Stephanie Heinle, far right, poses with her husband and three sons during a recent trip to the Cayman Islands. Pictured from left are: Allen Johnson, Chev Arnold, Isaac Johnson and Tim Heinle. The family recently purchased a condo in the Cayman Islands and will be featured on an upcoming episode of HGTV’s House Hunters International.
Coffee Landing owners Tim and Steph Heinle hope to open a coffee shop in the Cayman Islands some day.
When Stephanie Heinle found out her family was going to be featured on a popular television show, she screamed, danced and created quite a commotion – all while her customers were watching.
“Anyone who knows me knows how excited I get about stuff like this,” said the owner of the Coffee Landing.
Heinle and her family will appear in an upcoming episode of HGTV’s House Hunters International. The show will hopefully air before the end of the year, she said.
“I’m so excited for everyone to see it,” she said. “I really hope I portrayed this community well.”
The process started last year when Heinle reached out to the show’s producers after she and her husband, Tim, decided to purchase a condo in the Cayman Islands. After visiting the tropical location on their honeymoon in 2011, Heinle said she was hooked on owning something in the area.
“I stepped off the plane and loved it immediately,” she said.
The first email Heinle sent to producers went unanswered, so she tried again a few months later, noting she’s the type of person who goes after something she wants.
“I just told them we were going to the island soon and they were going to miss a great story opportunity,” she said. “I was 99.9 percent sure our story would be a good fit for the show.”
In April, Heinle was preparing to fax a due diligence to her Cayman realtor when she received an email from producers that they were interested in portraying the family for the show.
“I literally lost it,” she said. “I was so excited.”
During the next couple months, several back-and-forth emails were exchanged before a film crew came to International Falls in September to start shooting for the show. The crew followed Heinle, her husband and two of her sons around the community for one day and then a few more days in Cayman.
“It was hard work filming,” Heinle admitted. “It was a few full days of it.”
Heinle said the focus of the episode will be a family from the Icebox of the Nation looking for a condo in a warmer climate. The storyline is the two boys want a place closer to the party scene while she and Tim would like something quieter, but at the same time in an ideal location to hopefully open a coffee shop nearby.
“I’d love to have Coffee Landing Cayman,” Heinle said. “I’ve met with other coffee shop owners down there and I’m really hoping I can make that happen someday...By the end of the show, I think people will be surprised which of the three properties we choose. Everybody kind of scored on what we ended up with.”
When her friends, family and strangers watch the show, Heinle is hopeful people realize they can do what they set their minds to.
“We’re a small-town family who accomplished our dream,” she said. “Some people have hunting shacks, some have cabins, it just so happens we have a condo in the Cayman.”
Now the family can alter its focus on enjoying the new condo, when schedules allow.
“We got it all decked out,” Heinle said of her second home. “I just love it there. I like the island because their motto is they are Cayman Kind. Since we come from Minnesota Nice, it is a good fit.”
As soon as an air date for the Heinle’s episode of House Hunters International is announced, The Journal will include the information in the Borderland Briefs section.
LuAnne Caul, left, and her mother, Gladyce Arnold, rang The Salvation Army Bell at Stewart’s Super One Wednesday. Both women were ringing the bell on behalf of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary. Arnold, who is 99 years old, is one of the oldest volunteer bell ringers.
LuAnne Caul, left, and her mother, Gladyce Arnold, rang The Salvation Army Bell at Stewart’s Super One Wednesday. Both women were ringing the bell on behalf of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary. Arnold, who is 99 years old, is one of the oldest volunteer bell ringers.
International Falls Electrician Rusty Blais places lights atop a Christmas tree placed near the International Falls Area Chamber of Commerce building this week.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas with International Falls workers adding decorative touches to the city’s streets, businesses placing lights around their shops and bell ringers manning the red kettles.
From the left, International Falls Administrator Ken Anderson, city Attorney Steve Shermoen and Falls Mayor Bob Anderson speak to the Koochiching County Board Tuesday to request approval of an agreement that would annex land within the multimodal district into International Falls.
Wade
Pavleck
Annexing the multimodal district into International Falls was delayed Tuesday after the Koochiching County Board tabled action to move the effort forward.
Concerns about protecting property and residents near Second Creek circled among commissioners prompting the motion to table.
The International Falls City Council approved an agreement to annex the uninhabited 51 acres located west of Second Creek along County Highway 155 and east of the existing city boundary Nov. 17, but need the county board’s approval.
City Attorney Steve Shermoen told county commissioners protection of Second Creek is included in the agreement, and it also defines a buffer zone in which no development will occur.
“Actually, through this annexation and our proposed usage, it offers much more protection to Second Creek than it otherwise would have,” he said. “Without the city coming in to establish these buffers and the types of usage that we want to use, anything could have occurred there.”
The city attorney continued he will work with a group in January to develop a document that better outlines protection of fish habitat and water quality in Second Creek. He said that document may include what restrictions to development should be adopted.
