Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 9, 1990 TAG: 9007070367
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ED SHAMY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Since May, when Mr. License Plate first revealed that Virginia's present tags are so boring the state has lost an estimated $458 pentagodzillion in revenues since February, entries in the Redesign Virginia's Tags and Be Famous Maybe Contest have been flowing in.
Go ahead, laugh.
There were 172 proposed license plate designs submitted, enough to fill this cardboard box on the floor next to me (Wise potato chips, five 1-pound bags, dip style ridgies).
Certain themes erupted time and again.
There were 44 license plates with dogwood flowers (the state flower); 37 with cardinals (Richmondena cardinalis, the state bird); 14 showing Virginia with both mountains and seashore; 34 with Virginia maps; 18 with the Valentine's Day-type (as opposed to the Jarvik 7) heart popularized by the Virginia is for Lovers campaign; five showing that lots of U.S. presidents were born here; seven reminders that Virginia has history; and 36 combining two or more of those elements - cardinals sitting on dogwood flowers holding presidents in their beaks and stuff like that.
But there were, too, some highly individual efforts.
Among the slogans submitted as possible license plate underliners:
"The land between Maryland and North Carolina," by L.S. of Hardy.
"State under construction," by C.S. of Roanoke.
"Virginia is for cool dudes," by somebody whose name I can't remember.
"Virginia. Not as Boring as Its People," by E.N. of Roanoke.
"Visit America's Third World," by G.M. of Blacksburg.
"The Wilder State," also by G.M., a witty chap.
And finally, my personal favorite from J.Y. of Roanoke who didn't appreciate Mr. License Plate's ridicule of Virginia's existing tags: "Not the birthplace of Ed Shamy."
There was a proposed tag with nothing more than a bar code and the explanation that smart cars on smart roads should have smart license plates.
There was a plate with the slogan "Chain Dr.," which anthropologists are still studying.
Virginia was spelled as Virginig and Virgina and there was Big Bird from Sesame Street urging tourists to "Come to Virginia." There was the simple, elegant "Bring Money."
Every color of the spectrum was represented, and then some. Some plates were reversible, so they wouldn't clash with the colors of cars. There were some purple cardinals and one fellow who thinks the mockingbird is the state bird.
All of the submitted designs will be on display at some area shopping malls within a few weeks. I will keep you posted so that you can view them all and tell me how badly the judges screwed up.
The hard part - gathering and judging all the designs - is now over.
Now we begin the easy part. Mr. License Plate will commence to lobby state legislators and the state Department of Motor Vehicles to change our license plates, toting with him the 14 finalists as examples of what Virginia could be.
In the meantime, hold your entries.
And wish me luck.
by CNB