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PennDOT: Haunted House Signs Must Go

RALPHO TOWNSHIP — Next weekend the Elysburg haunted house opens for its 39th year. For many of those years, signs advertising the event were put up along ...

RALPHO TOWNSHIP -- Next weekend the Elysburg haunted house opens for its 39th year. For many of those years, signs advertising the event were put up along a busy intersection near Elysburg, but this year that'll be different.

Suzie Woodruff wants people driving by her home to know about the annual Elysburg Haunted House. She helped carry a sign with a large green skull painted on it onto her property near Elysburg.

"We need, you know, the people to come so we can spook somebody and make lots of money for the fire company," said Suzie Woodruff.

Members of Elysburg Fire Department and Ralpho Township Fire Company are preparing for their biggest fundraiser of the year, the Elysburg Haunted House.

Every year, six or seven signs advertising the event are put up weeks in advance around Elysburg.

"As long as it’s far enough back we can advertise here, but it's not quite as good as near the intersection,” said Woodruff.

Every year after Labor Day, fire department members come to the intersection of Route 54 and Route 487 to put out a sign for the haunted house. This year PennDOT members came out and moved that sign farther away from the road.

"We did it for a long time without having any problems whatsoever. Now all of a sudden and it's right at, it's not like it was in the summer time when not much is going on. It's right before our huge event," said Wayne Horne with the Elysburg Fire Department.

PennDOT officials say some of their workers noticed the signs on state property and notified the owner they needed to be removed.

"These objects may interfere with a driver's view of other traffic, other official traffic signs, and could cause drivers to be distracted all which could result in accidents," said a PennDOT official.

Since signs were taken down, fire volunteer Wayne Horne says the community has stepped in to help.

"Fortunately, myself included, own property along the major highways," said Horne.

"We're offering that they can put the signs up wherever on that land they want as long as it's off the right of way, because we really do appreciate their first responders and everything, " said David Dyer from Ralpho Township.

PennDOT says the rules regarding the signs have always been the same, that organizations looking to advertise on state property along the road must get approval. The fire departments in Northumberland  County hope to raise about $50,000 from the Elysburg haunted house event that begins next weekend.

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