Falls residents to be featured on ‘The Doctors’
It may seem commonplace for International Falls families to winterize their houses, their vehicles and, yes, even mom, dad and the kids.
Days with bitterly cold temperatures and feet of snowpack does not stop many people from enjoying the great outdoors. In fact, it may fuel their fire to venture out even more.
Dressing in layers and the winter sports may be understood in northern Minnesota, but for people in other parts of the country, it is either quickly forgotten after the lone winter storm or is a curiosity, with questions like, “Do people really live there?” “Do people really do that?”
Few places can boast the title “Icebox of the Nation,” and when temperatures dip below zero, as they did Tuesday morning when a television crew filmed in town, it often draws national attention.
Crews were in town Tuesday filming a segment for the CBS show “The Doctors,” a program hosted by medical professionals that discuss various issues related to health and wellness.
On Dec. 15, a segment on winterizing the family is expected to feature the Auran family of International Falls, as well as scenes from around town and an interview with Falls Mayor Shawn Mason.
When Mason was asked by the show to recommend an active, winter-loving family, she asked Lisa Auran if she, her husband Jim and their three daughters would be filmed. And although the Aurans are not used to being in the spotlight, they bundled up and showcased Rainy Lake and the activities many locals enjoy.
Jim and Lisa joked to the film crew that they were “Mr. and Mrs. Jack Frost” due to their family’s passion for outdoor activities, especially in the winter. Lisa, who was raised in International Falls and considers herself a typical hockey mom, said that she couldn’t imagine living and raising her children where there wasn’t a proper winter.
The three Auran girls — Amy, 14; Abby, 12; and Gina, 10 — are all hockey players in the winter. When they’re not practicing with their teams or traveling to games, they can practice with each other on the fresh ice of Rainy Lake behind their house. But the whole family loves winter and staying active, including skiing, snowshoeing, sledding and other pastimes.
“I guess I take it for granted, because if those guys saw snow, they’d be out there in a heartbeat,” Amy said about kids who live in areas that don’t get snow.
A favorite activity for the girls is packing in snow on the steps leading up to a second story landing and sledding down the snow into the yard. The family also enjoys visiting at and fishing in friends’ ice fishing houses, many of which can be seen from their backyard.
“We don’t own a Wii,” Lisa said. She added that the family spends its spare time outside, creating camaraderie as well as exercise and recreation.
Their arsenal of winter hats, choppers, coats, sweatshirts, scarves, boots and other winter gear was fodder for the television crew, a portion of whose audience may have never seen that many layers of clothes.
As for tips for those unfamiliar with the winter, they advise to be prepared, dress for the conditions and stay active.
This is certainly not the first time camera crews have visited Borderland to shoot film of the frosty conditions. And for Mason, each opportunity to get statewide, national and international publicity is a chance to draw people to the area and “put International Falls on the map.”
“It’s important because this is the method in which International Falls receives a lot of attention ... and it’s an opportunity to showcase to the country and the world what kind of a community we are in,” Mason told The Journal as camera crews readied to interview her at Smokey Bear Park about the winter activities. “It’s really important to use that priceless opportunity, to let people know what it means to be the Icebox of the Nation.
“It means it’s cold enough to create phenomenal winter playground conditions. If it were not cold in the wintertime, we would not have a frozen lake to fish on, we wouldn’t have snow that would stay for snowmobiling and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. This allows us to tell a story to millions of people. What other community has that opportunity?”
But Mason was also quick to point out that the Falls has four seasons, all of which provide the backdrop for different activities.
“I tell people we live in God’s country,” Lisa said when asked by the television reporter about International Falls. Jim added that the people of the area were friendly, an area where people can leave their keys in their car and run into a store.
The Aurans were also expecting to video conference with the hosts of the show on Friday. “The Doctors” airs locally on CBS, KDLH Channel 3 at 9 a.m. Monday through Friday.