Commissioner Wade Pavleck said residents were concerned some kind of industrial waste facility, such as the Renewable Energy Clean Air Project, or RECAP, would be located on the site.
“It’s not to pick on RECAP,” he said. “It’s any industrial waste facility. Why wouldn’t they be concerned about that?”
Shermoen said city officials are not considering RECAP as a tenant, even though they were approached by RECAP officials more than one year ago about the location.
“We’ve backed off on any discussions,” he said. “There is no way RECAP is going to come into this area unless the county board wants it to. “
However, Shermoen said it wouldn’t be appropriate to prohibit any business or type of business in an annexation agreement.
Pavleck disagreed.
“From everything I understand, it can be excluded,” he said. “I think it should be in (an agreement) and I think it can be done.”
He then said he didn’t think the county should take any action until there was an agreement both sides could recommend.
Commissioner Brian McBride said the city has a viable business looking to locate in the district and would need the annexation to advance.
“We need to move forward,” McBride said.
“We’ve made our worst decisions when someone says, ‘You gotta act now,’” Pavleck said. “We’re not ready.”
The agenda for Monday’s regular Falls City Council meeting includes under old business an update and reconsideration of the joint resolution and annexation agreement with the county for the multimodal district.
In other business, the board on a 4-1 vote approved a land repurchase application for a property within International Falls city limits that has been sitting vacant since 2008. Commissioner Brian McBride voted against the motion.
Scott Tupper, who previously owned the lot located on Main Avenue, will be able to repurchase the property home which was forfeited to the state Dec. 3, 2013. Taxes became delinquent in 2009. Tax forfeited property is managed by the county in which it is located.
“Mr. Tupper under our repurchase policy and under state law has the right to apply,” said county Land Commissioner Dennis Hummitzsch.
McBride said the property may have been purchased by adjacent property owners or others had it been sold by the county in an auction. Instead, he said the property owner who stopped paying taxes is allowed to wait until the last minute to buy it back.
“We’ve sat on it for a year and I believe it should have went up for auction to give all neighbors a chance to buy it,” he said.
Kelly Meyers, International Falls building official, said he, too, wishes the process to sell a property in an auction was faster, and that city officials have been aware of issues with the property for some time.
“I would have written this one up as a home that needed to be taken care of in a timely fashion,” he said, noting he hasn’t been in the building on the property since 2008.
Prior to the board’s decision, Meyers said if Tupper repurchases the property, the city will likely give him a timeline to make repairs to get the structure in compliance with city regulations.
Cara Taschuk told board members she lives next door to the property and would have liked to bid on it had it gone to auction.
“It’s an eye sore,” she said. “It gets tagged for grass all the time. We help with upkeep with the grass as much as we can do...It would be nice to have the opportunity to try and buy it.”
Tupper’s cousin, Wayne Fuller, said the property has been for sale for “quite some time.”
“I believe most of the surrounding property owners were aware of that,” he said. “I currently have a signed purchase agreement on the property contingent on the decision of the board today.”
Fuller said he has experience working with hazardous properties and intends to fix up the structure.
Snow and cold is helping groomers to get the trails ready for riding. IVSC maintains 158 miles of groomed trails in Borderland.
It may feel and look like Borderland is in the grips of Old Man Winter, but many of the winter outdoor recreation opportunities just aren't ready.
A mix of warm and cold weather across Minnesota has created inconsistent ice on lakes, rivers and ponds.
Children and pets should not be allowed near frozen waters, urge Minnesota resource managers. Not only can children and pets be put in danger by walking on to the ice, the health of other people who would attempt a rescue effort would also be put at risk.
Anyone venturing onto any of Borderland's frozen water now is urged to check ice depths frequently. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources also advises people heading out onto the ice to carry with them a set of ice picks.
While some people locally are already beginning to ice fish and spear fish, Voyageurs National Park Chief Ranger Chuck Remus urged caution.
"Check on your way out the ice thickness because conditions now are variable," Remus said. "I would advise no travel on ice."
He noted the main parts of Rainy and Namakan lakes are not yet frozen over.
DNR clear ice thickness recommendations are:
- 4 inches for walking.
- 5 inches for a snowmobile or ATV.
- 8-12 inches for a car.
- 12-15 inches for a medium-sized truck.
Snowmobile, ski and snowshoe trails in Borderland are not yet ready for use.
Remus said no trails in Voyageurs National Park are yet being prepared for use, and he noted many park trails can only be accessed via ice, which is not yet ready for travel.
The International Voyageurs Snowmobile Club, which maintains about 134 miles of groomed trails in Borderland, has scheduled its annual trail clearing day for Dec. 6, according to its website, http://www.ridetheborder.com/.
People interested in assisting to get the trails ready for use are urged to meet at 9 a.m. at Rainy Lake One Stop, Highway 11 east.
The club will host the 2015 MNUSA Winter Rendezvous Feb. 12-15.
