Haunted Chesapeake 2023

Local Stories

&

Legends

2

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

Contents What Legend Do You Believe In?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 A 'Rustic' Tale Of Murder And Mystery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Calvert County landmark restaurant was site of paranormal probe following 1980 murder

All About Werewolves . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Werewolves have been around for a long time.

Vampires Throughout History. . . . 7 Vampires are undead creatures who make their living snacking on the fresh blood of the living

Dark Hollows Haunted Trail. . . . . . 8 More than a memory

'Give Them A Little Fright'. . . . . . . . 12

Cats, Bats And Rats, Oh My!. . . . . . 17 You can hardly have Halloween without black cats, hordes of black bats and a legion of scary rats. Why are these creatures so associated with spooky season?

Festive Diy Halloween Decor. . . . . 18 Now that we’ve got costumes for the family, including the pets, it’s time to costume the house, too. Keep reading for some easy ways to DIY your own Halloween decor.

Party Punches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Set the scene for a spooky night of fun with these scary easy Halloween party punch recipes.

Scary Good Hors D'oeuvres. . . . . . . 21 Stick your fingers into these party-perfect finger foods.

Some of these just might poke you back.

Famous Mummies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 It’s hard not to get all wrapped up in Halloween fun facts and activities.

Mechanicsville man goes all out for Halloween

All Treats, No Tricks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Sweeten your Halloween bash with these gastric goodies.

Ghosts Through Time. . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Ghosts have breezed through our dreams and nightmares since time immemorial. Here are some of history’s most splendid spooks.

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

3

What legend do you believe in?

By Doug Bishop

The legendary 'Goat Man' who lived up around Beltsville when I was growing up.

-Mark Torre, Centreville

Our family did a lot of boating on the Chesapeake Bay when I was a young child. I was always taught to be on the lookout for Chessie (the Chesapeake Bay) Sea Serpent.

-Jenny Walton, Queenstown

The Loch ness Monster captured my attention, as I had ancestors from that region of the world. They'd talk about it like it was a real thing!

-Tom Tate, Chester

Chessie (the Chesapeake Bay) Sea Serpent interested my curiosity as a child because local people would always tell the myths to local children. I always thought there was another species in the bay."

Johnny Appleseed.

I grew-up in Indiana, and as kids that's who we learned about.

We use to go around looking for apple trees, because we knew they had all been planted

by Johnny Appleseed!

-Anne Layton, Chestertown

-John Conley, Chester

4

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

A 'Rustic' tale of murder and mystery Calvert County landmark restaurant was site of paranormal probe following 1980 murder

By Marty Madden

She got on the phone with her lawyer, he pulled out a gun and shot her, Lamson recalled “Doug Schwab did a hell of a business,” Buehler said, adding that cars were parked all along the Route 2/4 roadway.

The Schwabs’ home — described in some accounts as a “living quarters” — was located behind the restaurant.

It was in the bedroom of their home where Douglas shot Nancy to death around 6 p.m. on March 6, 1980, according to local news accounts and Prince Frederick's landmark restaurant Adam's Grille has maintained the log cabin style of its former moniker, Rustic court testimony.

Farm. A woman who once co-owned Rustic Farm lives on, some say, in the restaurant. Photo by Marty Madden Douglas Schwab, 56 at the time t started with an argument followed was constructed and opened as a of the incident, was arrested and by a gunshot. The year was 1980. restaurant and bar during the midcharged with slaying Nancy, who was In March of that year, Douglas 1950s.

43. and Nancy Schwab owned Rustic However, Pat Buehler of A story in the March 12, 1980, Farm Restaurant on the south side St. Leonard, a former county edition of the Calvert Independent of Prince Frederick. The log cabin commissioner, believes the cabin-like noted that Dr. George Weems, structure was, and remains to this day, edifice was built during the late 1940s. the county’s medical examiner, a Calvert County landmark, although Several posters on Buehler’s social pronounced Nancy Schwab dead it has been known as Adam’s Ribs, or media page also concur that Rustic f rom a gunshot wound to the head.

Adam’s Grill, since 1996. A comparison Farm goes back over 70 years and Douglas Schwab was subsequently of some of the old county images was the quintessential family-owned taken into custody but f reed snapped by unknown photographers restaurant, a culinary holy grail for approximately 16 hours later. back in the day to photos of today’s locals, visitors and passers-through on “They were having a domestic building indicate there have been the county's main artery, Route 4, just argument,” Larry Lamson recalled. some exterior changes as well. south of Prince Frederick.

Today, Lamson is a local attorney. In There is conflicting information The Schwabs were not the original 1980 he was a district court judge about when Rustic Farm was owners of Rustic Farm but they were and was on the bench when Douglas originally built. Some believe it highly successful in their ownership.

