6
Monday, October 27, 2003
NE\l!
THE BAT TALK)
Not just child’s play
Adults buying costumes by the case this Halloween
Orville Myers • KRT CAMPUS
Halloween masks and decorations are on display everywhere this week, as at Party Wholesale in
By Kathryn McKenzie Nichols
KRT CAMPUS
MONTEREY, Calif. _ Halloween used to
be mainly for kids of a certain age, the ones
who didn’t feel self-conscious about dress
ing up and knocking on doors for candy.
These days, everyone’s getting into the
act.
Grownups are buying costumes by the
case — not just for their small fry, but also
for themselves. They’re also decorating their
homes, Halloween-style, to the tune of $2
billion nationally. According to Newsweek,
the holiday spending for this holiday is sec
ond only to that of Christmas.
Just walk through the “haunted aisle” at
the Party Wholesale Store in Sand City, a
small town on the Monterey Peninsula in
California, and you’ll see what they’re buy
ing. There, frighteners can shell out as much
as $1,300 for a life-sized, animated ghoul
who pops up behind a gravestone; $799 for
a gargoyle that flaps its wings; or a giant
space alien for $149.
Even body parts are big sellers, accord
ing to Sandy Gregory, who owns the store
with her husband. Bob.
“We had one guy who came in and
bought two hands, two legs, a heart and a
brain,” said Gregory. “There was also a
nurse who bought body parts and was going
to leave them in the fridge with some blood
around them.”
Beyond the delirious decoration is the
desire to make a Halloween fashion state
ment. Adult-sized costumes include bizarre
inflatable contraptions that make one resem
ble a sumo wrestler or a chubby ballerina;
you can also choose to be a giant
SpongeBob Squarepants or a “tacky
tourist,” complete with cheesy Hawaiian
shirt.
Or if you opt for tasteful over terrifying,
visit any number of local boutiques for cute
‘n’ cuddly signs of the season, .like
Halloween trees, ceramic jack o’ lanterns,
pumpkin wreaths and miniature haunted
houses.
“In general, it reflects some on the nest
ing trend,” said Nicole Brooks, a
spokesperson for Cost Plus World Market,
which recently opened a new store in
Seaside, Calif. “More people are entertain
ing at home ... your home becomes
Sandy City, Calif.,
the party place.”
Cost Plus carries such items as ghost salt-
and-pepper shakers, pumpkin-colored nap
kins and “Witch’s Brew” mulled spices,
with an emphasis on setting a nice table for
the holiday. Several bins of
toys and treats also carry
the Halloween theme.
At Target, everything
from yard decor (like signs
that say “Scaring Up Some
Fun” and “Will Spook For
Treats”) to candy bowls and
votive candles are meant
not to terrorize, but to cele
brate the holiday with style.
Even Halloween trees _
draped in black with witch
and pumpkin ornaments _
can be found at the Home
Sweet Home store in
Pacific Grove, along with a
number of fall-themed
items.
But if you opt for the creepy, the scary, or
the grotesque, the Party Wholesale Store is
the place to be.
“It’s just too spooky in that one spot,”
said Sandy Gregory of the “haunted aisle”
where the store’s largest animated figures
are situated.
“We sell a lot of them.”
This year, Gregory said, there are more
of these spooky statues than ever _ and elec
tronic sensors that make
them talk, sing, and move
make them increasingly
lifelike _ and disconcerting
to those who walk down
the aisle.
“There’s never enough
room,” said Gregory, not
ing that the warehouse-
style store has had to place
many of the bigger items
on a third tier of shelves.
“They keep coming up
with such great items.”
Some of the demand
comes from the increasing
popularity of the Mexican
Day of the Dead, which is
observed Nov. 1. Skulls
and skeletons of all types are common in
imagery for that holiday, so those are always
best sellers.
“I never have enough skeleton cookie
cutters,” Gregory said.
Popular costumes
for 2003
• Spiderman
• Harry Potter
• SpongeBob Squarepants
• The Osbournes (espe
cially Ozzy, Kelly and Jack)
• Gandalf from “Lord of the
Rings”
• Austin Powers
• Any character from “The
Matrix” (especially Neo and
Trinity)
• “Wizard of Oz” characters
•The Incredible Hulk
Infant bodies found
in Brown County attic
By Penny Cockerell
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A trash bag containing the
mummified bodies of three
infants was found in the crawl
space of a rural home about 10
miles southwest of
Brown wood, Texas, and will be
analyzed by medical examiners,
authorities said Sunday.
The sheriff’s department in
Brown County is investigating
the deaths as homicides. Chief
Deputy Mike McCoy said.
Homeowners renovating a
two-story rock house in rural
Brown County, about 70 miles
southeast of Abilene, made the
discovery Thursday while doing
electrical work.
The trash bag was found in
the attic crawl space between
the home’s first and second
floors.
The family has lived there
for three years. They are not
suspects, McCoy said. He
would not identify the family or
the precise location of the
home. wTiich he said w'as built
in the mid-1980s.
Upon an initial review.
Brown County authorities
thought the bag contained®
infant. Investigators then closed
the bag for shipment bef®
examining further, McCoysaid
“We didn’t disturb any of in
other packaging because it was
forensic evidence,” he said.
