“That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard, but coming from you I’m not surprised!” Sheriff Pete hollered into the phone as he slammed it down.

Meanwhile, the mysterious calls from someone identifying herself as Sylvia Meisner suddenly stopped after Pete held the special meeting at the Ya’ll Sit a few months ago. No one, including the sheriff, has heard anything since that night.

The good folks of Maple Valley are once again busying themselves with the season. They’re putting away all that remains of summer celebrations and beginning to display little things indicating the most festive time of year is quickly approaching. The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays in Maple Valley are nothing less than spectacular. It seems everyone knows how to add a special something that helps to bring that most wonderful feeling.

First, however, Maple Valley must get through Halloween. Once again, Quintin is turning the O’Dillmotte Funeral Parlor into a macabre scene that seems entirely inappropriate since the parlor is still in use and he is the only undertaker in town. The flashing neon sign says, “O’Dillmotte Funeral Parlor, Where We Lay You Down Easy”.

The good Reverend Shermer at Maple Valley Church gave his obligatory sermon about the evils of Halloween. The church board voted, as it does every year, that the preacher should caution the parish against having anything to do with the annual darkest of nights. He politely follows the dictates of his deacons, but anticipates winning the Maple Valley Halloween Festival Home Decorating Competition again, as he and his family have for the last two years in a row. Crowds on Pundle Street walk slowly past the reverend’s house to experience frightening scenes of coffins slowly opening, huge spiders crawling, skeletons dancing, ghouls swooping down over terrified children, and witches laughing around their bubbling caldron. Attendance at Maple Valley Church always goes up after Halloween.

The decorating competition is quite contentious because Quintin O’Dillmotte believes owning a funeral parlor should give him an edge. It doesn’t. Last year he complained to the village council because he allegedly had five more strings of orange lights in his yard than the reverend, and still lost. It seems even a haunted funeral parlor is no match for the Shermer family’s decorating skills.

Shorty and Hannah Cloverton turn Ya’ll Sit Cafe into a creepy dungeon and provide free hot chocolate and donuts to all the children who come to the cafe wearing a costume. The Clovertons allowed adults to participate in the event until three years ago when that one evening cost them almost six hundred dollars. They let parents order one item from the menu free and they took advantage of it.

Maple Valley School students are happily decorating their classrooms and looking forward to the annual Halloween parade. Everyone walks through town in their costumes and dream of the fun to come during the night when Halloween tricks reign under the veil of darkness.

Sheriff Pete doesn’t worry too much about Halloween. So far, the worst prank during his tenure was one hundred bales of hay stacked on the porch of Maple Valley Library, making it impossible to open the doors. Librarian Nedaline Klaag still complains about her beloved library being violated seven years ago.

Not everything in Maple Valley is about excitement and decorations. Community choir director, Anabelle Wizzelby, caused an uprising at rehearsal when she announced the choir name was being changed to “Anabelle and the Wizzelettes”. She passed out fliers and business cards and told everyone to begin recruiting for the annual Christmas concert. Anabelle and the Wizzelettes went down in flames in the ensuing revolt.

Quintin O’Dillmotte was at the center of another controversy. Street lights appeared in Maple Valley without consent of the village council. An emergency meeting was called so offenders could be brought before the committee. After a swirl of accusations and grumbling about unfunded projects, unapproved plans, and territory infringement, Quintin stood and asked for the floor.

“The chair recognizes Quintin O’Dillmotte,” Mayor Alvin Thrashborn said.

“Mr. Chairman, I am installing the street lights in Maple Valley,” O’Dillmotte said, which was followed by another round complaining.

“You what?!” the mayor asked loudly.

“We’ve been talking for years about the need for street lights and I decided it was time to act,” Quintin answered boldly.

The room erupted. Alvin pounded the gavel and called, “Order, order! Quintin, who gave you the authority to take action like this without the approval of the council?!”

The obstinate Quintin O’Dillmotte, still standing said, “I did! I am also going to…”

Sheriff Pete Terkinberry jumped up and shouted, “He called me two nights ago and said he wants to change Maple Valley to O’Dillmotteville!”