These are some of the ways Fridley made news last week—at Fridley Patch and elsewhere.

You can still get gas and repair services at Fridley Amstar Auto Care, even after a fire gutted the attached car wash structure behind the service station. Owner Ray Witz told Fridley Patch he didn't know yet if he'll rebuild. Fire Chief John Berg said fire fighters' quick work and solid barrier between buildings kept the flames contained. 

You can thank a Fridley man if you like your Lake Superior shipwrecks preserved. As a founder of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society, Ken Merryman works to keep wrecks intact and preserve artifacts on shore or even return them to wreck sites. 

Two minutes is all it takes to hear the story of how Able Street got its name. Grace Norton grew up in Fridley and was there when her driveway became a street. Her tale, as told to Matthew Johnson, is the first in a Fridley Patch video series called Manomin Minutes.

Medtronic made news twice last Monday—first with CEO Bill Hawkins' announcement that he will step down in 2011, as reported by MedCityNews, then with the death of former CEO Winston R. Wallin, as reported by the StarTribune.

Other stories you might have missed at Fridley Patch in the holiday rush:

• Students at the small Fridley Transition program learned to make lefse on the last day before winter break. (Story includes Shirley Carrigan's recipe.)
• One more Fridley police officer had to work on Christmas Day, due to a new city ordinance that allows bars to stay open over the holiday. 
• Cummins has yet to fill in the details on moving the administrative headquarters of its power-generation division from Fridley to Shoreview.
• Fridley High's Tigers fought the Highland Park Scots in basketball.
• One Fridley woman marks Christmas with a huge homemade sign hung where Highway 65 travelers can see it. 
• A stolen snowblower leads the Fridley police blotter—in case you didn't know it's winter.