The building has become a source of ghostly interest after the Sci-Fi Channel's Ghost Hunters captured an eerie black apparition moving quickly through the darkness in a second floor walkway.

"If it isn't fun, it's a turnoff," says the filmmaker and festival director who goes by the name of "Claw."

Seattle's new landscaping ordinance, Seattle Green Factor, requires more trees and plants along urban streets and rewards businesses for greening the property around their establishment.

Whether you're an experienced swashbuckler or an amateur ninja, there's always room for improvement. Actors and closet buccaneers can step up their game at the Stage Combat Festival, an annual workshop presented by University of the Arts and the Society of American Fight Directors.

How far would you go for a good read? D.C.'s National Book Festival, sponsored by the Library of Congress and hosted by Laura Bush, more than makes up for the hike from Philly with its roster of roughly 70 acclaimed authors, illustrators and poets.

Sat., Sept. 22, 2-6 p.m., free, donations accepted, Whitehall Skate Park, 5000 Tulip St., 215-425-2450, www.exitphiladelphia.com When Steve Miller began building ramps at Whitehall Skate

When the Rio Grande de Cocle River in central Panama shifted its course in the early 20th century, the land exposed a wealth of golden objects.

Exhibit runs Sept. 15-May 31, 2008, free with museum admission, Mercer Museum, 84 S. Pine St., Doylestown.