GHOUL TALK: Wanna be scared out of...

GHOUL TALK: Wanna be scared out of your wits on Halloween? We’ll tell you where to go to scream your head off . . . and where to take kids of all ages (F1). If you prefer to celebrate the start of winter in the traditional Mexican way, how about visiting a Day of the Dead altar at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage? (F1B). . . . The Day of the Dead celebrates life after death, not being scared to death.

LITTLE THEATER: No recognition. Low pay. Way off Broadway. . . . Welcome to local theater. Now clap wildly for those actors, playwrights, directors and others who gave their all in the past year. The best were honored Wednesday night by the Valley Theatre League. Details on B4.FIRED UP: The Bonfire of the Matadors is on again. CSUN Athletic Director Paul Bubb said the giant fire will be lit on Saturday at 6:40 p.m. before the big game with the Southern Utah Thunderbirds. . . . That will mollify students disappointed when the bonfire was canceled Monday due to high winds. At the bonfire, students will see a papier-mache version of their opponent’s mascot go up in smoke.

PAST LIVES: If a tree falls in the water, how long does it stay there? Would you believe a minimum of 10,000 years . . . and maybe 10 times that long? Paleontologists working for the MTA have unearthed tree trunks, one of them 11 feet long, from 60 feet underground during excavation for the Universal City Red Line Subway Station. Another potentially great find: a tooth believed to be from a squirrel that likes really cold weather, suggesting it didn’t used to be so hot here.