Industry

Hayride Accident: Girl Scout Dies

Friday night October 15th, 1999 20 Girl Scouts from St. Louis, MO and their mothers were enjoying a Haunted Hayride at the Rocking J Ranch near High Ridge in northern Jefferson County, when the wagon suddenly began to pick up speed, careened out of control, crashing down a wooded hillside into some trees. Rachel McManemy, 12, was killed and at least 11other children and 9 adults were injured in the incident. "It started going real fast," said eye witness Stephanie Marie Melton, 13, who was sitting on the front row. “I thought it was a joke at first, then the driver was turning his tires different ways, and my friend Rachel fell back. I could feel myself flying. My glasses fell off." 

Don Johnson, the owner of the Rocking J Ranch, prided himself on the unique hayrides he offered. "We made a real nice trail through the woods where you wouldn't have the same old hayride going around in a circle in a field," Johnson said. The Rocking J Ranch reopened after investigators could not find a cause of the October 15th accident. Hayrides were still offered, however, several groups canceled their planned visit. The fatal hayride crash prompts questions of passenger safety and area Hayride operators were besieged by nervous riders. Before one woman uneasily boarded the hay wagon Saturday night, she asked the driver, "Do the brakes on your tractor work?" Another woman chimed in, "Yes. Can you just show us?" 

Lt. Mark Tulgetske, a spokesman for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, said that the inquiry had given investigators nothing to which they could point to as the definitive cause of the accident. While the inquiry remains open, investigators say they never may know what caused the fatal accident. They were concerned about "wear and tear" they found on the 1965 Ford Model 3000 tractor which pulled the wagon, but what was at first thought to be a brake failure was deemed inconclusive. Investigators have ruled out mechanical failure, oversized load and operator error as causes for the accident. Drug and alcohol tests have cleared the 21-year-old driver of the tractor of any criminal wrongdoing, said Lt. Tulgetske. 

The final report from the accident reconstruction team offers little insight into the cause of the crash. Investigators say they can find no definitive reason why a tractor-driven hay wagon loaded with Girl Scouts went out of control Oct. 15, crashing down the wooded hillside at the Rocking J Ranch, killing one and injuring 20.

Oh, Rats! The Use of Live Animals in Dark Attractions
Dusti L. Lewars A patron creeps down a darkened hallway in your haunted house, feeling his way inch by inch. Suddenly a light comes on! Rats everywhere! Rats under Plexiglas below their feet and in a fish tank on the wall beside them! Do they run? Or just stomp and punch the Plexiglas?  

While rodents, snakes, and spiders can trigger primal fears in the average population, are these scares effective for use in a haunted house? While it is possible to suggest the presence of these animals with the use of prerecorded sounds or other special effects, some haunters opt to use live animals as props in their attractions. This decision can create several problems that they had not been prepared for. Rats are the most commonly used animals in dark attractions. They are very affordable, available at any pet shop, and relatively cheap to house and feed. 

Or are they? 

Few haunters realize that there are guidelines set by the USDA for the housing of rats. These standards dictate the size of the caging, types of appropriate bedding, the need for clean water, food sources, hide-boxes, and the number of rats that can be in one enclosure. Rats are very social animals. Placing a number of rats in a single cage creates a colony, and the gender of the rat population must be considered. Purchasing more than one male rat will create fights for territory and dominance. Mixing males with females will indubitably create offspring, which creates stress within the colony. Even if you choose to buy only female rats, there is no guarantee that the ones you receive will not be pregnant already. 

One of the primary considerations when putting any animal on public display is the creation of stress, because animals tend to react unexpectedly in stressful situations. The simple act of placing an animal in an enclosure without a place to hide can and does cause death due to stress. "The loud noises, vibrations, and flashing lights over a continuous period of time can cause severe stress, anxiety...” explains Janice Mininberg, Director of the Women's Humane Society in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. “...and in turn, behavior and health problems in any animal that is used in a facility such as a haunted house..." Animals have much more sensitive hearing and sight than a person, and in a Haunted Attraction, there is no escape from the stimuli for a rat trapped in a tank or under a Plexiglas floor. The resulting stress can cause behavior problems including self-mutilation; infanticide; transverse aggression, (aggressiveness towards other rats) and the possible danger of attack for anyone whose job it is to clean or handle the stressed rats. 

