Have you seen the blue shirts in and around Sandpoint?

The T-shirts started showing up on local residents about a week ago and everybody is trying to figure out what "It's coming … Feb. 26" means.

Grant Merwin was wearing the shirt last week and a few of his customers asked if Feb. 26 was the grand opening of Home Depot. Ouch.

Merwin is sworn to secrecy about the meaning of the shirt as are about 20 others who have volunteered to raise awareness of… oops, I'm sworn to secrecy, too.

Now that you mentioned Home Depot. All systems are go for a mid-January opening. Speculation is rampant about retail developments in and around the old Kmart building and Home Depot.

Nothing is confirmed but watch the Bee in the next few weeks for word on two retail stores, a 24-hour restaurant and a manufacturer planning to call that area of Ponderay home.

Mark Williams of the EDC is also close to landing a high-tech firm in Sandpoint.

Sand-Ida has sold the Pastime Restaurant building and a liquor license, I'm told. Watch for something new in that building soon.

Please watch out for children today. It's the first day of school and the students are eager to get to school and home again in one piece.

This year will mark a huge turning point in the management of the Lake Pend Oreille school district. Supt. Mark Berryhill has surrounded himself with very capable people and the school trustees are more committed to provide a great education than ever.

The teachers back Berryhill more than any other leader of the past decade mainly because he has supported them — whether at Washington Elementary as principal or last year as interim superintendent.

The Panhandle Alliance For Education is bracing for another successful golf tournament this Friday and Saturday.

If all goes according to plans — and Georgia Shonk-Simmons will make it all go according to plans — the tournament should raise $300,000 and net $250,000 back to PAFE to help with the local school district.

Yes, $300,000. According to sports guru Mark Nelke, $300,000 raised in a single golf tournament would be the most ever raised in a tournament in North Idaho or eastern Washington.

Congratulations Georgia and PAFE!

The Festival at Sandpoint is set to report that it had a fantastic year. The concerts were great and for the third year in a row, the FAS ended up in the black.

Dyno Wahl continues to shine as the executive director. Carol and Tone also did a great job making things happen. Becky Freeland was awesome as the board president this year.

There is always some controversy mixed in with music and this year the bru-ha-ha revolved around Ken Casler's impromptu speech about supporting John Kerry in the upcoming election.

The Festival, from now on, will warn speakers to stay on topic or the mic plug will be pulled.

I was lucky enough to have lunch with Dyno, Carol and Tone last week. The Festival is in great hands and our community's musical treasure is safe for another year.

Freedom of expression is under fire in this country and I feel the Festival handled Casler's comments quickly and professionally. It's hard to believe Casler's comments and showing Fahrenheit 911 at the Panida could stir up so much rancor.

The election is inching closer so brace yourself. The presidential mudflow is just starting to pick up and the local rumor mill is starting to pick up in the sheriff's race and one of the county commissioner races.

I am probably in the minority but I think the Dover City Council did the right thing for Dover when it voted to support Ralph Sletager's huge development last week.

Development was coming to Dover bit by bit anyway. Instead of having to deal with up to six subdivisions, water access issues and a host of other growth-related issues, the Dover council threw its support behind a developer who has had a good track record in Hope and other areas.

Growth is happening here and will continue. Entities need to help manage this growth so that it best suits those who have always called this place home as well as those who soon will.

Sept. 7, today, oh yes. I want to spend the remainder of this paragraph thanking Marlisa for agreeing to be my wife 13 years ago today. I am a better man because of this union and am blessed to have two fabulous children because Marlisa Piatt had a complete lapse of common sense a few years back.

Thank you, Marlisa. I love you. Happy anniversary.

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