The Record-Eagle reports that Penn State setter and Leland graduate Alisha Glass was named first team all-Big Ten in volleyball. This is a great followup to her selection to the all-freshman team last season.
CSTV.com adds some details on Alisha's accomplishments:
Glass earns her first career All-Big Ten award as she was named to the All-Freshman team a year ago. She was named the Sports Imports/AVCA National and Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 19 after leading the Nittany Lions to a combined .350 hitting percentage in wins over No. 9 Wisconsin and Illinois, having three players average 4.10 kills per game. Glass is setting the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten-best .337 hitting percentage, also good for second in the nation, is averaging 12.97 assists per game and has five double-doubles for the year. She set a new school record with 14 blocks at Illinois.
Penn State is ranked #1 in the nation this year and opens the NCAA tournament tonight.
Editor's note: This is one of the neatest productions I've ever seen, and I'm not just saying that because my mom is in in it. Well, not totally at least.
With the addition of the classic tale of "The Christmas Tree Ship," the Leelanau Players and the Inland Seas Education Association are pleased to announce four special holiday benefit performances of "The Almanac of the North" on December 7, 8, and 9 at the Bay Theatre in Suttons Bay.
Featuring many of the actors, scenes from writers including Ernest Hemingway, Bruce Catton, Jim Harrison, Lynne Rae Perkins, Kathleen Stocking and Anne-Marie Oomen and the live music that made last season's premiere presentation of "The Almanac of the North" such a great success, the new Holiday Edition is sure to become an annual event not to be missed. Proceeds will support the Inland Seas Matching Scholarship Fund and the Leelanau Players Production Fund.
The Almanac is entertainment for the entire family. Children under 12 and accompanied by a parent will be admitted free. Showtimes are at 8 pm on Friday and Saturday and 3:30 pm and 7:00 pm on Sunday and you can call ISEA at 231-271-3077 for information and reservations.

Sleeping Bear Point from Thoreson Road Trail by Jim Sorbie
News from the Week
Stories from the week included the first snowfall of the season and a feature on the Laker Chair Company.
The Week's Weather
If you like snow, wind and cold temperatures, then you were probably pretty happy as winter made an exuberant debut this week. As one who does like those things, I have to admit that Tuesday with its power outages and screaming winds was a bit over the top.
November 22, 2007: Snow & 20s (30°/16°)
November 23, 2007: Flurries & 20s (30°/15°)
November 24, 2007: Flurries & 30s (37°/26°)
November 25, 2007: Mostly sunny & 40 (41°/33°)
November 26, 2007: Partly sunny, flurries & 30s (41°/32°)
November 27, 2007: Light snow, high winds & 30 (32°/19°)
November 28, 2007: Cloudy, breezy, wet snow & 30s (35°/16°)
Click for the Leelanau news archive from November 2006!
Higher Grounds Trading Company in Traverse City is hosting a Holiday Gift Gala featuring a Bay Bucks Mini-Market, Trunk Show with Wares direct from Kenya and India plus a chance to sample local Foods from Scott's Harbor Grill, Food For Thought, Grocer's Daughter Chocolates, Naturally Nutty Peanut Butters, Fresh Food Partnership, Pleasanton Bakery. There's a sampling of Grocer's Daughter's chocolates and locally-made wines from 2-5 PM.
The event takes place this Saturday (Dec 1) from 11 AM - 5 PM. You're also encouraged to bring a gift for the Michigan Youth Opportunities Program who work with youths aged 18 - 24 who are transitioning out of foster care. They are requesting gas cards, mittens, hats, gift certificates for restaurants, groceries, small appliances or other similar items.
You can get directions right here and for additional info, call Jody at 922-9009.
There's a lot happening this weekend - here's a list!
On Saturday (Dec 1) at 5 PM, head over to Nagonaba Street at Waukazoo in Northport for a community gathering downtown for official Northport Christmas Tree Lighting.
Check out the Higher Grounds Holiday Gift Gala on Saturday too!
Suttons Bay Holiday Happenings on Sunday (Dec 2) include free Christmas Concert at the Congregational Church (3 PM), Santa at the Silvertree Deli (3:30 - 5 PM) and Village Tree Lighting with refreshments at Silvertree (5 PM).
Cedar’s Christmas Party will be this Sunday (Dec 2) from 2-4 pm at the Solon Township Hall in Cedar. All materials will be provided to make wreaths, centerpieces, jewelry, and crafts for kids. Make it and take it home all at no charge. Come visit with friends and enjoy refreshments.
From noon to 4 PM on Sunday (Dec 2), the Grand Traverse Lighthouse hosts Christmas at the Lighthouse. It's a day long open house with featuring refreshments and the arrival of Santa (at 3 PM).
Come to the Village Green in Leland at 5 PM on Sunday (Dec 2) to light the Christmas tree. Then follow Santa to the Old Art Building to sing carols, meet Santa, and decorate Christmas cookies. Also on Saturday in Leland is the Merry Marketplace and Friday is Starlight Night.
On Monday (Dec 3) the Friendship Community Center in Suttons Bay hosts Evergreen Revelry. I don't know exactly what it is (or what time) but you can call them at 271-4630.
Did we miss something? Post it below!
The Leelanau Enterprise has a feature on an interesting project by the shop class at Glen Lake High School.
To reinforce the knowledge they are imparting to their students, teachers Judy Willey and Jeff Barrett came up with an idea: form a company and have the students apply for jobs within the company. But rather than make it a "paper" entity, they decided to make it a real company.
"We came up with the Laker Chair Company. Jeff and I are the CEOs, the kids like to joke about that," said Willey. The students are building Adirondack chairs made of cedar wood, and then market and sell the chairs. The class has produced four chairs, which they donated to the Glen Lake Gala.
Read The Laker Chair Company: Glen Lake 'Transition' program becomes a real business in the Enterprise...

