All Past living Shoreview mayors and current mayor Sandy Martin were at the Community Center on Apr. 16 to officially kick off the city’s 50th Anniversary celebration. Past mayors are, standing from left to right, William Farrell and Jim Olson; seated, Jim Chalmers, Martin, and Dick Wedell. During the 50th Anniversary, ShoreVIEWS is featuring stories about those who served the city as mayor - see two of those stories below. (Shoreview Historical Society photo.)

Shoreview’s first mayor, Ken Hanold, had an inherent urge to help people—probably a major precursor to his accepting the challenge of becoming the city’s top official job in 1957 when the village was incorporated.

"He used to stop and help strangers with car problems on the highway," recalls his wife Vicki, now living in a Minneapolis suburb. "The police urged him to be careful, but he kept doing it."

Ken died in 2000, but was honored with the other mayors at a special 50th anniversary kickoff meeting this past April, with Vicki accepting an award on his behalf.

Vicki (Kurkowski) and Ken both came from farm families. Ken was born in North Dakota, while Vicki’s grandparents farmed in the Shoreview area. Ken eventually operated a six-days-a-week auto garage on Rice St. which also became an expedient early meeting place for the Shoreview City Council.

"He worked hard at being mayor," says Vicki today, "there were the normal ups and downs." She remembers getting launched and first arranging for fire and police protection and other basic city services were among Ken’s most hectic times.

In the midst of his new city assignment, the Hanolds were also busy raising their four young children, Beverly, Greg, Ken and Candi.

"There were some busy stressful times for dad in the job," says Candi, who remembers helping out with sister Beverly pumping gas at her father's station.

"Ken was urged to run for mayor by a local businessmen’s club and his American Legion post. He agreed to be mayor for one term," says Vicki. "He wasn’t much into campaigning." City officials remember the city was starting to grow rapidly, even before the Interstate highway and citizens were needing and asking for services —street, water and utilities.

In later years, Hanold would work as a realtor; at the Arden Hills arms plant; at a chemical firm, an airplane manufacturing plant, and also served in the US Army Air corps. "I think eventually it was the strenuous garage work at the garage, caused him to move to other jobs," says Candi.

In an earlier Historical ShoreViews article, following Ken’s death at age 85 in Oct. 2000, resident Carl Holmberg remembered Ken’s time as mayor: "He was 'a nice guy,' maybe not cut out to be a career politician---a straight ahead person, seeking no favors and giving no-nonsense answers."

Today, Vicki’s dining room wall is clustered with both informal snapshots and formal photos of her husband and family, recapping the big events in their life.

An upbeat person, one of Vicki's main activities is maintaining a colorful flower garden at the seniors residence where she lives. The plot features a wide variety of flowers—from Iris to Hosta. She is used to working the soil and nimbly walks among her many plants. "I have always had a garden, it was part of my growing up on the farm."

Environmental Issues Spurred Chalmers’ Early Interest in Local Government

Jim Chalmers believes elected officials can get a lot done with one-on-one communication with business leaders and constituents, even though the heavy time demands of being a mayor might push against it.

A two-term former Shoreview mayor (1992-96), Chalmers believes being proactive with a personal style and reaching out at all levels is a necessary trait to succeed. He recently discussed the subject among others in reflecting on the city's 50th anniversary celebration and reflecting on his years as mayor.

"One of the best things about the mayor's job is the people - and maybe sometimes the worst thing is the people," he smiles, recalling his tenure. "One thing (city and staff) tried to do, was work to get involvement whether from business, schools or churches.

"By and large we had good relationships with the county and state governments as well, and neighboring cities too, including utilities projects such as the US Army Reserve Center and a mall in North Oaks," he explained.

"Working with different government entities, the city got things done on a cooperative basis. Sometimes when you have differences, its amazing how things can get changed, when people aren't embarrassed. People usually respond, when it's on a personal basis," Chalmers believes.

The son of American missionaries in the Phillippines, Chalmers eventually enrolled in Bethel University. There he majored in political science and was a business minor. Prior to elected office, his major interests evolved around some of the open space and green issues in and near Shoreview and Rice Creek.

Once elected, he urged the council to be proactive. "If you have a vision - know what you want to accomplish - and tell the right people, hopefully they buy into the vision," Chalmers says. He was to take a big picture perspective, keeping what was working well in the city, combined with some necessary cost-cutting moves. In times of tight state budgets, the city relied upon long range planning when it came to city capital plant investments.

Chalmers said he made use of personal relationships with some members of Minnesota's delegation in the U.S. Congress to have them work with Shoreview on a variety of projects, some related to highways. In another instance, the eventual purchase of land owned by the University of Minnesota on 35W in north Shoreview was consummated as a win-win ending for both parties. The land was put on the city's tax rolls and the school got a fair price.

Cooperation and key communications with neighboring cities was effective as well. "I remember one time over a breakfast where we saved millions of dollars by sharing equipment (among neighboring cities). If we could do it with a fire department, why couldn't we do it with other services like sweepers? When you buy equipment for two or three hundred thousand dollars, it's important to get maximum use."

Another advancement was Shoreview receiving its double AA bond rating. "Just a few cities our size ranked better than us," Chalmers says. "That saved taxpayers money in our borrowing programs to build our infrastructure."

Expanded services and infrastructure continued during Chalmers' terms. "We tried to work within our budget. The state budget was cut to almost nothing. But the city was able to do some things because we had the long-term planning (model) in effect, whether it was a fire engine or paving projects. We set up goals and, interestingly enough, we achieved most of them. Trying to live with no increase in taxes - I think we were successful at that."

Chalmers is in praise of the leadership of other mayors as well. "Look at (state highway) 96 and the product we have, the city has done some creative things for landscaping and curbing, aesthetically nice. We have a community that cares," he stresses.

"Drive around Shoreview, and then compare it with other communities - look at things like home setbacks. We have had good people on planning commissions, good planning; you know when Shoreview begins and ends."

About the city's future, Chalmers echoes what others have said: "We need to keep the focus on redevelopment of our housing stock. We will need to upgrade our parks, pathways, bikeways. Another serious issue on infrastructure is the impact of the turn back of the neighboring Twin Cities Ammunition Plant property and how it will impact Shoreview's schools, playgrounds, traffic, etc."