LAKE ST. JOHN, La. &045; It’s taken some time, but the Lake St. John Flotilla Committee has finally found a flag to represent its idyllic waterfront community.

On Thursday night, after weeks of sorting through designs for a Lake St. John coat of arms and flag, the committee voted to adopt a draft submitted by an artist Š whose name has yet to be released.

Committee Co-Chairwoman Glenda Lewis said the new design will be revealed next week after a few modifications have been made and the designer has been told his flag idea was chosen.

&uot;He doesn’t know it yet,&uot; Lewis said.

While Lewis wouldn’t say what was depicted on the new flag, she did say that it was &uot;meaningful&uot; representation of life on the peaceful shores of the lake.

All the designs were good, Lewis said, but the winner had something different. &uot;This last one that came through hit us all,&uot; she said. &uot;It has a story.&uot;

Lewis said the flag is just part of a general strengthening of the lake community, which has recently established a neighborhood watch system and launched a Web site.

&uot;Things are going,&uot; she said. &uot;We really are a community now.&uot;

Once the mystery designer &045; who doesn’t live on the lake, but does have relatives who do &045; has been informed of the acceptance of his design, Lewis said the committee will have a large banner made to fly alongside the U.S. and Louisiana state flags at the intersection of La. 568 and 569.

The three flagpoles at the intersection were erected in May 2001. The committee has flown a makeshift banner since then.

Aside from that large flag, the committee will distribute its new symbol around the lake and the outside world emblazoned on smaller flags, pennants, T-shirts, hats and anything else that can be silk-screened or embroidered.

The money earned from those items will go into the committee’s general fund. Part of it will pay for the upkeep of the trio of flags, which is in constant need of replacement.

&uot;Every three months, these flags are in shreds,&uot; Lewis said. &uot;We have 30 mile-per-hour winds every day. That tears them up.&uot;