Thursday, April 06, 2000
Flag says it all about Glendale
BY SARA J. BENNETT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
GLENDALE — A signature banner will soon fly over the village, signaling to residents and passersby that they are in a quiet community where black squirrels play amid acres of historic houses.
Village Council this week named a green and white banner by resident Sarah Sweeney the official flag of Glendale. Ms. Sweeney's design won a contest sponsored by the Glendale Historic Preservation group.
Village leaders plan to fly the first flag in Glendale's Memorial Day parade. They'll place others at strategic spots around town. And if enough residents are interested, more flags will be produced so that they can fly from front porches.
Glendale Heritage Preservation created the contest because members wanted the village to have a signature symbol. Years ago, Preservation member Stan Grueninger designed a flag for Woodlawn that has become that community's trademark.
“We thought (a flag) would be a way to create civic pride and a way for passersby to recognize Glendale,” said Lisa Spaulding, chair of the flag committee.
Ms. Sweeney, who grew up in Glendale and has a master's degree in fine arts, entered the flag contest at the urging of her grandmother.
For inspiration, Ms. Sweeney, 30, took pictures of the community with a digital camera. She decided to include in her design the black squirrel that is unique to Glendale, a gaslight representing the village's large historic district, and a tree to represent the greenbelt around the community.
“I wanted the design to be simple and kind of a quiet design because Glendale is kind of a quiet area,” Ms. Sweeney said.
That simplicity is what attracted the contest's five judges to Ms. Sweeney's design. More than 60 entries were received, and many came from children.
“The way they viewed their own village and community was pretty neat,” said judge John Schiff III. “We went in with an open mind and even considered borrowing from a lot of different designs.”
But Ms. Sweeney's stood out.
“We thought it was easy to read, easy to reproduce, and it would look good hanging or flying,” Mr. Schiff said. “(We liked) the simplicity to it and the way it captured Glendale's charm.”
In addition to seeing her artwork all over town and being, as Mr. Grueninger put it, “famous forever,” Ms. Sweeney received $100 and a proclamation from Mayor Thomas Todd declaring her design Glendale's official flag. Council approved a resolution Monday evening.
A group called the Betsy Ross Village Sewing Circle has been enlisted to make the flags. And Ms. Sweeney said she was eager to see the finished product.
“My grandmother, two aunts, and an uncle all live in Glendale,” she said. “So it's neat to have our family representing a part of Glendale history.”
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