When retailing gets scary

Halloween stores have popped up around the valley to sell costumes and decorations, a niche that didn’t really exist until a few years ago. The spooky stuff is a blessing, in a way, because for at least a few weeks, otherwise vacant storefronts spring to life again.

A former Blockbuster in La Verne is a Halloween store. Ditto with the former Linens N Things in Montclair, which has been vacant several years. Where else have you seen Halloween stores and what have they replaced?

My favorite Halloween store name is in Montclair, where a former men’s clothing store named The New Bonds is now The Monstore.

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We’re back!

This blog seems to have successfully migrated to its new home on WordPress. Hooray!

What do you think? To my eyes it’s not radically different, but the type is bigger and the layout slightly more open.

Certain elements haven’t transferred yet, the links to other blogs most notably (*and also the categories), but we’ll get that taken care of soon. Let me know if you notice anything else missing or screwy. The crucial thing is that all posts, photos comments are intact.

I’m just beginning to familiarize myself with the inner workings, and since I also have to produce Sunday’s column and sit through training on our glitzy new phone system (lots of technological changes are happening all at once here), I’ll have to forego a Restaurant of the Week. Look for that next week.

Oh, and thanks for bearing with us. I missed this blog the past couple of days and hope you did too.

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Metrolink on track for its 20th anniversary Friday

Friday’s column (read it here) begins with the news that Friday marks 20 years for Metrolink service. We’ll make a bigger deal out of 25 years, but 20 seemed long enough to merit some ink, and I learned a few things about the system to boot. If Metrolink fan Shirley Wofford doesn’t comment on this, we’ll all be very disappointed. After that long item comes a bunch of cultural notes.

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Blog down for upgrade

We’re switching to a new blog provider, as are all the other blogs at this newspaper and in this chain, a move that will change the look, presumably for the better, as well as the functionality, ditto one hopes. Our final destination: WordPress. All the past content is supposed to migrate along with the blog. Let’s hope this works as it’s supposed to.

In the meantime, I won’t be able to add any new content for an estimated 48 hours, and I doubt you’ll be able to either. This is due to occur Tuesday and Wednesday. Will it? I’m posting this notice so it’s here as an explanation at whatever time this blog goes dark. I’ll be back as soon as I can.

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Frankenstein!

Fathom Events, the same company that re-presented “Lawrence of Arabia” earlier this month in theaters, on Wednesday will play “Frankenstein” (1931) and “Bride of Frankenstein” (1935). AMC 30 Ontario Mills and AMC 12 Victoria Gardens will show the double feature at 2 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. Information can be found <a href=”http://www.fathomevents.com/classics/event/tcmfrankensteins.aspx”>here</a>.

Next up in the series: “To Kill a Mockingbird” Nov. 15.

In related news, “Nosferatu” will screen Friday at Bridges Auditorium in Claremont at both 7 p.m. and midnight, with live accompaniment. Information is <a href=”http://business.claremontchamber.org/events/details/silent-film-nosferatu-with-hobo-jazz-3451″>here</a>.

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