Schwab was brought into the court

I

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

5

for a bond review. over a week, the jury deliberated documentation, the paranormal “She got on the phone with her for 90 minutes and found Douglas examiners had a goal of performing lawyer, he pulled out a gun and shot Schwab guilty of second-degree “multiple readings and tests to her,” Lamson recalled. Judge Lamson murder. Charles County Circuit Court determine what type of activity was took some heat for setting Douglas Judge Robert C. Nalley sentenced present. They wanted to see if they Schwab’s bail at $250,000. Being well- Schwab to 20 years in the Maryland could make contact with the ghost heeled, Schwab was able to make bail. penitentiary. of Nancy. So with the help of digital “He was never any trouble. He was Oddities investigated night shot cameras, voice recorders the lowest risk — not a mass killer, not According to accounts chronicled and an electric and magnetic field a danger to the community,” Lamson on Adam’s website, in the early 1990s meter, the investigators began their recalled, labeling the incident “a crime when Rustic Farm was rebranded mission at 9 p.m.” of passion.” and became an eatery specializing Some of the chronicled Accounts printed in the Calvert in barbecue, strange things began to occurrences during the two hour Independent back in 1980 indicated occur. investigation — such as oddly justice was rendered swiftly by the “Some female servers reported behaving electromagnetic meter and court system. Douglas Schwab’s hearing their name whispered while a camera that malfunctioned while murder trial was moved to Charles they were alone,” the summary states. orb pictures were being taken — led County due to the heavy pre-trial “And, night managers have said that the Smithsonian team to conclude publicity in Calvert. they felt a presence, as if they were that while there was “clear evidence The prosecutor, Stephen Claggett, being watched. Even creepier, some of paranormal activity,” they could not an assistant state’s attorney, called patrons have claimed to have seen confirm whether the restaurant was approximately 18 witnesses, including Nancy sitting at the bar.” “haunted.” customers who were in the restaurant Ten years later, on March 23, 2003 So, is Nancy still a spooky spiritual when the shooting took place, along — 23 years and 17 days after her presence at the restaurant formerly with family members, restaurant tragic death — the Smithsonian sent known as Rustic Farm? employees and police officers. three paranormal investigators to the “Lately, no,” Jaime Padilla, the Ruth Guienot, Nancy’s mother, restaurant to conduct a probe. restaurant’s current owner, said. “Not testified that Douglas Schwab came According to the restaurant’s for me. In the past there into the restaurant and were just odd things going admitted shooting his wife. on — not really voices but “I ran to the back of appearances, according the restaurant into the to employees and other bedroom," Guienot testified. people.”

“I saw her lying back on the Padilla stated that these bed in a pool of blood with days the restaurant is, in a pencil in her hand. I put a some ways, like the Schwabs’ wet cloth on her head and Rustic Farm operation. came out screaming. I knew “The restaurant is doing she was dead.” a vibrant business,” Padilla According to newspaper declared, adding that Nancy accounts, Schwab’s attorney, must be pleased that over Thomas Rymer, entered 40 years after a single a plea of not guilty on gunshot ended her human Schwab’s behalf, claiming life she can revel in her next the gun that killed Nancy life as again being part of a Schwab had gone off successful local landmark. accidentally.

A story in the March 12, 1980, edition of the Calvert Independent told the story of Nancy “We just think she’s happy Schwab's death from a single gunshot wound six days earlier.

After a trial that lasted Photo scan by Marty Madden right now,” Padilla said.

6

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

All about Werewolves Werewolves have been around for a long time.

The earliest surviving example of a man turning into a wolf is f rom “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” around 2100 B.C., says Newcastle University Ph.D. candidate Tankia Kooseman.

The ancient Romans and Greeks weren’t any stranger to werewolves, either. Herodotus described the Neuri, a nomadic tribe of men who changed into wolves for several days of the year. Wolf Zeus, also known as Zeus Lycaeus, was worshipped in the Arcadian region of Greece. It was a deity that had wolf-like attributes.

Ovid’s Lycaon, Kooseman says, is the origin of the modern werewolf.

In Ovid’s tale, King Lycaon’s immoral behavior leads him to a physical transformation to a wolf.

During the medieval period of European history, belief in

werewolves grew along with the belief in witchcraft. There were trials of supposed werewolves in Switzerland, Bavaria and Austria, as well as in other places in Europe.

The name werewolf comes f rom the Old English werewolf, which itself descends f rom the proto-Germanic wira-wulfaz, or man-wolf.

St. Patrick was said to have

transformed King Vereticus of Wales into a wolf, venting his f rustration at tribes that resisted his efforts to convert them to Christianity. Meanwhile, St. Natalis supposedly cursed an Irish family to werewolfdom.

Today’s werewolves are generally depicted as being vulnerable to silver and who shapeshift with the full moon or at night. Transformation into a wolf may be a hereditary condition or it may be transmitted by the bite of another werewolf. Sometimes, the human form of the werewolf may also exhibit special gifts, such as superhuman speed and strength. If a werewolf is wounded in wolf form, the wounds will also show in human form. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, werewolves are believed to turn into vampires after they die.

Some famous werewolves are J.K. Rowling’s Remus Lupin and Fenrir Greyback, Scott Howard f rom the “Teen Wolf ” movies and television shows, David Kessler f rom “An American Werewolf in London,” Garth Fitzgerald IV in “Supernatural,” Bertrand Caillet f rom Guy Endore’s “The Werewolf of Paris,” and Jacob Black f rom Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series.

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

Vampires Throughout History

Vampires are undead creatures who make their living snacking on the fresh blood of the living They are international ghouls of mystery, popping up in cultures around the globe f rom ancient times until today.

The term vampire possibly comes f rom the German vampir, which may, in turn, come f rom the Turkic term for witch. Another theory is that it comes f rom a Slovak verb meaning to thrust or bite. Vampire f irst appeared in English in 1732 in reports about a vampire epidemic in eastern Europe.

