Hello

I love living in International Falls. I am an 11 year transplant & don't regret moving here. There are challenges to living here & soon there will be readers responding to your blog ripping the community to pieces. Any community will be what you make of it. This same conversation took place in an earlier blog "Moving soon to God's country". I hope readers will offer you positive comments instead of the negative ones given before.

The smell is bad on some days but is better in different parts of town. We live on the south edge of town & rarely have the smell blow that far on the days that it does smell. It does not smell every day!

I've never rented here personally but check the paper or online classifieds, there must be rentals available. The school district (http://www.isd361.k12.mn.us) offers a preschool program as well as St Thomas School (218) 283-3430. There is at least 1, if not 2 other private preschools in town. We have children in elementary school & I've always found the teachers to be friendly & easy to speak with if I have concerns. Again, all schools are going to have good & bad, but I find International Falls schools to be acceptable for our children's learning experience.

There are 2 major grocery stores to shop at. I have found prices to be comparable if not cheaper than other areas of Minnesota. I prefer to avoid shopping at the local K-mart but can find many things I need at Menards.

Again, there are challenges to living here, such as isolation, backwoods mentalities & lack of large shopping malls. But those are qualities I treasure, as opposed to the hectic, hustle & bustle of larger cities with thousands & thousands of people. Our lives revolve around our children & we are comforted by the relative safety of the community.

Best wishes to you, hope your move goes well!

The smell is minamal to no smell at all on most days, the folks southeast of town get some minimal odor but in town its not at all common and not at all like it was 20 or more years ago. After a year here you won't even notice it. Schools are good as Vikesfan has mentioned and a private school does exist if you choose. Cost of living is actually very reasonable as compared to most parts of the country. The biggest crime wave last week and this week seems to be a couple of lost bikes. If you like the outdoors AND try to know the lakes and river you can actually provide for a good amount of your source of food if your so inclind. Houses in town are very low priced especially if you want a fixer-upper and know how to pick a good one. Actually I would like you to consider buying and not renting as some can be had for under $10,000 and many for under $20,000. Things go kinda slow around here, no need to be in much hurry so if thats what your looking for, we have it. The thinking is a bit woodsy but nobody here has to worry about whats happening down in the big cities so woodsy works fairly well up here. The biggest problem we actually have is folks from the big cities trying to screw things up like they did back where they came from. They often times don't realise that the reason they came here in the first place was because we did such a good job running things for the last 100 years they liked what we had to offer. I was born here, went to every school here including the local college, worked in the mill, guided, trapped, operated business, stayed at the local hospital, helped build the local hospital, own property here and will be buried here some day. Its a great life, fresh air, been all over the world and this is still home. The only problem I have ever had here is, the wonderful young lady I took to the prom 42 years ago is still mad at me.Welcome to town, we are glad to have you. PS. Fishing has been good all summer, had a good blueberry crop and I expect deer hunting, duck hunting and the wild rice will be good this fall also.

I just want to add one more comment. We are very excited about coming to I-Falls but, I was dissapointed and dis-heartened to hear that some citizens may be willing to take advantage of us (as incoming Border Patrol) through rent amounts or housing prices. I have already been forwarned by citizens up there that I-Falls is waiting for the new agents, and our money.

We do our research on the housing market, average real estate selling prices, job market, and cost of living. We are not made out of money and most of us have actually taken a loss on our houses (BP doesn't reimburse or buy our houses anymore)and income (becase we are sent to god awful places along the southern border and spouses cannot find work or daycare, so we are reduced to one income instead of two).

On the southern border, we have been forced to live in sub-standard, filthy housing and been charged an outrageous amount of rent. Lied to by local banks about the value of the homes we purchase just to add tax money to the city, and treated like outcasts from some community members because we are non-hispanic and BP.

As I have stated in earlier writings, we are very excited about coming home to MN and the beautiful state it is. Even more exciting was the fact that we were going back to, what I thought were, solid values and kind, honest people. Please I-Falls, treat us incoming BP the same as you would your lifelong neighbor. We just want to become a part of your beautiful community, churches and schools.

For those of you who would actually try to take advantage, be careful how you deal with the new agents coming into the area. We are a tight group and we will let everyone know who to work with and who NOT to work with. We have our ears on and our eyes wide open.

Peanuts, it is Wonderful how welcoming you are to new people moving into the area,OH, you were once new to the area. Troykelli, no matter what people write on this blog welcome to IFalls, and I am sure you will find out that there is a number of things to do all year long. The winters can be long but enjoyable. If someone hates it so bad,then it is time to pack up and move because no matter what there is to do, people like that will always find the BAD.

Anton,

Just think, during those long winter nights, she can get on here and blog away, and start giving roj2000 "heck", and that will make those winter days and nights go by so quickly, and before ya know it, it will be spring and almost time to fish for walleye. Speaking of walleye; in just a few short weeks, I will be up there fishing for them myself. Can't wait, just hope nobody's out to get ole roj2000!!

