International Falls Daily Journal - About Local Folks - Comments

The Johnson Journals are

Schmitty53 — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:16:23 -0600

The Johnson Journals are like a paper time machine to the wonderful days of this area's past. One of if not the best thing to look forward to at this site. If we could just snap our fingers and be there now, many of us would.

The Johnson Journals are

BearsPass64 — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:39:31 -0600

The Johnson Journals are something to look forward to....have you ever thought of publicatiion?
I enjoy reading the journals from the Johnson files as it brings back some memories of growing up in the Falls during the 40's, 50's, and 60's. Thanks Tom!

Dan and Karen, good luck in

Schmitty53 — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:11:47 -0500

Dan and Karen, good luck in your endeavor to move to Montana. Never knew you, but your work and words as a taxidermist show a strong conviction to get the job done right for the customer. No shortcuts to a job well done. I've had several mounts done and based on your words I would have preferred a few had been done by you. Good luck and good health Dan as you and your wife move forward to a new home and location and God bless.

No. think as long as we are

concernedperson — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:22:36 -0500

No. think as long as we are discussing possible cures for auto-immune diseases and stem cell therapy being the most likely candidate for such cures its going to be all good. I agree about the umbilical stem cells. but draw the line at embryonic, or late term abotion stem cells. I think the line should be drawn at whether or not someone or something has to die to yeild up the researchable material.
I am all in favor of using harvestable stem cells for research but only under certain circumstances. Otherwise as you have said it becomes goulish.

That's where the debate

shades of gray recording — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:19:50 -0500

That's where the debate becomes foggy...
Adult stem cells, no problem. I don't think many people have any problem with that research or treatment. Go for it, good luck.

But then what about the "infant" stem cells? And "harvested"? From where?

From umbilical stem cells, why not. It's just going to be wasted genetic material eventually, if it can be used for life saving medical treatment, sure.

From a late term aborted fetus? I think not, bad karma, it's ghoulish. That's just my opinion I know, but it's quite a bit different then say, choosing to be an Organ Donor on you driver's license.

Apologies if I strayed off topic.

Yes one could hope that stem

concernedperson — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:29:33 -0500

Yes one could hope that stem cells could become the miracle drug treatment of the twentyfirst century, and I hope so.
However to this point the history of stem cell intervention has been less that hoped for, and stem cells harvested from infants and embryos have not yet produced one positive treatment since the experimentation with them began lo these many years.
Adult stem cells however have been successful in more than five thousand (5,000) instances.
So lets stop funding research with infant stem cells and continue to work with adult stem cells which will end the infantcide that the industry is actively involved in.

Your article comes as a

tiberiu — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:30:00 -0500

Your article comes as a shock to me... We have another illness that can't be treated with a drug treatment. It seems that such a rare genetic disease can only be fixed with the help of stem cells. Stem cells may be the answer to many fatal diseases out there in the world.

It's good to see a local boy

roj2000 — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:09:29 -0500

It's good to see a local boy make the big times and do good!! But, he and the group, couldn't catch Bin Laden. WHY NOT??

Well done, Mike. Deserve

RJ1127 — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:28:41 -0500

Well done, Mike.
Deserve Success

Mark Jerstad was a longtime

IFallsRon — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:25:26 -0500

Mark Jerstad was a longtime pastor in the Falls who died of cancer in 1997.

To be honest I was surprised

sectorusa — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:54:40 -0500

To be honest I was surprised to read that Marie Knudson passed away because I didn't think she was still alive. This may sound crass but it is not by any means. As Kathy stated in this article, when she walked out of the library upon her retirement she never returned.

Often people who have a huge impact in a community become forgotten over time.

But I remember Marie Knudson vividly. When I attended Falls High School and then Rainy River State Junior College (RRSJC back then) I used the Falls Public Library often for writing reports, term papers, and doing research.

And she ALWAYS knew what you were working on, what the topic of your term paper or research was all about.

And each and every time while I was sitting at one of those library tables with the very hard chairs, reading and researching and preparing footnotes and all of those things SHE WOULD ALWAYS COME UP TO ME and hand me something that she had pulled out of the stacks or periodical racks or the file cabinets or her cardboard boxes for me to look at to use.

She gave me a lot of confidence. Just when I was about ready to give up and head home she'd show up with one more tidbit for me to use or consider. And to tell you the truth I really don't ever recall telling her what I was working on, what my area of interest happened to be. She just knew right from the start and right down to the last detail.

I left I. Falls with a great respect for public libraries. And especially what a great resource they are. I availed myself of them during my under grad studies at Hamline University and my post grad studies at the University of St. Thomas.

And when I am traveling anywhere, no matter where it is I always make it a point to check out the local library. I think this is where you can learn what the community you are visiting is all about.

I can remember when Marie was there when they switched from the Dewey Decimal System to the Library of Congress. I see she retired in 1978. So I don't know what her exposure was when the world started to go online.

I guess I remember her being strict about being quiet in the library but it didn't bother me. I do remember that one time while I was attending RRSJC I was in the Falls Publlic Library reading through that big fat dictionary that was on the stand by the card catalogs. In fact I took it off the stand and brought it to my table. I forget why I was poring through this huge dictionary but I had it for quite awhile.

The library was pretty quiet that night. I think there was a blizzard outside.

Anyway she walked up to my table and asked something like "why are you looking through that dictionary for so long, what are you looking for"?

I looked up at her and I said "why Ms. Knudson, the dictionary is my playground"!

She just turned around and shook her head. But I couldn't help but hear her mumble "smart ass" as she walked away! Quite a gal who had a slightly quiet and subtle sense of humor.

As libraries go she was 'ol school' all the way. But it was a great place to go on a stormy night. And the things I learned from my experiences at the Falls Public Library and Marie Knudson proved invaluable to me after I left I. Falls and they still do to this day.

Your wisdom blessed many of us Marie. God bless you.

What a wonderfully

Thomas L. Johnson — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:20:07 -0500

What a wonderfully researched and well-written piece. I was one of those people whose first paying job was working for Marie Knudson, spending part of the summer of nineteen-sixty-something moving books under her constant and wise vigilance. I went on to work in libraries in college, largely because the library was like an extension of home. Still is. My daily trip to town almost always includes time in the library. Thanks, Faye, for a great piece of writing.

You can find copies of the

mollyjayne — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:09:49 -0500

You can find copies of the book at ranierbookandprints.com.

Very interesting story,

general69 — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:27:57 -0500

Very interesting story, really enjoyed reading it!

I am very interested in

bishop135 — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:53:25 -0500

I am very interested in purshasing this book. I couldn't find it posted on the internet anywhere - I live in NY. Where could I get a copy??