Rumor has it that the fiscal oversight board was secretly planning to redesign the City of Pittsburgh flag to show three rivers of cash flowing into a black abyss, all against a backdrop of bright red ink.
But if the five old white guys with the green eyeshades had such a plan, it has probably been foiled. And we have the North American Vexillological Association to thank.
The 450-member association is big into vexillology, a word you don't see every day (before now, it had appeared in the columns of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette exactly once in the past 14 years). Vexillology is the study of flags.
After one has spent a considerable time at such an endeavor, the next vexillo-logical thing to do -- especially in a list-crazed society like ours -- would be to rate the flags. And NAVA has done just that, surveying its members and the public about city flag designs.
The rankings are out, and Pittsburgh comes in a respectable 24th out of 150, although it must be said that one amateur's perusal of the rankings (go to www.nava.org) indicates that the Pittsburgh flag probably deserved a loftier spot.
For instance, just ahead in 23rd place is the gaudy flag of St. Petersburg, Fla. -- featuring five bright colored stripes with a fuzzy white pelican superimposed on them. It looks more like a shower curtain than something you'd want to run up the city hall flagpole.
The rankings mostly reflect the five basic principles in NAVA's flag-design guide, "Good Flag, Bad Flag," which stress simplicity, meaningful symbolism, no more than three basic colors and no lettering.
The survey also coincides with the publication of a new NAVA book, "American City Flags: 150 Flags from Akron to Yonkers," which the organization says is "the culmination of 40 years of research by former NAVA president Dr. John Purcell and a team of fellow vexillologists."
It was no doubt a hot topic at the organization's 38th annual convention this month in Indianapolis (flag ranking: 8).
By now, you are getting the idea that these people are quite serious about their flags.
The nation's best city flag was Washington, D.C.'s, followed by Chicago, Denver, Phoenix and St. Louis.
The worst were Pocatello, Idaho (150th) and Huntington, W.Va. (149th). Pocatello's ranking was richly deserved -- its flag looks like an overgrown bumper sticker.
The City of Pittsburgh flag, adopted by ordinance in 1899, is three equal sections, two black and one gold, with the city's arms displayed in the middle, gold section. The arms, a variation of those of William Pitt, for whom the city was named, feature a shield topped by a triple-towered castle.
Strangely, a football helmet is nowhere to be found on it.
Next time, they might want to stick to punch and cookies
A 39-year-old Kennedy Township woman has been ordered to stand trial on charges that she provided alcohol, cigarettes and pornography to teenagers and preteens at a New Year's Eve party at her home last year. The suspect spent a good part of a preliminary hearing yesterday glowering at her accusers.
This case may go slower than that world-famous ketchup
Attorneys for the estate of the late U.S. Sen. John Heinz have asked a judge to keep Heinz's will under seal. Several newspapers, including this one, have filed suit trying to make the document public, arguing that it has new relevance because Heinz's widow is married to presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry.
First Published: October 20, 2004, 4:00 a.m.
