From the Desk of the Publisher

Things that Go Bump

As a homeowner few things are scarier than the unexpected sound of something that goes bump; however, for consummate Halloween professionals, creating things that go bump, or scream, or crash – in fact anything that makes you jump – is what they hope for.

Robin Goldsworthy is the publisher of the Crescenta  Valley Weekly. She can be  reached at robin@cvweekly.com   or (818) 248-2740.
Robin Goldsworthy is the publisher of the Crescenta
Valley Weekly. She can be
reached at robin@cvweekly.com
or (818) 248-2740.

These “scary-makers” will be on overdrive I’m sure this Saturday – Halloween night. I used to be one of those Halloween enthusiasts. I was the first one to bring home a pumpkin from the store as soon as they went on sale. Growing up, I loved decorating the porch of our Sun Valley home and, as I grew older, was able to entice neighborhood kids into playing the roles of zombies, surprising little trick-or-treaters.

The first home that Steve and I moved into in La Crescenta after getting married in 1981 was a rear house that had a deep, dark driveway. We had no trick-or-treaters, and was I disappointed! Even after moving to our second house, we had little Halloween traffic because our house was across the street from the freeway. Why go down a street when you could only get half the candy? Thankfully, the house we live in now is perfect for Halloween decorating. It features a covered entry entered through an archway. We installed a fountain a couple of years ago that is perfect for ghoulish bats, spiders and snakes to be coming out of. Most Halloweens we transformed that area into a graveyard complete with fog and thunder and lightning. One year we even had a troll and a smoke-breathing dragon! Especially when the boys were younger and eager to help our house was a show-stopper.

But the boys are grown and busy with their lives. There is little time to decorate and sometimes we barely get more than a lighted pumpkin out on the porch.

Thankfully, though, Halloween fun doesn’t end with the Goldsworthys. Driving around town you can see plenty of folks who invest time (and money) in elaborate displays. In fact, we at the CV Weekly are excited to share some of those sites with our readers. This week’s cover story not only tells you where some of these locations are but what “possesses” the homeowners to go all out.

A reminder that the last time that Halloween fell on a Saturday was 17 years ago. Halloween always brings parties as well as trick-or-treaters no matter what day it falls on; however, being on a Saturday should make us all more aware of possible distractions when driving.

So go out and have a “ghoulish” time … but beware. Who knows what lurks behind every fence post – or in every crosswalk.