Steve Orcutt’s mission Monday was simple: ensure those who happened by his house on Cottonwood Street had a howling good time.
Orcutt’s front yard became spook central as hundreds of young trick-or-treaters flocked to his home for Halloween. The centerpiece was a boxing ring featuring local fowlian celebrity Milo “Drumsticks” Combs, a 6-foot costumed chicken.
For 10 cents a pop, visitors were allowed to dance the Chicken Dance with Combs, otherwise known to locals as John Hutton. Meanwhile, Orcutt’s friend Terry Newman donned a monster’s mask as he piloted a three-wheeled bicycle up and down a closed-off portion of Cottonwood. The cycle had an extra seat in back for passengers.
Overseeing it all was Orcutt, a retired art instructor for USD 257 who has crusaded in recent months on an anti-bullying platform. Combs, as Orcutt is quick to point out, serves as a champion for those who have been bullied.
Combs was introduced to the public through a series of recent events, including a back-to-school swim party in August and in the Farm-City Days parade.
Crowds of children lined up to the street to take their turns dancing with Combs, riding in the tricycle or simply making their way up to Orcutt’s house for a handful of candy.
Watching the evening unfold from across the street was neighbor Nic Lohman, who marveled at Orcutt’s creativity.
“He was constantly changing it,” Lohman said. “He would set something up one day, drive by at night to see how it looked, then change it around the next day.”
Iola police also barricaded off a stretch of nearby Jackson Avenue, where hundreds of trick-or-treaters passed by elaborately decorated homes for Halloween. The area has been described by Orcutt as “Howl-o-hood,” an area he hopes to see expand to include more houses in future years.
All took advantage of Monday’s storybook weather conditions, which featured temperatures in the 70s during daylight hours and into a comfortable 60-degree range after sundown.
SCARED STRAIGHT: Kids line up for Milo moment