The ancient Mesopotamians, Hebrews, Greeks and Romans all reported similar tales of bloodsucking undead, though they didn’t call them vampires. In a lot of these stories, the vampires are the undead remains of evil people, suicide victims or witches, but they can also be created by evil spirits or, of course, being bitten by a vampire. In some traditions, such as in China, a body can become undead by something as simple as an animal leaping over the corpse.

Similarly wide discrepancies are reported in locating the grave of a vampire. In Albania, a virgin boy must be led on a white virgin stallion through the graveyard. The horse would balk at the grave of a vampire.

Holes appearing over the grave are another sign that the deceased isn’t quite so deceased, as are a plague of dead cattle.

Tales abound on how to prevent the making of a vampire. Burying a corpse upside down was a

widespread anti-vampire practice, as was severing the tendons at the knees to prevent the dead f rom rising up. One could also place millet or sand on the grave, which wouldn’t prevent the rise of the vampire, but would keep it busy all night counting the grains.

Garlic is common worldwide as a protection against vampires who manage to avoid sand traps and tendon-severing, though sometimes mustard seeds are said to work as are branches of wild rose.

The aristocratic Count Dracula is perhaps the most famous vampire. The titular character of Bram Stoker’s 1897 horror novel is said to have been inspired by the 15th-century Wallachian prince Vlad the Impaler. Stoker’s Dracula is a Transylvanian nobleman who claims to be descended f rom Attila the Hun. He lives in the Carpathian Mountains near the Borgo Pass. His charm, charisma and aristocratic good looks are out of the vampiric norm and are the basis of most of today’s vampire costumes.

7

8

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

Dark Hollows Haunted Trail More than a memory

By J. Coursey Willis, Historic Kent Island

T

he year was 1996 — the last f ired up, provoking loud cries and October weekend before funneling our next victims down Halloween. It was a chilly Saturday the grassy path toward us. The night lit by a big, bright Hunter’s cold left our bodies, replaced by full moon overhead. Distant adrenaline as the unexpecting echoing screams and morbid group drew closer to the last stop sounds f illed the air. I could before a long, dark, winding exit. hear nervous chatter f rom the We would gladly welcome them to few hundred people that lined the club of survivors that escaped the parking lot of Terrapin Park, the Dark Hollows Haunted Trail. eagerly awaiting their turn to I’ve had a forever fascination enter the county’s fastest growing, with the macabre and things haunted attraction. that go bump in the night.

I sat with my best f riend in When I was 10, I began building the wheat f ield, damp f rom the Halloween displays in my parent’s occasional light drizzle. A chainsaw f ront yard on Cox Neck that gave

Photos taken by Katie Melynn at Terrapin Nature Park in summer 2023.

sweet old ladies a conniption. I’m perpetually drawn to cemeteries and the history behind the stones.

October is my favorite month and The Nightmare Before Christmas is my movie muse. I am lucky to have been raised on historic Kent Island, soaked in lore and legend.

In my youth, having made a name for myself and learning f rom the best local Halloweenswoman, I was invited to join Kent Island’s own Dark Hollows Haunted Trail. It was a dream come true.

It all began in 1993 when a group of citizens conjured up the

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

idea for a Halloween attraction.

The county parks & recreation, WCEI radio station, Kent Island Jaycees and the Modern Woodmen of America sponsored the original production. Their new annual ritual would exist for only six short years, but would create everlasting memories for all involved.

Dark Hollows Haunted Trail was held at Terrapin Nature Park on Kent Island along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. The park’s maze of meandering hiking trails through acres of woods and open f ields created the perfect setting. Local newspapers started advertising for Dark Hollows in late September and the Bay Times described it perfectly as “the playground for Kent Island’s most enchanted spirits.”

Annual themes were carefully cultivated, with the f irst year revolving around Ana. It is said she was a beautiful girl with hair the color of golden wheat f ields that had been missing for several years.

A fortune teller at the entrance of the trail provided the search party guests with all the details. After paying their $2 admission fee, the party entered at their own risk and made their way down the dark, eerie path in search of the lost Ana. The inaugural one night event was a tremendous success, drawing nearly 600 people in a three-hour time f rame f rom 7-10 p.m. It was more of a fundraising

9

into a three-night event. This is my favorite year for, in years past, I had only walked the trail as a spectator, but now, because of a very special woman, I would be a part of the show. mission than a money-making In 1992, I met Mrs. Sylvia Taylor venture and $1,200 ain’t too through my best f riend, Joe Q. He shabby for a f irst attempt. In all and I spent hours together on his ensuing years, the Kent Island childhood road, Cheslou. Like two Volunteer Fire Department peas in a pod, we loved old horror (KIVFD) partnered with the county flicks and reading Scary Stories parks & recreation to organize to Tell in the Dark. As luck would and sponsor Dark Hollows. It was have it, Sylvia lived just down a great way to help fund the local the street and was equally into f iref ighters who protect and serve scary stories, which she expressed our growing island. in her Halloween yard displays.

1994 was another successful People traveled f rom miles away year, so with experience under to witness her talented handy their belts, the crew offered work, forming lines of cars up and two nights of scares in 1995 and down Cheslou. Over the years, admission was safely increased to she had fabricated guillotines, four whole dollars. The haunted gallows, graveyards, and even an attraction spell was spreading alien spaceship, all accompanied like wildf ire and in 1996 it grew by theatrical sound. This is where I

10

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

honed my scare tactics.