It wasn’t until the baj
arrived at the Travis Count
Medical Examiner’s office ia
Austin on Friday that investiga
tors found three separate sack,
each containing an infant.Acal
to the medical examiner on
Sunday was not immediate!;
returned.
“One baby was wrapped ia
a towel, one baby was in a
blanket, and the baby we one
inally found was wrapped in;
sheet inside a paper sack."
McCoy said.
“The one that 1 saw was a
larger baby that 1 do not believt
would be like a miscarried
child,” McCoy said. "1 believed
was at least a full-term baby
But that’s just guessing.”
The infants’ ages and gen
ders were not known due to
deterioration.
McCoy said no missing
babies have been reported in
the 26 years he’s worked in
Brown County.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Border agents nab Kansas murder suspect
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Border Patrol agents captured a US
citizen suspected in a Kansas City. Kan., homicide ashetriedto
return to the United States from Mexico.
Raul Cuellar, 23, initially claimed he was a Mexican citizen,bil
a fingerprint check revealed he was wanted on charges of mui-
der, aggravated battery, and three counts of aggravated assault
the El Paso Times reported Sunday. He was arresteo
Wednesday.
Cuellar is accused of fatally shooting a 24-year-old mail:
wounding another man and firing at three others during a June
28, 2002, fight. He was jailed in El Paso pending extraditionlo
Kansas.
Cuellar is the seventh homicide suspect captured by bo:?
patrol agents since August 2001. Border Patrol spokesman^
Mosier said such captures of legal citizens indicate a trend.
• FACULTY/STAFF MEMBERSHIPS—Now has never been a
better time to check out Rec Center memberships. Rec
Sports makes living a healthier life even easier with bank
draft options for membership and locker payments.
• ADULT AND PEDIATRIC CPR—Register at the Member
Services Desk for next class on October 28th and more
that continue through the entire Fall semester. $25/$35.
• UNLIMITED AEROBIC PASS SALE!—Get your unlimited
aerobics pass for the unbelievable price of $30! Sale is
going on NOW at the Member Services Desk. Call 862-
3995 for more info or go to http://recsports.tamu.edu.
Drive On-Texas A&M Golf Course
• NEW Full Length Driving Range—Enjoy one of the Golf
Course's newest additions, the full length driving range.
Practice your swing, warm up before a round of 1 8 holes
or just work up a sweat on a cool and breezy Texas night.
• Fall Twilight Special—Twilight rates begin at 1:00 p.m. Monday,
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Green fee only!
• Two For Tuesdays—Bring a friend and play for the price of
one. You must have a partner and price only applies to
green fees.
Open to the public! We are located on the south side of the A&M campus.
Call the Pro Shop at 845-1 723 & visit us online at http;//recsports.tamu.edu.
• FREE Class of the Week—Want a great, easy to follow, car-
dio workout? Try the newest and most current equipment
used in the fitness industry today at the Circuit Challenge
Class! This Tuesday and Thursday from 5:45—6:45 p.m.
• HEALTHY LIVING LECTURE SERIES—Fad Diets! Learn the
latest research on what works, what doesn't, and what
could harm you! Join us on Oct. 29 at 5:30 p.m. in rm
281. Call 862-3995 or go to http://recsports.tamu.edu for
info.
Upcoming Events
Kayak Roll Instruct. Clinic
Woman's Rock Climb
FREE Climb Technique Clinic
Mt Bike Ride and Clinic
Lead Climbing Clinic
BREAK TRIPS
Horsepacking Big Bend
Ski Colorado
Costa Rica Adventure
Registration
TODAY!
TODAY!
At Event
Eveni Dais
Oct. 28
Oct. 31-Nov. 2
Nov. 4
Nov. 9
Nov. 11
Sept. 1-Nov. 4
Sept. 1-Nov. 10
Sept. 1—Nov. 7 Nov. 26-30
Sept. 1-Dec. 1 Jan. 11-17
Sept. 1-Dec. 12 March 14-21
• PERSONAL TRAINING—A personal trainer can be all you
need to assess your fitness goals, develop a workout plan,
instruct you and even workout with you. You will receive the
level of assistance that you need during your one-hour ses
sion. Call 862-3995 or go to http://recsports.tamu.edu for
info.
FALL I Ms, Have You Signed Up?
The following IM sports OPEN for registration on Oct. 27th:
Dominoes "42" Tourn. FREE
Sign at Member Services by November 4th at 6:00 p.m.
Aquatics-make a SPLASH
Program Registration Class Cost
Adult Learn to Swim NOW—Nov. 3 Nov. 3 $25/$35
N Polar Bear Club All semester FREE
Big Trip Slide Presentations
TOMORROW. Tuesday, Oct. 28 at TAMU Outdoors
6:00—6:30 p.m. Horsepack Big Bend and Ski Colorado
6:30-7:30 p.m. Costa Rica Spring Break
Wednesday, Oct. 29 in 229 MSC
7:00—7:30 p.m. Horsepack Big Bend and Ski Colorado
7:30—8:15 p.m. Costa Rica Spring Break
New Climbing Gear for Sale NOW!—Select Climbing shoes
on clearance and reduced prices on gear packages.
WALK OF CHAMPIONS LEAVE YOUR mark
Aggies, buy your Walk of Champions brick for a reduced
price. Visit http://recsporfs.tamu.edu for more information
and an order form. Leave your mark on the A&M campus.
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