Staff Writer
LINNEUS – When slivers of darkness start to sneak in, ghouls and goblins of all sorts gather in woods surrounding the Linneus Sno Sports clubhouse. 
Pioneer Times Photo/Sarah Berthiaume
SPOOKY STAFF — Josh Palmer, Jamie Palmer and Bethany Devoe were in costume last weekend for their part in the Linneus Haunted Hayride.
“I love scaring people. It’s awesome,” admits one candid character decked out in morbid style.
In real life, he’s Eddie Rondyke. But for two weekends each October, Rondyke and other volunteers with the Linneus Rec Department, put on their spooky best for the Linneus Haunted Hayride.
“We have between 70 and 80 volunteers each night who make all this happen,” says Linneus Recreation Director Mike Lane. “And the sled club is great to let us use their building as a starting point.”
Pioneer Times Photo/Sarah Berthiaume
CASKET CREW — From left, Josh Murchie, Eric Lindsay and Joe Britton get a casket set up for one of the scenes in the Linneus Haunted Hayride.
In its eighth year, the Haunted Hayride attracts between 2,000 and 3,000 people to what has become a solid fund-raiser for the rec department. Proceeds help with rec programs and other community projects.
“We were looking for a fund-raiser, and we got the idea from Millinocket who was doing something similar at the time,” explains Lane.
The hayride idea started small, said Debbie Rodweller, who has been helping since the beginning.
“It started off as just something for our kids [in Linneus],” she said. “But it’s really taken off from there.”
Word has spread, and brave souls come from all over.
“We have people come from Caribou to Calais and down to Lincoln,” Lane said. “Sometimes people will wait a couple hours at a time to go on the ride.”
For all those who dare, the half-mile ride winds through a twisted trail near the Bangor Road clubhouse. Along the ride, participants get spooked with monsters of all sorts, including a chainsaw man, evil-looking clowns and a headless horseman — just to name a few. And that roster doesn’t include the extensive props that are also part of the ride. On the edge of the field, an active cemetery occupies space. At another turn, a pendulum swings from a lofty branch and further on, the wagon of riders will enter “the cocoon,” a fog-filled area that sports a slightly spooky surprise.
“It’s a scary ride,” says Lane. “A good wagon for us is when people are just beside themselves scared.”
The volunteers seem to have no fear; helpers of all ages pitch in, including Joe Britton, Eric Lindsay and Josh Murchie who are on the “graveyard shift” this year.
“It’s the best volunteer work you can do,” says Lindsay.
The Linneus Haunted Hayride will continue for two more nights, Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Oct. 27. Rides start as soon as it’s dark, usually around 6:30 p.m. This year, t-shirts from the event are also available.
Pioneer Times Photo/Sarah Berthiaume
CHARACTERS — At left: Brenda Carmen and her daughter Sam are among the characters who give the haunted hayride its spooky touch; above, Estela Lane, behind the mask, and Carol Thurston were all decked out for the hayride.
