Maine News Updates

WINSLOW - All along Bay Street in Winslow on Saturday it was red, white and blue all over for the Fourth of July.
It was soggy at times, but the colors didn’t run.
And when Winslow Fourth of July Chairman Ron LeClair said in advance of the parade that it was going to be a big one, he was not exaggerating.
Starting at a little past 10 a.m., the 19th annual Winslow Family 4th of July parade rolled on for a good two hours, with fire trucks, marching bands, military units, Kora Temple rigs and beauty queens.
Ervin Morrison, a parade committee volunteer, said the biggest parade in Maine seemed to get bigger this year.
“Things went awesome,” Morrision said by phone after the parade. “We had an absolutely amazing crowd, it was better than expected, the rain held off, everything went awesome.”
Morrison said organizers were expecting 40,000 people to watch the parade. Sylvio Normandeau of Winslow was the parade marshal.
“I think it was a little bit above expected,” he said. “We were expecting some rain and we got showered on once, but it didn’t stop us.”
He said the music, food and entertainment all were going we later in the afternoon with a good turnout expected for the annual fireworks display at 9:30 p.m.
Along the parade route Saturday morning people lined both sides of Bay Street with lawn chairs and tailgates, sipping cool drinks.
Car and trucks pulled up close to the curb for a front row seat.
One family from Oakland decided to get a jump on the competition and arrived early. Shelly and Lee Desiverio parked their van at the curbside for the best seat in the house.
“We dropped it off at 7:15 this morning and went home and showered and came back,” Shelly Desiverio said. “We came back at quarter to 10. I think it’s great , it a great time.”
The Winslow Fourth of July is know for its patriotic display of American colors, as was seen in the many floats, marchers and spectators alike.
Brian Danforth, 46, of Oakland, a member of the Sons of the American Legion, whose fathers and grandfathers fought in the great wars, said the display is important.
“They probably have the most patriotic parade in the state of Maine, and I come every year,” Danforth, first vice commander, Detachment of Maine, said. “If you look around you, you see all kinds of American flags waving. I have noticed over the years that I’ve been coming to the Winslow parade that a lot of people respect the fact that the flags are flying and the veterans, they pay a lot of respect to them in saluting and I think that’s great.”
Parade marchers included members of local churches and area businesses, including an Elton John tribute band on a flatbed truck sponsored by McCormack Building Supply of Winslow. There was 319th U.S. Army Band from Flushing, N.Y.; Robert Washington, an Elvis impersonator; and the oddly dressed “Fly By Night Renegade Circus” in white face and dark military garb, contrasted by a float by Rangers for Christ.
There was a sweet, maroon and black ‘56 Chevy, line dancers and youth-dance troupes.
Maine’s own alternative energy McDonald’s Eco-Cab, an eco-friendly urban transport car powered by a human driver, also was in the parade, as was a contingent of marchers for alternative healthcare.
One of the highlights of the parade was a 16-yea-old girl manning the gun turret (minus the gun, of course) as her dad drove the military police vehicle on which it was mounted.
Natasha Sprague, 16, of Jefferson, sat atop the swiveling turret, which uttered a rapid “clack, clack, clack” as it turned left and right.
“It’s awesome - I did it last year, it’s a lot of fun,” Natasha said. “My dad is an MP and he drives this, so I just decided to go up in the gun turret; it’s pretty cool.”
Dad agreed.
“The kids think it’s cool, especially when she rotates the turret,” Sgt. Michael Sprague, squad leader for the 488th MP Co. of the Maine Army National Guard, said. Riding along also was Natasha’s brother Cori, 17.