Chamber’s new logo uses image of Downeast Gateway Bridge

BUCKSPORT – Hoping to emphasize a link between the new Penobscot River bridge and the Bucksport area, the Bucksport Bay Area Chamber of Commerce has adopted a new logo for the organization.

And despite the mild controversy that has developed surrounding the proposed name, “Downeast Gateway Bridge,” chamber officials also have voted to change the name of the annual summer festival to the Downeast Gateway Festival.

The new logo features a stylized drawing of the western tower of the cable-stayed bridge, including the windows of the observation deck at the top. It was drawn by Chamber member Gerry Freeman, owner of the Brass Fox Bed and Breakfast in Penobscot. Using the bridge image in the logo is a branding technique to link the bridge with the surrounding region, according to Cindy Kimball, the chamber’s executive director.

“We thought that if the bridge is going to be a focal point for this area and regions, we should follow suit,” Kimball said Monday. “If people see a pamphlet that has the tower on it or an envelope, maybe they will realize that it’s in this area.”

The new logo replaces the image of a ship’s wheel which had served as the chamber logo for years.

“That goes well with the history of the area,” Kimball said. “The new logo relates to the new history that is being made.”

The new logo image reflects the bridge design, which, at this point, will not change.

Linking the summer festival to the bridge name, however, could be trickier.

The bill submitted to the Legislature last month calls for the new bridge to be named the Downeast Gateway Bridge. The name was chosen by three local legislators after they had reviewed hundreds of suggested names from people all over the state and beyond.

The bill is currently tabled in the Senate, and last week a group of Waldo County residents registered their opposition to the proposed name arguing that it promotes another region of the state.

The Chamber had made its decision to change the name of the festival before the controversy arose.

“We didn’t expect there would be a controversy,” Kimball said. “We hadn’t thought about changing the festival name until we changed the logo. As we were talking we thought that if we were trying to brand the region, we might as well carry things right on through with the festival and get people used to saying that.”

Although Kimball said she personally likes the proposed name and thinks the legislators did a good job with the process, she said if opponents of “Downeast Gateway Bridge” prevail and a new name is selected, the chamber would then have to rename the festival.

“I think we’d have to,” she said.

The uncertainty about the name will not affect any planning for the festival, although last week, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, in announcing that a U.S. Navy ship will again visit Bucksport for the festival, referred to the festival by its new name. Most marketing and advertising materials are not printed until much later in the season, Kimball said, by which time, the question of the bridge’s name should be settled.