By Mary O’KEEFE

Crescenta Valley knows how to celebrate Halloween thanks to a lot of volunteers and twisted enjoyment that comes from terrifying people.

For 17 years, David Krohn and his friends have worked tirelessly to entertain and scare people who are brave enough to visit the haunted home at 413 Whiting Woods Road from dusk to 11 p.m.

This year the Nightmare in Whiting Woods theme is Dewey, Slaughter and Howe, a take off of the old saying Dewey, Cheetham and Howe.

“Like from the old Three Stooges movies,” Krohn said.

The term was also used for National Public Radio’s “Car Talk.” This time, though, the saying reflects an undertaker who doesn’t wait for his clients to die before embalming and burying them.

Krohn and friends, brothers Gary and Steve Trousdale, Geoff DeBoskey, Mark Enright and Alan Bernhoft, spend many hours every year designing and building the haunted house with the single goal of scaring those who are brave enough to walk through.

“These are friends,” Krohn said. “We have been doing it for 17 years, but Gary has done [haunted houses] for 30 years.”

He said they started building a little later this year than in the past, in September, but they have already caught up to their schedule. This year the builders have added a few new scares so even loyal and repeat guests will be surprised.

“The repeat visitors will notice some changes,” Krohn said.

Community members have long made visiting Krohn’s haunted house one of their annual traditions. For years, it was held on Vista Court but when Krohn moved the haunts followed him.

“I enjoy it more now than in the beginning because I have more help and it’s a better production than in earlier years,” he said.

It is still a lot of work but, with more help, the work gets done faster, and with a little less stress.

“This year we plan on working very hard to make the line move faster,” Krohn said.

He added that sometimes, when visitors come to the haunted house and see a line, they will just drive by and not stop.

Krohn’s young kids are now able to help, as do Gary’s children. But Krohn wanted to make certain to thank his wife Alisa for her support and her patience.

  Mary Okeefe