Twenty-First Century Halloween

SEELEY LAKE – While one of the main goals of the Twenty-First Century Grant program is to widen educational opportunities for children, a complementary goal is to promote parental involvement and strengthen the family unit. With this in mind, Bridget Laird, who organizes the Seeley Lake Elementary (SLE) grant activities, decided to encourage families to enjoy some Halloween fun together while also supporting a new endeavor in Seeley Lake.

On Oct. 29, youngsters and their parents converged on Haunted Scapes, the Halloween fun area alongside Highway 83 south of Seeley Lake erected by Davy and Angela Good and their relatives.

Sometimes parents watched as their children played in the pumpkin bouncy house. Other times children wanted to hold a parent's hand as they braved the pirate skeletons, spiders and other terrifying creatures lurking in haunted places. Sometimes parents were called upon to lend a little moral and navigational support as their children attempted to negotiate their way through the labyrinthine maze. Having made it through once, children often went back with friends over and over again. Of course, there were a number of superheroes around, and even a knight with sword and shield, so everyone felt quite safe.

Soft drinks and other goodies were for sale, including cotton candy which was spun out as the purchaser watched. Another fun activity was learning how to make apple juice using an old wooden bucket and press. Some SLE sixth-graders seeking to earn money for a future Washington D.C. trip took the opportunity to sell Halloween decorated cupcakes, homemade cookie bark and graveyard pudding (which looked suspiciously like dirt but tasted delicious).