Corn Maze Days

WALLA WALLA - Corn and costumes made a perfect pair- ing last Thursday for the 45 Preston Hall students who visited the corn maze in Walla Walla.

It was a warm, sunny fall day for the students who rushed off of the bus at the maze. Many donned costumes. Teacher Maddie Martin sported a crab hat and the kids were dressed as WP football players, serial killer monsters and even a dark fairy.

Lori Bartlow, the school's administrative assistant and middle school athletic director said the kids who got to

(Top) Clarissa Espana helps dress up Kyle Martin and Korben Duffy with Halloween makeup last Thursday at the corn maze in Walla Walla. (Above) The sun shines on the corn last Thursday at the corn maze. go to the corn maze were being rewarded for academ- ics, citizenship and having few or no tardies during the first term of school. She said every term the students who perform well in these areas get a reward. This was the first time in a couple of years the students had been treated to the corn maze, she said.

The Associated Student Body students thought it would be fun to dress up for the Halloween event and so the kids changed into their costumes at lunchtime and boarded the bus.

The corn maze on Five Mile Road in Walla Walla's Mill Creek area was already full of kids from an Oregon school.

Linda McLeran, who was helping her brother-in-law and sister run the maze that day, said the her family al- lows school classes to visit about two to three times each week until Scary Time begins on Oct. 25.

The maze is on six acres and is created in a detailed, meticulous way. McLeran said first her brother-in-law draws the diagram of how the maze should look on graph paper. Then he and his family double plant the corn. Strings are put out into a grid he uses to make sure the maze looks as it should. Then a lawn- mower and a roto-tiller create a nice, solid path through the corn.

When the maze is ready for the season, the fam- ily borrows an RC plane and takes photos of it from the air.

The kids had a blast squealing and working their way through the maze on Thursday. McLeran said it takes about 35 to 60 minutes to get through the corn.

The maze is open from dark to 10 p.m. Oct. 25, dark to 11 p.m. Oct. 26-27, and dark to 10 p.m. Oct. 28-31.

It is located at 853 Five Mile Road, Walla Walla. Pricing is $8 per person per trip. There are restrooms, a concession stand and a hot dog stand on site.