• 475 – Romulus Augustus proclaimed the Emperor of Rome.

• 834 – 1st All Hallows Eve (Halloween) observed to honor the saints
• 1517 – Luther posts 95 theses on Wittenberg church-Protestant Reformation
• 1846 – Donner party, unable to cross the Donner Pass, construct a winter camp
• 1864 – Nevada admitted as 36th state
• 1892: Sherlock Holmes introduced to the reading public by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

  

• 1926 – Harry Houdini, [Erich Weisz], magician, dies in Detroit of gangrene and peritonitis that developed after his appendix ruptured

• 1940: The United Kingdom prevented Germany from marching into Great Britain.
• 1941 – Mount Rushmore is completed
• 1952 – 1st thermonuclear bomb detonated-Marshall Islands
• 1963 – Ed Sullivan witnesses Beatles & their fans at London Airport

  

• 1967 – Vanilla Ice was born (Robert Van Winkle) (singer: Ice Ice Baby; 1st rap singer to have a #1 song on the Billboard singles chart)

• 1975 – Queen released their hit single, Bohemian Rhapsody. It spent 9 weeks at number 1 on the UK charts.
• 1991 – A three day long snow and ice storm, dubbed the Halloween Blizzard, begins over portions of the Upper Midwest of the United States.

The site where Bobby Mackey’s Music world is located, was first developed in the 1850′s as a slaughterhouse. In it’s heyday, it was one of the largest meat packing facilities in the Cincinnati area. Business soon outgrew the facility, however, and in the 1890′s it was closed and the building was abandoned. In the basement of the building was a well. It was into this well that the blood and refuse from the slaughterhouse was drained. Evidence suggests that this was one of the features that attracted a local group of occultists to the abandoned building. The well was used to dispose of the evidence of their satanic rituals and animal sacrifices. It is believed that, among these occultists, were one Scott Jackson, a dental surgery student from Cincinnati, and his roommate, Alonzo Walling. Jackson was from a wealthy family, and he became the suitor of Pearl Bryan, the lovely and popular daughter of a well-to-do family from Greencastle, Indiana. When Pearl confided to him that she was pregnant, he convinced her that allowing him to perform an abortion, to preserve their reputations, was the wisest course of action.

On February 1, 1896, Pearl told her family that she was going to visit friends in Indianapolis. Instead, she met Jackson and Walling in Cincinnati. She was 5 months pregnant. After a botched attempt at an abortion using dental tools borrowed from school, Jackson had a hysterical and seriously wounded young woman on his hands. At this point, Jackson and Walling took Pearl into Northern Kentucky. When and why their mission became a macabre and vicious murder plan is unknown. Pearl’s body was found less than 2 miles from the slaughterhouse. Her head had been severed and was nowhere to be found. Walling would later testify that Jackson took the head because “he had plans for it”. The young men were soon arrested, and during the ensuing trial, they refused to reveal what had become of Pearl’s head. Investigators did discover Pearl’s beautiful blonde hair in a suitcase in Jackson’s rooms. Prosecutors even offered to commute the death sentence to life in prison for the location of her head, but Jackson refused. It is widely believed that Pearl’s head was used in a satanic ritual at the old slaughterhouse and then disposed of in the well. Revealing this would have exposed other occultists in the secret society.

After the trial, the slaughterhouse was again abandoned and eventually torn down. On its foundations, a roadhouse was built in the 1930′s. The tavern was frequented by gangland figures and was the scene of several shootings. It reopened again in the 1950′s as a nightclub. The owner’s daughter, Johanna, fell in love with one of the singers in the club. Her father, enraged, had the young man killed. In revenge, Johanna tried, unsuccessfully, to poison her father, and then, committed suicide…in the now infamous basement of the building. Johanna was 5 months pregnant at the time. In the 1970′s, the bar opened again, but was eventually shut down by the authorities after fatal shootings there.

Bobby Mackey, a well known country singer in Northern Kentucky, and his wife Janet, bought the building in 1978 to turn it into a country bar. It was successful from the start, attracting guests from all over the area. Bobby and Janet hired Carl Lawson as a caretaker and maintenance man, providing him with living quarters upstairs. Carl soon began to have strange experiences there. Lawson told author Doug Hensley, “I’d double check at the end of the night and make sure that everything was turned off. Then I’d come back down hours later and the bar lights would be on. The front doors would be unlocked, when I knew that I’d locked them. The jukebox would be playing the ‘Anniversary Waltz’ even though I’d unplugged it and the power was turned off.”

