One by one, brightly colored beads are lifting Ugandan women out of extreme poverty. A sale of one-of-a-kind necklaces and bracelets, sponsored by the Unitarian Peacemaker Needleworkers group of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Traverse City, will benefit BeadforLife and the women they employ.

What's in your medicine cabinet? Your parents' medicine cabinet? Unused or expired medication does not belong there and Operation Medicine Cabinet wants to help. Instead of posing a health hazard to others. these prescription or over-the-counter items can be disposed of safely and legally.

Air Force Airman Brandon Corbett graduated from basic military training; Ian Wilson has graduated from the Army ROTC Leader Development and Assessment Course; Navy Seamen Lukas McPhall and Holly Fehrenbach recently completed U.S. Navy basic training; Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Dale Dunham recently completed Naval Nuclear Power Training Pipeline; Air Force Tech. Sgt. Lisa Mercer has arrived for duty at RAF Lakenheath, England; Army Pfc. Jordan Shaffer has graduated from the Direct Fire Infantryman One Station Unit Training; Army Pfc. Jordan Shaffer has graduated from the Direct Fire Infantryman One Station Unit Training; Army Lt. Col. Steven Van Riper has deployed to Iraq.

Juniper Garden Club program on quilts; Forum on gay and lesbian issues

You're riding south to a reunion when a warm flush begins to spread through your body. Your chest grows uncomfortably tight, making it hard to breathe and your heart begins to race. Before you can react, a tingling sensation creeps up your arm, you get dizzy and begin to sweat. Your unease turns to terror as you realize you're having a heart attack.

Annabelle Stachnik is a third-grader at the Grand Traverse Academy and her friend, Anna Jackson, is a second-grader. The two share the same homeroom. When Annabelle received an invitation to Anna's seventh birthday party, Annabelle's mom, Alaina Stachnik, was so impressed that Anna asked her guests to consider making a donation to a local food pantry instead of giving her gifts. (Plus more good news from around the region.)

With cuts of nearly $300 per student looming and some districts looking at losing as much as $600 per student, think tanks, business groups and education advocates are calling for looking again at the way Michigan pays for public schools.

Great Lakes officials are trying to beat back the voracious Asian carp at the gates of Lake Michigan, while still wrangling with another nasty invader that snuck in at least 90 years ago.

Businesses across Michigan are bracing for the swine flu by paying for vaccinations and setting out hand sanitizer, but health officials are urging them to be flexible about employee absences.

Some leftover Halloween candy is expected to make its way to U.S. troops serving overseas.

To the Department of Natural Resources and Detroit Riverfront Conservancy; Ed Moody, also known as "Pumpkin Ed"; the Old Mission Historical Society, Boy Scout Troops 31 and 34 of Traverse City and the Old Mission Peninsula Tree Project volunteers; Gaylord Jowett; local inventors Bernard Yantz and Michael Weatherholt II; the Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program; the Michigan Department of Transportation; and all Sara Hardy Farmers Market farmers and visitors.

Repower Michigan; Time to pay up

Is it safe to party when swine flu threatens to crash your bash? It's a question many revelers may be asking this year as the holiday party season coincides with an anxiety-provoking flu season. The good news is that while it is true that mingling over punch and canapes can help spread the H1N1 virus, health and entertaining experts say it's possible to throw a holiday party without making everyone wear surgical masks and hazmat suits. It's a question of managing risk.

November is met with differing degrees of enthusiasm by the man of the house than it is by his wife. From the minute the first trees start to show a splash of color, the Michigan men start counting days until deer season. As wives look ahead they see Thanksgiving, Christmas, shopping, cleaning, cooking and company looming with considerably less excitement. But really now, wouldn't you rather do what we do, than get up before daylight and go to the woods and sit on a frozen stump all day? So pass the sticky notes and let's get at it.

Pat Chapman, of Suttons Bay, said she made this salad for her family and it was such a hit, they encouraged her to send it in.

Mac and Cheese Bake Off tix on sale; Classes set for holiday desserts; Wanted: Holiday cookie sale info

A side of salmon is an easy and elegant way to serve a crowd.

A slice of cake is always a pleasure, but it doesn't have to be a guilty one. When baking cakes, there are a few things you can do to give most recipes a healthy makeover. This pumpkin-cranberry spice cake, for instance, is an indulgent but healthy treat that uses tricks easily applied to other recipes.

Editor's Note: Five in the Eicher home have fevers, including Lovina. She was unable to complete a column for this week. We are wishing her a quick recovery for next week. This week I am sharing two of my favorite recipes that Lovina wrote for inclusion in "The Amish Cook's Baking Book," available in stores now.

Whether you need a last-minute hors d'oeuvre or an effortless way to use a spare round of purchased pie crust, try these sweet or savory pinwheels that come together in minutes, bake up attractively, travel well and are incredibly versatile.