can be a few feet up into your driveway – the “arms” on the trash trucks can reach them from here.

• Road conditions worsen when it snows. NOW is the time to put snow tires on your car. Allow yourself extra time, go slow, and get to where you are going safely!

• Did you lend your snowblower to that friend that recently moved here from a warm southern state? Did they borrow it to familiarize themselves with this foreign piece of equipment? You’d better get it back, and advise them to go buy their own. You will need yours, and they will appreciate this sage piece of New Englander advice.

On October 15, state representative Kyle Bailey (Gorham) resigned and left a vacant seat for District 27, which covers a portion of Gorham and Scarborough. Governor Mills issued a proclamation on November 4 to declare the vacancy and order a special election to fill the seat before the next general election.

The Special Election will be held on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 and is for voters who live in House District 27: See the street list to determine your eligibility to vote. Voting will be at the Town Hall, located at 259 US Route One, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

After 7.5 years with the Town of Scarborough and nearly five decades of service in public safety, emergency communications dispatcher Greg Tinsman has announced a January retirement.

Greg started dispatching in Cape Elizabeth when he was 18 years old and has since put in well over 100,000 hours and 12,000 shifts dedicated to public safety. Through the course of his career, he has also served as a patrol officer, firefighter, and EMA director, and is known statewide for his dedication, professionalism, friendship and humor. Greg has worked in Cape Elizabeth, Kennebunk, Sanford, and Scarborough, with all moves—apart from his move from Sanford to Scarborough—a result of dispatch consolidation.

A notable career highlight for Greg was being chosen from all dispatchers in the State to represent the statewide 9-1-1 campaign (Call 911 video and Text 911 video). He has an impressive "radio voice" and adds experience as an actor and voice actor to his list of career accomplishments.

Dog license registration is now open for 2022, and licenses are valid through December 31, 2022. Register or renew your dog license in person at the Clerk's office during our business hours (Monday-Friday from 8:00am-4:00pm, first and third Wednesday until 6:00pm) or online. Dog license renewals must be completed by January 31, 2022. There is an additional $25 fee after January 31.

Why license my dog? Dog licensing is a Maine state law and ensures rabies vaccination, which protects the health of your pet. Additionally, by licensing your dog you are directly fighting animal cruelty and abuse. Up to 90% of dog license fees go directly to the Maine Animal Welfare Program. Dog license fees account for 95% of the State Animal Welfare Program’s entire funding and without these fees, the State would be unable to protect the animals of this state.

Friday, December 3, 6:00pm

Head to the Scarborough Community Services Facebook page to watch a live filming of our annual tree lighting at Memorial Park. We will start the action at 6:00pm. Watch Memorial Park light up for the holidays!

Friday, December 3, 6:00-7:30pm

$20 per gingerbread house

Join us for a night of gingerbread house decorating to get in the holiday spirit! Gather the family and get creative by decorating a gingerbread house for the holidays. House will come pre-assembled and decorating materials will be provided. Free refreshments and crafts. Space is limited so be sure to register soon!

5:00-7:00pm

Drive the planned route through the school campus to greet Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their elves from the safe distance of your vehicle at Memorial Park. Community Services, Scarborough Fire and Police Departments, and other local groups will be there to celebrate with you along the way! Be sure to slow down for all of the fun sights (and goodies), and bring a food item for the Rotary Club's food drive.

Monday, December 13, 5:00-8:00pm

Community Services Hub (418 Payne Rd)

Free

Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is hosting a free program designed to educate and empower the public to act in an emergency situation before professional help arrives. "You Are the Help Until Help Arrives" will cover how to respond to motor vehicle/bicycle crashes, home repair accidents, severe weather, transportation issues, and active shooter scenarios. Food and beverage provided. Registration required.

Browse through the digital brochure for recreation programs and check back often, as programs will continue to be added. Community Services will also share updates on their Facebook page, so give them a 'Like' to stay informed.

Find the senior brochure for upcoming programs on the Senior page of our website. Paper copies are available in the Public Library or at the Hub (418 Payne Road).

During the 2022 budget season, our Planning & Code department was approved for a capital improvement project to improve public access to property file records. While their office scans and retains some electronic files of new permits and property file information, many of the public documents are only available as hard copies to be obtained by coming into the office. This is a time consuming process for both the public and staff, and has the opportunity to be more environmentally conscious by limiting paper consumption.

The Planning & Code Enforcement office has begun the process of transitioning to an electronic filing system through the help of an outside vendor. This project will take up to three months to complete and the physical files will not be on site for public access during this time. If you are seeking access to property files over the next few months, please contact their office by emailing submittals@scarboroughmaine.org or calling (207) 730-4040. Files can be made available within 48 hours of the request. We thank you for your patience during this process and look forward to more efficiently serving you with our new digital database in 2022.

