Reelsville haunted house offers fun for all

Monday, November 1, 2010
Loretta Jolliff applies some fake blood to Brody Carr's spear, while his brother Andrew Carr watches. Banner Graphic/JOSH GARVEY

REELSVILLE -- As Yvone Partin, dressed as a lumberjack, carried her daughter Ameliana outside of the Reelsville Fire Department Saturday evening, she explained how her daughter's costume came about.

"I was driving around with her a few weeks back and she said 'I want to be an apple tree for candy this year,'" Yvone said.

Ameliana was one of the younger children at the fire department, which turned into a haunted house and safe candy stop this Saturday. Loretta Jolliff, the president of the Reelsville Fire Department Auxiliary, pointed out a number of large inflatable cartoon characters.

"We do the blow ups for little ones who don't want to go into the haunted house," she said.

The house is staffed by people with ties to the fire department -- either they are fire fighters themselves or they're related to one. Many children were working in the haunted house.

When Brody Carr decided his toy spear needed more blood on it, Jolliff smeared some more fake blood on the silvery plastic.

Yvone Partin holds her daughter Ameliana at the Reelsville Fire Department haunted house Saturday. Banner Graphic/JOSH GARVEY

The tall reaper that works the front door is Jolliff's husband, Ken Jolliff, a firefighter with the department.

Both Jolliffs said the haunted house started four or five years ago. Originally, the auxiliary wasn't involved.

"We used tables to make a layout at first," Ken Jolliff said.

The more elaborate design started as the auxiliary became more involved.

Loretta Jolliff said the main goal behind the free haunted house is to give younger children a safe place to trick or treat.

"We just figure this is a safe spot," Ken Jolliff said. "You don't have to be worried about the candy kids get here."

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