Jim Kordiak served as Anoka County Commissioner for 32 years and was often seen walking the streets of his constituency in Fridley and Columbia Heights. Days after the first election his name wasn’t on the ballot since 1986, Kordiak reflected on his time in office, how he decided to run for the first place, and his motivation to start a new chapter of his life.
Host Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Desens, ACHS Executive Director
Read MoreAndy Risvold from Forgotten Star Brew Co. in Fridley shares the history (new & old) about the brewery. Located in the last remaining building from Northern Pump where over 10,000 employees made weapons during WWII, the brewery honors that legacy with a new life.
Host Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Desens, ACHS Executive Director
Read MoreOn May 6, 1965 a series of tornadoes hit the Twin Cities, including Fridley and Spring Lake Park in Anoka County. We talk with author Allen Taylor about what happened that night, how people learned of the danger, and why this weather became so devastating. Interspersed in this conversation, you’ll hear clips of WCCO’s award-winning radio coverage of the event that saved hundreds of lives.
Hosts Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Ebnet-Desens, ACHS Executive Director.
Read MoreBorn at the tail end of the 19th century in 1897, Hazel Hartman lived in a different Anoka County than we experience today. In this oral history, recorded at her home in 1989, she shares memories about growing up in Constance (located in present day Andover) and her life in a rural Fridley after she married Carl Hartman (Fridley’s first mayor) in 1928.
Hosts Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Ebnet-Desens, ACHS Executive Director.
Read MoreSanta has had a second home here in Anoka County for over 100 years, and ACHS has the proof in our collection. Listen to the ways Santa has visited the County from farm life to Zoom visits with Steve Griffiths, the Executive Director of Impact Services.
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