After bef riending Sylvia, she invited Joe and me to help with the Halloween work, which led to us becoming live props. We’d sit in the yard like lifeless dummies while a car pulled up. After the spectators had taken it all in, we’d jump up with extravagant screams, earning a terrif ied howl in return. Sylvia introduced me to an artistic avenue I didn’t realize I could explore. I too wanted to create sceneries people could enjoy… So I did.

From that point on, starting in early September, my dad and I would build wooden crosses wedged into cinder block bases, serving as the skeletons of bodies.

We’d dress them in old clothes f rom the attic, attaching gloves and boots, then f it Halloween masks over stuffed grocery bags stapled to the 2x4 necks and viola; creatures of the night came to life. In no time, I had an army of demons and devices littering my parent’s f ront yard, catching the attention of passersby and local newspapers.

Unfortunately, Sylvia was getting older and had been putting on yard displays for over 10 years, a truly demanding and time-consuming hobby. She ended her momentous run in 1995 and donated all of her decorations to the haunted trail, with a recommendation for Joe and me to join the attraction. After all, we knew her work well. When the

1996 Dark Hollows Haunted Trail IV rolled around, we were “in like Flynn.”

On the night of, our parents dropped us off at Terrapin Park, where we were fondly nicknamed “The Boys.” We rotated trail positions and I remember Joe playing the crazy caged soul that escaped through a loose bar, chasing down his victims into the haze of a smoke machine. That year also offered the addition of a hayride for a dollar. One of my favorite characters was Jason Voorhees, who ran out of a duck blind with a chainsaw just as the trail group turned their backs.

Jason was actually the widely loved f iref ighter Wally Alden who put every bit of himself into that character.

Different years introduced different scare tactics and as the popularity grew, so too did the props. One year, my f riend Nathan doubled as a gun wielding army soldier that jumped out of an alien craft chasing extra terrestrials into the dark woods. Another year, a dump truck (or maybe it was a f ire truck) was backed into a heavy brush area. As a trail group approached, the gigantic headlights ignited, temporarily blinding everyone, followed by the air horns, sending them screaming and running. There were electric chairs, girls caught in massive spider webs, psychotic clowns, and the list goes on.

Calling Dark Hollows a great

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

success is an understatement.

1,500 people made their way through the mysterious paths of Terrapin in its heyday, raising around $5,000 per year for the KIVFD. The staff of volunteers were so good at putting on this event that some people were truly terrif ied of returning. Children under 12 had to be accompanied by an adult and warnings of strobe light induced seizures were posted. This wasn’t for the fainthearted.

Sadly, as the saying goes, nothing stays the same forever, and that was true for the island’s haunted attraction. In 1999, the county upgraded Terrapin Park to a protected nature trail. This forced Dark Hollows to change locations to the f ield behind the

local library, altering the entire dynamic of the haunt. The area was much smaller and didn’t offer the eerie appeal of Terrapin’s backlit scenery. To make matters worse, this year’s event was canceled because of heavy rains causing dangerous environmental conditions. The KIVFD lost an estimated $5,000, draining the department’s general fund and putting a nail in the coff in of the long-loved Dark Hollows Haunted Trail. After years of service, the props we’d worked so hard on were laid to rest.

I will forever cherish those October nights of my youth; being part of something bigger and feeling a genuine connection with spirits. We entertained and were entertained, and that is truly humbling. I hope others remember the Dark Hollows Haunted Trail just as fondly. I welcome the smell of fallen leaves on an autumn night, taking me

11

back to 1996, sitting in the wheat f ield, awaiting our victims.

It’s a shame that the local Halloween spirit has disappeared in this modern age, but I hold on to a sliver of faith. Kent Island needs its haunted trail back. It’s not an easy endeavor, but with all of my energy, that is what I am doing.

Dark Hollows was Reanimated in 2021 with the Possession of Kent Asylum and returned in 2022 with HYSTERIA. I was forced to take 2023 off because attraction hosts Cult Classic are constructing a new music venue. However, I am determined to raise the bar even higher and deliver my most heartpounding experience in 2024 that will leave guests breathless.

12

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

'Give them a little fright' Mechanicsville man goes all out for Halloween

By Michael Reid

Add in some darkness, lights, sounds of thunder and screaming, and his son Paul III jumping out of some shrubbery and it's easy to see why some kids refuse to go trick-or-treating at Paul Izett Jr.'s Mechanicsville home.

E

very Halloween night Paul Izzett Jr. tries his darnedest to scare the neighborhood kids with his over-the-big-top clownthemed display.

“If I wanted to put up a few decorations and hand out candy I would do that,” he said. “But if you can give them a little f right that’s

something they’ll remember.”

The 51-year-old sets up close to 30 pieces including large animatronic clowns, thunder and lightning sounds, and creepy music including screams, which he said are “audibly unsettling.”

The focal point of the display is a huge walk-through clown head,

after which those souls who are brave enough receive treats.

“There’s tons of people who stand at the top of the hill and look but refuse to come down because the kids are terrif ied,” Izzett said. “I’ll be like, ‘Well, I’m not giving you any candy unless you go down there.’ I even get

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

Mechanicsville's Paul Izzett Jr. stands with his latest acquisition, a 12-foot tall animatronic clown that moves and speaks.

Mechanicsville's Paul Izzett Jr., left, in black and Paul Izett III in stripes pose with a few of their terrifying clown friends.

adults who are too af raid to come down because they have a phobia of clowns or something.”