Lawson’s experiences went from strange to frightening, though, when he met the spirit who called herself “Johanna”. She was often accompanied by the scent of roses. She would converse with Lawson, sometimes, even when others were present. Local residents began to think Lawson was crazy, and talking to himself. Before long, other spirits began to reveal themselves to Carl: dark sinister men behind the bar, and odd noises and scents in the basement, near an old sealed up well. Lawson had heard the stories about the well, and in an effort to bring some relief from the restless spirits, decided, one night, to sprinkle it with holy water. Instead of calming them, this seemed to provoke the spirits, because soon other employees and guests began to have the same kind of strange experiences that had plagued Lawson.

Bobby Mackey, himself, did not believe in the “ghost stories”, and worried that the rumors would affect his business. He instructed Carl to keep quiet about his experiences. His wife, Janet had been silent, until this time, but finally admitted to him that she, too, had seen the ghosts, heard the noises and even smelled the scent of Johanna’s signature rose perfume. One night, Janet went to the basement to check on something. While she was there, she suddenly smelled a strong scent of roses, and felt something unseen move past her. She was suddenly grabbed by the waist and thrown down the stairs. She struggled and got away from the force holding her there, and ran up the stairs. When she had nearly reached the top, she felt a presence pushing her back down. She looked up toward the doorway and heard a voice from behind her screaming “Get out! Get out!” She escaped, and refused to set foot in the bar for nearly 3 decades. Just like Pearl, and Johanna before her, Janet was 5 months pregnant at the time of the incident.

Once Janet came forward with her story, many others admitted to paranormal experiences at the nightclub. An exorcism in 1994 seems to have failed miserably, because the incidents continue to this day. The bar has been investigated by many “ghost hunting” groups like “Ghost Hunters”, “Ghost Adventures” and it is part of the Haunted Cincinnati tours. Bobby Mackey still says that he doesn’t believe in ghosts, but there are thousands who have visted the site and have become convinced. Want to find out for yourself? Visit Bobby Mackey’s “Wake the Dead” Halloween Party on October 31, and experience what has been called one of the most haunted places in the world.

Let’s suppose, however, that you want a design that is unique and personal. Something like, your family’s faces on a row of pumpkins, or your house as a haunted mansion, or your business logo. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Of course, you can’t download and print such designs, but, with a little instruction, you can make your own! Just always remember that you are designing a “negative” image.

Let’s start with a simple one. I’ll use a family photo, and I’ll open it in any photo program. Usually one comes on your computer, or with your digital camera, but you can find plenty of free programs online to do this job for you.
First, I am going to rotate the whole picture, although you can leave it at any angle you find pleasing.
Next, change the picture to greyscale. This will usually be found in the “Color” tab of your photo program. It may also be called “Discard Color Information”.
Then, find the brightness/contrast controls in your program. Start with brightness, and slide it bright enough that you lose most of the detail of the picture. Then increase the contrast to bring out only the most dramatic shadows. Keep this up until you have a completely black and white flat pattern of the face.
Next, clean up your design, smoothing the edges of the shapes and keeping in mind that you will be cutting away anything that is black. Don’t leave floating islands of white, they must be attached to the edges somehow. Once you have cleaned up your image, you have your carving pattern.

If you have a subject in mind that needs more detail, then increase the brightness and contrast slightly less, so that it leaves some grey areas. Try the “posterize” option in your photo program to reduce the photo to flat and well defined areas. In this case, you will cut away the black areas completely, but you will only remove a partial layer of the areas of your pattern that are grey. The light will shine through areas that are not completely cut away, giving it a shadowed, 3 dimensional look.

Experiment with silhouettes first, that are strictly black and white. Once you have mastered those, you will be ready to try more complicated designs! Watch this space for some original carving patterns, as the season draws nearer!

A list of objects or goals to be hunted is provided by the organizer. Hunters can work individually, or in teams. The goal is to accumulate as many items on the list as possible in a given period of time. Items may be hidden, or hunters may ask others, often strangers, neighbors, or friends, to help them acquire the items they seek. The hunting ground can be limited to a house or property, a mall, a neighborhood, or it can be unlimited, and bound only by the time restriction. The items may be collected, photographed or video taped, as directed by the organizer. The winning team or individual will be the one who has collected the most listed items by the end of the time limit. In the event of a tie, some judgement of the quality or value of the collected items may determine the winner.

Scavenger Hunts have become very popular Halloween entertainments. Sending guests out into the dark night to retrieve treasures lends itself to a spooky Halloween tale to start the evening. Make sure that your guests do not go out alone, and carry flashlights and/or reflective items. Depending on the age of your party guests, the hunt may be limited to the backyard or expanded to include the neighborhood. Be aware of any local curfews and inform your neighbors, in case they stumble upon one of your guests snapping a photo of their scary jack o’lantern, or creepy tree.

