It was ghouls, goblins, evil clowns and a scary good time in the haunted house at the Compton YAL Halloween Party on Oct. 26. Above, the haunted house "un-dead" pose for a photo at the Compton YAL Halloween Party. Bulletin photos by Chris Frost COMPTON—The Compton Youth Activities League continues its message of positive activities for children, as the group came together to entertain friends, parents, and each other at its second annual Halloween Party on Wednesday, Oct. 26.

The festivities included music, dinner, a performance by the YAL dance family, and the featured attraction, a haunted house.

“The haunted house was super scary,” YAL member Jasmin Dealba said. “The person that grabbed my leg frightened me. So did the evil clown.”

Kemberly Silva said this was her first haunted house, but she did not cry and held on to her brother the whole time, while Maria Chavez hung on to her teacher, hoping to get out.

Kids had a scary good time at the recent Compton YAL Halloween Party. “I did a lot of laugh-crying,” YAL dance instructor Anna Bernice said. “I would match this haunted house up with any of the other ones out there, even Knott’s Scary Farm.”

YAL staff member Angelica Garcia said she contributed to the scary ideas for the haunted house, and kept the children focused.

“They spent a lot of time working on it,” she said. “It was very scary.”

Garcia also prepared hot dogs, potato salad, nachos, and strawberry lemonade for the party.

The YAL dance family delighted the attendees with a unique “zombie dance,” set to dimmed lights, shadows and smoke.

“I have to give credit to the girls. They developed the dances during our class,” Bernice said. “We worked together, making it a collaborative effort. I am very proud of the dance family. They are working hard, and it is paying off.”

Bernice said she is thrilled by the improvement of the group and looks forward to their upcoming holiday showcase.

“We have a great time, and welcome new participants,” Bernice said.

The dance program continues to focus on interpretive dance styles, nutrition, exercise and fun.

“We have really built upon the success we enjoyed last year,” YAL Director Ben Sahile said. “The kids had a great time, and many parents are here in support of the event.”

Sahile and his staff members are currently working on building an outdoor activity gym, which will be completed soon.

“This is an expensive item that was donated to us,” Sahile said. “We are building it by using pictures. The kids are very excited to play with it.”

The Compton YAL is free to children who live in the city. For more information about the programs offered, stop by their location at 700 N. Alameda St. between the hours of 3 and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.