And for a few days before Halloween he — inadvertently, or perhaps intentionally? — scares his own kids — Paul III, Morgan and Brooke.

To get a jump on setting up for Halloween, the IT manager for the federal government will set up all of his animatronics inside the family’s Mechanicsville home a few days in advance, and his animatronic temporary indoor village spooks even his own kids.

“It’s a little scary in the morning or at night when I’m looking over the banister and see a f igure there,” said Morgan Izzett, who is a senior at Chopticon High School.

Perhaps “Five Nights at Freddy’s” really is better than one night at Paul's.

Izzett’s display attracts numerous visitors, including some who arrive in trailers pulled behind trucks and golf carts.

While many of his neighbors sit at the end of their long driveways tailgating and handing out treats, Paul Izzett Jr. makes the long trip down the driveway worth it by rewarding them handsomely.

“Once I started doing the displays I thought, ‘What’s the point [of sitting up there] because I want the kids to walk on the pathways to experience all of it,'” he said. “I thought, ‘If they’re

13

going to walk all this way I’m going to give them full-size candy bars.'”

Izzett grew up in Alexandria and thinks he inherited his love of decorating f rom his mother, Carol.

"Halloween was always big for her because she loved making kids happy,” said Izzett, who added that his and his mother’s big passion is decorating at Christmas.

He said he put out decorations when he lived in Waldorf, “but it wasn’t as crazy as it is now.”

One day he saw a giant clown archway online and decided to build one himself, and “after that I was hooked. I’ve got tons of stuff now.”

He also visits Halloween depots after the holiday when items go on sale; his latest f ind was a 12-foot talking and moving animatronic clown, which will debut this year.

“I saw it and thought, ‘It’s a 12foot clown. Are you kidding me? I have to have it,’” he said. “I’m very interested to see what it looks like.”

After a year's hiatus, Izzett will join his Killer Clowns f rom Outer Space crew and dress as a terrorized clown, as will his son Paul III, who is especially fond of jumping out of shrubbery to scare young sweet seekers.

“I felt bad because [in 2021] a lot of kids cried and wouldn’t even talk to me,” Paul Izzett Jr. said of his costume. “But I think I’m going

14

back to the clown [costume].”

“Sometimes I just want to go to sleep,” Morgan said, “but sometimes it’s fun to watch them get scared.”

When asked if he ever thought of taking a year off, Izzett Jr. nodded.

“I say it every year; it always crosses my mind,” he said. “But people are looking forward to it so I don’t want to disappoint them. I don’t not want to do it. I love the reaction I get f rom other people.”

He added, “Halloween is also one night. You’re squeezing

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

everything in.”

But Izzett Jr. is not just a Halloween guy.

“My passion was always Christmas decorations,” he said.

“My Christmas decorations rival my Halloween decorations tenfold.

I love making people happy at Christmas and scaring the crap out of them at Halloween.”

The Izzett family will be hosting its Crazed Clowns haunted house 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, at 39736 Grandview Haven Dr. in Mechanicsville.

Paul Izzett Jr., left, and his daughter, Morgan, hold a giant clown head in front of their Mechanicsville home.

Some years back, Paul Izett Jr, left, and his girlfriend Laicee Rask take a break from dressing as killer clowns.

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

15

THE RESULTS ARE IN! The community has voted and the Cecil Whig Reader Approved Winners and Favorites have been chosen!

Join us in celebrating

The Sweetest of Cecil

IL EC

WH I G

2023

Re a d er

D E V O R APP C

Scan the QR code to find out more information on the event and purchase tickets

T

Y

CECI COUN L

A portion of the proceeds will go to the Plumpton Park Zoo

ARE YOU ON TOP? Find out who the winners are!

Winners will be recognized in a special print and online section.

The top 3 will be invited to the Best of the Best gala for the first chance to see who are the winners for 2023!

Scan QR code to see last year’s winner

The Best of the Best Chesapeake Gala on November 30th at the Kent Island Resort

The Best of the Best Southern Maryland Gala on December 1st at the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Hall

16

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

All Treats, No Tricks

Sweeten your Halloween bash with these gastric goodies.

Black Magic Cake

Makes 8-10 servings. Recipe is from The Food Network.

Ingredients • • • • • • • • • •

2/3 cup vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the baking pans 1 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder 1 cup boiling water 2 cups granulated sugar 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup whole milk 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the filling and frosting • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream • 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chipped • 1 teaspoon espresso powder • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract • Pinch of salt • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter • 1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted For mummy decoration: • 2 cups miniature marshmallows • Cooking spray • 2 candy eyes

Directions 1.

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment and grease the parchment and sides of the pans with oil.

2. Stir together the cocoa powder and boiling water. Let sit to bloom for 5 minutes.

3. Whisk together the granulated sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the bloomed cocoa, oil, milk, eggs and vanilla and a medium bowl. Add the wet to the dry and stir until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pans on a rack.

4. Heat the cream in a double boiler over low

5.

heat, whisking occasionally until it begins to steam.

Whisk in the cocoa powder, chocolate, espresso powder, vanilla and salt until smooth, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the butter until melted. Whisk in the confectioner’s sugar until incorporated. Let the frosting cool completely.

Put one cake, bottom side up, on a serving plate. Spread a cup of the frosting over the top but not all the way down the side.

Top with the other cake, bottom side up, and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting.

