Council pays $100 prize to seal designer

The Sparta Town Council last week presented Tom Berry of Laurel Springs his $100 prize for his winning design in the town seal contest. Council also voted to adopt Berry's design as the official town insignia.

Also during council's Jan. 7 meeting, the town presented art departments at two local schools with donations in appreciation for their participation in the contest held last fall.

Art classes at Glade Creek and Piney Creek schools submitted entries by pupils for the contest, which was open to all ages. The town thereby received 27 entries from Glade Creek and seven from Piney Creek. Judy Tally, who teaches art at both schools, accepted the town's $50 donation to each school's art department.

Council selected first, second and third place winners of the design contest last month.

Berry's work was not yet in its final form, as he provided council a choice of colors of inserts for the upper part of the drawing. His seal depicts a tableau of Main Street, with mountains and farms in the background.

Council again discussed which date to use on the seal to signify the founding of Sparta. The design contest entries differed on that point, with some including 1866 as the year, others 1859, 1924 or 1925.

Berry's entry had 1924 on the left and 2002 (to indicate the date the seal was chosen) on the right.

Town Manager Tom Douglas said the handwritten town charter was dated 1924. "More than likely the town wasn't chartered until 1925."

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