To the editor:

Re: Minnesota’s state flag question should end in a public vote Feb. 3

Mr. (Jim) Muchlinski and all area residents will be pleased to know that our local libraries and historical societies recognized the need for the public to be more informed about the new state flag and seal, how and why they were created, and the implementation process. Several of them reached out to me requesting a public presentation on this important topic. I served as the vice-chair of the State Emblems Redesign Commission, the committee created by the state legislature to design a new flag and seal. I was honored to represent the people of southwest Minnesota on this commission and make sure their voices were heard.

As a person intimately familiar with the process and the product, I will be giving a presentation titled “FAQs about Minnesota’s New Flag & Seal” in various locations around the area. The first will be at the Marshall-Lyon County Library on March 12, followed by a second presentation at the Dinehart Lunchbox Lecture Series (sponsored by the Murray County Historical Society) in Slayton at noon on March 14. A third presentation will be given at the Pipestone County Historical Museum in Pipestone on May 7, and more locations will likely be added.

This is your opportunity to have all your questions answered and to ask some of your own. And, Mr. Muchlinski, I expect to see you in the front row.

Anita Gaul

Marshall