The Post-Crescent from Appleton, Wisconsin • 4

A-4 The Post-Crescent, Appleton-Fox Cities, Wis. www.postcrescent.com Friday, October 1, 2010 For daily news updates, blofis, reader-submitted photos and other postings from the Heart of the Valley, visit www.postcrescent.com heartofthevalley. FEATURES, NEWS AND NOTES EVERY FRIDAY FROM KAUKAUNA, KIMBERLY, LITTLE CHUTE, COMBINED LOCKS, FREEDOM, DARBOY AND SHERWOOD seme, 'Spooktacular' streak endini 1 WMn iviirv lviccp lYUiiici vviapo up uj jcaio ui ovaio ui vwiiiivnivv uuwvu For a complete list of news and notes from Heart of the Valley schools, go to www. postcrescertt.comeast COMBINED LOCKS Gravestones scattered along the front yard and monsters lurking in the shadows have made the small ranch home on Jean and Michael streets the creepiest 1Mb corner in the village every Halloween. But atter 20 years of sending shivers down the spines of passersby of all ages, Kirk's Kreepy Ko rner is calling it quits FP-t Sharon Hanuszczak -Froberg Post-Crescent Assistant Community News Editor 9 air 'j il -r i .4,1 at the end of this spooking season.

Jon Kirk, who created and operated the haunted lot before passing the duties on to his daughter Rachelle four years ago, is grateful for the support he received from the community for his offbeat hobby. He encourages Fox Valley residents to check out this year's final fright, which opens tonight and runs Post-Crescent photo by Sharon Hanuszciak-Froberg JON KIRK and his daughter Rachelle set up the witch display at Kirk's Kreepy Korner, 114 Jean Combined Locks. This is the 20th and final year of the haunted front-yard attraction. If you go most enjoys setting up the annual display. to? Pel Each (prop) has a story behind it," she said.

"The lady being cut in half by the buzz saw -she's probably through Nov. 6. Donations will benefit the Emergency Shelter of the Fox Valley and Fox Valley Mother and Unborn Baby R.KIrk IKIrk and an animated witch stirring a cauldron, a prop powered by a windshield wiper motor. The collection now exceeds 70 props, which are housed in the family's attic, garage and backyard shed. "A lot of this stuff is homemade," Kirk said.

"I started making the tombstones purely by designs out of my head. As a truck driver, I think of things all day long. That's a concept Rachelle has picked up. We can take anything we see and turn it into some type of a prop." Rachelle Kirk remembers stumbling upon an old bike as a child and running home to tell her father of her find for the haunted yard. After some deliberation, the two decided to create a dummy and put the bike in one of the trees in front of their home.

"We made it look like a guy biked into the tree," she said. Rachelle Kirk, now 21, said she enjoys collaborating with her boyfriend on ideas for new props. While she also plays a role in scaring visitors to the front-yard attraction, Rachelle Kirk Locks home will end this year. Rachelle Kirk, who recently purchased a home in Appleton, has not decided whether to resurrect Kirk's Kreepy Korner at a new location next year. "We're not sure if we're going to donate (the props) or if we might bring it to a new haunted house somewhere else," she said.

"We're hoping to be talking about that as the year progresses." The family encourages the community to check out this year's final attraction, promising it will be a memorable one for visitors. Jon Kirk, the founder of the (, Wisconsin Hearse Organization, said a hearse display again will be featured on the home's side yard Oct. 30. "We're going to try and get as many hearses as we can to show up and have a bunch of fun with the visitors coming in for Kirk's Kreepy Korner," he said. "Nobody knows what we're going to do new at Kirk's Kreepy Korner until the day that it's put out.

We keep those ideas secret." Sharon Hanuszczak-Froberg: 920-993-1000, ext. 304, or shanuszc postcrescentcom Ptwto courtesy ot Judy Rogers HOLY CROSS SCHOOL students Grace Schuster and Mary Cops work on dog booties for the Iditarod. FREEDOM Freedom High School Students interested in joining a knitting circle should attend an informational meeting at 3:10 p.m. Monday in Room 30. St Nicholas School Fifth- and sixth-graders attended Conservation Field Day at Koeknke's Farm in Appleton.

KAUKAUNA H.B. Tanner Elementary School Today is Tanner Crazy Day. Children were encouraged to wear black and orange attire. Electa Qulnney Elementary Students will attend their first character assembly of the year today. Principal Garth Larson is expected to take part in a skit as students learn the school's rules against bullying.

Kaukauna High School The homecoming dance is Saturday. St Aloyslus School Students and staff gathered last Tuesday for a prayer service for peace. KIMBERLY Westslde Elementary School A Parent-Teacher Organization meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the library media center. J.R.

