Article: Coon Rapids has something for everyone; Metro area's 2nd-largest suburb has developed steadily over decades into diverse community.(HOMES)

Betty Backes thinks that if Coon Rapids were a car, it would be a Chevy Suburban. Why?

"We're big and we can handle a lot of things," she said.

What Backes means is that Coon Rapids is big enough to accommodate all kinds of people, jobs and commerce.

From her perspective as a 37-year resident and city clerk, Backes is well acquainted with Coon Rapids' growth from infancy to adulthood. She's watched as the city has evolved from an agricultural community, with patches of sand dunes crossed by small creeks, into the second-largest suburb in the state.

"I moved here in 1960, and it was such a small, small city," Backes said. "I came from ...

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