Here’s a idea for a Scavenger Hunt for kids. Purchase a posable plastic or cardboard skeleton, of nearly life size. Trace the skeleton on a large sheet of paper, and hang this outline up on the wall or door. Next, carefully take the skeleton apart at the joints. Hide the various parts around the house or back yard. Send your hunters out to unearth the body parts, and let them tape the pieces they have found onto the outline until the skeleton is reformed. Award a prize to the team that finds the most skeleton parts!

In 1870, Willard Carpenter dreamed of seeing a library built in his hometown of Evansville, Indiana. He purchased the land and financed the construction of a Victorian Gothic style building to house it. In 1883, Willard died after suffering a paralyzing stroke, before seeing the library completed. He left most of his wealth and property to the Library Board for the ongoing project. In March of 1885, The Willard Library opened its doors to the public.

In 1937, the night janitor trudged to the library at 3 AM to stoke the coal furnace. Upon entering the basement, he was startled to see what he described as an “all grey lady”, dressed all in grey, from face veil to shoes. He was so shocked that he dropped his flashlight as the apparition faded before his eyes. The night janitor resigned his position shortly thereafter.

The Willard Library’s Grey Lady roams the building in silence. Some say she is the ghost of Louise Carpenter, Willard’s daughter, who was snubbed by her father in his will. Others say not, because there is nothing malevolent about this apparition, as they assume Louise would be. The current library employees consider the Grey Lady as a member of the staff, and know that, every so often, they will see her. And they do see her…often! Hundreds, perhaps thousands of incidences of ghostly activity have been reported. She has been seen among the bookshelves, perusing titles. She moves books and lights, rearranges furniture, turns on water faucets, leaves strange objects. Her presence is sometimes announced by the strong scent of an old-fashioned, musky perfume. Who is she? No one knows for sure, but she may not be the only spirit connected with the library.

So, are you ready to see for yourself? The Willard library provides live “ghost cams” positioned in rooms of the building where the apparitions are frequently spotted. They are available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you do spot something you think is unusual, just click the screen to save it and submit it to the library for their gallery. They are always looking for new ghost watchers, so pay them a visit at www.WillardGhost.com or www.LibraryGhost.com and check out the cams and image galleries. In October, the library hosts “ghost hunts” on the property, so if you are in the area, visit them. Then, let us know if you are one of the 48% of Americans who believe!

“Halloween” (1978) – Jamie Lee Curtis establishes herself as the scream to be reckoned with! Honestly, who would have guessed that an old William Shatner/Captain Kirk mask, painted white, could inspire more horror than his rendition of “Mr. Tambourine Man”?

“The Exorcist” (1973) – The movie that made me stay out of my attic for a year and throw away my recipe for pea soup. Demonic possession is one of those subjects that can inspire ongoing trauma. Just look at Linda Blair’s career! (It will make your head spin!)

“Dawn of the Dead” (1978) – Banned in 17 countries, this film has some of the goriest scenes ever committed to film. If that isn’t recommendation enough, then, let me just say..”ZOMBIES!” Still not scary enough? This movie is…. (dun, dun, dun) a SEQUEL!!!!!

“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978) – Much creepier than the 1956 original, this movie made the term “Pod People” a part of Americana. And honestly…any movie that makes Donald Sutherland look like this picture gets my vote for seriously creepy!

“The Thing” (1982) – Possibly the scariest movie of all time. This movie combines the absolute worst possible scenarios: a small group stationed in Antarctica (really…where are you going to run?), being stalked by a shape-shifting alien, and knowing that one of your buddies has to be that alien.

So, pick out your movie. Pop the corn. Grab a friend. Buy a nightlight. Enjoy!

Here are the riddles:

Q: Who won the skeleton beauty contest?
A: No body

Q: What do you get when you divide the circumference of a jack-o-lantern by its diameter?
A: Pumpkin Pi.

Q: Why was the mummy so tense?
A: He was all wound up.

Q: How do you make a witch stew?
A: Keep her waiting for hours.

Q: Where do ghosts go on vacation?
A: Lake Erie.

Q: How do ghosts begin their letters?
A: “Tomb it may concern…”

Q: What did the skeleton say while riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle?
A: “I’m bone to be wild!”

Q: What happened to the guy who couldn’t keep up payments to his exorcist?
A: He was repossessed.

Q: How do you mend a broken Jack-o-lantern?
A: With a pumpkin patch.

Q: What kind of street does a ghost like best?
A: A dead end.

Q: How do you know if a ghost is lying?
A: You can see right through him.

Q: How is a werewolf like a computer?
A: They both have megabytes.

Q: What do you get when you cross Dracula with Sleeping Beauty?
A: Tired blood

Q: Who did the ghost invite to his party?
A: Anyone he could dig up!

