The newly adopted official Town of Greene logo, the first official logo in the town's history. It was designed by Municipal Historian of the Town and Village of Greene Bryan Bernardi, and utilizes a sketch drawn by the first Town and Village of Greene Historian Mildred Folsom. (Submitted photo)

GREENE — On Wednesday, July 13, the Town of Greene Council voted to adopt an official town logo, the first of which the Town of Greene has ever had.

The logo was designed by Municipal Historian for the Town and Village of Greene Bryan Bernardi by utilizing a sketch of the Town of Greene Town Hall, drawn by the first Historian of the Town and Village of Greene Mildred Folsom.

"It took me about a week to completely redesign and create the alternative versions and different formats. The original sketch was made by Mildred Folsom, who was the First Historian for the Town and Village of Greene, appointed in November of 1960 and resigned in January of 1987," said Bernardi. "I added the wording and adjusted the shade, coloring, and measurements to make it a complete logo. I have also created a version that was approved at the same time as this logo to be used on the Town of Greene's official municipal letterhead."

"I've always loved this sketch of our town hall, and noticed that we did not have an official town seal, so I thought, 'I'm going to do something about that!'" he added.

Bernardi explained that there is no particular reason the town has never had an official logo — it's just never been done, and many municipalities don't have official logos. Instead, the Town of Greene has been using a generic round logo with "Greene" across the middle on municipal property.

"This is important for the Town of Greene because it reflects Greene's history. This building was dedicated and opened on March 18, 1979. It is a testament to the continuous growth and evolution of the Town of Greene, while maintaining and embracing its historic charm," said Bernardi. "This logo provides a sort of personal warm welcome that is unique to our town. Many towns use a generic design, where I wanted something completely unique to Greene."

While there are no plans to replace the generic logos on Town of Greene vehicles and property, Bernardi hopes when new vehicles and equipment are purchased in the future they will be adorned with this new design.

The logo was completely free to design and implement, and Bernardi said having an official logo can help to bolster the image of a municipality, as well as set it apart from surrounding areas.

"A town logo is used in official municipal business, and is used to help reinforce perception of the municipality. It often reflects key aspects or an iconic scene or object unique to the state, county, city, town, or village," he said. "It creates a positive association and differentiates an individual municipality from another. Often times, a municipality's logo can be part of a bigger strategy to revive the city's image and, in turn, its economy."

"Anyone can make a contribution to their town or village, no matter how big or small. Regardless if you hold a municipal position or not, if you have the drive and determination, mixed with a deep love and passion for your community, you can make anything happen."