About Local Folks

Dick Lorette will be honored as the Sportsperson of the Year tonight by the Trails End Chapter of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association tonight at the annual rally.
Lorette will retire from his job as a wildlife technician for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources this year. He was nominated by his supervisor, Frank Swendsen, who cited Lorette’s dedication and 26 years of service to wildlife in Koochiching County.

VNP staff recount experiences in hurricane, on reservation

As Hurricane Ike bore down on Houston, six Voyageurs National Park staff waited for it to pass so they could begin their jobs.
VNP rangers Jay Brown and Nate Hawley, fire fighters Kurt Fogelberg and Owen Johnson and maintenance employees Seth Nelson and Chad Nevalainen were among 57 National Park Service staff who responded to a request for park staff knowledgeable in boat operation to assist in the recovery following the hurricane. The Category 2 hurricane struck the coast of Texas Sept. 12.

In the notable “Wild Wings” original art catalog, local resident Cherie Taylor Serrano annotates one of her paintings in this way:
“Reverence best describes the feeling that washes over me as I look into the face of an impending storm on Rainy Lake. My personal challenge has been to capture and convey the sense of immanence that motivated me to paint this scene.”

Don Johnson Letters and Journals
Norway (Hvoslef) Island 1944-1987
Part 16

Two lucky International Falls residents will be spending Halloween aboard a cruise ship in the Bahamas, all expenses paid.
Sean Bahr won a recent drawing to join Bud Light Party Cruise from Oct. 31 to Nov. 4.
Bahr will travel to Cape Canaveral, Fla., where he will join 4,600 other cruise winners aboard the Royal Caribbean liner, Sovereign of the Seas, and its sister ship, Majesty of the Seas. He visited the contest Web site and saw there are about 10 other Minnesota winners.

Don Johnson Letters and Journals
Norway (Hvoslef) Island
1944-1987
Part 15

[On November 26, 1944, Don wrote the following which turned out to be the resumption of diary keeping. He continued to write about 100 words a day with few significant breaks until August of 1987.]
Will try to give a blow by blow account of transformation from caretakers at Dahlbergs to resort owners on Hvoslef's island.

Big Falls native receives two national honors from the Central Intelligence AgencyA Borderland native was honored by his nation twice last week for service as an intelligence officer.

Maj. Gen. Michael Ennis, United States Marine Corps retired, was honored by the Central Intelligence Agency with its Distinguished Intelligence Medal for exceptional service as the first director of the National Clandestine Service Department of Community Human Intelligence, known as HUMINT.

Paul Reuter and Don Reuter Sr., two cousins that served in World War II, were honored for their service as commanders in the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Around 30 friends and family gathered Sunday at the International Falls VFW Peter Graham Post 2948, to reminisce and enjoy cake and ice cream in honor of the two past commanders.
Present post and District 8 Commander Terry Randolph presented the two with certificates from the VFW and U.S. Army for meritorious and distinguished service, which were also signed by Stan Kowalski, state VFW commander.

Don Johnson Letters and Journals
Norway (Hvoslef) Island
Part 14

[Also in the February letter to Bill Welsh, a progress report on the island project.]

Don Johnson Letters and Journals
The Dahlberg Years 1936-1945

[The following is from an oral history recorded by Voyageurs National Park in August of 1976. This was Don speaking.]