A national radio show has been conducting a poll of listeners, asking which musicians’ images would be appropriate to be on a “musical Mt. Rushmore.” Fans of the Beatles, Elvis, Aretha Franklin and many others have come out of the woodwork.

Scarborough, incorporated in 1658, celebrated its 350th anniversary a few years ago. Now might be a good time to ask who should be on a “Scarborough Mt. Rushmore.”

Before we jump into this emotional/historical/political/social quagmire, how about some criteria?

Here are four possibilities for topics and areas of life from which we might pick the visages.

Community

Probably a good idea to have someone from local government town council, town manager, police or fire department, others who may have been involved in building committees, study groups, and other pioneer-type roles? Or taken on statewide or national roles?

Sports/Arts/Coaching

A big part of a small town. Teams, sports, coaches. This was especially true of Scarborough in the l950s-60s-70s and probably before. Important way to bond a townspeople, and create lifetime memories that keep people here, or cause them to return home now and then. We also have had great artists in various entertainment fields.

Education

Our kids spend most of their time (l80 days of the year) with their teachers, in their classrooms, in their schools. Is there one figure who stands out as having affected many?

History

We have grown from a tiny little town that, when it sent seven boys to D-Day on June 6, l944, was only about l,800 residents. Today? We have almost that many kids at the high school! How have we changed? Is it good? Bad? Planned? Too quick? All happy now? Or some regrets? Anybody who can help us trace, and remember, who we were, which is sometimes helpful in remembering who we are.

The Future

Is this enough for categories? Maybe. Maybe not. I suppose one issue is the future. Where do we go from here? More public resources and access? Or headed into a more limiting approach to such things as parks, beaches, ball fields, etc. And in an age where everybody at soccer games or in Hannaford or at the dry cleaner – and at red lights! – is on their cell phone, heads bowed over, squinting at a small screen all their lives, how can we remain a human people? How to incorporate human contact into the 21st century, and not just limit communication methods to the “efficient” ones such as email, text messages, 140-character Tweets, or Instagrams?

There are some people in Scarborough with these goals in mind (e.g. Project Grace actually spending time, institutionally, asking if real live people have enough fuel to heat their homes in Zip Code 04074 Land!). I know hard to portray this on a mountainside with a chisel and hammer.

It’s A Bird! It’s A Potato!

One final issue should it be four people on our Mt. Rushmore? Or perhaps three and an animal or resource? The lobster? Potato (used to have potato fields where houses and shopping malls now exist.). Atlantic Ocean? Beaches?

OK. There is your assignment. Get me your suggestions. You have one week. I have some ideas of my own. But I will hold off until you all have a whack at this pin?ata.

Next project: Most beautiful site? Official favorite pizza? Longest red light?!

Dan Warren is a Scarborough lawyer and can be reached at [email protected].