Trick

IT TAKES A LOT to scare me these days. Those haunted trails with phony headless men don't work anymore. I doubt that the film "The Blair Witch Project" would even make an impact. But I recently found something that does instill fear in my heart: drivers running red lights -- a problem for which the county police recently stepped up enforcement.Last week, I had a near-miss. After the green arrow appeared at a major intersection, I looked to my left for oncoming traffic. All clear. But as I hit the gas, a truck appeared out of nowhere, barreling through the intersection.

IT COULD have been called Frighty night. On Friday, the first evening of the Halloween weekend, east Columbia kids of all ages warmed up for Sunday.In the village center of Kings Contrivance, a line of brave souls wanting a good scare stretched halfway from a haunted tent to the parking lot. Inside the tent, Hammond High School students in ghoulish costumes did their best to accommodate the crowd.It was hard to tell who was having more fun -- the screaming teen-age zombies or their startled guests.

THERE WAS MAGIC in the air Sunday at Kahler Hall.The Harper's Choice Community Association and Magic Carpet Entertainment held a one-hour magic show in celebration of National Magic Week -- and in honor of magician and escape artist Harry Houdini, who died in 1926 on Halloween.At the time of his death, Houdini was president of the Society of American Magicians. Sunday's program included members of the Columbia Conjurers, the society's local chapter.Three magicians who are members of the Society of Young Magicians, a youth group affiliated with the Society of American Magicians, took their turns on the black-and-red-draped stage.

Acting credits: "One Life to Live," "All My Children," "Here and Now"Role in "Seven Guitars": Louise, who doesn't miss a trick -- in lifeor in the card games she runs in her back yardI graduated from Howard University in 1984 with a B.F.A. in acting. I worked at Carter Baron Center that summer, but I knew I didn't want to hang around Washington. So I went to New York in November of 1984. I auditioned some, got some jobs working as a wardrobe person as a way to getting my foot in the door.

With haunted houses, spooky story times and indoor trick or treating at area shopping malls, it's a wonder any self-respecting ghost or goblin would want to walk from house to house, toting an old pillowcase and begging for candy from the neighbors.This Halloween weekend, there are a number of events around the metropolitan area to bring out the ghoul in you.The city has parties galore, as do recreation councils in many of the counties. Almost all are free or offer admission for a nominal fee.The malls also hope to attract the younger set -- and, more importantly, their wallet-wielding parents.

BALTIMORE -- Trick-or-treaters who want to glow in the dark may borrow orange reflective vests from the State Highway Administration beginning today.The agency's third annual Vests for Visibility program loans the bright vests worn by highway maintenance workers free to parents so children may wear them over their Halloween costumes.The vests are available at SHA maintenance shops today, Tuesday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.Pub Date: 10/28/96

FORMER WILDE Lake Village Board member Janet Mason will be one of two artists exhibiting work at the Slayton House gallery Jan. 9 through Feb. 1.Mason's exhibit of oil and acrylic paintings, titled "Simply Landscapes," will be in the Bill White Room Gallery.L Mason said she likes to begin a work by painting with color."Different colors have a lot of power," she said.While working with the paint, "something comes through for me," she explained.Most often, the "something" is a landscape triggered by a memory.

Polkamotion'If you are a polka fan or have always wanted to learn how to do the polka, you may want to go down to the Ocean City Convention Center this weekend. "Polkamotion by the Ocean" offers four days of continuous polka music, dance lessons, food, records and more.Baltimore bands scheduled to perform include Rhythm & Sound, TKO and Hy-Lites. On Sunday, a Polka Mass will be offered at 10 a.m.Hours are 4 p.m.-1 a.m. today; noon-1 a.m. tomorrow and Saturday; and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10 today; $11 tomorrow and Saturday; $9 Sunday.

New Jersey-based trainer Ned Allard invaded Laurel Park with another of his speedy 3-year-olds yesterday and won the $34,650 Horatius Stakes with Gilbert Campbell's Dakota's Trick.The son of sprint sire Clever Trick was expected to vie for the early lead with John Alecci's Carolina Blues. But jockey Rick Wilson said Dakota's Trick was "looking around" when the gate opened and got off to a poor start."I just said, 'Aw, shucks,' when I saw that happen," Allard said.Carolina Blues opened an uncontested three-length lead, but was overtaken by a rallying Dakota's Trick in the last sixteenth of a mile.

The trick is to avoid imploding all Baltimore.Now it can be told: Parris G. really was elected gubner last November.

