Halloween

When Elena Doss moved into her house on View Street in Hagerstown with its nice yard, she decided she was going to “do it up” for Halloween. Crowds of people gathered in the yard Monday night for the Dosses' latest creation: An elaborate scene of a ship based on the popular “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies. The ship was about 16 feet long with a skeletal-looking pirate at the helm. His hands slowly steered the wheel of the ship, thanks to a contraption made from an old oscillating fan, a rubber band and some string.

On Monday from 6 to 8 p.m., Christ Lutheran Church, at 216 N. Cleveland Ave., will host trunk or treat on the front lawn of the church. All children are welcome to stop by and get a treat or two and check out the decorated trunks of the cars that will be on display. 

Rocky, 12, will be wearing his dress blues to greet trick-or-treaters at Halloween on Chestnut Grove Road with his owner, George Morrison.

HPNOTIQ'S MAD EYE (Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) These Halloween cocktails will add a few laughs to an adult Halloween party. 1/2 ounce Hpnotiq vodka 1 ounce super-premium vodka 2 ounces lychee juice Shake with ice; strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lychee eyeball: 1 canned grade AA lychee in syrup, drained 1/4 teaspoon cherry, strawberry or raspberry preserves 1 blueberry (you can use frozen) Dry lychee and fill with preserves.

LEITERSBURG - Want to appear ghastly this Halloween? The Herald-Mail asked Michael Maginnis and Jeremy Snowberger, longtime volunteers at Leitersburg Haunted House, to share some tips and explain how they do their makeup for the haunted house. Maginnis, 27, of Hagerstown, is the son of Herald-Mail employees Bob and Sandy Maginnis. He said he spent more than $1,000 on props, makeup and costumes to scare horror fans of all ages at this year's haunted house. Some items are relatively cheap and can be found in a grocery or drugstore.

The Washington County Parole and Probation Office will be holding a meeting of certain registered sex offenders on Monday from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., according to a news release. The required gathering is scheduled to coincide with Halloween and trick-or-treat activities in most communities, the release said. The Washington County Sheriff's Office is partnering with the parole and probation office by providing assistance with a location and staffing, the release said.

Next to football, this is my favorite time of the year. Halloween. I guess it's because this is the only week that what I wear all year is universally accepted as normal. Whistle, hat, coaching shorts, striped pullover. I'm either dressed for Halloween or to be a decoy for a zebra. I really wanted to make this weekend special, so I decided to do a little shopping. I went to Dargan's boating marker and Halloween store -- Buoys and Ghouls -- to catch a glimpse at some of the more creative costumes for the season.

Last week's downtown Hagerstown ghost tours were such a howling success that organizers plan to revive the tours for the Halloween season. Five extra tours Sept. 5 and 6 had to be added to accommodate more than 250 people, said organizer Alice Duncan. Eight tours originally were scheduled for Thursday and Friday. The hourlong tour featured 13 stops, including City Hall, Round the Square restaurant, the Baldwin House, the Miller House and The Maryland Theatre. Additional stops probably will be added to the next set of tours, Duncan said.

By GUY FLETCHER Staff Writer HALFWAY - The first child who attempted to approach Anita and John Bussard's home for trick-or-treats Thursday evening never made it close to the candy basket. That's because he first encountered the shrieking sound effects, eerie tombstones, skulls and the rest of the ghoulish scene the Bussards put together to "greet" the kids. Then there were the Bussards themselves - she dressed in a witch's costume, her face coated with green makeup, and he in a hairy monster suit with flashing red lights for eyes.

Hagerstown Community College's Robinwood Players will perform, "A Midnight Dreary: An Evening with Poe" and "Night of the Living Dead," Friday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 31. "A Midnight Dreary: An Evening with Poe," was written by HCC Theater Technician Jason Buhrman, who spent a year working with adjunct faculty member Dave Dull on a unique, one-of-a-kind play that could be performed on Halloween. "I started researching Poe plays early this summer and found that the majority of the plays available (consisted)

The weather is really starting to turn strange around this time of the year anymore. Hope all of you have come through the storm safely and are doing well. Winter Street Elementary chooses star athletes Winter Street Elementary School has announced its star athletes of the month for September. The students are Justine Duncan, fourth grade; Bre Himes, first grade; Abigail Duff, prekindergarten; Da'madre Bowens, third grade; Jamaica Henry, fifth grade; Antonio Balls, kindergarten; and Leviticus Ricks, second grade.   Students chosen to be star athletes have abilities in all physical education activities and sports.

