Family makes Halloween dreadfully fun for trick-or-treaters

Posted 11/4/14

With Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” booming in the background, Bob Sadlier and his family offer trick-or-treaters more than just candy on Halloween.

For the 15th year in a row, at least 200 …

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Family makes Halloween dreadfully fun for trick-or-treaters

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With Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” booming in the background, Bob Sadlier and his family offer trick-or-treaters more than just candy on Halloween.

For the 15th year in a row, at least 200 excited boys and ghouls stopped by to see his front lawn decked out like a gruesome graveyard. In true monster madness, props such as skeletons and vampires, ghosts and goblins, as well as motion-activated spiders and creepy cadavers, attract visitors from throughout the city and beyond.

“The kids in the neighborhood call this the ‘Haunted House,’” said Sadlier, who donned a “pumpkin head” costume and lives on Pettigrew Drive. “There’s a lot of unique stuff.”

A woman jumps back and shrieks as a mechanical dog growls and lunges at her, while a little boy hollers, “Check out the zombie taking its head off!” Parents giggle as their children howl with delight at an “angel of darkness” that’s grinning with sharp teeth and glowing eyes.

“I do it for the kids,” said Sadlier. “I enjoy the smiles on their faces when I see them on Halloween night. Unfortunately, it’s only for one night, but it’s a great celebration and a great neighborhood.”

Laura Pichette-Fontaine and her husband, Arthur Fontaine, agree. They live across from Sadlier, and say they have a frighteningly good time during the annual event.

“The first year, we had to run out and buy more candy – twice,” said Pichette-Fontaine, who moved in a year after Sadlier started the moonlight mayhem. “We came from a neighborhood where we had five trick-or-treaters.”

The couple gets in on the action by setting up amplifiers on their lawn, providing Halloween-appropriate music. Fontaine delivers a bloodcurdling cackle into a microphone to tantalize the crowd, as his wife passes out candy that’s packed into small bags printed with jack-o-lanterns.

“I count them so I know how many to make the next year,” she said.

Sadlier’s wife, Diane, also greets trick-or-treaters with candy. She loves watching her husband get excited about setting up the yard and doesn’t mind lending a hand.

“It’s fun,” she said while cradling a demonic doll. “It’s a family tradition now. My sons dress up, and their friends come over.”

Her sons, Dennis and Jay Bottomley, as well as Sadlier’s son, Ryan, help Diane pass out sweets and greet guests. Dennis said the attraction makes Halloween one of his favorite holidays.

“We are too old for trick-or-treating, but this allows us to still enjoy it,” he said. “It’s awesome seeing people’s reactions and sharing the experience with others. We have people that have been coming for years and look forward to it every year. That’s pretty cool to be part of, and it’s never a bad time scaring the daylights out of people.”

Dennis went on to say that Sadlier starts setting up the display at the beginning of October and puts out the electronic equipment the night before Halloween. Sadlier prepares everything in their garage for about a week, then takes a few weeks worth of evenings to get everything in its proper place.

“He spends the year looking for new things to add,” said Dennis.

Sadlier estimates he has spent about $5,000 on products to craft the spine-chilling cemetery through the years. Yet, he said, it’s worth every penny.

“There’s a lot of money invested in it, but the money doesn’t matter to me; it’s the smiles that count,” said Sadlier, noting that they shop at local stores like CVS and Target, purchase items online, as well as go to a Halloween store in Worcester, Mass. “We get some good deals, and we have a good time doing it.”

While his neighborhood is shrinking, as it’s located near the airport, Sadlier knows his Halloween extravaganza won’t go on forever on Pettigrew Drive. One by one, nearby homes are becoming airport property, making the area resemble a ghost town in it’s own right. But, that’s not going to stop him from making the most of Halloween.

“We’re going to keep doing it until there’s nobody left,” Sadlier said. “This is our big holiday.

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