Microwave the marshmallows until they swell and are soft enough to stir, about 1 minute. Let sit to cool for a few minutes. Spray your hands with cooking spray, then stretch the marshmallow so the strings on the top of the cake will run in the same direction. Pick a gap and garnish with the candy eyes.

Spooky S’mores Pizza

Makes 18 servings. Recipe is from The BakerMama.

Ingredients • • • • • • • •

1 0.25-ounce package active dry yeast 1 tablespoon sugar 1 cup warm water 2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup finely crushed graham cracker crumbs, divided 1 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips 1 10-ounce bag miniature marshmallows 3 chocolate cream-filled sandwich cookies

Directions 1.

2.

Add the yeast and the sugar to a large mixing bowl. Pour in the warm water and let proof until foamy, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the flour and 1⁄2 cup graham cracker crumbs. Dough will be sticky. Using floured hands, form into a ball. Lightly grease the bowl and place the ball of dough back in it.

a z z i P s e r S'mo Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large sheet with parchment paper.

4. Punch down the dough. Form it into a rectangle shape on well-floured surface and roll into a rectangle that will fit on your baking sheet. Transfer it to your sheet and shape it with your hands to look like a ghost.

5. Sprinkle the remaining graham cracker crumbs over the dough. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the middle of the ghost, leaving a 1-inch rim around the edges. Bake for 5-8 minutes or until the crust starts to turn light brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the marshmallows over the chocolate. Return to the oven for five minutes or until the marshmallows are lightly toasted and starting to turn brown.

6. Split the cookies in half. Take the halves without cream and place on the pizza as the eyes and mouth. Slice and serve while still gooey.

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

17

Cats, Bats and Rats, Oh my!

You can hardly have Halloween without black cats, hordes of black bats and a legion of scary rats. Why are these creatures so associated with spooky season?

Black Cats Black cats are often considered the bringers of bad luck and were associated with witches in the medieval world. Because of that association, black cats are often used as a Halloween symbol to add another level of scary to decor. However, in some countries, such as Japan, they’re considered good luck. In ancient Egypt, black cats were even worshiped as sacred.

Bats

Bats, as creatures who largely hunt at night (as those who eat mosquitoes often will), are associated with death and darkness. Plus, they often live in caves, which are known for being, well, spooky. Then there’s the vampires. In Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” perhaps the best-known vampire, the count could turn into a bat at will.

But as you hang up your bat decor this Halloween, make sure to point out that bats really do help humans out. According to the National Wildlife Foundation, they save us several billion dollars a year in pest control just by being themselves and noshing on bugs. They also help pollinate more than 700 plants, including bananas, peaches and mangoes.

Rats

Like bats, rats are largely nocturnal, giving them an aura of fear. Rats are also known to occupy abandoned places, ruins and other places where that other spooky season favorite lives — the ghost. Also, there’s the association with pestilence and plague that makes them scary.

Spiders

First of all, they have eight spindly legs. Then they live in dark corners on webs that are hard to see, making it look like they’re floating in mid air. They also, like rats, f requent abandoned places where ghosts like to hang out. Lastly, there’s the poison part. Before modern medicine (and, in the case of the Brazilian wandering spider, even after it) spider bites could be deadly.

Again, though, while you’re draping things in fake webs, point out that most spiders are harmless unless you’re a bug. Spiders commonly feed on pests such as flies, moths, earwigs, roaches and mosquitoes. Real spider web silk is also stronger and tougher than steel, making it a miracle material.

18

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

Festive DIY halloween Decor

Now that we’ve got costumes for the family, including the pets, it’s time to costume the house, too. Keep reading for some easy ways to DIY your own Halloween decor.

Webs Galore

Pop up a spooky arched entry with some branches and stretchy spider webs. Anchor the two branches on either side of your sidewalk or walkway. Tie the ends together with garden twine, then cover your arch with stretchy webs. Hang spiders and other creepy crawlies off the arch for more scares.

Witchy Ways

Cut witch’s hats out of black construction paper and add them to family portraits. It also works with bats, mice and other spooky critters.

For the f ront door, grab a florist’s foam wreath of any size that works for your door and fill it with black feathers (or purple, or orange. It’s your wreath). Or use a gang of plastic spiders or rats.

Let your imagination run creepy.

Googly Gourds

Grab some decorative seasonal gourds on your next grocery run.

Affix googly eyes and arrange them in groups around the porch, table, mantle or anywhere else that needs a dose of spooky silliness.

What a Web

Use black twine to make a giant spider’s web on any available wall space. Add foam spiders and other creepies as needed.

Candy Corn Candles

Some may say this is the only acceptable use of candy corn. Take clear glass hurricanes or cylinders

and fill about a third of the way with candy corn. Nest a white candle in the center of each. The candy will hold the candles up. Note: Don’t leave the lit candles unattended. Sugar is still flammable.

What Carving?

Wrap your pumpkin in gauze bandages. Put on leftover googly eyes from the gourds. Mummy pumpkin, coming right up!

Bubble, Bubble

Make your Halloween punch extra scary. Put orange and red tissue squares on top of a grapevine wreath. Nestle a black cauldron bowl on top of the paper (it should look like flames) and pour in your favorite punch. Add dry ice for the smoke.

n i k p m u P y m m u M

Wine Bottle Candlesticks

Recycle those bottles by painting them matte black and adding taper candles (drippy or not) for a ghoulishly clever and chic Halloween look.

