About Local Folks

By ARIEL ARCH, Intern

Seeing that other people have little compared to the wealth of most Americans often spurs people to help.
That’s the case with International Falls area resident Harry Batdorf.
Batdorf serves as the Adopt-A-Student program manager with the United States Lutheran Mission Association. He has traveled to Haiti twice with a group from LMA.

Arden Barnes’ functioning Russel tug boat is monument to an era

In the early days of local paper manufacturing, the first step of the process was floating logged trees into “booms” on Rainy Lake where they merged with thousands of others for the journey west.
These booms made their hurdled journey around Rainy’s bottle necked island points and narrowed rock passages until they reached the wide open spaces of Sand Bay.

Editor’s note:
Each Monday, The Daily Journal will be featuring excerpts from the life journals of the late Don Johnson. Johnson and wife Layna made their home and living, year ‘round on three islands within a range of a mile and a half on Rainy Lake. They were the parents of Don “Buck” Johnson, Byrne Johnson (who presents the journals), Beryl “Sally” Jernberg and Karen Gustafson.
The Dahlberg Years installments will continue on Aug. 11

The Dahlberg Years
Summer Activities 1936 - 1945
Don Johnson Journals and Letters
Presented by Byrne Johnson
Part 8

Shellie Monrean of International Falls has a rejuvenated faith in America after driving a 1930 Ford Model A automobile for 1,125 miles along Midwestern back roads from Minnesota to Pennsylvania. She saw that an old car and a good cause seemed to bring out the best in people. 

Tom Kuryla worked as electric lineman in Alaska

From simple tasks to complicated jobs, it just takes more work in Alaska.
The show “Tougher in Alaska” on the History channel brings that idea to life every week with episodes featuring the risks different workers face in Alaska’s rugged terrain and dangerous weather.

Don Johnson
The Dahlberg Years
Presented by Byrne Johnson
Part 7

Don Johnson had kept a journal during a couple of months in the winter of 1936 and except for some letters and a few months of journals in 1940 and a few months in 1942, his nine years as caretaker and boatman at the Dahlberg summer estate, Redcrest, is undocumented.

By ARIEL ARCH, Intern

Thousands of miles separate the United States from Indonesia, but the desire for education shortens those miles.
When Alicia Slaubaugh of International Falls attended the Rosedale Bible College in Ohio during the spring of 2008 she had no idea it would lead to a journey of a lifetime.
Through the school, Slaubaugh got involved in REACH, a non-profit group that organizes mission work all over the world. The program is affiliated with Rosedale Mennonite Missions.

Mandy Sears is one of eight new Falls firefighters

Becoming the first female firefighter on the International Falls Fire Department is a historic moment for the community. But Mandy Sears said she wants to be treated the same as the other firefighters.
Sears said she has always been interested in joining a fire department or ambulance service.
At her job as an off-machine coater at the Boise Inc. paper mill, Sears heard from her coworkers that the fire department was considering candidates for firefighter positions.

Editor’s note:
Each Monday, The Daily Journal will be featuring excerpts from the life journals of the late Don Johnson. Johnson and wife Layna made their home and living, year ‘round on three islands within a range of a mile and a half on Rainy Lake. They were the parents of Don “Buck” Johnson, Byrne Johnson (who presents the journals), Beryl “Sally” Jernberg and Karen Gustafson.
Excerpts from the entries written while caretakers for Bror Dahlberg’s Rainy Lake mansion will begin July 28.

Don Johnson Journal and Letters
1936 Camp Koochiching

Gov. Tim Pawlenty recently announced the appointment of an International Falls man to the Rural Health Advisory Committee.
Dr. Jeffrey Hardwig was appointed to the committee, along with Jode Freyholtz, and Minnesota Sen. Yvonne Prettner-Solon. Pawlenty also announced the reappointment of Dr. Raymond Christensen, Thomas Crowley, Diane Muckenhirn, Nancy Stratmand, and Sen. Betsy Wergin to the committee. With the exception of Solon, who is filling an unscheduled vacancy, all are appointed to four-year terms that expire Jan. 2, 2012.