Halloween Party

She spoke quietly and timidly from the witness stand, telling jurors about the afternoon when she said Jose Antonio Bassat admitted killing "the old man." Then, the young woman said yesterday, he threatened to use the same gun on her and her family if she or her mother told anyone about it. The testimony from Giselle Hernandez came on the second day of the murder trial of Bassat, who is charged in the death of a great-grandfather who was walking through his Turners Station neighborhood at dusk the night before Halloween in 2004.

You felt awkward walking to last year's Halloween party in your bunny outfit? Thought driving in your mummy costume was tricky? Try running nearly four miles dressed as a sumo wrestler. Dan Parry can tell you - from personal experience during yesterday's XTERRA Gwynns Falls Trail Run - it isn't easy. Parry, a 46-year-old computer specialist, couldn't put down his arms because of the inflatable layer of skin. And after finishing the 6K, Parry said, "It was pretty hot, too." But he and others - including a Batman and Catwoman, a Green Giant and a skeleton - said the Halloween apparel added an element of silliness to the race, a fundraiser for the Gwynns Falls Trail Council.

The Savage Volunteer Fire Company's Ladies Auxiliary will sponsor a Halloween costume party from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the fire hall, 6925 Lincoln St., Savage. A costume parade is planned. The cost is $5 for children ages 5 to 11. Games and prizes, hot dogs, chips, drinks, cupcakes and cookies are included in the price. Reservations are requested by Tuesday. Information: Jayne Wines, 301-604-2468. A craft and vendor show will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 1 at the fire hall.

In cubicles and on laptops, a group of Johns Hopkins University students is quietly protesting on its own - on Facebook.com. Ever since a Sigma Chi fraternity invitation for a Halloween weekend party prompted charges of racial insensitivity, heated - sometimes hateful - words have been exchanged in a variety of online groups that have formed. There's "That Halloween Party Was SO NOT Racist" with 399 members. Its discussion threads include 74 posts on "BSU Demands," referring to the Black Student Union, and less popular threads on "Free to be Offended, Free to Offend," and `The BSU is RACIST.

The Johns Hopkins University student who wrote an inflammatory and racially charged fraternity party invitation apologized yesterday, saying it was a "satirical piece" not meant to be offensive. Justin H. Park, a Hopkins sophomore, posted the apology on Facebook.com, the same Web site on which he initially posted the invitation to Sigma Chi fraternity's "Halloween in the Hood" party. "I am not a racist - anybody who knows me will attest to the fact," Park wrote in the apology. "That my statement has been misconstrued as derogatory and hateful to a certain group of people is especially hurtful to me."

Johns Hopkins University administrators suspended the Sigma Chi fraternity yesterday after a weekend "Halloween in the Hood" party that included a skeleton pirate dangling from a rope noose. Black Student Union members protested the fraternity's actions, saying the appearance of a mock lynching highlighted the atmosphere of racial insensitivity and tension at one of the country's most prestigious universities. Waving signs such as "Lynching is not a joke" and "Ban Sigma Chi," dozens of students stood on Charles Street holding up photos from the party and distributing copies of the invitation.

South County center sets Halloween party South County Senior Center will offer these activities: Today, 12:30 p.m., Halloween party and Monster Mash. Bring grandchildren for trick-or-treating. Tomorrow, the county Health Department will offer flu shots. Donation of $20, or bring Medicare Part B card. Tuesday, 9:30 a.m., Advisory Council meeting. Tuesday, 1 p.m., New Kids on the Block club meets. Tuesday, 10 a.m., Garden Club meets. Growing herbs is the topic. Nov. 2, 1 p.m., Baltimore Ballet Theatre performs at the center.

There's just nine more days to enjoy this time of year, when you can throw on a mask and some fake blood, act a little nuts and still get in pretty much any place you want. If haunted houses aren't your style, there are plenty of other Halloween happenings to choose from in the days ahead. Here's a list to make sure your calendar is full this weekend and beyond: Oct. 27 Poe and Pipes -- What could be better than brown-bagging with Edgar Allan Poe? At noon, the University of Maryland School of Law's "Lunch Under the Pipes" series of performances at historic Westminster Hall invites you to take your lunch, meet at Poe's Grave for a tour of Westminster Catacombs, then enjoy an organ medley and a theatrical presentation of Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart by longtime Poe impersonator David Keltz.

Howard County Recreation and Parks will sponsor a Grandparent and Grandchild Spooky House and Party, for seniors age 55 and older and their grandchildren age 7 and older, from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 29 at the Bain Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way. The not-so-scary Halloween experience includes building a graham cracker spooky house and a party with Halloween goodies, games and refreshments. Participants are welcome to wear a costume. Smocks are recommended to prevent stains from icing. The cost is $20 for each pair; $2 for each additional child.