FRILLS AND CHILLS HALLOWEEN HAS SOME DECORATING TO DEATH.Byline: SUSAN ABRAM Staff Writer WEST HILLS -- Beer and physics helped Steve Chambers move the giant, tail end of an old airplane onto the front yard of his Saticoy Street home. Inspired by ``Lost,'' the plane-crash scene, complete with severed arms and legs strewn strew tr.v. strewed, strewn or strewed, strew·ing, strews 1. To spread here and there; scatter: strewing flowers down the aisle. 2. about, took Chambers days to compile, and it took a six-pack or two to quench quench, v to cool a hot object rapidly by plunging it into water or oil. quench to put out, extinguish, or suppress; to cool (as hot metal) by immersing in water. his thirst. But if that's what it takes to spook the bejesus be·je·sus n. Slang Used as an intensive: The bear scared the bejesus out of us. [Alteration of by Jesus.] out of people, Chambers is all for it. A jack-o-lantern placed on a stair stoop just doesn't cut it anymore. ``Every year for the last 10 years, we have always done something for Halloween,'' said the 25-year-old, who works for an aviation company. ``I thought this would be scary. I have dead bodies. I'll have strobe lights. So far, I've had a lot of people saying it's good. Only one person, out of everybody, drove by and flipped us off.'' Across the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. and nationwide, Halloween is bringing out the mad scientist in all macabre enthusiasts eager to concoct con·coct tr.v. con·coct·ed, con·coct·ing, con·cocts 1. To prepare by mixing ingredients, as in cooking. 2. a ghoulish ghoul n. 1. One who delights in the revolting, morbid, or loathsome. 2. A grave robber. 3. An evil spirit or demon in Muslim folklore believed to plunder graves and feed on corpses. world on their front lawns and porches. Halloween has become the second-biggest decorating occasion after Christmas, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the National Retail Federation. An estimated $4.96 billion will be spent by Americans on Halloween-related items this year -- from naughty princess costumes and fake blood to plastic intestines and strings of orange lights. ``Consumers see Halloween as a seasonal celebration to bridge the gap between the end of summer and the winter holidays,'' said Tracy Mullin, president of the federation. ``Halloween offers a little something for everyone and, this year, people of all ages will be joining in the fun.'' At the Halloween Super Store on Ventura Boulevard Ventura Boulevard is one of the primary east-west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley; as it was originally a part of the El Camino Real (the trail between Spanish missions), Ventura Boulevard is the oldest route in the San Fernando Valley. It was also U.S. -- one of those seasonal shops that appear out of thin air in vacant storefronts -- items were vanishing off the shelves. ``We've just about sold out on decorations,'' said assistant manager Mera Paplanus. ``We started selling them earlier this year.'' Shopper Maryam Hashemi of Woodland Hills filled a basket with creepy crawlers This article is about the toy line. For the animated series, see Creepy Crawlers Creepy Crawlers is the best-known name associated with an activity toy made by Mattel beginning in 1964. A more generic term for the toy is "Thingmaker". , black light bulbs, a cauldron and spiders. She was throwing her first Halloween party, she said, and she wasn't too thrilled about all the money she had spent. ``All this stuff is kind of gross actually,'' she said. ``It's for the kids really.'' But many said decorating was a decades-old habit born out of family tradition. Ardyne Lindsey has gone all out on decorating for about 30 years because her mother went into labor with her on Halloween. She was born Nov. 2. ``It's really a celebration of my birthday,'' she said. Her Woodlake Avenue home features a mammoth spider web that crisscrosses her entire front yard. Her 21-year-old son likes to jump on and cling to it. This year, she is planning to assemble a floating seance table. A big plastic bubble with a witch's head inside will hover over it. ``I always try to add something new,'' she said. ``I want it to look authentic, not the goofy Halloween thing.'' Meanwhile, the Stachowiaks of Reseda say they're taking their annual haunted house on Garden Grove Avenue to the outer limits, with more fog, bigger spider webs, spookier hologram See holographic storage. ghosts and massive amounts of silly string. They've spent $300 so far -- and they're not done. ``We have a blast with it,'' said James Stachowiak, one of 13 children. ``I've been going to every Halloween store in the area and on the Internet to find what I want. There are so many things available. It's fantastic.'' susan.abram(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3664 CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1 -- 2 -- color) A house on the corner of Califa Street and Woodlake Avenue has a giant spider web, complete with its gigantic inhabitants
The game is based loosely on the concepts from SameGame. . (3 -- color) Jeff Holmes, bottom, and Steve Chambers play dead in the front yard of Chambers' West Hills house where they made a plane-crash scene for Halloween. Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer (4 -- color) A house on the corner of Califa Street and Woodlake Avenue has a giant spider web, complete with its gigantic inhabitants. David Sprague/Staff Photographer |
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