WASHINGTON - -The end is nearing for an accounting trick destined to be remembered as a hallmark of the housing boom, because it allowed financial firms to conceal a vast expansion in their lending from regulators and investors. Under this strategy, firms placed trillions of dollars in loans in the financial equivalent of self-storage facilities. They were not required to disclose the contents or maintain capital buffers against potential losses. By allowing firms to expand lending without increasing capital, the practice increased profits.

1 Grizzlies vs. Spiders: Your division has a football playoff and they put the championship game on a Friday (Montana-Richmond, 8 p.m., ESPN2). 2 D-lightful: D-Wade vs. K-obe: Lakers at Heat (8 p.m., ESPN). 3 Quarter flash: Maybe Carmelo Anthony (left) can show LeBron James that neat little 33-point-quarter trick (Cavaliers at Nuggets, 10:30 p.m., ESPN). 4 Call out the guards: Watch the backcourt when Loyola (Matt Rum) and No. 8 Towson Catholic (Devin Spencer) play at 7 p.m. at the Owls' home.

The time has arrived for one of our nation's most visible displays of democracy in action. No, not Election Day. I mean Halloween. Each year, as October draws to a close, I get excited. My days as a trick-or-treater are long over; my young children now fill that role. But Halloween in our neighborhood is a big deal. At dusk, the children in their costumes flood our decorated block. The autumn air crackles with their energy and enthusiasm, creating a festive atmosphere. And yet I see something more going on - something to do with us as Americans.

While the players were slapping high-fives and the city was buzzing about innovative play-calling, Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron seemed embarrassed by the attention. That's because Cameron understands the basics of the game so well. You can fool teams only so often, and when it comes to playoff time, it's all about fundamentals and game-breakers. It's a time when the frauds are exposed. "I want the guys to play hard, I want them to be excited," Cameron said. "But I don't want them to forget what we're about and what we need to do to win games.

When Luke Finch spotted the 1980 Chevy El Camino SS for sale off Route 27 on the road to Mount Airy, he knew he'd found his car. The South Carroll High School sophomore cleaned out his savings last year to buy the $1,800 set of wheels, but knew he had his work cut out for him: His new ride had rips in its interior and rust along its bottom. It needed a paint job, tires and rims, and, of course, a sound system with subwoofer to pound out heavy-metal favorites Pantera and Metallica. And now he's hoping that, after winning a school contest called "Trick My Ride," his El Camino will be resurrected to its glory days in a matter of months.

THE ISSUE: Do you allow your child to trick or treat door to door, or do you prefer planned events at such places as malls? Tell us and we might give you a piece of candy. YOUR VIEW: Send e-mail responses by Thursday to howard.speakout@baltsun.com. A selection of responses will be published next Sunday. Please keep your responses short and include your name, address and telephone number. Addresses and phone numbers will not be published.

In past years, aerobatic flyer Nancy A. Lynn had wanted to perform at the Culpeper Air Fest in Virginia the loops, rolls and spins she had so perfected. But one year, she was thwarted by mechanical problems, and in another it was inclement weather that kept Lynn at her Annapolis-area home. On Saturday, sometime after performers from the Bealeton Flying Circus walked along the wings of a plane in midair, she made her debut at the Air Fest, as a crowd of about 3,000 watched. Lynn's teenage son Peter Scott Muntean was there at a microphone, her show's announcer.

We're in that transitional zone where most fantasy football players have completed their drafts and are looking desperately forward to tonight's NFL regular-season opener between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins. So I thought I'd look back at my drafts and try to identify which players might be pivotal this season. You know the types. They went either lower or higher than you expected, and if they have big seasons, the owners who drafted them stand a good chance at contending.

The best vertical skateboarder in the world is from Baltimore. Charles Michael "Bucky" Lasek may not be as big a name as the semiretired Tony Hawk, but he has dominated competitive skating in recent years, winning five gold medals at ESPN's X Games and also winning numerous "best trick" competitions. Lasek, 32, is in Orlando, Fla., this week to compete in the last stop of this year's Dew Action Sports Tour. The 15-year professional has already wrapped up the season points title on that circuit.

Some skateboarders had better luck than others yesterday at Carroll Park in Southwest Baltimore. At one point, Andrew Brafford, 15, of Baltimore nursed an ankle injury. But Andrew's brother Danny, 14, says success dulls the pain. "It's the best feeling in the world, when you land a trick you've been waiting for," he said.