Blueberry festival to feature fireworks

MACHIAS – The fireworks that were canceled because of fog on the Fourth of July have been rescheduled for the Wild Blueberry Festival on Aug. 17.

Jim Raymond, a member of the Machias Spirit Committee, said Saturday that this year’s Fourth of July parade was a success, with more than 30 businesses, groups and agencies participating.

The Maine Blackfly Breeders Association took first place in the float contest by a landslide, Raymond said. Second prize went to the American Legion and third prize was a tie between PLUX and Civil Air Patrol, he said.

Raymond said the Spirit Committee is grateful to all who made this year’s festivities a success, including parade participants, municipal agencies who assisted with traffic control, the public works department for decorations and cleanup, the parade clowns who collected the fireworks donations for 2003 and Bud Johnson for the use of Sylvan Park.

The committee is particularly grateful to Hope Pratt of Bluebird Restaurant and Judy Hanscom of Helen’s Restaurant who went “above and beyond” to make this year’s celebration a great community event, Raymond said.