TRENTON, Maine — State police still are trying to determine who took a huge American flag over the weekend from a local business, but that hasn’t prevented a new Old Glory from being hoisted into a familiar lofty position overlooking Route 3.
John Linnehan, owner of Linnehan Homes, has purchased a new flag to replace the one that was stolen. Workers from Bangor Neon were at the business Thursday, replacing the old rope that the thieves cut in the process of taking the old one, and then hoisting the new flag into the sky. The new banner has the same dimensions as the one that was taken — 20 feet high and 38 feet long.
Linnehan was unavailable Thursday for comment, but Jenn Abbott, his personal assistant, said Linnehan wanted to be sure to have a large American flag flying again in time for Memorial Day, which is this coming Monday.
“The new flag is up and looks beautiful!,” Abbott said in an email Thursday afternoon.
The previous flag, which Abbott has said may have been the biggest in Maine, was taken sometime between late Saturday night and 8 a.m. Monday morning, when Linnehan Homes employees realized it was missing. Two cinder blocks were stacked one on top of the other next to the pole, apparently used by the thieves to stand on when they reached up to cut the rope and lower the flag, which Abbott estimated weighs about 40 pounds.
Three smaller American flags on the property and a State of Maine flag were undisturbed when the big flag was stolen. Exterior security cameras have been installed this week at the business, Abbott said.
The new flag cost about $1,200 and was ordered through Hammond Lumber in Bangor, according to Abbott. It was manufactured by Eder Flags in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
Linnehan still is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who can provide information that leads to a prompt arrest and conviction of whoever took the prior flag.
Linnehan has flown a large flag at his place of work for years — from the time his family owned and operated the Ford dealership in Bangor, through his tenure running Linnehan’s Credit Now used car dealership on Route 1 in Ellsworth, and now with the his home loan business.