Eric Sanderson joined the Town staff this November as our new Senior Planner. He has wanted to be a planner since he was a teenager growing up in Southern Maine. His grandfather was the Planning Director in Portland back in the 1970s and is a major reason he was inspired to this career direction. Another is an Eagle Scout project he did at a local park. Working with a landscape architect to design a plan for the park and surrounding area made him realize right away this kind of work was for him.

After several planning internships in college, professional experience at a couple of jobs after graduation, and getting his Master's degree, Sanderson was ready to settle roots here in Scarborough last spring. He now feels fortunate to call Scarborough his home and employer all in one. He is drawn to Scarborough for its high value on recreation, conservation, and welcoming feel, and looks forward to speaking with residents to help him in his role.

As Senior Planner, Sanderson will be responsible for development reviews and preparing projects to go in front of the Planning Board. He will also do site inspections to check for compliance with approved plans and contribute to department work to implement long range planning initiatives.

Outside of work, Eric spends much of his time outdoors and with his girlfriend, Crystal. He is a self-proclaimed hockey enthusiast and amateur—they love going to games (Mariners and Bruins!) and he has played in men's leagues since 2014. He is also an avid disc golfer and travels around New England exploring new courses and playing in tournaments.

Before you head out for shopping, be sure to review the 2021 Holiday Guide for Scarborough, brought to you by Scarborough Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO), Scarborough Community Chamber of Commerce and Scarborough Buy Local. You'll find a list of events in Scarborough, a selection of regional events and a mini guide to gifts and offers.

If you are a local business, have your information included! Share your holiday events, specials, discounts, or gift ideas along with a photo to research@sedcomaine.com. There is no cost to participate in the Holiday Guide.

Given that my term is just a single year, I will be focusing my attention on learning as much as possible through my committee and liaison assignments, as well as building relationships. My time on the school board afforded me the opportunity to work closely with our school leaders, and I am excited to get to know our town staff and community volunteers!

As a councilor I am looking forward to addressing the challenges that will come along with future development, updating and maintaining our public facilities, and managing growth, while also ensuring that we capitalize on the opportunities for our residents and maintain the high level of services this community depends on.

Looking ahead to the new year, I am excited to review the proposed revisions to our Town Charter, as well as examining the results of the recent townwide community satisfaction survey! If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me and my fellow councilors.

John Cloutier, Chair • Ken Johnson, Vice Chair • Jonathan Anderson • Jean-Marie Caterina • Don Hamill • Paul Johnson • April Sither

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

At the November 18th School Board meeting, Karen Walker was appointed as the Interim Assistant Principal at Wentworth School. Karen replaces Brem Stoner, who is now the Interim Principal at Pleasant Hill School. Karen has been the Literacy Instructional Coach at Wentworth School since 2014. Prior to that she was a primary school teacher in Old Orchard Beach.

Scarborough Schools is excited to welcome Karen into this leadership position, and feel confident that her positive energy and student-first approach will serve the Wentworth staff and students wonderfully!

Virtual Interview: A Path Forward from Divisiveness

6:30pm-7:30pm – Interview with Mark Gerzon

7:30pm-8:20pm – In-person and virtual facilitated group discussion

The Scarborough Public Library will host an interview with nationally recognized author, leadership consultant, and veteran convener of cross-party conversations, Mark Gerzon.

Mark will explore some of the causes of divisiveness in our country and what we individually can do in response. The program will encourage participants to prepare to engage in constructive conversation with others who hold differing viewpoints. He will also share some of his favorite “tools in the toolbox” for participating in such conversations.

The interview will be followed by facilitated discussion in small groups. The hybrid program includes participants inside the library watching the virtual interview and joining in-person small group discussion and participants whose experience will be fully virtual for both the interview and the small discussion group experience to follow.

This program is free and open to the public. View the talk virtually via Zoom and engage in a virtual group discussion. There will also be limited seating in-person at the Library to view the virtual talk and participate in group discussion. Click Here to register to participate in person. Click Here to register for the Zoom link to participate virtually.

Holiday Art Sale: Sketch Yourself a Merry Holiday!

Please join the Library Sketchers for an amazing art sale. It will be held at the Scarborough Public Library, 48 Gorham Road. Find drawings, sketches, paintings, posters, sculpture, fabric art, and more. Meet the Sketchers too!

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

Find us on Facebook! Get the inside scoop from the Town of Scarborough on your newsfeed. Give us a like today.