Hope you get big, fat and juicy walleye. Nobody, will be looking for ole roj2000 except the local warden, if you get to many big, fat and juicy walleye. Have a safe trip and see you when you get here. And your correct, she could have had fun giving you heck instead of being cooped up in the house all day long.

Tammy,

You're showing your age!!!! What a menu you had in the ole ice fishing house. I hope you had a good toilet, LOL!!

troykelli,

I know what you mean about the roaches, etc ...., on the border. My brother was stationed down on the CA/Mex border and I saw it first hand. He was smart though, he gave the roaches little brooms, and trained them how to clean the house, etc.... Made them "earn" their keep. It was a treat to watch the U.S. guys spend ALL day rounding up illegals, process them, send them back, and guess what? They were back, usually, the very next day. Talk about boosting your morale. But that is a whole different topic, for a much later time. Let's get back to the wonderful I-Falls, and Tammy's stories of YEARS ago!!

I guess what everyone is saying is WELCOME to our fair town. Everything is not always great but it is a beautiful area with low crime and affordable housing. Good schools, great outdoor activities. Your kids will love the freedom of this great town. We have gone elsewhere and came back. It doesn't always smell great but you can't have everything. WELCOME!!!

Peanuts, I hope it was a typo about 1998, because the man camp was burned about 10 years before that. As for how you were treated, I can guarantee that not everybody born and raised in the Falls is guilty of treating you wrong, or holds those thoughts. A few rotten apples have left a sour taste in your mouth. No matter where you live in the US there are locals that treat transplants with an attitude. My opinion on this is that the "Locals" feel that anyone moving in is taking away their precious jobs. I do not agree with that mentality but I feel that it exists. As a person born and raised in the fall, my father always said that when the smell goes away, so does the livelyhood of the falls go away. There are a lot of good hearted people who were born and raised in the falls and I hope that they will show themselves to any person moving into the falls.

Wow, Peanuts, I'm sorry it has seemed so terrible for you. As an erstwhile local, I have no illusions about some of the things you cite, particularly the adversarial union-mill stuff that took place decades ago BUT I would contend that much of what you feel is a general cultural malaise, as true of any smalltown as this one.. International Falls is a working class town and working class towns have not fared well in the trickle-down era. What trickled down was Wal-Mart/K-Mart, meth., pick-up truck mentality, ridiculous educational standards, the "race to the bottom" with Chinese workers -- a whole bunch of stuff that took away some of the joy of small town life. That International Falls exhibits signs of the same hardening of the culture is not surprising and I bet that troykelli will find much that reminds her of S. Texas. I agree with Anton and even roj1950 [gulp] that this place has some benefits for those looking for life full of great seasons, of unspoiled nature, and a simplicity of life. It's not heaven. It's not hell either. It's just an American place that is riding the same roller coaster as the rest of this country.

six-shooter-Tom is a well traveled, well educated and very expierenced friend of mine and very good friend of the community, as well. There is no better man, nor any more honest and hard working man you could ever want to meet. He has a good perspective of the world as compared to Int'l Falls and offers insight that is valuable even if you don't see it. There is certainly no reason to degrade any person or denigerate any one on the site even if you don't like them. The man would not take a nickle from you and he and his family are well respected in the community as well as many other areas in the world as well. I am sure he would be happy to do battle with you, if this is your intention, but please try to battle on a friendly basis. He would jump in the river to save your life if he didn't think you were going to try and drown him in the attempt. Thanks

TLJ,

Once again, you hit the nail on the head!! However, you have aged me by two years! As for troykelli, you will be fine when you move to the Falls. It sounds like your husband has a steady job with the Government, so just settle into town, and take the advice of the bloggers on here and make you own opinion. Since your husband will be coming to the Border Patrol (I think), then he will not be taking away some "local" good ole boy's job, so they can't hold that against you. As TLJ said, the town of I-Falls has fallen in disrepair, just like alot of other small towns in America. The world was much simpler in the 50's and 60's, and the Falls was a much more vibrant city. But all of the nasty, disgusting habits and attributes of big city living have trickled down to cities like I-Falls. So don't be suprised if you see teenagers walking around in their goth clothing, and maybe smoking a joint or even crack cocaine. Maybe they will have some meth too (supplied by some science teacher or something). But some of the writers on here have given you some good advice on what local bars and hangouts to stay away from. Every city has thier "dives" that the Cities "finest" go to drink away their troubles. But since you husband has a steady income coming in, then I think your family will have much to do and enjoy during your "tour" in the Falls. People on this blog, have given you many great ideas, and since it sounds like your husband grew up in Minnesota, then he should have the time of his life. But there is alot to accomplish, if the Falls wants to turn the furture of the city around, and maybe, just maybe, the City leaders (cliques/good ole boys),will let you give some input on how they may improve the economy and quality of life in the Falls. So come to the Falls with an open mind, and good luck fishing for walleye (best fish in the world).

tlj-- writing in paragraphs to blow my own horn is a waste of time. Something to think on tho---a person is always right until you know different, never wrong until you know better. So from one yokel to another have a great week-end.