Whitehall's 150th birthday logo chosen

Jan 1, 2009
Eric Gaertner
Chronicle Staff Writer

A Montague woman's winning logo design will play a prominent role in the other White Lake-area city's 150th birthday celebration.

Colette Kufahl, who works in production at The Muskegon Chronicle, prominently featured Whitehall's rich lumber and maritime heritage in her design. The logo will be used in publicity materials and merchandise for the city's sesquicentennial celebration in 2010.

Kufahl will be awarded $100 for winning the Whitehall Sesquicentennial Logo Design Contest, which featured logo-design entries from 21 area artists. A panel of Whitehall community leaders judged the entries for the contest.

Colette Kufahl

Sheree Lincoln of Fremont and Mary Gerling of North Muskegon took the second- and third-place honors, respectively. Lincoln will receive $50 and Gerling will receive $25 at an upcoming awards ceremony.

Tanya Cabala, a city councilwoman and sesquicentennial committee chairwoman, said the selection of the logo for the celebration marks an exciting time in the planning for the yearlong event. The committee plans on beginning use of the logo in early 2009 on stationery and the city's Web site.

"We were really pleased with the number of entries we receive," Cabala said. "It was a fairly unanimous choice by the judges.

"It's a great logo. It's a perfect idea for the concept we want to convey."

Kufahl's winning logo features a lighthouse, trees, a large saw, a sailboat, a fish and the dates of the city's first 150 years, 1860-2010.

"I tried to think of what I see when I drive through Whitehall," Kufahl said in explaining the inspiration for her design. "The trees and the cross-cut saw depict our lumbering era, and the lighthouse represents our beautiful lighthouse in the channel, where I love to fish. The sailboat and the fish represent our future recreational opportunities."

The winning logo entry will be featured on banners, posters, T-shirts, hats, stationery, signs, mugs, cups, commemorative coins and other materials for the 150th celebration.