SALEM - The broomstick-riding mistress of Halloween is everywhere in this city
of witches - on the police cruisers' emblem, the high school mascot, and the
masthead of a local newspaper. Visitors can buy Witch City shot glasses and
pointy hats; visit The Witch House, the city-owned home of a witch trials judge;
or buy Wychcraft beer.
But, as an expected 75,000 people converge on
Salem for Halloween tonight, an increasing number of locals are grumbling that
area businesses, and perhaps even Salem's mayor, have commercialized a quaint
city also known for Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Peabody Essex Museum.
During October, Salem "turns into Spooky World, which is difficult
because everyone walks around the street . . . like you're at Disney World,"
said longtime resident Michael Szczuka, who owns a dry-cleaning business near
the main Halloween retail street.
Well, Mr. Szczuka, think of this as Salem's payment for killing all those innocent "witches" all those years ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Your comments are valued greatly. Please adhere to the decorum on the "First time here?" page. Comments that are in violation of any of the rules will be deleted without notice.
3/11 Update - No Moderation
*Non-anonymous commenting is preferred to avoid mix-ups. Anonymous comments are, at the behest of management, more likely to be deleted than non-anonymous comments.