Stress also weakens an animal’s immune system, increasing the likelihood of illness occurring within the rat colony. Even if the rats were healthy when purchased, they are susceptible to respiratory conditions. The dust, mold, and byproducts of fog machines are all potential causes for illnesses. Colds brought in by actors or patrons can be spread to your rats, too. 

As an operator or owner, the health and psychological well being of your rat colony may not be your primary concern. However, there is a whole other group of issues concerning the public. Many people are allergic to rats and patrons with allergies and asthma may have extreme reactions to rats in the attraction. The protein-laden saliva of rats can become an airborne irritant, and rat urine produces a pungent smell that contains ammonia and possibly pheromones, both strong irritants. If your enclosure is not cleaned frequently, even patrons who do not have an allergic reaction will react to the stench of dirty litter. Fecal particulate can escape from the enclosure and contaminate your haunt’s air supply. And what happens if one of these smelly over-stressed vermin escapes? Injuries caused by bites or panic could potentially result in legal action. 

The most damaging effect of using live animals in your event, however, could be public opinion. How will visitors feel about you using live animals in your event? Observing stressed, fighting, or injured animals can create simple concern for the animals’ well-being and could result in complaints to your staff, to local humane societies, animal activist groups, or other people considering patronizing your dark attraction. 

The final problem is what are you going to do with your animals after the event? Give them away? Sell them back to the pet store? Take them home and make them pets? Release them into the wild? There are lots of reasons why this last option would look like the best choice. It is the easiest one. Rats are known to be able to fend for themselves; and after all, your pet store rat is a Norway rat - the same non-native species as that living outside. But the releasing of rats into the wild can cause even bigger problems. “The intentional release of non-native species and/or domesticated animals into wildlife communities has proved disastrous in the past.” states Laura McRae, a wildlife biologist, wildlife rehabilitator, and head animal keeper at the Academy of Natural Sciences. “The first thing these rats will do, if they survive the night, is find a warm, cozy home in your neighbor’s attic or garage.” Rats also have a well-developed homing instinct, and can find their way home from several miles away. It is very possible that your colony of rats will simply end up back at your haunt’s location trying to find a way inside. Legally speaking, freeing domestic animals can be considered abandonment, and to release non-native or domestic species on federal or state property is illegal. There are also local and state ordinances that control where “nuisance species” such as rats can be released, and how many can be placed in a given area. In Pennsylvania, the state Game Commission controls where and how exterminators are allowed to release rats, squirrels, raccoons, and other animals captured live and removed from homes and businesses. 

When making the decision to use live animals in a Haunted Attraction, owners need to be aware of and responsible for any situation that may arise. Consideration must be taken in the construction of the enclosure, the care and well being of the animals, and what will happen to them after the event. The question becomes, just how effective is the use of live rodents, snakes, or spiders in your attraction? The time, effort and cost involved in maintaining these animals might be better utilized elsewhere for more effect, and for the better of all concerned. 

Dusti L. Lewars is an animal keeper/animal handler at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, PA, and the casting director/trainer for Grisly Gothic Gables. She serves on the IAHA board, and is a freelance writer of things macabre. Dusti can be reached at Elionwyr@Onix.com.

IAHA at Transworld 2000

The second annual meeting of the members of the International Association of Haunted Attractions opened Saturday night, March 11th with an appropriate, and already traditional, group scream. Which was perhaps one of the few similarities between last year’s and this year’s meetings. In 2000, the IAHA membership numbered 191, and a majority of those members were in attendance in the banquet hall provided by a new two-year alliance between IAHA and Transworld. The tone of the meeting was set by President Drew Hunter reading short humorous poems written by David Lady. This meeting had much to do with business, however, and fellowship played a big part as well, and was evident throughout the evening. 