The W e

b Wa

lkway

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

19

Scan the QR code to read blog posts, where to find magazines at drop locations & see local vendors of all types!

Out Now

wedding Chesapeake Bay

We invite you to read about local vendors, beautiful venues, upcoming trends and so much more.

All of this in each print magazine and even more online at chesapeakebaywedding.com

FALL 2021

wedding

Chesapeake Bay

FA L L E D I T I O N 2 0 2 1

CHESAPEAKE BAY WEDDING

Wedding Trend Reveal Event is coming back in 2024!

Go online to our events page to find out more! chesapeakebaywedding.com/events Interested in advertising?

Contact Kristi English at kenglish@chespub.com

O N L O C AT I O N

A look at some of the area’s finest wedding venues

G E T AWA Y C A R S

C O C K TA I L S

COUPLES

The height of elegance and Perfect Pairings with Inspiring weddings from fun with classic cars Cocktails C H E S A P ESignature A K E B AY W E D D I N G . CO M | FA Laround L 2 0 2 1the region 1

20

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

Party Punches

Set the scene for a spooky night of fun with these scary easy Halloween party punch recipes.

Wormy Orange Punch

Makes 20 servings. Recipe is from “Taste of Home.”

Ingredients • • • •

1 gallon orange sherbet, softened 1 quart pineapple juice, chilled 1 liter lemon-lime soda, chilled Gummy worms

Directions Combine the sherbet and pineapple juice in a punch bowl. Stir well. Add the soda and stir again until the sherbet is almost dissolved.

Decorate the bowl with gummy worms and serve immediately.

Pumpkin Keg BourbonApple Punch

Makes 10-12 servings. Recipe is from Food Network.

Ingredients • • • • • • •

1 large, 15-pound pumpkin 3 red apples 2 tablespoons whole cloves 12 cups apple cider 750 mL bourbon 20 dashes bitters 3/4 cup lemon juice

Directions 1.

2.

Cut the top off the pumpkin. Clean out the seeds and pulp. Insert a tap in the empty pumpkin according to package directions and set aside.

Slice the apples into thin rings and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Stud each slice with 5-6 whole cloves and freeze

until solid.

Stir together the cider, bourbon, bitters and lemon juice in the cavity of the pumpkin and top with the pumpkin lid. Refrigerate until the pumpkin and the punch are chilled, at least 2 hours.

4. Remove the lid, add the apple slices and serve.

3.

Halloween Punch

Makes 24 servings. Recipe is from “A Couple Cooks.”

Ingredients 1.

64 ounces 100% cranberry juice or juice blend 2. 64 ounces apple juice or cider 3. 2 liters ginger ale 4. 2 4-5-inch chunks dry ice

Directions 1.

Fill each plastic glove with water until about 2 inches from the opening of the glove. Twist the opening and tie into a knot. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.

2. Make the lychee eyeballs by placing a blueberry into each peeled and pitted lychee.

Reserve the liquid from the canned lychees.

3. Use a toothpick to paint red food coloring on each lychee to resemble the veins on an eyeball. Add the lychees to a large punch bowl.

4. Pour in the cranberry juice, ginger ale, lychee juice and vodka, if using.

5. Remove the gloves from the freezer and run under warm water for 15 seconds. Use scissors to cut off the knot and slide the ice out of each glove and into the punch.

6. To serve, ladle the punch and a couple of eyeballs into each glass.

Directions

Add the chilled ingredients to a punch bowl and stir. Break the dry ice into chunks and add to the punch bowl. Don’t touch the dry ice with your bare hands or drink the dry ice.

The smoking should last 5-10 minutes.

Party Punch

Makes 20 servings. Recipe is from “Tasty.”

Ingredients • • • • • • •

40 ounces lychees in syrup 40 blueberries Red food coloring 12 cups cranberry juice 3 cups ginger ale 2 cups vodka, optional 3 food-safe gloves, powder-free nitrile or latex

Halloween Punch

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

21

Scary Good Hors d'oeuvres

Stick your fingers into these party-perfect finger foods. Some of these just might poke you back.

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Makes 12. Recipe is f rom “The Pioneer Woman.”

Ingredients

For the crust: • 7 full sheets of graham crackers • 1 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted For the f illing: • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened • 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar • 2 tablespoons maple syrup • 1 large egg • 1 large egg yolk • 1 cup pumpkin puree • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1/8 teaspoon salt •

Whipped cream

Directions 1.

3. Beat the cream cheese, brown sugar and maple syrup in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, lower the mixer speed and add the egg and yolk.

Beat in the pumpkin and vanilla, then the cornstarch, spices and salt. Divide the f illing evenly among the 12 cups, f illing each about 3⁄4 of the way. Bake 1012 minutes, until the edges are set and dry and the centers are slightly jiggly.

4. Cool for 30 minutes.

Transfer to the ref rigerator for an hour.

To serve, remove the cheesecakes f rom the pan and peel away the liners. Arrange on a platter and

Mini Pumpk in

garnish with whipped cream.

For the crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muff in tin with liners. Place the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse Makes 8-10 servings. Recipe is f rom until f ine crumbs form. Add the brown sugar and salt and pulse again. Drizzle in Food.com. the melted butter and process until the crumbs are moist.

Ingredients 2. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of graham • 1 pound cocktail sausages cracker mixture into each muff in liner.

