Does the Triangle have problems? You bet: traffic, overbuilding, lack of rain, garbage disposals. And everyone knows that among the most important tools a city has to combat its problems is the cartoonish mascot.

As Raleigh faced the drought, it recently devised Rainy, an anthropomorphic raindrop that personifies the spirit of water conservation and the happily shared civic burden. With the help of readers of share.triangle.com, we came up with a few more mascots that represent municipal challenges. Remember: If you name it, you control it.

Witness the results of The N&O Civic Mascot Open.

Cramsies the Sardine

We all need to pitch in to save the schools from overcrowding. Cramsies says, "Home school is cool!"

Arby the Lonely Sports Arena

Suggested by David Walser of Raleigh, Arby is all alone, shedding bitter tears as his friends leave him to have fun downtown.

Mini-Meeker

The mayor so tiny he uses only 25 drops of water each day.

Sprawleigh the Poorly Planned Metropolitan Area

Like an obese middle-schooler, Sprawleigh smashes whatever is in his path and then devours it.