Deryle Bingaman of Hagerstown fashioned a costume of play money dollar bills for Halloween, which he said he had hoped to wear in the Alsatia Mummers Parade in Hagerstown. He said he was unable to participate in the annual march because he could not ride the motorcycle along the route. Bingaman said it took him two weeks to put the costume together.

A Hagerstown man faces charges, including two counts of first-degree assault, after two people were stabbed Sunday morning near a West End home after a Halloween party, according to a news release from the Hagerstown Police Department. The male and female victims, whose identities were not released, had nonlife-threatening injuries, police said. Police said both vicims were adults. Eddie Melvin Ware Jr., 25, of 1014F Security Road in the northeast area of Hagerstown, was charged with two counts each of first-degree assault, second-degree assault and reckless endangerment, police said.

Officials in Franklin County, Pa., declared a state of emergency Saturday as Hurricane Sandy approaches the area, according to Dave Donohue, the county's director of emergency services. The declaration will enable the county to make quick repairs and buy supplies if needed, Donohue said. “We do want to encourage citizens to be prepared, including making a plan and having their emergency supplies kit,” Donohue wrote in an email. Donohue said 5 to 8 inches of rain are possible from the storm, as well as high winds and possible tornado activity.

From cute kids in costume to unique floats, the annual Greencastle Halloween Parade cast a spell over young and old alike on Friday night. Even before the first drum beat from the Greencastle-Antrim high school and middle school marching bands, eager parade-goers claimed their spots along the parade route to get the best vantage point. The parade, sponsored by the Greencastle Exchange Club, started at the Jerome R. King Playground, followed South Carlisle Street to the square and turned east onto Baltimore Street.

Two Maryland state agencies are joining forces to make Halloween safe this year for little ghosts and goblins. For the 18th year, the Maryland State Highway Administration is offering its Vests for Visibility Program, which lends reflective vests to children and their chaperones during trick-or-treat. “The Maryland State Highway Administration's message is always see and be seen,” SHA spokeswoman Lora Rakowski said. “Thousands of little feet will be converging on the street at the same time at rush hour (this Halloween)

There's nothing like a good scare to get your heart pumping. And what better time to celebrate things that go bump in the night better than Halloween? In celebration of Halloween, I have put together a list of some of my favorites for the season. Some might not truly be Halloween movies, but ones I believe are an ode to all things that just creep us out. When it comes to capturing the essence of Halloween on film, for me at least, body count can never trump psychological thrillers.

Just before dusk Thursday, the normally quiet Baltimore Street morphed into a play land for little witches, superheroes, princesses and Star Wars characters. About 200 local kids donned their various outfits and walked in the annual Funkstown Halloween Parade, a festive 30-year tradition that precedes the town's Trick-Or-Treat Night this evening. Shane Cushman and 4-year-old Derek Miles dressed as the dynamic duo of Batman and Robin. It was their first time participating in the parade, walking along with Cushman's fiancé and Derek's mother, Lisa Miles, and her 6-year-old daughter, Cassie Miles, in a fancy, blue Cinderella-esque princess dress.

All Funkstown children are invited to dress in their costumes and participate in the Funkstown Halloween Parade Thursday.  Ghosts and ghouls, along with princesses and pirates, are to line up behind Town Hall at 5 p.m. for the parade, which starts at 6 p.m.  The parade ends at Funkstown American Legion Post 211 for a party for the children. A thank you to the Ladies of the Auxiliary for hosting the get-together. The date and times for trick-or-treating in town were sent out with the water bill.

For those watching the scale, Halloween can be the beginning of a downward spiral if you aren't careful. A house full of candy, too many costume parties and beginning to slack in your training can lead to the beginning of the end of your chances of finishing 2012 in your best shape. Here a three tips to make sure you avoid that often slippery slope. 1. Use total body workouts: Total body training saves time and burns more calories than traditional "body part" training. Three total body workouts per week builds a strong metabolism, and allows more variation in the workout that alleviates boredom.