The bylaw amendments suggested by the Bylaws Committee were voted on and accepted. The major changes centered around the introduction of staggered terms for board members, four new classes of membership, and procedure changes for how the Nomination Committee operates. After the bylaw vote was taken, board members stood and summarized the progress made by their various committees, including a deal made with Dreamworks Studio that allowed IAHA members the opportunity to work with local movie theaters to promote the horror films “The Haunting” and “Blair Witch Project.” IAHA menbers were encouraged to bring elements of their haunts into the theaters as a cross promotion. A new web site for IAHA was unveiled at the meeting, as well as a media packet given out to members at the IAHA convention booth. Then the nominees for the 2000/2001 Board of Directors stood and introduced themselves to the membership, votes were cast and while the votes were being tallied, Crazy Bob (Bob Turner of Haunted Hydro) once again hosted this year’s fundraiser effort: a “Casket Basket” raffle. The idea behind this fundraiser was simply that, for a $10 donation to IAHA, Crazy Bob and staff would sell “an arm’s length” of tickets, which the purchaser could then take and use to try to win one of the over 20 “Casket Baskets” donated by various haunters and vendors to be raffled off. $1,410 was raised, beating last year’s fundraiser by more than $100. 

Attendees of this meeting were also invited to view the ‘Haunter’s Gallery’ made up of posters, photos, t-shirts, and other advertising collateral brought in by several IAHA members to show off their haunts. The resulting display was a truly impressive array of creativity! When all the votes were counted, the new board was announced.

• D’Ann Dagen - President - 1 year term
• Keith Fort - Vice President - 2 year term
• Cliff Martin - Treasurer - 2 year term
• Dusti L. Lewars - Secretary - 1 year term
• Ben Armstrong - 1 year term
• Tracy Brown - 2 year term
• Jay B Corn - 1 year term
• John Denley - 2 year term
• John Dolan - 2 year term
• Rex B. Hamilton - 1 year term
• Tim Harkleroad - 2 year term
• Drew Hunter - 1 year term
• Kevin McCurdy - 2 year term
• Cydney Neil - 1 year term
• David Schwend - 1 year term
• Bob Turner - 1 year term
• Aven Warren - 2 year term
• Randy Young - 2 year term

For more information or to join this exciting new organization, log on at www.IAHAweb.org, or contact Dusti Lewars- Poole at 610-394-0470.

Jekyll and Hyde Social

On March 10th, Haunted Attraction Magazine sponsored an excursion to the new Jekyll and Hyde Club in downtown Chicago. What was originally planned as a ‘small’ gathering turned into three bus loads of Haunters from around the country, breaking bread in the perfect ‘atmosfear’ of the Haunt themed restaurant. The whole second floor was rented out and 150 people attended the event, (the maximum number allowed on the second floor of the establishment). Live roaming talent, high quality animatronics and special effects, and world class food were combined into a wonderful evening. The attention to themeing detail throughout the building was humbling to even the most veteran haunters in the group. Several celebrities were in attendance such as Tony Timpone, R. A. Mihialoff, Philip and Amy Morris, Ron Chaney and Jim Warfield to name a few. After dinner everyone toured the Experiment in Terror, a walk-through Haunted Attraction inside the restaurant. As it came time to get on the bus for the ride back to the convention center, the group descended on the gift shop buying everything that was not tied down, and for the rest of the convention, Jekyll and Hyde T-shirts, jackets, caps and pins were seen in force. We would like to thank The Jekyll and Hyde Club and everyone who attended the event for making this first annual Haunted Attraction Magazine social a smashing success.

TransWorld Review
Jeff Preston

“The massive oak door slowly opened and in the archway, shrouded in the mist, was the bent figure of a man-like being. Lumbering forward, its' face was illuminated by a small beam of light. The blood red eyes told the tale of the dark journey that the twisted creature had taken.” 

A new urban legend? The opening of a lost Hammer film? No, just me arriving home from my first Transworld National Halloween and Party Show in Chicago. 

To do justice to the show would take more words than I am capable of, so the best I can do is to try and glean some highlights from my first impressions. The sheer size of the main floor is the first thing that overwhelms you, (after the outrageous parking fees). With no preset destination, I dove in head first into the belly of the beast. With all the competing vendors, a company really has to polish up their act to stand out among the masses. 

Even if you have an earth shattering prop or mind blowing services, if you do not greet your prospective buyers with a smile and a "glad you are here" attitude you will not be remembered. Several booths had items that caught my eye but because of their less than cordial approach I cannot even remember the company's name. If you own a company and are not a people person hire someone who is and increased sales will be your reward! Morris Costumes was the first of the Haunted Prop booths that I came across. Granted they were huge but their product was presented so professionally that the amount of space that they took up was an afterthought. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful going what I thought was way out of their way to help me. When you run across people like that you are more apt to buy from them just because you like them! 

