In Caribou, Maine, a town of 7,400, the splash pad was packed with children at noon on Wednesday as temperatures soared. But next to it, at a cooling center for the rural area’s many elderly residents, all the folding chairs were empty, even though three air-conditioners were blasting a frigid breeze. Officials had spread the word across Aroostook County about the cooling center on social media, on radio stations and TV, and in local newspapers. However in Maine, and across wide areas of rural America, the techniques familiar in cities to help people beat the heat are much more difficult to carry out effectively. Large parts of the nation were boiling this week as temperatures climbed in Maine and other areas that are not accustomed to mid-June heat waves.

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Persons: ”, Gary Marquis Organizations: Caribou, Recreation Department Locations: Caribou , Maine, Aroostook County, Maine, America, Caribou Parks