• 6-8 flour tortillas Press the crumbs flat into the bottom of • Ketchup and mustard each cup with a drinking glass. Bake for 5 minutes, until golden. Transfer the muff in tin to a wire rack to cool.

Monster Toes

Cheesecakes

Directions 1.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut a wedge into the end of each sausage to make a flat toenail. Cut the tortillas into strips about 4 inches long and a half inch wide. Discard the ends.

2. Soften the strips in the microwave between damp paper towels for 10-30 seconds.

3. Roll each sausage in a tortilla strip and secure with a toothpick. Leave the toenail sticking out. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes. Fill the toenail with ketchup or mustard (or both!) and remove the toothpicks.

22

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

Famous Mummies

It’s hard not to get all wrapped up in Halloween fun facts and activities.

King Tutankhamun

Egypt’s boy king died 3,000 years ago at the age of 19. His mummif ied body was discovered in 1922 and quickly became an international sensation. His previously unopened and unpillaged tomb set off a wave of Egyptmania around the world.

His mummy showed the pharaoh had malaria and a rare bone disorder of the foot. DNA tests helped identify a mummy thought to be his father, Akhenaten, and his mother, whose name is unknown.

Otzi the Iceman

Otzi’s Copper Age remains were discovered in the Alps in 1991. He died between 3350 and 3105 B.C. at the border between Austria and Italy.

He is a natural mummy, meaning that conditions on the mountain lead to his mummif ication rather than any intentional process. Researchers found an arrowhead in his left shoulder and other injuries, leading them to believe he was murdered. Tooth and other analyses showed that he grew up near the village of Feldthums, north of Bolzano, but later went to

live in valleys further to the north. His last meal was found to be ibex and wheat grain, along with some wild goat bacon.

Xin Zhui, “Lady Dai”

Xin Zhui died in 168 B.C. and was buried with lacquered dinnerware sets, musical instruments, painted silks and other grave goods bef itting her status as the wife of Li Cang, marquis of Dai. Her coff in was f illed with embalming fluid and when she was exhumed in 1971, she had a full head of hair, her skin was soft and her limbs were flexible. Scientists conducted a full autopsy on the wellpreserved body, showing she died around age 50 of a heart attack.

Vladimir Lenin

The f irst Soviet ruler’s body is preserved in Moscow’s Red Square using acetic acid and vodka. Lenin died in 1924 and his body has been on almost continuous display since 1930. After the fall of the Soviet Union until 2016, the mausoleum was kept afloat by private donations. Since 2018, various Russian politicians have argued for removing Lenin’s body, but for now, it’s still on display.

HAUNTED CHESAPEAKE

Ghosts Through Time

Ghosts have breezed through our dreams and nightmares since time immemorial. Here are some of history’s most splendid spooks.

King Hamlet Shakespeare’s Prince Hamlet is the star of the show, but without his father’s ghost, the story would be lacking. King Hamlet appears four times in “Hamlet,” telling the titular Hamlet that he was murdered and asking him to avenge his death.

He returns to rebuke Hamlet for not avenging him. He is also called simply Ghost and has been played by such luminaries as Shakespeare himself (allegedly), Laurence Olivier, Patrick Stewart and Brian Blessed.

Casper Not all ghosts are scary, and that’s true of the little white Casper the Friendly Ghost. He was created by Seymore Reit and Joe Oriolo in the 1930s and is often joined by Wendy the Good Little Witch and Hot Stuff the Little Devil. Slimer Ghosts can also be hilarious. Slimer is a green glob of a ghoul featured in the “Ghostbusters” movie and f ranchise. He’s obnoxious, spews slime and often displays gross behavior. During pre-production of the 1984 movie, Ivan Reitman remarked that Slimer was similar to Bluto in “Animal House,” and likened the green goblin to the ghost of John Belushi.

Abraham Lincoln The ghost of assassinated President Abraham Lincoln is said to haunt the

White House.

First Lady Grace Coolidge was the f irst to have (reportedly) seen the (reported) ghost, standing at a window in the Yellow Oval Room, staring out at the Potomac River. Since then, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Theodore Roosevelt all claimed to have seen Lincoln haunting the West Wing.

The Flying Dutchman This one’s not the spirit of a former human, but a whole ship. The f irst reference to the ship appears in a 1790 book by John MacDonald. The Flying Dutchman is a sailing ship that came round Cape Horn during bad weather and was unable to make port. In other stories, the ghostly vessel is in the North Atlantic and in some tales, she’s a pirate ship. Prince George of Wales, the future King George V, claimed to have seen her.

A Nazi submarine commanded by Admiral Karl Donitz also supposedly sighted her east of Suez.

23

PADDLE-JAM on the miles river

Register Early & SAVE $

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8TH 9AM - 3PM

PRESENTED BY

to Benefit CHESAPEAKE BAY MARITIME MUSEUM's RISING TIDE After-School Program

EVENT

4.5 mile paddle-poker race on the Miles River to win great prizes!

Pass iconic sights like the Hooper Strait Lighthouse, the Miles River Yacht Club and the St. Michael's shoreline Post-race awards party at CBMM featuring food, games and local brews!

Open to all level kayak, canoe and SUP's 9am Check in/Registration Opens | 10am Launch | 12-3pm Awards & After-Paddle Party

COST

$50 If Registered by October 7th $60 Register Day of Event

INFO

410-822-4653

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

register on eventbrite or tinyurl.com/paddle-jam

scan CODE for info or to register