CRESWELL – A proposal to let Creswell High School students lead a re‑examination of the city’s 20‑year‑old logo sparked a mix of enthusiasm and unease at Monday’s council meeting. Career Technical Education (CTE) teachers Mandy Hoggard and Athena Lawson, joined by several students, outlined a four‑phase, student‑run branding project called “Rooted and Rising.”
Hoggard described the initiative as “a community‑driven branding initiative that’s rooted in complete research, tradition as well as Creswell’s future vision.” Under the plan, marketing and design students from the high school’s “DawgHouse Marketing” and “Design Dawgs” programs would conduct community research to determine if residents want to keep, update, or change the logo.
Hoggard said that the design work would be free, saving the city tens of thousands of dollars in professional fees while providing a major work‑based learning opportunity for local students.
“This would not simply be a logo redesign in our perspective… The goal is to ensure any future logo or branding system reflects Creswell’s values, history, and vision as expressed by city staff, city council, and community members,” Hoggard said.
‘Cart before the horse’
Several councilors objected to how the proposal reached the agenda, arguing the council should have voted on whether to explore a change before a full presentation was developed. Councilor Staci Holt expressed feeling “railroaded.”
“To put it in context, we started hearing rumblings of a possible logo change… you’ve had feedback… about the inappropriateness of doing something like this right now… I feel railroaded. I feel like we put the cart before the horse again,” Holt said. “I’m coming into a meeting where I feel like the plan has already been made.”
Mayor Nick Smith countered that the conversation had to start somewhere. “We have to present an idea. And that’s what we’re doing… I have heard from other community members who want to change their logos. They do want some community pride,” he said.
City Manager Vincent Martorello and Hoggard clarified that no decision has been made to change the logo; the students were merely seeking permission to begin the research phase to see if the community even desires a change.
Fiscal priorities vs. branding
Councilor Holt read a prepared statement linking the logo question to Creswell’s significant fiscal stressors, including:
- Wastewater Upgrades: DEQ‑mandated projects ranging from $40M to $70M.
- Rate Increases: A 15% increase in sewer rates is already under consideration.
- Development Moratorium: A current freeze on development west of I-5.
- Tax Resistance: Recent voter rejection of a fire levy.
Holt argued that even free design work carries implementation costs for signage and materials. “Pursuing non‑essential expenditures like the proposed City logo update… represents an undue expense that diverts resources from core needs without tangible benefits to our residents,” she said.
Martorello responded that any potential implementation would be phased. Digital updates are inexpensive, and physical materials like stationery or signage would only be replaced as current stock runs out.
Heritage vs. change
Public comment revealed deep emotional ties to the current logo, which features the local museum steeple. Longtime residents and museum volunteers expressed skepticism about abandoning historical symbols or adopting the high school’s Bulldog mascot for the city’s brand.
Students at the meeting, including freshman Madison Kreiling, Aubry Moran, and Sophia Nibblett, along with junior Eliana Osborne attended the meeting, offering their thoughts and perspectives on the redesign and the intentions behind it.
“I think the museum is a big part of our history, and I believe that if we’re going to change something about the logo, it should not be our history. It should be just catching it up with other towns and keeping us unique,” Kreiling said.
Another student argued that the city risks being “stuck in a historical loop” if it doesn’t incorporate younger voices. “Our entire goal is… to bring those people together in order to form a new future, while preserving our past and opening that past up to people who are the younger generation and might not feel like that has been opened up to them.”
Next steps
The council reached a rough consensus to allow students to proceed only with Phase 1. This phase involves historical research and community outreach to gauge public sentiment.
“I really like your presentation… I really love our city logo, the way it is. I don’t even see a need to change it, quite frankly, but I like what I heard, so it’s definitely opened a conversation up that I think we should continue,” Councilor Alonza Costilla said.
After the research phase is complete, students will return to the council with their findings. Only then will the council decide whether to authorize Phase 2, which involves actual design work. For now, the Creswell logo remains unchanged, but the debate over the city’s visual future is well underway.
