PROSSER
Record-Bulletin Benton County Seat
VOLUME CXXII, NO. 34
PROSSER, WASHINGTON
75
WWW.RECORDBULLETIN.COM
¢
OCTOBER 29, 2014
HAPPY HALLOWEEN Some of Washington’s most haunted places Record-Bulletin Staff
Gravity Hill is a legend and there are two different versions of the story. One is where a school bus full of children was stuck on the railroad tracks. Before the children could get out of the bus, a train came along and struck it, and all of the children were killed. On Gravity Hill they say if someone stops their car on the tracks, puts the car in neutral, the ghosts of the lost children will push the car off the tracks, and uphill for several yards. Some people are said to have put talcum powder on their car bumpers, and claim that they have had children sized fingerprints smudges on the powder. But there are no train tracks near the hill nor was there any school bus disaster. However, some say that a woman was drowned in a nearby irrigation ditch and she is the one who pushes the cars on Gravity Hill and some even say they have seen her waiting by the road for someone to stop. When you get to Gravity Hill, drive to the start line facing uphill. The road seems to rise to a small hillcrest about eight hundred feet away. Leave the car engine on but put the transmission in neutral, and then let off on the brake. Slowly, the car will begin to move forward without any power uphill. Carson - There are several hot springs in the Columbia River gorge. Over the years a number of resorts were built around the springs. One is Carson Mineral Springs in Carson, WA, also known as Hotel St. Martin. The hotel was built in 1899 by Isadore St. Martin. Unfortunately, a few years later St. Martin’s husband was stabbed in an argument with a man named Robert Brown. As a result of the stabbing, St. Martin died in a room on the third floor of the hotel. Mrs. St. Martin was devastated and died a short time later. The ghost of Mrs. St. Martin is often seen on the second and third stories of the hotel by staff and guests who say she appears to be helping the living staff. Other spooky places; Kells Pub - Butterworth Building located in Seattle’s downtown Pike Place See HAUNTED on page 3
Halloween night schedule Prosser - It’s Halloween and there is lots to do here in Prosser for the kids. Listed are just some of the local safe, family friendly activities for the kids this Halloween. Downtown Trick or Treating at Local Businesses: 40 local businesses will be open and ready for your children on the downtown streets from 3 to 5 pm. Last year’s downtown trick or treating was a huge success and business owners look forward to your participation again this year. As you walk around town, please use street corners and allow the Prosser High School Police Explorers to
Photo by Humberto Rodriguez
Calling all Trickor-Treaters Prosser - Be sure and plan to come downtown this Halloween for our first-ever Trick-or-Treat on Main Street! Almost all the downtown businesses will be providing candy for trick-or-treaters from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on Halloween. Also, the 2014 Scarecrow Contest is now underway! The Scarecrow/Trick-orTreat Map can be found at the Visitors Information Center (Train Depot) or in the Record Bulletin on Oct. 29. Follow the map to view
the community with a safe a n d fun “Community Family Night” at Housel Middle School. This event has been in place for 11 years and is always well attended. This year the event will be in both gyms which will be bigger than ever. The event is from 6 to 9 p.m. The cost of admission is one bag of candy per family. Prosser Memorial Hospital will x-ray any candy brought to the hospital. If you want the candy checked, please bring it to the main entry in the hospital.
all of the creative and fun scarecrows around town. Be sure to place a quarter into the jar of your favorite scarecrows. The scarecrow that has the most quarters will be named the People’s Choice Winner. Volunteers will be monitoring the crosswalks in downtown for all of the tricko r- t r e a t e r s ! ! ! P a r t i c i p a t i n g businesses will have lots of candy and will be listed on the Scarecrow/Trick-or-Treat Map. You won’t want to miss this family-friendly Halloween fun!
Prosser - Halloween is fast approaching and your firefighters at Prosser Fire District 3 would like wish everyone a fun and safe Halloween. We would also like to share some important fire safety tips with you and your children. When choosing a costume, stay away from billowing or long trailing fabric. If your child is wearing a mask, make sure eye holes are large enough so they can see out. Provide children with flashlights to carry for lighting or glow sticks as part of their costumes. Dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper are highly flammable. Keep these and other decorations well away from all open flames and heat sources, including light bulbs and heaters. It is safest to use a flashlight or battery–operated candle in a jack-o-lantern. If you use a real candle, use extreme caution. Make sure children are watched at all times when candles are lit. When lighting candles inside jack-olanterns, use long fireplace style matches or utility lighters. Be sure to place pumpkins well away from anything that can burn and
far enough out of way of trickor-treaters, doorsteps, walkways and yards. Remember to keep exits clear of decorations, so nothing blocks escape routes. Tell children to stay away from open flames. Be sure they know how to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches on fire. (Have them practice, stopping immediately, dropping to the ground, covering their face with their hands, and rolling over and over to put the flames out.) Prosser Fire District 3 has lots of Safety Halloween Trick-or-Treat candy bags for the kids. Please stop by the Fire Station and pick yours up today. They’re FREE! The Fire Department will be donating lots of Fire Safety items to Shy’s Pizza for their Halloween celebration. Be sure to look for those items while you’re at Shy’s Halloween night.
History of Halloween Halloween is celebrated the night of October 31. There are bats, cats, costumes, makeup, t r i c k - o r- t r e a t i n g , bonfires, costume parties, haunted houses and carving jack-olanterns but why do we celebrate Halloween? Here are a few facts put together for your enjoyment on this unusual holiday. The word Halloween is
SPORTS - see pg. 10
The Prosser Mustangs got back in the win column. Following the Mustangs first loss of....
to the event with their children. Pizza and the regular menu will be available. Mustang Grill and Roller Skating: There will be a family costume skating party from 3 to 5 pm, at “No Cost”. Don’t forget the costumes; we hear that prizes will be part of the fun. The regular menu will be available for hungry Ghosts and Goblins. Community Family Fun Night at Housel Middle School: The Prosser Community Church, Prosser School District, and many other Prosser churches, businesses and civic organizations will be working in partnership to provide
Halloween safety
on
Mustangs bounce back with win over Ephrata
assist you and your children to cross the streets safely. Sun Terrace’s “Halloween Town”: Each year the residents and staff at Sun Terrace welcome everyone for a special night of Trick or Treat. This event has been very special to the residents and they all look forward to seeing the children each year. The event will be from 6 to 7 pm. Sun Terrace is located at 2131 Wine Country Road. Shy’s Pizza Community Trick or Treat Night: Shy’s Pizza has been hosting a safe alternative to Halloween for many years. This year’s event will be from 5 to 7 pm. Parents are always welcome
a short version of All Hallows’ Evening also known as Hallowe’en or All Hallows’ Eve. Irish and Scottish immigrants carried different versions of their traditions to North America in the nineteenth century. Other western countries embraced the holiday in the late twentieth century including the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom as well as of Australia and New Zealand. Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known See HISTORY on page 3
Photo courtesy of Fire District #3
A trick-or-treat bag with safety recommendations on the front.
COMMUNITY - see pg. 2 Rotary
Alan and Charlotte Friberg shared their recent experience visiting their daughter and son-in-law in Albania with the Prosser Rotary Club on October 23, 2014. Albania is a small country on the Balkan.............
RECORDS - see pg. 7 Property taxes due
Benton County and Franklin County property owners have until October 31st to pay the second half of their 2014 property taxes. After that, interest charges .............