Editing Bloomington, Minnesota (section)

===1960s to 1970s===
[[File:John F Kennedy High School Bloomington MN.jpg|thumb|[[Bloomington Kennedy High School]] was built in 1965]]
The 1960s saw accelerated school and business growth throughout the city. On November 8, 1960, Bloomington officially became a city as voters approved the city's organizing document, the city charter. The charter provides for a council-manager form of government in which the city council exercises the city's legislative power and determines all city policies (see [[#City Government|City of Bloomington Government]]). In 1965, a second high school, [[Bloomington Kennedy High School|John F. Kennedy High School]], was built, and Bloomington High School was renamed [[Bloomington Lincoln High School|Abraham Lincoln High School]]. In 1967, a second and third official fire station were approved and built to more effectively combat fires in the increasingly large city. In 1968, Normandale State Junior College opened with an initial enrollment of 1,358 students. In 1974, it was renamed [[Normandale Community College]] to reflect expanded courses of study.

[[Image:Metropolitan Stadium 1962.jpeg|thumb|right|Owned by the City of Minneapolis but located in Bloomington, major league teams played at the [[Metropolitan Stadium]] from 1961 until 1981. It was demolished in 1985 to make room for the Mall of America.]]
From 1961 to 1981, Bloomington was home to most of Minnesota's major sports teams. In 1961, after the completion of [[Metropolitan Stadium]] in 1956, both the [[Minnesota Twins]] and [[Minnesota Vikings]] began regular-season play. Though originally built for the [[American Association (20th century)|American Association]] [[Minneapolis Millers]], a [[minor league]] baseball team, Metropolitan Stadium was renovated and expanded for [[Major League Baseball]] and the [[National Football League]]. The first Twins game was held on April 21 ([[Washington Senators (1961–71)|Washington]] 5, Twins 3) and the first Vikings game was held on September 17 (Vikings 37, [[Chicago Bears]] 13). On August 21, 1965, [[The Beatles]] played Metropolitan Stadium, their only stop ever in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. In 1967, with the expansion of the [[National Hockey League]], the [[Metropolitan Sports Center]] was built near Metropolitan Stadium and the [[Minnesota North Stars]] began play later that year.

A number of new city buildings were constructed in the 1970s. In 1970, [[Bloomington Jefferson High School|Thomas Jefferson High School]], Bloomington Ice Garden rink one, and a fourth fire station were built. In 1971, school enrollment peaked with 26,000 students, and the fire department had grown to a force of 105 men. (In 1974, after a six-hour city council meeting, women were allowed to join the Bloomington Fire Department, but the city's first female firefighter, Ann Majerus Meyer, did not join the department until 1984; she retired in 2013). In 1975, a second rink was added to the Bloomington Ice Garden and a fifth fire station built, with a sixth added in 1979.