If you read Marcus’s thread on the Cantons of Switzerland, you will recognize the arms of Bern, Switzerland in the seal of New Bern, North Carolina.
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/uploads/2008/02/new_bern_bear_300.jpg
Larger image: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/uploads/2008/02/new_bern_bear.jpg
I like the spirit, but it needed something "new" about it—some difference.
Why, a blue bear on a white stripe (instead of that Or) would do… 
A blue bear? Hmmm…maybe its cold enough in Russia for the bears to turn blue, but not in the Carolinas!
Maybe they could add the state flower on either side of the bend?
An appropriate difference might be to put a six pointed star or estoile on either side of the bend, and to embattle the bend. The arms of Christopher de Graffenreid (Christoph von Graffenried), the founder of New Bern, were apparently "Or on a mound Vert a tree trunk Sable flaming in chief between two six-pointed stars Gules."
Carving on Schloss Münchenwiler in Canton Bern in Switzerland:
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/15657624.jpg
William Tryon, the colonial governor who had his capital in New Bern, bore "Azure a fess embattled between six estoiles Or."
Embattling the bend would refer to Tryon; the stars could refer to Graffenried as well as Tryon. The tinctures are already those of Graffenried (and, of course, of Bern).
Joseph, bravo (as usual)
