written by Gary Tonsager
You know the old saying: “Things that come easy don’t last, and things that last don’t come easy.” That was certainly true in our fight to bring back Minnesota’s historic state flag.
It all started with a simple email I sent to an engaged and receptive Mayor and City Council of Elk River. I asked them to consider replacing the new, underwhelming state flag with our beloved historic Minnesota flag and restoring it to its rightful place atop the flagpole in our city.
Next, I delivered a presentation to the Mayor and City Council. They were open-minded and decided to take the matter up for a vote. While they were supportive, they first wanted to understand how the people of Elk River truly felt. They scheduled a vote on the resolution for a meeting five weeks later on Monday April 6th. This gave residents time to learn about the rich history of our original flag and the origins of the new one.
To gauge public opinion, the city placed a simple online survey on the Elk River website with one straightforward question: “Do you prefer the historic Minnesota state flag or the new flag?” People were also encouraged to leave comments.
That’s when our Sherburne County Community “Action” Team sprang into action. We created flyers, reached out to everyone we knew, posted on social media, and made sure the message spread. Brenda Hansen and Samantha Boushek even stood outside the Elk River American Legion for two hours on a freezing Saturday morning, handing out flyers and encouraging people to email their city council members and complete the online survey.
For five weeks, we kept up constant communication and lobbying to ensure the City Council heard the voice of the community.
On Monday, April 6th the council chambers were packed, with standing room only. Over a dozen residents stood up to share their opinions—some in favor of the resolution, some against—but the clear majority supported bringing back the historic flag.
One powerful voice that evening came from Linda Schultz, who said: “The new flag has nothing to do with Minnesota and does not represent any of our values. I’m actually appalled by this flag. It’s time to stand up and get back what is rightfully ours.”
Then the survey results were announced, and they spoke volumes. Almost 1,100 people responded, with nearly 75% saying they wanted Elk River to return to the original historic flag and retire the new one.
Mayor Dietz was visibly impressed. “I don’t believe we’ve ever gotten 1,100 emails on any topic in the 32 years I’ve been here,” he said. “I think the citizens of Elk River have spoken.”
With that, the City Council voted unanimously—5 to 0—to pass the resolution and fly the historic Minnesota flag in Elk River.
It was a proud and memorable night. All the glory goes to God. Without Him, none of this would have been possible.
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