Secretary of State Shenna Bellows this morning announced the winner of a contest to design what may become Maine's next state flag.
The winning pine tree flag design was submitted by Adam Lemire of Gardiner. Voters will decide in November whether to keep the current state flag, or change it to the 1901 pine tree design. Lemire's design would serve as the model design, although other versions that meet the statutory language would still count as the Maine flag, Bellows said.
"So I really do want to be crystal clear that those Mainers who are producing flags in homes and dooryard displaying their ideal of what the pine tree flag looks like what the 1901 flag looks like, can and should continue to do so and do so proudly," Bellows said.
More than 400 designs were submitted for the contest, Bellows said, from 42 states and even from other countries. All designs were judged blindly, so Bellows only learned that a Mainer designed the flag after it had been selected as the winner.
Adam Lemire of Gardiner submitted the winning pine tree flag design, featuring a tan background, a blue star and green pine tree, as laid out in statute. Lemire said he submitted the design from the hospital, just before his partner gave birth.
"And we actually went to the hospital before I submitted and I actually submitted as she was being induced, the doctor said nothing was happening right then. So it wasn't, she was sleeping while I submitted but I basically knew I wouldn't have time after the baby came- and I was right," he said.
The design features 16 branches on its tree, symbolizing Maine's 16 counties.
Lemire said he was inspired by the Eastern White Pine trees he sees while walking with his three year old- although Lemire didn't dare tell him about winning the contest, worried about his son's ability to keep a secret before the official announcement.
