Nederland families say forget about Ike on Halloween

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October 30, 2008

By Darragh Doiron The Port Arthur News Thu Oct 30, 2008, 06:15 PM CDT

NEDERLAND —Paige McDonald admits she may have had ulterior motives to creating the scariest house on the block, but it’s really all about post-Ike stress reduction, she claims

“I’m kind of competitive, and the kids really get into it,” she said.

Aside from giant, blinking cats, skulls and lights, the corner house on Maple Street, off 27th Street just outside of Nederland, is showing a movie, of sorts.

Images of a flaming pumpkin, stormy weather and cemeteries repeat themselves out of her son’s window with growls, gurgles and other sound effects.

“It’s new age,” she said of the projection kit she got from Canada. It’s on surround sound from her son’s bedroom window.

“Poor little thing,” she said of his sacrifice to the Halloween landscape.

She was afraid the neighbors would find it too loud, but they told her to crank it up.

“You can’t hear it inside the house,” McDonald said.

Next-door neighbor Kathleen Fore also made a big to-do over the holiday, with a yard full of creepy decor. McDonald called the work her therapy.

“I just did it because I needed some stress relief and it took on a life of its own. I just want people to not think about the hurricane for a change,” she said. “It just made me feel good to do it. Both of my sisters lost their homes in Bridge City. My sister had a wedding album (saved) and that was it … and I lost my beach cabin at Crystal Beach. It was just kind of an outlet to me.”

McDonald said her husband Brent was hanging out the window to get the decorations up.

“He knew how excited I was,” she said.

Their sons are Landon, 17, and Lane, 13.

Kathleen and Vic Fore got support from their son, Taylor, 13.

“We’ve had a huge response since last night,” McDonald said about neighborhood appreciation for both houses.

She said this past year she got about $100 worth of candy and was out in 30 minutes. “This neighborhood is unbelievably packed. People bus them in. I’m going to Sam’s to get $200 worth of candy. We’re just going to sit in the driveway and pass out candy to the kids,” McDonald said.

Regardless of her “competitive” nature, McDonald said she understands the holiday is for costumed little ones.

“I’m just here for the kids,” she said.

Contact this reporter at ddoiron@panews.com.

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Nederland families say forget about Ike on Halloween

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