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Holiday Guide 2012

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Share New Year's Photos on Fridley Patch

New Year's Eve or New Year's Day—show what you did to mark the arrival of 2013.

Monday, December 31, 2012

New Year's Eve Events in the Twin Cities Metro Area

How are you ringing in the new year? Share your plans in Fridley or elsewhere.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

YOUR GIFT PICS: Share a Photo of Your Holiday Haul

Or share a picture of Christmas joy, if you were able to catch it with a camera.

Fridley Man: I Tracked Santa for NORAD 50 Years Ago

As a radarman in 1962, George Scott saw a strange aircraft from his lonely post.

BAH, HUMBUG!

Most things that define Christmastime today leave me feeling overindulgent and wistful.

YOUR GIFT PICS: Share a Photo of Your Holiday Bounty

Or share a picture of Christmas joy, if you were able to catch it with a camera.

Upload a photo of the scene where you are on Christmas Day. Any wacky packages or unexpected gifts? These two rascals in the photo above appeared out of one Christmas box. Possibly "Peace" may teach "I Don't Care" a thing or two, although at least "I Don't Care is polite. 

Fridley Man: I Tracked Santa for NORAD in 1962

As a radarman half a century ago, George Scott saw a strange aircraft from his lonely post.

George Scott of Fridley left this comment at the Fridley Patch Facebook page  about our post on tracking Santa by way of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD): As a young sailor in 1962 I was a radarman aboard the USS Watchman, a radar picket ship that operated as the seaward extension of the North American Air Defense Command. We were on station number one 500 miles northwest of Seattle, Washington. I was operating our long range search radar when an unidentified contact appeared. We began a track and reported it to our Air Force Control in Seattle. We reported every 3 minutes and continued to track as the unidentified aircraft traveled southwest towards the United States, just before it crossed the ADIZ (Air Defense …

Mandy Meisner

8:54 am on Thursday, December 27, 2012

Yes Virginia, there really IS a Santa Claus. What an exciting story George!   more ›

Put a Pin in Our Map Where You Remember Family Holidays

Christmas in Fridley in the 1970s? Or another holiday, somewhere else at another time?

Monday, December 24, 2012

SANTA ON NORAD: Track His Progress Live as He Makes His Way to Fridley

Through the North American Aerospace Defense Command, you can follow the jolly old elf's magical flight on this page.

They sent him their wish lists, sat on his lap at Springbrook or the Shorewood, and left cookies and milk for his arrival. Now the only thing left for children to do is track Santa's progress as he delivers gifts around the world on Christmas Eve. Thanks to the folks behind the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) website, families worldwide can now follow Santa's Christmas journey in real time. The tradition started in 1955 after an advertisement for Sears Roebuck & Co. misprinted a telephone number for a special "Santa hotline." Instead of reaching Kris Kringle, the number put kids through to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Commander-in-Chief’s operations, according to a description on the NORAD Tracks Santa …

Bah Humbug

Most things that define Christmastime today leave me feeling overindulgent and wistful.

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