The Nov. 22 Newsweek features a paragraph on the Panida Theater on Page 77. Under the Entertainment/Reel World header, the Panida earns a paragraph of notoriety.

News flash: Sandpoint is making headlines again.

"The Panida Theater: A ghost is rumored to walk the aisles in this Sandpoint, Idaho, theater."

Newsweek editors culled the pages of the recently released Cinema Treasures book we mentioned in this space several weeks ago. Among the other notable theaters included the Cape Cinema, which was constructed in 1930 in Dennis, Mass., to look like a church.

Oh, the ghost story? All a person has to do is look on the Panida Web site to find this story.

"It is said there is a ghost in the Panida. Most people believe it's the earthbound spirit of F.C. Weskil, who built the place in 1927. Ten years ago, he was a malevolent lost soul. The movie house where he measured his life in double features was caving in.

"Ask any theater person who entered the place alone to retrieve sets back then there was an angry, unsettled presence dogging your heels. Their last few steps to the exit door were always accompanied by looks over the shoulder and a final lunge for the sunlight outside.

"If F.C. meant to haunt those who came later, he never got the chance. An army of workers stormed the theater with scaffolding, paint buckets, carpenter's belts and brooms. Maybe the ghost picked up each night where the work crews left off and busied himself right out of a bad mood.

"Nowadays, the old apparition hardly has a moment's peace, what with all the rehearsals and stage shows. No sooner has he survived one crowd than the seats are filling up again for a summer musical, a one-night rock concert or a weekend movie."

David Gunter wrote this story a few years back. It was nicely done.

The annual tree-lighting ceremony went off smoothly Saturday night. Santa climbed off Belwood's roof and carefully backed down a ladder on the back of a Sandpoint Fire truck to throngs of well wishers.

Santa next appeared at Coldwater Creek to light another tree and to host a cookie and cider party. The high school singers were great. All we needed was a little snow.

Nice job.

Holly Eve was a smash success.

The official kickoff to the holiday season spread a lot of good cheer to the organizations that benefit from the auction. There were many smiles around the Festival, the Panida, Pend Oreille Arts Council, Bonner Community Hospice and Community Cancer Services following the 24th annual event.

Corene Jones and her crew did a wonderful job decorating the Panida and transporting the audience to a winter wonderland.

The hors oeuvres were great. My personal favorites came from Arlo's Ristorante, Ivano's, Jalapeno's, Arby's, Hidden Lakes and Pend Oreille Pasta. All of the samples were delicious but these stuck in my mind.

Another memorable image from Saturday night, was of model Lynn Burns. She is the brains and beauty behind Tomlinson Black and is a natural model. Jeff Bond had better watch out or Lynn will be off to New York or Pari.

It was a great fashion show and Eve's Leaves has to be a must stop for anyone with fashion sense this year.

My favorite store so far this season is Merwin's. Where else can a person buy Revere ware, Christmas lights, a collapsible sawhorse and a million other items and always be greeted by name? Merwin's.

All of downtown Sandpoint looks great.

If you want a uniquely Sandpoint gift, stop by Sand Creek Medical — the official home of the Sand Creek Byway T-shirt.

Drop me a line if you have come across any unique local gifts … or better yet bring by a sample.

I have already seen the "I'll get my bypass before Sandpoint gets one" shirt, in case you were wondering.

A couple of unique endings of e-mails I have received this week.

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand — strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOO HOO — What a Ride!" — Sent by Cis Gors

"Well-behaved women rarely make history" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich — Sent by Erin Daniels.

The Cedar Post strikes again. The Cedar Post took eighth in the nation for Best of Show at the Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association's national conference in Atlanta, last week.

In the individual competition, there were 1,446 entrants and only 481 total winners. Of those, 77 were superiors, 129 were excellents, and 275 were honorable mentions. The following took home individual national honors: Emily Craner, honorable mention, editorial writing; Caitlin Nusbaum, honorable mention, two-weeks' work (photography) and Doug Dishong, excellent, feature writing.

Great job, Cedar Post. You are all winners and we are proud of your efforts.

In a recent column I relayed an odd mention of our local Celebration Forest in Men's Health magazine and wondered why the magazine didn't tell its readers more about it and mentioned I didn't know anything about it.

Heidi Stockton, president of CF, gave me the scoop. CF is a member of the chamber and Better Business Bureau and the Bee has done a handful of articles on the memorial tree program.

Since 1995, CF has planted 700 memorial trees and attracts people from all over the United States to Sandpoint, she wrote.

She called it "ironic that more people New York know more about us than in Sandpoint."

Want to know more? Call Heidi at 267-4306.

David Keyes is publisher of the Bee. His column runs Tuesdays.