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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
CELEBRATING THE SELECTION OF THE FINAL FLAG DESIGNS TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AS A NEW FLAG FOR COOK COUNTY
WHEREAS, the Cook County flag is the official banner of Cook County, Illinois, the second-largest county in the United States with a population of over 5.2 million people; and
WHEREAS, on March 14, 1961, the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved the current County flag by Resolution, designed by four County employees and the County Treasurer and submitted by then-President Daniel Ryan; and
WHEREAS, in December 2019, it was determined by the Cook County Board of Commissioners that in celebration of the County's bicentennial anniversary a new flag would be created to be representative of the rich culture and diversity of the residents, geography, and history of Cook County; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners invited all high school aged students in grades 9 through 12 to submit flag designs for consideration using colors, symbols, shapes and patterns to represent the following aspects of Cook County, including:
* County Mission and History: Cook County has played a large role in the development of the modern United States and has innovated government services delivery over the past 200 years, including access to health care, transportation and roadways, the justice system, environmental preservation, immigrant sanctuary, business assistance, social services, and as the center of commerce and shipping for the nation.
* Geography: Cook Couty's natural landscape is as diverse as the residents that enjoy it including, the 60,000-acre Forest Preserve, Lake Michigan, more than a dozen rivers, and the six main geographic regions of the County.
* People: Cook County is home to people from every background who come from all over the nation and world, of which nearly 60% are people of color, of which 35% are residents who speak a language other an English at home, and where there are 14 languages on...
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