Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The month of February is dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease and increasing knowledge about prevention. Heart disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of different diseases affecting the heart. As of 2007, it is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing one person every 34 seconds. Obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol can increase the risk of developing heart disease. However, fully half the amount of heart attacks occur in people with normal cholesterol levels. Of course one must also consider other factors such as lifestyle, for instance the amount of exercise one undertakes and their diet, as well as their overall health.

For more information contact the American Heart Association.

TipsEven if your children don’t have an account, they’ve certainly heard enough about it through word of mouth. The latest hangout for tweens and teens isn’t the mall in downtown or any particular club, but rather the chaotic world of cyberspace, at a website called MySpace.com. As the hottest social networking site on the web, MySpace has accumulated an estimated 54 million users in just three years of existence, with many users falling within the teen and twenty-something crowds and approximately 19% under the age of 17. MySpace is a wonderful place to meet others of like mind and interest, but with this sharing of interests come other dangers that are heightened by the unregulated nature of the Internet and the ready availability of personal information online.

Why MySpace?
Teens are constantly looking for places to hang out, away from parents and school. MySpace gives them just that – a place to socialize with others of similar interests and tastes. The biggest attraction in using MySpace is its ease of use and the number of friends one can meet online.
Setting up an account in MySpace is free and easy. The only requirements are that users must be at least 14 years of age. The information needed to start an account includes:
• Valid e-mail address
• First and last name  read more »

Duquesne University TamburitzansOn a regular basis, ICTV receives the Finnish Talk and Variety Show. Produced by Eric Jaakkola, this show is an informative and entertaining look into the world of Finnish culture. Featuring the sights and sounds surrounding many Finnish festivals, this program does indeed have much variety. The latest episodes feature the Duquesne University Tamburitzans. We received six episodes featuring this traditional and exciting Finnish entertainment. You can catch the Finnish Talk and Variety Show on ICTV's public access channel in it's regular time slots; Mondays at 5:30pm, Thursdays at 2:00pm, and Saturdays at 9:30pm. If you are of Finnish decent, have an interest in Finnish culture, or even if you just like entertaining and interesting stuff, be sure to check out this program. As always, you can go to ICTV's online schedule to see when new programs come in.

Grand Village GroundbreakingA ground breaking ceremony took place on Tuesday to mark the small addition and renovation project taking place at Grand Village nursing home. Itasca County Commissioner, Rusty Eichorn explained that this renovation will include converting 30 semi-private rooms to private rooms, each with a full bath, including a shower. This project will divide the traditional institutional setting into five residential communities. Each new community will have its own dining room, family room, personal laundry, and activities kitchen. Other features of the renovation will include a centrally-located Town Center with a barbershop, coffee shop, library with internet access and social gathering areas. This renovation will bring buildings that were built in 1972 up to today’s standards with substantial upgrades in the boilers, roofing, heating and cooling systems, and lighting. Commissioner Eichorn added that it’s a great project and he’s glad to be a part of it and looking forward to seeing it when it’s done.

I can't say I approach the prospect of writing an annual report with great enthusiasm, but when I get right down to it, I always find a few gems. This year is no exception. Here they go: Our volunteers (camera people, hosts, guests) gave ICTV gave 1,160 hours of their time to make public access television strong in 2009. Our big month was March when 52 people volunteered. Time wise, however, the big month was May when we had 114.7 volunteer hours. ICTV and its community partners produced 1,575 hours of programming. AND---Darcey put together 772 community bulletins for our Information Central channel and the Northern Community Internet site. We will celebrate all this and more at the Annual Membership Meeting and Luncheon Tuesday. Last minute reservations welcome at givemn.org search word ICTV or by calling 327-5866.