Ford City Homeowner Enjoys Halloween Fun

by David Croyle

For one Ford City homeowner, Halloween is the time for decorating on a “big” scale.

Barb Potts just moved into her house at 1619 Fourth Avenue about two months ago.

On her lawn, you will find many creatures - most towering over 7 feet tall.

“Halloween is probably one of my favorite seasons to decorate for… and for the kids!” she said.

Potts just doesn’t pick out any old decoration! To her, it represents something.

“Just the uniqueness. You really don’t see the ghost with the globe anywhere.”

Potts described the various creatures than can be seen easily from the street by any motorists that happens to be in the neighborhood.

“The big black cat - I just order him from online. The ghost with the globe is just something different. It’s suppose to have stuff floating around inside. However, it doesn’t anymore. The tiered pumpkins are just really cute. And the spider is our new addition this year and we still have to put the spider web up behind it. And then the pumpkin in the middle - he’s the original one!”

The spider is animated with its head moving back and forth and creating the appearance is coming after you.

Perhaps the scary part is the effect on her pocketbook! Potts said she began her Halloween decorations five years ago and continues to add to it each year. She said she hasn’t kept track of the cost over the years.

“I have no idea. I don’t worry about that!” she said.

Potts formerly lived in rural Kittanning Township where the creatures had to be large to be seen from the road.

“We just moved down here (to Ford City) so this is the first year we have displayed it down here. Usually it was more in the country.”

Potts is not the only one decorating for Halloween. The National Retail Federation is predicting that Halloween spending will hit $7 billion this year. That’s up from 18 percent from an estimated $5.8 billion bonanza just four years ago.