S. Elgin residents design new logo, slogan

South Elgin leaders have a new logo and new slogan thanks to two creative residents.

Village officials -- aided by Ron Herrmann and Karen Cluchey, two residents who won a contest -- unveiled the design Monday night.

The logo kept the trolley and added the Fox River but dumped the fisherman and mill.

The new slogan is "Where tradition meets the future," and the design will begin to appear on village business cards, water bills, village-issued checks and other items in the coming months.

Herrmann, a graphic arts teacher at Harper College in Palatine, submitted the logo idea, which later was shifted around by a committee headed by Village Clerk Margo Gray.

"I've lived in the village since 1976. The trolley's been here longer than I have. I've always associated it with the village," Herrmann said. "We're a river town, so I thought it made sense to incorporate the trolley and the river. That's what the waves signify."

Cluchey said she read a South Elgin history book to glean ideas. After reading, she realized the city's rich heritage and decided it should be emphasized.

"I didn't know what to expect," Cluchey said. "I threw a bunch of ideas together. There were so many different angles."

Both took home a $100 check from the village.

Gray said 17 people submitted entries and several entered more than one option. Most ideas were from South Elgin residents, but one even came from a woman who grew up in South Elgin and now lives in Wisconsin.

She also credited committee members for their service. "Everybody pulled together. We found one we could agree upon," Gray said. "I think we got a great logo out of it."