Halloween Fare
Dear Editors: I’d like to advise the public of certain dangers presented by the upcoming Stardust Ball.
I first became concerned when I noticed that some of the costumes and masks were too vivid to be fake. The first year I drove folks to and from the ball, I only suspected that actual miscreants were taking advantage of the ball to mix with humans. My suspicions proved valid, when a tall vampire and his lady got into the cab after the ball and took their heads off, resting them on their knees. Spooked, I chatted idly about the weather, as cab drivers do, while I drove these intimidating passengers to a street-side drop off on Viking Way. When we stopped, the lady restored her head to its normal position. Her escort, however, forgot his head. I was upset by his inability to pay me, so did not notice the head until I was almost back to town.
It is not as if one can simply go to SPD with a rude and garrulous vampire’s head. I muffled the head with my sweater. The head quit yammering.. At the end of my shift, I wrapped the it with several-day-old copies of the Sentinel, taped securely, but leaving air holes. At a loss for a better idea, I placed the head in a top cupboard, too high up for my wife and kids.
I told nobody about the head. Soon a musty odor leaked from the cupboard. When I investigated, the head, now enveloped in moody silence and rather moldy, lapsed into lifelessness. I vacuum wrapped it and froze it, certain that its lower portion would show up and have the powers to reverse any adverse effects from freezing. During the elapsed year, I have never been free of the knowledge that the head is down at the bottom of the freezer, probably freezer burned by now, like most of the baggies full of left overs that clutter the freezer floor. At first, I thought the vampire might show up at any moment. Gradually, I decided that he can appear only at Halloween.
My worry this Halloween is that the vampire will come looking for his head with a vengeance. I have warned other taxi drivers to be careful who they pick up along Viking Way. The appropriate officials and the community at large should be on the lookout. Those entering the ball should be required to lift their masks before they are allowed inside. Security should be on hand to confront anyone who will not or can-not unmask.
I am grateful to the Sentinel for giving me a way to issue this alert.
John Welsh, Sitka
Pumpkin Patch Thanks
Dear Editor: 3 to 5 Preschool wants to thank all those who came out to our fall Pumpkin Patch fundraiser. So many people came to Mr. Scarecrow’s Pumpkin Patch to purchase their pumpkins from AC Lakeside. We thank Devin and his crew for bringing all the pumpkins to the patch and to AC Lakeside for donating a percentage of the sales to our program and giving free mini pumpkins to the many children who came.
Early Saturday morning, members of the Sitka Fire Department and 19 of the Department of Public Safety class came to help with setting up tents and moving equipment to various areas around the Fine Arts Campus grounds.
We thank all the volunteers for helping with the stations both in and out of the Rasmuson Building. Included are members of the Sitka High National Honor Society, Retha Winger’s Girl Scout Troop 4140, and many others who we reached out to asking for help. What a treat it was with Jim and Jackie playing their guitars again, so we could have a sing-a-long on the hayrides. We appreciated being able to borrow straw bales from the Fortress of the Bear for the flatbed, the pumpkin roll game, photo booth and in the Pumpkin Patch area.
If you didn’t come inside to the food and bake sale tables, you missed out on lots of good food and treats. We appreciated donations from Northern Sales, the Moose Lodge, Grandma Tillies for the gift certificate and the many parents who donated food, baked goods, other items and their valuable time for this event.
We also wish to thank Sitka Dental for prize donations, to Emily Fuller for carving the 3 to 5 logo on a pumpkin during the event, and to SEARHC PR department for the ages and stages wheels which were put into the orange plastic bags at the admissions tables.
We appreciate the Daily Sitka Sentinel, the Sitka Soup, the community calendar, the CFC Early Learning Program and lots of businesses for advertising our fundraiser.
We were grateful that the weather cleared up and to the many people who supported our fundraiser and came out to enjoy the activities with their children.
3 to 5 Preschool, Sitka
