DECEMBER 9, 2024 — As Riverside, Illinois, prepares for its 150th anniversary, the village is exploring a new design for its flag in a November 21 meeting, the Riverside-Brookfield Landmark reports.
Trustees have selected a preliminary concept featuring a minimalist depiction of the Water Tower set against a tree line, a river, and a rising sun.
Village Clerk Ethan Sowl emphasized that the designs are still in an early stage. “These are very preliminary design concepts not done in professional editing software,” Sowl explained. “They’ll look a lot cleaner and sharper when they are brought into that prior to being put on a flag.”
Trustee Alex Gallegos, who co-chairs the committee with Trustee Aberdeen Marsh-Ozga, noted that the goal is to move away from the current flag’s banner-like appearance, which features text and images. “When you look at our flag, it has letters, it has pictures, and it really looks more like a banner,” Gallegos said. “We want it to be more like other flags of the world.”
The proposed design highlights Riverside’s Water Tower, a key village landmark. “It’s the second most historic water tower in the state — that’s probably the biggest icon we have in the village. It’s recognizable,” Gallegos said. He added that the nature elements in the design reflect the village’s identity as a “village in a forest,” with the river shown in a flowing style.
Several trustees raised concerns about the color scheme of the proposed flag design. Trustee Cristin Evans and Village President Douglas Pollock found the design too dark, suggesting brighter colors and more contrast to better convey a sunrise rather than a nighttime scene. Trustee Jill Mateo preferred the lighter color palette of an alternate design. Village Manager Jessica Frances explained that the colors used were drawn from Riverside’s official branding but noted that the board’s feedback would guide future adjustments.
Image: Riverside-Brookfield Landmark