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A frightening scene this Halloween

Carrie Click
Post Independent Staff
Post Independent Photo/Kelley Cox
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GLENWOOD SPRINGS ” The screams of terror coming from the room next door didn’t seem to bother Kevin DiMarco.

For Kevin, 2-1/2, the whole concept of Halloween doesn’t quite register yet. But no matter.

Dressed as Eeyore ” the grumpy donkey of Winnie-the-Pooh fame ” Kevin sat on the floor of a special activity room for kids 4 and under at the Glenwood Springs Community Center’s Spooktacular Halloween carnival Friday evening.



As piercing screams continued coming from the Spooktacular’s Spook Alley haunted house on the other side of the preschool area’s wall, Kevin played happily alongside his brother Hank, 18 months ” dressed as a lion ” and their friend Lauren Amos, 3, dressed as a bear. The DiMarco boys’ sister Gracie, at just 3 weeks old, was very likely the youngest attendee at this year’s event.

“She didn’t dress up as anything ” just a precious little princess,” said mom Barbie DiMarco with a laugh.



Spook Alley was doing big business. An address sign reading “1313 Dead End Drive ” Enter If You Dare” greeted the long line of cowgirls, hockey players, and other assorted characters waiting to go into the haunted house.

Evelyn Antillon, 10, bravely waited her turn, along with her friend Jessica Payan, 9, and Jessica’s brother Aaron Payan, 10. Still, standing in line, Evelyn wasn’t entirely convinced visiting Spook Alley was a good idea.

“I’ll go in if you hold my hand,” she said, having second thoughts.

Kathleen Milbrath, the center’s adult fitness coordinator, talked her into it.

“We’ve worked on the haunted house for four days,” she exclaimed. “It’s really good! You’ve got to go.”

Evelyn, wearing a princess outfit, false eyelashes and a crown, white-knuckled her way into the dark passageway behind Jessica, dressed as a devil in a long, red dress into pitch-black darkness. Aaron went first, wearing a black cape and a mask from the movie “Scream” ” complete with fake blood that, with a press of a button, ran down the front of the mask’s face.

Once out of the house ” no giving away here what went on ” the kids talked about what scared them the most.

“It scared me when they grabbed your feet,” Jessica said.

“That hand that came out of the casket scared me,” said Evelyn.

“It was OK,” said Aaron, showing his fearlessness. “But that thing with the teeth and the hair that stood straight up ” that was scary.”

The trick-or-treaters were out as early as 5 p.m. in Glenwood’s downtown neighborhood. Little witches and ghosts, almost always accompanied by their parents, could be seen going house to house.

There were a number of spots around the valley set up for both the younger and older set. The Glenwood Caverns had a Witch’s Cavern with a green-skinned witch and an extraordinarily big nose. New Castle’s annual haunted house had two versions of its “Scairy Tales: Childhood Stories Gone Bad.” Early in the evening the lights were on for those more timid, but at 8 p.m., the haunted house grew dark ” and much scarier for those bold enough to venture inside.

Trick-or-treaters raked in a whole lot of loot at the Glen Valley Care Center on Blake Avenue in Glenwood. The center, which provides nursing care for seniors and disabled patients, has a tradition of giving out candy every Halloween.

This year, the place was decorated with orange paper pumpkins on the walls, jack-o’-lanterns, and orange streamers. Jill Hassig, of Glen Valley, said she put orange and black ribbons in the ladies’ hair and “got everybody spiffed up” for the occasion.

“This is always so much fun,” she said, standing in the midst of about 15 Glen Valley clients who were circled up, some in their wheelchairs, some on chairs and couches ready to give out treats.

Glen Valley resident Ivan Bishop, who’s lived at the center for about a year and a half, said he thought about 30 kids had come through the center Friday afternoon. He smiled as he handed out packets of candy to eager children.

Alex Cutright, 4-1/2, in a Buzz Lightyear costume, was pleased with the haul he took away from Glen Valley. He visited the center with his friend Tori Easley, 4, who was dressed as a princess, and his mom, Jenny Cutright.

“Everybody gave me candy!” Alex said happily.

Edward Zane Totty, 6, was dressed up as a bloody mummy with bad teeth.

“My first name is Edward but I go by Zane,” he said, as his mom Brenna Totty held Paxton Totty, 20 months, who was dressed as Mike from “Monsters, Inc.”

He was surprised at how much candy he got from the people at Glen Valley.

“They gave us bags of candy! I got Reeses, Twizzlers, Bit-o-Honey and Smarties!” Zane said.

Contact Carrie Click: 945-8515, ext. 518

cclick@postindependent.com


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