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WILKES-BARRE — As if the upcoming election isn’t scary enough, we have the scariest holiday of all this week — Halloween!
As un-bootiful and non-spooktacular as all those political ads can be, this week be on the lookout for those ghosts, goblins and witches to be walking through your neighborhood. They will be at your door and they will demand: “Trick or treat!”
This Thursday will be a truly “fright night” for unsuspecting people everywhere. You will see the scariest of costumes — and not just on the children. Parents will also be dressing up to scare the Beetlejujice right out of you.
Yes boys and girls, Halloween is coming, so let’s make sure it is a fun — albeit very scary — day and night.
Because that’s what Halloween is supposed to be about, right?
I can’t wait to hop in the Way Back Machine and travel back to my old hometown, Plymouth — back to 1960 —the year of my infamous Headless Horseman costume.
We will hover over Main Street, where we will see all the kids lining up for the annual Plymouth Halloween Parade. Kids are dressed in the most funny, most outlandish and scariest costumes you have ever seen.
As the extremely frightening parade steps off, the costumed kiddos walk proudly down Main Street. The crowd has lined Main Street and they are handing candy to the participants.
The parade route is framed by all those beautifully painted windows on the Plymouth businesses — they are so well done. This is 1960 and all those other wonderful years of vibrant small towns and busy sidewalks.
In Plymouth, the merchants’ front windows are painted in Halloween scenes. They are magnificent.
Storefront by storefront have those Halloween scenes painted on their windows, giving the town a real feel of the holiday. People would marvel at them — stopping to check out each one and you could see the wonderment on the faces of young and old alike.
Of course, back then there were many stores with big windows and lots of people walking up and down Main Street. It was the best of times, not just in Plymouth, but in every small town around Wyoming Valley. Each had their own ambiance and allure. Each had their own celebrations. Each had their own crowded Main Street.
Of course, once night would fall, there would be some of those exceptions to the Fun Rule. You know, those kids who found joy in throwing raw eggs at vehicles, or hanging toilet tissue all over somebody’s magnificent oak or maple tree. These Halloween tricksters were few in numbers, but they sure did cause a lot of disturbances in otherwise quiet neighborhoods.
Now back to the Halloween Parade down Main Street. There would be politicians, even back then — after all, Election Day was also approaching. And the high school band would march and play songs.
The parade of kids would walk the length of Main Street and turn into Huber Field for the Costume Contest. There would be categories and prizes would be awarded. It was a great time and it seemed like the entire town would turn out to watch the parade and the contest.
That was what living in a small town was all about. Everybody knew everybody and they all joined in to celebrate the events that the town would put on.
In the spring, there would be a Little League Parade with all the players, dressed in their uniforms, marching down Main Street to the field on Wadham Street for Opening Day ceremonies. It was a big deal, especially if you were on a team.
As we continue traveling down Main Street, we have to stop and admire the Plymouth High School campus — with its beautiful brick buildings, winding sidewalks and tall shade trees. And Huber Stadium and its amazing wall and the Plymouth Little League next door.
Back in the 1960s, school spirit was a way of life. Whether it was Plymouth versus Nanticoke, West Pittston versus Exeter, Kingston versus Coughlin, Meyers versus GAR, or Avoca versus Moosic, rivalries were to live and die for.
It was a special thrill to experience that school spirit — that hometown pride.
The Way Back Machine automatically stops at a few of Plymouth’s greatest spots — we get a CMP at Golden Quality; we watch a movie at the Shawnee Theater, we have to grab a couple of Mergo’s hot dogs and wash them down with a Rea & Derick cherry Coke. We stop at C. Matus News, where we might also shoot a little 9-ball and play the six-card pinball machine.
We peer into Brodmarkel’s Store and we get a pizza and a Coke at Joe’s Pizza and then walk back to C. Matus and hold up a parking meter with our besties as we watch the parade go by.
So I will sit back and think of Halloween of 1960 and watch the parade and the contest.
And I will forever see those beautifully painted windows along Main Street.
And I will think about that awesome Headless Horseman costume my mom made, as I walk back to Central School on Shawnee Avenue.
Good memories. Fun times.
Back in the Way Back Machine for the return trip to reality.
Wish I could set the return date for Nov. 6.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.