Big blades whir in the small dairy farming community of McBain, fanning a new generation of green energy production in northern Michigan.

A grant-funded child advocacy group is working to improve young children's health, safety and education " including child care and preschool " through a state project known as Great Start. It aims to strengthen programs and resources for parents to improve children's well-being. The local Great Start includes Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Kalkaska and Manistee counties. The group issued a report featuring various demographic data to highlight areas that need work.

Northwestern Michigan Colleges fundraising wing is back on an upswing after investment losses reached $8 million during the last year. Losses turned to gains in recent months, though the bottom line remains down by nearly $4 million. The road to recovery wont be easy, officials said. As we move forward, given the risks with the current economy, its going to be a lot harder to make money, said Mark Lundmark, an NMC Foundation board member.

Walking into Encore Records is like stumbling into a corn maze, a disheveled college bedroom and a natural history museum all at once " just 20 times more overwhelming than any of those places. The walls are practically crawling with musical artifacts from the past century, teeming with an otherworldly sort of life that's completely missing when you're browsing for obscure records on allmusic.com.

Like snow in January, northern Michigan residents are used to it: once area farmers markets shut down for the season, that's the last they'll see of locally-grown goodies like fresh tomatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, potatoes, squash, garlic, apples, plums and lettuce until some time next year.

The issue: Crews to shoot movie in TC; Our view: It won't be the last

In the spirit of the State-Theatre-We-Can-Do-Anything attitude, I'd like to propose eight ideas for our next community project.

Additional fodder for Michigan's 2010 gubernatorial campaign debate came last week in a sobering report by a national public policy think tank that listed Michigan third among nine states in the most danger of following California into fiscal disaster.

Even though the election is nearly a year away, the race for Michigan's next governor is well under way.

They are loved; A closed deal?; The party of 'no'; Effect of laws limited; Save lives instead; Won't ensure recovery; Complete, unbiased.

St. Francis and Frankfort will see familiar foes next weekend in the state football semifianls.

TC's Harman nets 22 in CMU loss; Kingsley runners in Jr. Olympics; Track and field clinics slated; Zywicki, Ricord win Turkey Trot

Winds of change continue to blow in northern Michigan, at least when it comes to renewable power generation. Traverse City's Heritage Sustainable Energy is expanding its Stoney Corners Wind Farm in Missaukee County, and negotiating with Traverse City Light & Power to sell up to 10 megawatts of wind power. That's on the heels of a multi-million dollar pact to sell power to Detroit Edison. Wind farm developers said the project thus far has exceeded their expectations.

Oleson is elected chairman of board; Green workshops set in Grand Rapids; Course on MIOSHA rules offered in TC; Business expo is set for this week

The approach of the holidays means baking, shopping and reconnecting. How about adding volunteering or giving to the Christmas list? Local agencies need assistance with a variety of Thanksgiving and Christmas projects, and there are plenty of ways to chip in.

George Stamatakis is a session musician in Los Angeles. Nikiforos "Nik" Stamatakis is a software engineer in New York. Together the brothers developed the OctoPod audio recording application for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch.

The "Give It Away Now" food drive, spearheaded by the Life Teen Underground Youth Group, provided an opportunity for two local parishes to work together as one Catholic family to feed the hungry in the community. (Plus more good news from around the region.)

I noticed stuff -- little things, really -- during our early October New York adventure that are worth mentioning. Jenny and I had flown there when she was 10, to learn French. I'd noticed her aptitude for picking up languages, and felt the time was right.

The wind is blowing from the right direction this morning. I sit with my back against a white oak tree and watch as first light begins to show on the horizon. It is a cold, damp and a cloud-covered November morning.

Writing workshop Friday at NMC; Lighthouse keepers wanted in N'port; Local author pens action thriller; Recognizable places in story collection

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a list of deaths reported during the past week by funeral directors in the 13-county northwest Michigan region.