redesign - WKTV Journal

Michigan’s state flag is based on the state’s 1835 coat of arms. Credit: State of Michigan

LANSING – Step out onto your front porch and count how many state flags you see flying in the wind.

For many Michigan residents, the answer is likely zero, even at homes that proudly display the U.S. flag or a flag affiliated with their favorite college sports team.

That’s a problem, according to state Rep. Phil Skaggs, D-East Grand Rapids – and one that he hopes can be addressed with a new design.

“Michigan is a unique and special state, and we need to have a flag that itself is unique and special so that we can rally behind it,” said Skaggs, whose district includes the City of Kentwood. “A good flag with strong symbolism that’s meaningful to people creates a common sense of purpose. That’s something that we need in Michigan right now.”

Flag is Just a ‘Seal-on-a-bedsheet’

The heart of the issue is that there is nothing that makes the current flag – which consists of the state coat of arms set against a plain blue background – stand out, Skaggs said.

“The current flag harkens back to 150 years ago when most state flags were simply what are called SOB flags: seal-on-a-bedsheet,” Skaggs said. “The seal on our flag makes sense as a seal, when it’s on a piece of paper or a podium, but it doesn’t make sense as a flag that’s flying at a distance.”

Michigan’s coat of arms dates back to 1835, according to the Michigan Department of State, and features a shield held by an elk and a moose. It includes the Latin phrases “Tuebor,” meaning “I will defend,” and “Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice,” meaning “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.” It also includes the national motto “e pluribus unum” which means “out of many, one.”

Key to a Good Flag: Simplicity

Skaggs intends to introduce a bill at the end of April to coincide with the current flag’s anniversary.

It would create a commission to create a design for the Legislature to vote on after taking public input and working with design experts.

There are five characteristics of a good flag, according to a 16-page guide: “Good” Flag, “Bad” Flag. The guide pulls from the expertise of 20 vexillologists (people who study flags) and vexillographers (people who design flags).

Those five elements are: simplicity, with the flag being simple enough for an elementary school child to draw it from memory; using only a few colors, preferably two or three that contrast with each other; including meaningful symbolism through images, colors and patterns; not using lettering or seals; and being distinctive enough to stand out from other state flags.

The flags of the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Togo and South Africa follow these rules, Skagg said.

Creating a Sense of Connection

People often don’t feel a sense of connection to the flag or view it as something they identify with, as evidenced by the lack of residents embracing the current design, Skaggs said.

“One of the ways that you can tell the flag lacks meaningfulness for Michigan citizens is that you rarely see it flown at a house, or on someone’s backpack, or their water bottle,” he said. “If you go to Chicago, you see that Chicago city flag everywhere, and it creates an incredible sense of civic pride. We just don’t see that in Michigan with our current flag.”

Skaggs said other states with ineffective flags are also beginning to change. Illinois, Massachusetts and Minnesota all have active or planned legislation to change the design of their state flags.

And Utah recently approved a new flag design, which Skaggs said “changes it from a very basic seal-on-a-bedsheet flag to one that really has meaningful symbolism for that state.”

It features a jagged white ribbon in the middle, representing snowy mountains, cutting into red rocks at the bottom and a blue sky at the top. In the center, there is a beehive (Utah is known as the beehive state) inside a hexagon, and it also includes a guiding star to represent Utah’s tribal nations.

Utah traditional state flag was redesigned. Credit: State of Utah.

Residents go over an existing master plan for Marquette Park with designers from the architect and landscape company MCSA. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

A pool. A splash pad. An ice rink. Heated shelters. Expand the community garden. Expand the dog park. Add more soccer fields.

These were just some of the ideas that area residents and community members offered when asked what they wanted to see at Marquette Park. The City of Wyoming hosted two meetings this week, on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the goal of getting input from residents and stakeholders for a new master plan for the park.

“This is the time to dream big,” said Wyoming’s Director of Community Services Rebecca Rynbrandt to those in attendance. “If the sky was limit, what would you want to see at Marquette Park?”

Rynbrandt said all of the suggestions from the meetings are added to the Marquette Park survey input with the ideas being mentioned the most considered for the park. Not every idea will be possible, she noted. For example, putting a pool at Marquette Park would be difficult as the park is in a flood zone, restricting what can be built. Also, the park has a former gypsum mine on it which does not provide the stability that a pool facility would require.

The keywords that came from the first meeting.

But the pool suggestion still has potential if residents really want it as the city owns 21 parks with one possibility being able to accommodate a pool or community center. In fact, Rynbrandt mentioned that at Lamar Park, land has been set aside for a possible community center.

The meetings were focused on the desires and wishes for Marquette Park, with those in attendance offering a number of suggestions.

At Tuesday’s meeting, there was some focus on the community garden at the park, which is a cooperative between the United Church Outreach Ministry (UCOM), University of Michigan Health-West (formerly Metro Health) and the city. Established in 2014, the community garden serves several residents by allowing them to grow fresh fruits and vegetables. The garden also provides fresh produce to UCOM’s Health Choice Food Pantry, which provides food to those in need.

UCOM representative Trisha Belbot said she would like to see the garden expand and possibly have the garden boxes on a cement slab to help reduce weeding. Another resident also stated her support for the garden but asked if the city had ever considered winter activities such as an ice rink.

Wyoming’s Director of Community Services Rebecca Rynbrandt talks to residents about ideas for Marquette Park. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

Others at Tuesday’s meeting talked about a splash pad, a paved trail, benches near the playground, and more trees especially along the the north and west borders, where an industrial area is located.

Some mentioned activities such as soccer and pickle ball. Sporting activities were high on the list of the online survey, which is still open for those interested in adding their input. More than 100 survey responses have been collected so far with about half of those respondents living a mile or less from the park. The survey showed a strong interest in a variety of sporting activities such as baseball, basketball, football, pickle ball, and a skate park. The park current houses Kimball Field, a basketball court, and soccer fields.

There also was strong support for facilities that accommodate groups such as family reunions and neighborhood parties as well as festivals and cultural events.

The survey also indicated that respondents liked a mixture of natural spaces and developed recreation facilities, which those at the meetings also indicated they preferred.

At Wednesday’s meeting, there was a group representing the Wyoming Dog Park, which is housed at Marquette Park. For the dog park, the group suggested better lighting, a larger parking lot, heated sidewalks, heated bathroom, a shelter, a second entrance, and better access for those with disabilities. The group also said they would like to see the dog park expanded into the wooded area to allow patrons to let their dogs run off lease in the woods. The Wyoming Dog Park does require a membership to use it.

Another group was from the Grand Rapids Rifle and Pistol Club. The club predates the park and has a long-term lease with the city, according to Rynbrandt. Members said they would like to see better lighting and parking. Another group was in support for expanding the community garden and a fourth group, the Michigan Power Futbol Academy, said it would like to see revitalization of the soccer fields, perhaps with turf, and better lighting so the fields could be used at night.

Rynbrandt said the city will continue to collect input from residents. Once that process is complete, the master plan process will begin. Those plans will be provided for input from residents before going through the approval process.