MASON COUNTY —The clock is ticking for submissions into the “Create a Mason County Seal” contest sponsored by the Mason County Commission.

The submission deadline is 4 p.m., this Thursday, Feb. 21, and entries can be submitted to any county commissioner, the Mason County Clerk’s Office or the Mason County Commission Office at the Mason County Courthouse. Entries can also be mailed to County Seal Contest, Mason County Commission, 200 6th St., Point Pleasant, WV, 25550.

The winner will receive a $100 prize and be a part of the county’s history. The winner will be announced at the commission meeting at 4 p.m., March 7. The winning seal will hang in the commission room and will be displayed at the next meeting of the West Virginia Association of Counties in March.

Unlike the United States and the State of West Virginia, as well as many surrounding counties, Mason County has no seal to represent the county’s history and culture. It’s unknown if the county ever had a seal but it hasn’t had one in at least 30 years.

The commission is requesting residents use their creativity to come up with what will be the seal. To some, this could be the area’s Revolutionary War past, or the Bridge of Honor, or the impact and beauty of the Ohio and Kanawha rivers, to name a few. What represents Mason County is relative to whom you ask.

When it comes to Mason County’s seal, it must have the county and state name, date of origination (1804), along with being in color and be no larger than 8.5 inches by 11 inches. The seal may contain the shape of the county, any symbols of the county’s past or present culture, history or geography, or anything related to Mason County. Residents are encouraged to be creative within these basic guidelines and design a seal that represents their Mason County.

Applicants should place their names on the back of the submission for the sake of fairness when being judged. Judges will include Commissioners Handley, Miles Epling and Tracy Doolittle, County Clerk Diana Cromley and County Administrator John Gerlach.

Handley has made contact with art teachers in all three county high schools, as well as at the Mason County Career Center, with the hope of getting young people involved in the project. However, it can’t be stressed enough that the contest is open to all residents of any age.

As Handley put it, the artist who is chosen will be “a part of Mason County’s history.”