The County

Marilyn Lunney of Presque Isle, who attended the historic James School, rings the school's bell during a July 4th celebration that included a reading of the Declaration of Independence. With her is event organizer Michael Gudreau. (Paula Brewer | The County) Presque Isle’s traditional Fourth of July reading of the Declaration of Independence carried a bit more meaning this year as the nation marked its 250th birthday.

Houlton's Annual July 4 parade was the largest it's ever been. Mrs. Aroostook County Randi Farrar hands out popsicles during the parade on Saturday morning. (Kathleen Phalen Tomaselli | The County ) The traditional Houlton Independence Day Parade route was flooded with cheers, laughter, music, sirens and revving muscle car engines as families celebrated the July 4 holiday on Saturday morning.

Van Buren's community garden is already up to capacity for its second season this year. The garden includes 14 plots for a total of 28 gardeners as well as greenhouses and beehives. (Courtesy of the Van Buren Community Garden Project) VAN BUREN, Maine — A plot of land in a northern Maine town that had been unused for more than 15 years is now a thriving space that grows food and builds community.

Artist Roger Ryder commemorated the late 20th century transition to mechanized lumbering. His grandson, Vance Tompkins, 11, donated the series of eight watercolors to the Patten Lumbermen's Museum this month. (Kathleen Phalen Tomaselli | The County ) A series of eight donated watercolors will take one of Maine’s most popular lumber museums into a new era.

(Image courtesy of Metro Creative) The first two days of July sent parts of Aroostook County soaring into weather record territory. Caribou surpassed a 12-year-old record temperature during the period, according to the National Weather Service. The city hit 90 degrees on Wednesday and broke its record for July 1, which was 89 degrees, set in 2014. Then on Thursday, it likely tied its record high of 91 degrees, a weather service report said.

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The County Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce the addition of two new team members, William Belyea and Nicole Erickson, who bring extensive experience in financial services, leadership, operations and member support to the organization. Belyea joins The County as the new branch manager in Houlton.

More than 175 registered for this year’s S.W. Collins Co. 5K and Kids Fun Run on June 21 in Caribou. (Courtesy of S.W. Collins Co.) CARIBOU, Maine — S.W. Collins Co. is proud to share the success of this year’s annual 5K race, held Sunday, June 21. With over 175 registrations we nearly doubled participation over last year, making  this one of our biggest races.

Mizpah in Grand Isle, a sanctuary for anyone in the area struggling or who needs the space, includes a pond as well as wooded paths where people can walk and reflect. (Chris Bouchard | The County) GRAND ISLE, Maine — A massive natural sanctuary hidden away in a northern Maine town of just 300 draws more than 5,000 visitors a year.

In 1776, the Declaration of Independence, the founding document of the United States, was written, read and claimed by the people of the first 13 colonies. This year, on July 8, the day of its first public reading 250 years ago in Philadelphia, the Declaration of Independence will be read aloud in Houlton.

(Courtesy of Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce) The Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting for the grand opening of the Acadia Federal Credit Union’s Presque Isle branch.