Cher took this photo on Thanksgiving morning - hope you're all enjoying the weekend!

Photo credit: dune grass by latitude 4
News from the Week
News from the week included 4 Leelanau wineries making the list of Michigan's top wine producers and a super-cool Fishtown photo that makes a great background for your computer!
The Week's Weather
The week's weather wasn't much to talk about, so we won't.
November 15, 2007: Cloudy, flurries & 30s (39?/33?)
November 16, 2007: Cloudy, light evening snow & 30s (39?/33?)
November 17, 2007: Cloudy, flurries & 30s (37?/30?)
November 18, 2007: Partly sunny & 40 (41?/26?)
November 19, 2007: Rain & 40s (46?/30?)
November 20, 2007: Rain & 40s (46?/33?)
November 21, 2007: Light snow & upper 30s (41?/30?)
Click for the Leelanau news archive from November 2006!
From Nov 29 - Dec 9, Leland Public School Drama will present one of the longest running Off-Broadway shows of all time, Little Shop of Horrors. High School students from Leland Public School and St. Mary's of Lake Leelanau, directed by Jeremy John Evans, team up for this affectionate spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies.
A down-and out skid row floral assistant becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood. Soon "Audrey II" grows into an ill-tempered, R&B-singing carnivore who offers him fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite, finally revealing itself to be an alien creature poised for global domination!
Shows will begin in Leland's Performing Arts Center at 7 pm on December 6, 7, 8 and 9th. There will also be a 2 pm matinee on December 8th. Call Leland Public School at 256-9857 for more information or to purchase advance tickets. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students.
Yesterday's Traverse City Record-Eagle reported that Leelanau Wine Cellars of Omena was the Michigan winery #1 for in-state sales in 2006, selling almost 686,000 liters (up 45% from 2005). The previous #1, St. Julian of Paw Paw is likely still the top producer in Michigan due to extensive out-of-state sales.
"We've really been going through a lot of dramatic growth over the past five years," said Bob Jacobsen, owner of Leelanau Wine Cellars, where officials are getting ready to open a new processing facility in an old cherry plant north of Omena. "We're really at the volume we're at much faster than I anticipated."
Other Leelanau wineries in the top 10 of Michigan sales were Black Star Farms, Good Harbor Vineyards and L. Mawby Vineyards. Chateau Grand Traverse and Chateau Chantal on Old Mission also made the top 10.
Read Region boasts six of state's top 10 wineries in the Record-Eagle.
Photo: Wine Harvest II by Andy McFarlane.