Lt. Gov. Rudy Perpich was 18 minutes late for the Bicentennial flag raising at the Brown County courthouse Monday.

But when he did arrive he jumped out of his car wearing a bright black and white plaid suit, waved away an overcoat offered by his aide, and started shaking hands with local officials.

The 70 or 80 Brown County residents gathered in the damp cold wind for the ceremony, bundled up three layers deep in coats, mittens,boots and scarves, gaped with awe at the Iron Range politician.

After the flag raising, it was time for a cannon salute by the New Ulm Battery. Some people clutched their ears but nothing went off. Wet powder was murmured as the possible cause. After three tries Battery members shrugged their shoulders and the ceremony ended.

AT A SAUERKRAUT and land-jaeger lunch at the Legion Club following the ceremony, Perpich said Bicentennial work had started in the state in 1973.

“We were really concerned that the Bicentennial celebration of our nation would end up like the Centennial. In 1876 there was a big celebration in Philadelphia for about a week, then everyone went home and that was the end of it.

“We were hoping in Minnesota that our Bicentennial would be much more than a celebration, the parades and the fireworks of the Fourth of July. We want the festivities to be a part of the Bicentennial but we were also hoping the effort would be projects and programs that would improve the quality of life. And also that the Bicentennial effort would be made on the local level, that each community would make their decision as how best to commemorate the 200th birthday of the nation.”

HE CITED programs in Minnesota: Farmfest 76 next September at Lake Crystal; a series of area interpretive centers throughout the state (the first one on the Iron Range about ethnics of the area to be completed next spring); Freedomfest ’76 in Minneapolis next June at which former drug and alcohol addicts and families will talk about what it was like to be under the habit.

Perpich also mentioned the cleanup of abandoned cars in Minnesota, begun by the state legislature; and a program of tearing down dilapidated, abandoned buildings which has completely changed the town of Biwabik.

Millions of trees will be planted in Minnesota in 1976, he said, as part of the Bicentennial effort.

New Ulm Daily Journal

Dec. 23, 1975