Cinema Secrets was a beehive of activity. This was one hustling crew. I believe I was approached by no less than three sales people. They had a very nice line of costuming and their licensed items ranged from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Bozo the Clown. Quality with service, what a combination! Their catalog was a collectible in itself with the front and back cover illustrated by the legendary William Stout. Bounding from booth to booth I quickly became aware that my briefcase was growing heavy with brochures and flyers, and I had only been there a few hours! (Note to self, start endurance and strength training immediately for next year!) 

My next destination was the ‘Dark Zone.’ Needless to say I was amazed. The group responsible for my awe struck countenance was Scare Factory, with a wide selection of animations designed to startle rather than entertain. The creativity and craftsmanship stood head and shoulders above the competition. I spotted the likeness of my old illustration instructor Mark Hazelrig on one of the props, and discovered that the factory crew are fellow alumnus from the Columbus College of Art and Design. This is one company that has its act together, and I look forward to dealing with them for many years to come. 

Rounding a corner, Stage Fright Studios treated us to a full size T-rex like skull that was fully animated. The smooth action and range of motion was very impressive. Also in the area was a 3-D vortex tunnel by Effect Tech, whose popularity was verified again this year by all of the similar products at the show. It does not take long for sensory overload to take effect in the Dark Zone. My hats off to those who worked the entire show there. Sunshine, quiet, and heavy medication would seem to be the ticket for PTTF (post-traumatic-transworld-fatigue). 

Exiting the zone, I spotted the Haunted Attraction Magazine booth and made a beeline to it. I was sure Leonard would have a stack of requests for me to sign copies of my last article in HA Magazine. But no! All the buzz was over the latest issue, number 20, with a radiant Cydney Neil on the cover... go figure? Oh well, minor celebrity status has eluded me once again. 

It quickly became apparent that it would take me a week to see everything at this rate, and with only three days to accomplish the task, I needed to walk faster. With the first day’s over view completed I spent the rest of my time on the specifics that I needed for my particular attraction; sound, lighting, make up, costuming, etc. I already had in my head exactly what my needs were, so I wasted no time just browsing. The Dark Illusion booth had several items that I had been looking for plus a few things that I had wished existed but had not been able to find, but here they were, right in front of me. As a member of the new International Association of Haunted Attractions (IAHA) I manned the association’s booth for two hours on Saturday. This afforded me the opportunity to take in the magnificent apparel offered by Castle Blood, directly across the aisle. On one attempt to seek out a bathroom I discovered, way on the other side of the convention center, the booth of Scream Team. Finally, Hollywood quality foam appliances that I had previously only dreamed of! Needless to say a large order was placed on the spot. 

Sunday was time to tie-up loose ends and make final business arrangements. The Halloween Alliance booth was a must stop for this last day! Rochelle Santopoalo and crew serve as a touchstone to remind us all that Halloween is about having fun regardless of age, with her publication Happy Halloween. While the show was overwhelming, with every imaginable item your haunting heart could possibly desire, the one priceless thing about going to the convention is that you come away with is a host of new friends. The gathering allows you to meet people from all over that share the same love, the same goals and desires for Haunting that you do. Attractions will come and go but relationships forged in the corridors and at the socials during the weekend can last forever. So when I am out doing my jogging this year, and people are asking me what I am in training for, I will just answer "Transworld 2001 of course!"  

Jeff Preston is a free lance illustrator whose work you might have seen in Monsterscene and Little Shop of Horrors magazines. He is also the creative force behind the planned " Terror on the Square" in Gallatin, Tennessee, and can be reached at terroronthesquare@home.com

IAHA Meeting

The IAHA meeting was Saturday night (March 11th) and what a pleasant experience. Having heard all the horror stories I was not sure what to expect. There was a strong sense of unity that prevailed. At first there was a formality that was prevalent but as time went on any pre-existing tension dissipated. At the table where I was seated, everyone was pretty much determined to have a "frightful" good time. And needless to say we had the force concentrated in our area. Why we had three raffle winners at our table and four at the table next to us! Of course between Rochelle Santopoalo and Joe Jensen it is pretty hard not to enjoy yourself.