Lincoln's flag wins contest to be named best in North America

Lincoln's city flag isn't even a year old, but online voters think it's the best in North America.The art deco flag, chosen in January 2022 to replace the old flag, received about 55% of the more than 2,700 votes in the 2022 Urban Life Signs North American City Flag Tournament, an online Twitter poll. Lincoln's flag beat one from Columbia, South Carolina, in the finals of the tournament.Brian Stokle, a San Francisco city planner and vexillologist, or someone who studies flags, started the contest in November, where 80 city flags competed in ranked votes against other flags in four regions. A bracket was then created and battled through Twitter polls throughout December. Lincoln's flag, one of the youngest in the competition, beat Portland, Ore., in the semifinals last week. Columbia's flag was also relatively new when it was chosen in 2020. People also read… Lincoln city flag advances to finals in online tournaments City Hall: Female artist beats out prominent men to win first Lincoln flag contest in 1930sStokle, who said he has spent more than a decade trying to redesign San Francisco's flag, was inspired to create the contest by the North American Vexillological Association's survey of more than 300 flags in November and a competition between the flags from the teams in the world Cup.He told the Journal Star last week that Lincoln's flag is unique."There's no other flag that I know of in the country that looks like it," Stokle said."People from Lincoln really identify with it, that's the most important thing."Ed Mejis, art director at Nelnet, designed Lincoln's new flag, which was chosen from among four finalists as part of a contest sponsored by the American Marketing Association and Lincoln Young Professionals. It replaced the old city flag which had existed for 90 years. Lincoln is getting a new flag after the city council approved the winning design The man who designed a new city flag calls it his love letter to Lincoln Photos: American flags in Lincoln and throughout Nebraska Girls in Seward with American flag, 2019 Abigail Kinnamon (right) waves an American flag in front of Brenna Ruether's face on July 4, 2019, before Seward's big parade celebrating Independence Day. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Flag on grave site, 2016 An American flag and flowers adorn a grave site in Soldier's Circle at Wyuka Cemetery in November 2016. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO The flag was raised in 1971 The American flag is raised in Lincoln in June 1971. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Veterans raise flags before high school football, 2016 Boyd Gabel (right) and Kirk Gottschalk, two veterans, prepare to raise the flag before the Waverly vs. Seward football game on Friday, September 2, 2016 at Concordia University. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Flag bedspread, 1974 The American flag doubles as a bedspread for a waterbed in Al Spencer's shared apartment on South 29th Street in 1974. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO American flags at the Strategic Air and Space Museum, 2012 Exactly 2,977 American flags line the lawn of the Strategic Air and Space Museum on Sept. 10, 2012, near Ashland. Each flag has a name and age of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Arbor Day flag, 2016 Lakeview Elementary kindergartners Jenna Duncan (right) and Addison Fleenor wave flags in honor of Arbor Day in April 2016. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Flag at citizenship ceremony, 2016 Fadumo Samatar listens during a US citizenship and naturalization ceremony in Beatrice in June 2016 JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO WC fan waving flag, 2014 Jerry Lund waves an American flag during a men's World Cup cheer party for the game between the USA and Germany at the Railyard in 2014. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Flag Day, 1969 Ed Chappell (from left), Tom Miller and Phil Hood place one of 108 flags in new holders for Flag Day in June 1969. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Spring Game American Flag, 2017 A huge American flag covers the field in 2017 before Nebraska's Red-White Spring Game at Memorial Stadium. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Patricia Vondra with the flag, 1995 Patricia Vondra stands with the American flag on July 2, 1995. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Patriot Day Boy Scout with flag, 2014 Fifth-grade Boy Scout Josh Rossman carries the American flag during an all-school assembly to celebrate Patriot Day in 2014 at Maxey Elementary School. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Skydivers at the Cornhusker State Games with the American flag, 2018 Larry Bartlett dives out of an American flag plane as Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" plays during the opening ceremonies of the Cornhusker State Games at Seacrest Field in July 2018. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Flag for the Special Olympics Torch Run, 1995 Firefighters Bob Borer, Ron Hohbein, Guy Jones and Jack Olig have their hands full folding a huge flag that would greet the Torch Run for Special Olympics runners at the State Capitol in May 1995. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO American flag at Lincoln Christian volleyball game, 2016 Lincoln Christian's Abby Stutz (17) goes for the kill against North Bend Central's Kristin Lux (5) as the American flag hangs in the gymnasium at Wahoo High School on November 5, 2016. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Flag Day at the Willard Community Center, 1996 Children raise the American flag for Flag Day at the Willard Community Center in June 1996. From left are Ken Kunz, Blane Cropp, Miranda Ksionzek, Ali Afsharkhah, Heidi Paneitz, Travis Earhart and Matt Gunther. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Constitution Day flag at Pyrtle Elementary, 2016 Students waive small American flags during their annual Constitution Day celebration on September 16, 2016 at Pyrtle Elementary. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Haines Branch School students and flag, 1993 Students at Haines Branch School honor the flag in 1993. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO September 11 tailgate with flag, 2010 Larry Rodriguez relaxes at a tailgate party after the Nebraska-Idaho game on September 11, 2010. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Flag honors hostage release in 1981 Flags fly at Wyuka Cemetery in honor of the January 20, 1981 release of American hostages who had been seized at the American Embassy in Tehran in November 1979. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Patriotic Flag, American Legion Post 110, 2016 Al Semin of Dwight American Legion Post No. 110 carries the flag before the start of a football game in October 2016. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Defense Day, 1970 Bob Winkler, David Wolf and Mike Judermatz raise the flag to recognize Armed Forces Day in Lincoln 1970. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO American flag hanging at home, 1980 An American flag hangs from a porch on C Street in Lincoln in 1980. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Waverly football team with flag, 2016 The Waverly football team runs onto the field before their game against the Aurora game on September 9, 2016 at Waverly High School. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO USA, Nebraska flag outside Lincoln Southwest, 2010 The U.S. and Nebraska state flags are caught in the strong wind outside Lincoln Southwest High School before the 2010 Army National Guard C/2-135th General Support Aviation Battalion send-off ceremony. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO The Dorchester 1957 flag was retired Some 1957 flags are collected for a flag retirement ceremony at Dorchester American Legion Post 264 in June 2016. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Flag collector, 2011 Avid flag collector Ray Lowther displays his oldest flag in 2011. LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR Marine Corps Ensign with American Flags, 2007 The Marine Corps flag joins the line of American flags held by Patriot Guard Riders before Corporal Matthew L. Alexander's memorial service at Gretna High in 2007. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Flag at 52nd and Pioneers Flags were displayed on a fence near 52nd Street and Pioneers Boulevard on a previous Flag Day. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Flag raising near Chadron, 1970 A flag is raised on July 4, 1970 at Flag Butte near Chadron. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Cub Scout places American flag, 2006 Omaha Cub Scout Jesse Stolz places one of 2,998 American flags on the lawn of the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland on September 7, 2006 to mark the fifth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. GWYNETH ROBERTS, . JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Fire Station American Flag, 2015 An American flag flies in the wind against a blue and white sky on June 13, 2015 at the fire station at 17th and Van Dorn streets. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Commemoration Homestead Act, 2012 Sgt. Eric Watson (left) and Spc. Christopher Frost rides horses and holds the American flag as the national anthem is sung during the 150th anniversary of the Homestead Act in 2012. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Flag near O Street, 2016 A large American flag flies at the Phillips 66 on O Street west of downtown. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO American flag at Nebraska game, 2015 An American flag flies during the national anthem at Memorial Stadium on September 5, 2015. JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Flag at Wyuka Cemetery, 2020 Headstones of soldiers who fought in wars line a hill at Wyuka Cemetery on May 25, 2020 at Wyuka Cemetery. KENNETH FERRIERA, JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO Contact the author at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com.On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Source