Staff Writer
With Mother Nature in a good mood, the skies clear, the sun quite hot and the streets lined early with parade spectators, once again the citizens of Limestone proved they know how to put on a real Fourth of July parade.
Aroostook Republican photo/Barb Scott
Uncle Sam was walking tall down Limestone’s Main Street thanks to resident Randy Brooker, who left his construction machinery silent for a day, transforming into “Uncle Sam” for Limestone’s July 4 parade.
Prior to the day’s main event, the streets were filled with residents and visitors, bicycles, scooters and baby carriages, everyone listening to the tunes of “Good Vibrations” filling the air and even encouraging a few fancy steppers to venture into the street and dance.
As parade time grew closer, the announcement was made that within minutes the featured show would be on its way winding down the parade route. As spectators focused on finding their chairs, getting their cameras close at hand and adjusting their toddlers on their shoulders, the chilling song by Lee Greenwood, “Proud To Be An American” filled the street of the small community.
Immediately, the laughter and shouts hushed and for those few minutes, the memory of who we are, where we’ve been, where some are, and the loss of others hit home. The flags that were previously being swung carelessly, were now being gently swayed in the hands of both young and old, a quiet chorus of the song’s words could be heard being sung and not just a few were caught trying to blink back the tears that this song more often than not creates.
The parade, as in years past, was a success with something for everyone. There were prancing horses, politicians, patriotic decorated farm trucks filled with Limestone High School alumni members of various classes, pageant queens and Uncle Sam.
Among the numerous floats and parade walkers, there those vehicles which delight us all, the old vehicles- tractors, cars and trucks.
Toward the end of the hour-plus-long parade, came the sirens of the fire trucks. What is it about these vehicles in a parade, if you hear these sirens at any other time, one immediately takes on a feel of fear or dread but in a parade the sound creates an entirely different reaction, bringing out the kid in all of us. Not only in spectators but in the truck drivers themselves as proved on Friday. During the procession of fire trucks, it became obvious there was some kind of competition going on; perhaps which driver could run the siren the loudest or longest?
As the trucks passed by, the drivers and their passengers were all grins as they continued to fill the air with the whining sirens. Perhaps it is positive therapy for these men as firefighters, who put themselves in danger to protect the rest of us, to be able to lay aside the tremendous responsibilities they carry as adults and have a chance to be the kids again.
At the end of the parade, as the crowd made its way back to vehicles parked as far as a half-a-mile away, no one was in any particular hurry and one dad, who was carrying a toddler on his shoulders while another child walked closely by his side explained , “This is what the Fourth of July is all about, this is why we come back home every summer.”
Keeping everyone on the same step while doing the “Electric Slide” isn’t as easy as one might think. The dated but still popular dance was a hit during the pre-parade events in Limestone on the Fourth.
Emily Michaud, Little Miss Limestone, 2008, greeted parade spectators from atop of her chauffeured Hummer ride.
Miss Limestone 2008, Kalli Cote sang the “Star Spangled Banner” just prior to the beginning of Limestone’s July 4 parade.
There is something about the gentle beast, the quiet clop of hooves and the American flag that stirs the heart.
Sometimes the hat one wears needs no explantion.
“The pride of our heritage we have learned through our knowledge,” Celebrating schools during the July 4th parade was another reminder that the Limestone High School was also celebrating its 100th anniversary.
This young twirler participating in the Limestone July 4 parade had just about decided that it was really too hot to continue.
Limestone’s Jim Leighton had a bird’s eye view of the parade activity as he and brother Steve, operators of “Good Vibrations” provided pre-parade music during Friday’s July 4th events in Limestone.