PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 6, 2025
The Press Herald is continuing its tradition of treating discussions about Maine state symbols with irreverence and dismissiveness. It’s nothing new. The discussion of state symbols has always been derided. On March 24, 1927, at a time when the Maine Federation of Women’s Clubs was pushing the Legislature to adopt the black-capped chickadee as our state bird, the Press Herald published an article about the pushback, “Women Resent Idea Chickadee Bill is a Joke.” The bill passed anyway. Can anyone name any other legislation that passed in 1927? It takes just a few moments of the Legislature’s precious time to vote in favor of a state symbol and the impact lasts much, much longer. We should be proud of our state symbols, and also proud to take the time to decide them. ~ Nick Lund, Cumberland