Bay block becomes 'Nightmare on Elmwood'
Scary happenings are occurring on the 500 block of Elmwood Road in Bay Village this time of year! The neighbors on this stretch of road between between Osborn and East Oviatt have caught the Halloween bug and are going all out to decorate their yards for the occasion.
Start your spooky journey at the Dead Dropp Saloon and meet your host and hostess, Ray and Karen Kent. Ray started the day after Halloween last year designing this year's theme: a scary ghost town saloon equipped with bar and bartender ready to serve you. If you're arrested for your ghoulish activities, you'll be escorted right next door to the jail! If you don't behave there, it's on to the ghost town cemetery! Here's a tip: If you need a fast getaway, Bandito Ray will guide you to the haunted stagecoach and eight-foot ghost draft horse.
Two houses down Elmwood live pirates Keith and Carol Stevens and the debut of Keith's ghostly pirate ship, The Eerie. Yo, ho, ho! She's ready to set sail with a lifelike Captain Davy Jones at the helm and his ghostly skeleton crew! Be careful: even though you don't see a plank for walking, there's a pirate jail nearby to straighten out your improper pirate behavior! Those gentlemen in there don't look very happy with their pending demise. Tip: Remember to always follow the proper Pirate Code of Conduct!
Ray and Keith have engaged in a very friendly Halloween competition for the last five years. As soon as Halloween ends, the two go back to the drawing board to try and outdo themselves (and each other) the following year.
Ray's day job gives him a leg up in the competition. He has worked in design for 25 years, now specializing in theater technical, audio-visual and lighting acoustics design for the performing and cultural arts as a managing principal of Sustainable Technologies Group.
Keith works as a veteran nurse and lung transplant coordinator for the Cleveland Clinic, but has had a passion for theater since his high school days and has been a "fixture" at Huntington Playhouse for the past ten years.
Other neighbors on Elmwood have joined in over the past several years, cultivating and capturing the true spirit of Halloween. Stop by Frankenstein's laboratory, if you dare, and be prepared for a visit from the Kraken! All are welcome to check out the spooky happenings on Elmwood Road, but hurry – the frightening fun will disappear soon after Halloween, not to be seen for another year.
Happy Halloween, everyone!