Haunted house reported near Si View

Published 5:08 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

NORTH BEND – Crisp autumn days, falling leaves and pumpkins on the neighbor’s doorsteps signal the approach of that bewitching holiday known as Halloween. This is the time most children start thinking about costumes, candy and parties. An energetic group of Snoqualmie Middle School eighth graders have created their own fall tradition: putting together an annual haunted house.

“Director” Brooks Malberg started the trend, holding the first haunted house five years ago in his parent’s garage in the Si View neighborhood of North Bend. He advertised the event via flyers in the neighborhood and sold tickets at the door. Neighborhood kids lined up outside in the driveway on the big night, impatiently waiting their turn to have the wits scared out of them.

“Co-director” Brad Bonner’s immaculate garage, also in Si View, was the location for the next two years, and last year’s haunting was back at Malberg’s. More neighborhood kids took part in the project and the haunted house became bigger and more detailed with each passing year.

As the group of children working on the haunted house has grown, they have learned how to work together. The majority of the kids live in the Si View development, and many of them have been friends since before kindergarten. Bonner said last year, they tried forming a “board of directors” to help solve their creative differences, but, he said, “it didn’t really work out.” The kids laugh as they talk about some of the issues they had last year, and they are proud of the fact they were able to work things out together.

This year’s haunting proves to be the most elaborate yet. As the kids have gotten older, they have become more technical in their displays. Seven rooms have been designed incorporating eerie props, scary music, strobe lights and fog. The crew includes Jake Beck, Bonner, Taylor Campbell, Shawn Duncan, Dyson Fowler, Chloe Loveridge, Malberg, Bryce McMichael, Traci Nelson, Lauren Rasmussen, Austin Taylor and Taylor Warnke.

All the kids contributed props, decorations and supplies. The group estimated they have spent close to $400 this year alone. Parents let them borrow household items for the haunted house and the kids were creative with what they used. Bonner said they have spent much of their own money and their parents also chipped in.

“We made a lot of trips to ACE [hardware],” he said.

The haunted house is in Loveridge’s garage in “old” Si View this year, and the kids started working on it after school about a month ago. Valerie Loveridge, Chloe’s mother, said it has been a great experience for everyone involved.

“This is a good group of kids and they have had a great time working on this together,” she said.

The first run was held Saturday, Oct. 22, and was a hit with all who attended. Chloe said the crew learned how to make things go a little more smoothly the next time. She said they were rushing to get ready on time. “The makeup took a little longer than we thought it would,” she said. Thanks to parent Leslie Beck, the makeup results were realistically scary.

The crew didn’t keep track of how many people went through the house, but they brought in more than $220 and they are donating the entire amount to hurricane relief.

The crew says the haunted house is for all ages and they can “tone it down” for the younger kids. They invite the community to attend what they say may be their last-ever haunted house. (They say they’re running out of garages.) Come support this hard-working group of kids in their efforts and maybe they’ll be back next Halloween.

* Attend the haunted house from 6:45-8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28, at 730 Meadow Drive S.E. in North Bend. Cost is $1 per person and all proceeds will be donated to hurricane relief. For information, visit www.thehaunt.freewebspace.com.