Sandy Slater spent 38 years helping preserve Grand Forks' historic buildings and history, and now her name goes on the plaque outside the City Council Chambers. The Grand Forks Herald reported Nov. 13 that the Grand Forks Historic Preservation Commission chose Slater for its 2026 Alexander Griggs Award, named for Capt. Alexander Griggs, whom the Herald called the city's founding father.
The award was presented to Slater at her home on Nov. 5, according to the Herald. Mayor Brandon Bochenski gave her a framed certificate, and commission Chairman Chuck Flemmer gave her a watercolor painting of her house. Commission member Curt Hanson, head of UND Special Collections, also took part. The Herald reported that Slater will be honored again at the City Council meeting at City Hall on Monday, Nov. 16.
Nearly four decades on the commission
The Herald reported that Slater recently retired from the commission after 38 years, making her its longest-serving volunteer member. She joined in 1988 as the commission's archivist and was appointed vice chair in 1999, in the aftermath of the Flood of '97. She also worked in UND's Department of Special Collections from 1985 until 2007, when she retired as department head, according to the Herald.
Longtime commission member Gordon Iseminger, a UND Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of history, told the Herald that Slater's archival skills helped the commission find records, maps and documents. After the flood, he told the Herald, the commission was "a thorn in the side of almost every agency you could think of." Iseminger credited the commission with saving the Metropolitan downtown, which he said developers had wanted to tear down; "we had to fight for every square inch," he told the Herald. Susan Caraher, the commission's coordinator, wrote in a statement quoted by the Herald: "Her institutional knowledge and decades of work are incalculable."
About the award and the commission
The Herald reported that the commission gives the Griggs Award only when it identifies a worthy recipient and votes to honor them. The previous recipient was Gregory Vettel Sr. in 2024.
The commission is set up by city ordinance. According to the City of Grand Forks, it has 11 members who serve without pay, appointed by the mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council, and its purposes include protecting the city's historic districts and landmarks. Residents can attend the Nov. 16 council meeting at City Hall to see Slater recognized; check grandforksgov.com for the meeting time.