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The Grisly Tale of Hal O’Ween

Object of this Halloween Game:
While telling a spooky Halloween story, pass around cups of simulated body parts made from food. Guests will guess what substance is really in each cup.

Materials Needed:
Paper cups. Peeled grapes or olives, peeled stewed tomatoes, piece of uncooked liver or similar raw meat, wet corn silk or yarn, catsup, latex glove, gelatin, cold spaghetti, pickle, chicken gristle or hotdog end. Papers and pencils and a box of hand wipes around for guests to clean their hands off with when you are done with the game.

Directions:
Ahead of time, prepare the cups that are described below. Have everyone sit in a circle, then shut off most of the lights and start the story. You need to have the room fairly dark so that people can’tt see what’s inside of the cups. Pass out paper and pencil at the beginning of the game and let your guests write down their guesses between each cup or wait until the end of the story, and have them try to remember. After all guesses have been written down, bring the cups back out and reveal the contents of each one.

Here’s The Story:

Tell the story, slowly and very dramatically, as you pass around each cup.

“Once in this town there lived a man named Hal O’ Ween.
T’was years ago, on this very night,
that he was murdered out of spite.
They say these are his remains.

“Here is his brain, which now feels no pain.”
(use a peeled squishy tomato or stewed tomatoes)

“Here are his eyes, still swollen with surprise.”
(use two frozen, peeled grapes or black olives)

“Here is his heart. Be careful lest it start!”
(use a large lump of uncooked liver or other raw meat)

“Now we have his hair, which once was so fair!”
(use a handful of corn silk or wet fur or yarn)

“Feel these drops of his blood. All the rest turned to mud.”
(use a little catsup thinned with warm water)

“One hand all alone, just rotting flesh and bone.”
(use a wet latex glove filled with red gelatin)

“Here is his ear. Nevermore will he hear!”
(use a dried apricot or similar dried fruit)

“This is his nose. Now to never smell a rose.”
(use the end of a pickle, a hot dog or a soft chicken bone or gristle)

“These worms are all that’s left to feel. For them Hal O’Ween was a lovely meal!”
(use cold, wet, cooked spaghetti)

Give a prize to the guest with the most correct guesses of what was really in the cups.

Looking for a perfect Halloween party meal? These little guys are so easy to make, and make great appetizers for adults or main dishes for a kids’ party!

Ingredients
English muffins
Pizza sauce
Black olives
Scallions
Red or green pepper
Cheese sticks or slices

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350º F. For each mummy, spread a tablespoon of pizza sauce onto half of an English muffin (toast it first, if you like).
Set olive slices in place for eyes and add round slices of green onion or bits of red or green pepper for pupils.
Lay strips of cheese (you can use a pulled-apart cheese stick) across the muffin for the mummy?s wrappings.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the muffin is toasty.

Apple Bites

These snacks are both healthy and scary! Don’t just make them for Halloween!

Ingredients

Apples
Slivered almonds

Instructions
Just quarter and core an apple, cut a wedge from the skin side of each quarter, then press slivered almonds in place for teeth.

Tips: If you’re not going to serve them right away, baste the apples with orange juice to keep them from browning.

Halloween music takes hold of us when we’re young and becomes a part of every year’s celebration. Surely some of you remember from pre-school and kindergarten, singing this little ditty:

“Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, “oh my it’s getting late.”
The second one said, “there are witches in the air.”
The third one said, “but we don’t care!”
The fourth one said, “let’s run and run and run.”
The fifth one said, “I’m ready for some fun!”
OOOhh OOOhh went the wind
and out went the lights
and the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.”

If your party has more of a dance theme, then there have been spooky, creepy and Halloween themed songs on the charts for many years. Here is a list I have compiled of some the top rated Halloween party songs of all time. Add your own favorites for a rockin’ good Halloween bash!

Monster Mash – Bobby “Boris” Pickett
Ghostbusters – Ray Parker Jr.
Purple People Eater – Sheb Wooley
Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon
Boris the Spider – The Who
Wooly Boolly – Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs
Nightmare on My Street – DJ Dazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Thriller – Michael Jackson
Tubular Bells (theme song from the Exorcist) – Mike Oldfield
I’m Your Boogieman – original by KC and the Sunshine Band, but try the White Zombie cover for a real Halloween treat!
Time Warp – from Rocky Horror Picture Show
Welcome to my Nightmare – Alice Cooper
Don’t Fear the Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
This is Halloween – Danny Elfman, from Nightmare before Christmas
Witchy Woman – the Eagles
Black Magic Woman – Santana
Somebody’s Watchin’ Me – Rockwell
The Legend of Woolly Swamp – The Charlie Daniels Band
Season of the Witch – Donovan