Gerrrtts Middle School The school is collecting old cell phones and ink cartridges to purchase technology for the classroom. Items can be sent to school with students or dropped off in Computer Lab 111. Holy Splrlt-Darboy Eighth-graders welcomed their kindergarten buddies at the "Big KnightLittle Knight" mass. LITTLE CHUTE Little Chute Elementary School Fifth-graders will take a field trip Tuesday to Fallen Timbers Environmental Center in Black Creek. Little Chute Middle School A basketball meeting for students in grades four through six will be held at 7 p.m.

Monday in the auditorium. Little Chute High School The homecoming dance is Saturday. Compiled by Sharon Hanuszczak-Froberg: 920-729-6622, ext. 27, or shanuszcpostcrescentcom What Kirk's Kreepy Korner Where: 114 Jean St, Combined Locks When: Today through Nov. 6.

The haunted display will run from 5:30 to 1 1 p.m. weekdays and from 5:30 p.m. to midnight on weekends. Cost Free. Donations will benefit the Emergency Shelter of the Fox Valley and Fox Valley Mother and Unborn Baby Care.

Other HOV haunts benefiting charities: Kimberly Haunted Woods, 17 Floral Drive, Kimberly. Hours are from 7 to 10:30 p.m. (no live spooks from 6 to 7 p.m.) Oct 15-16, Oct 22-23 and Oct attraction will be open from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct 17 and Oct. 24.

Dakota's Haunted Cemetery, 107 Lamine Lane, Combined Locks. The attraction will be open starting at dusk, weather permitting, on Oct 15-16, Oct 21-23 and Oct 27-30. the door. They were very interested in the props." The haunted lot expanded during its second year to include more tombstones one of my favorites because you can clearly see the blade cutting her in half and all the kids are like, 'I can't believe that's happening right in front of Children also enjoy the opportunity to serve as a spook if their parents agree. "We have masks, we have clothes that they can wear," Rachelle Kirk said.

"It's pretty much show up and you can do it." Jon Kirk said many children in the Kimberly Area School District picked up acting tips by playing a ghoul in the haunted yard. "In the 20 years that we've been doing this, we've taught hundreds of kids how to be an actor how to come in and scare, have fun," he said. The fun at the Combined Care. "We had a great time," Kirk said Sunday as he helped set up this year's display at 1 14 Jean St. "Look around for us in the future." Kirk, a truck driver for Able Distributing, always enjoyed dressing up in costume for Halloween and scaring trick-or-treaters.

But he didn't think about transforming his home into a house of horror until he saw the reaction an Appleton haunt elicited from his daughter Danielle. "Other people were doing something that I also wanted to try," Kirk said. "My first year, I think I had four or five small tombstones and maybe there might have been a body on the ground. I had a couple of trick-or-treaters that were scared to come up to POLL RESULTS What effect will the Obamas' visit to Wisconsin have on the Nov. 2 election? It will help Democrats win: 9.8; It will help Democrats, but not enough: 9.8; It will benefit GOP candidates: 29.3; It wont have any Impact on the outcome: 51.1 Total votes cast 225 CURRENT POLL Should Congress extend the Bush-era tax cuts? Yes, It will stimulate Job growth; Yes, It will help small businesses; No, It will add to the nation's deficit; No, It only benefits wealthy Americans.

Vote at www.postcrescent comheartofthevalley. NEWS AND NOTES HOV chamber holds marketing seminar KAUKAUNA The Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce will host a Business over Breakfast seminar from 7:15 to 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. The session at the chamber office, 101 E. Wisconsin children up to fifth-grade.

Entries can be dropped off or mailed to Stone Chiropractic, 2450 Crooks Kaukauna, WI 54130. Entries will be sorted by age group. Those that receive the most votes will receive a $25 gift certificate. For more information, call 920462-0912. Firm plans coloring contest for children VANDENBROEK -Stone Chiropractic will kick off its third annual coloring contest Saturday during the Family Extravaganza at Players Choice, W3035 County Hwy.

JJ. The contest is open to all will cover generational marketing strategy. Cost is $5 for chamber members and $10 for non-members. Registration is required. For more information or to reserve your spot, call 920-766-1616 or e-mail kclussmanheartofthe valleychamber.com.

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During October. 10 cents will be Serving Wisconsin i 1., since 2003 Steve -a i donated by Cybex to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation for 1 each mile logged. RUNWALK for someone you care about or just to Morch-Torme LIVE support a great cause! The more miles you put on the treadmill, the more prizes you will win. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A MEMBER IN ORDER TO WIN. OCTOBER 1ST, Outer Edge Stage 1 3 I first 3y0 people that sign up receive a tree t-shirt and water EXCLUSIVELY Appletn tmetesscool 1 llu 1 180 Fox Shores Kaukauna, WI 54130 920-766-0149 www.ghosttownfrtness.com -i'I CTmtarefhTiriMirihna.