|
|
|
Area symbols part of Gold Canyon's flag design by local resident. December 4, 2003 - Mike Cooney - Arizona Republic
A design by Philip Rauso Jr. of Gold Canyon East was selected from more than 20 entries in the Association for the Development of a Better Environment (ADOBE) flag design contest. More than 60 people attending the group's November meeting in the Gold Canyon Best Western voted on the designs. "Mr. Rauso's design won by a fairly wide margin, but there were a lot of wonderful entries," said Genevieve Bricker, ADOBE's president. "They ranged from the very simple to the very complex. All of them showed a lot of thought." Rauso's winning effort was a result of both inspiration and perspiration. "The winning flag was the end result of about 12 designs I tried," Rauso said. "I got input from family, friends and neighbors and implemented their suggestions in my design. So it was a community effort." Every part of the flag was symbolic. "The outside border of the flag is a gold square, representing Pinal County," Rauso said. "The overlaid triangle represents the state trust lands. "The green at the bottom represents Gold Canyon, which abuts the Tonto National Forest, symbolized by the outline of the Superstition Mountains. "The coyote in the center is a symbol of the abundant wildlife and the natural beauty of the area. The blue sky and the moon were added because I became inspired by our recent lunar eclipse." Rauso said he got the burgundy color of the design from the rocks that predominate in the area and the way the Superstition Mountains glow at twilight. A professional designer for 20 years, Rauso said he had a lot of time to work on the flag because he recently finished a contract job designing internet based fitness games and would not be starting his next project until January 1, 2004. "It gave me a lot of time to not only work on the design, but also to reflect on the great gift we have in our area," he said. Bricker said ADOBE plans to have the design made into a flag that will be displayed at the group's meeting. It is also considering including the flag in a Gold Canyon Ranch welcoming monument the group will erect at U.S. 60 and Kings Ranch Road. |
Gold Canyon has a new flag that
is both colorful and symbolic.