Coon Rapids has survived two attempts at a name change by white do-gooders. The second attempt in 2006 by Councilman Sidoti resulted in his early retirement.I don't think Coon Rapids is gonna survive this.
Coon Rapids is a northern suburb of Minneapolis, and is the largest city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 61,476 at the 2010 census,[5] making it the twelfth largest city in Minnesota and the seventh largest Twin Cities suburb. Originally founded as a part of Anoka Township in 1857, Coon Rapids became a separate village in 1952. In 1959, it became a city. It retains its original boundaries, except for the part that became the City of Anoka. The name "Coon Rapids" comes from "Coon Creek Rapids", a turbulent part of the Upper Mississippi River near the mouth of Coon Creek. These rapids were removed as a consequence of the construction of the Coon Rapids Dam in 1913. The Dam operated as a hydroelectric generator until 1966 when it was closed and later opened to the public as the Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park in 1978. The dam marks the head of navigation on the Upper Mississippi River waterway. The name of the city came under some controversy in the late 1960's because some citizens believed erroneously that the name had a racist connotation, as the word "coon" was used to demean African-Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. A proposed name change to "Flower City" suggested in the late 1960's met with little support. Although it was named after the raccoons that were often found in the former rapids of Coon Creek, in January 2006 City Councilman Joe Sidoti the Councilman sparked an uproar among local citizens,[6] and the proposal was dropped.
