Isla Vista gears up for Halloween

Well, it's that time of the year again, when I.V. goes crazy as it receives an influx of non-residents. Even though Halloween falls on a Monday this year, that doesn't seem to have stopped a bunch of people from coming into the area. I was walking to the ATM in I.V. around 11:00 am and noticed lines out the front door for all the "restaurants," such as the 24-hour burrito place, and the ice cream parlor that happens to serve bagels. Now 11:00 am may not seem very early to you -- it certainly isn't to me -- but for a college town like I.V. it's pretty darn early on a weekend.

As much as I.V. storeowners bemoan the chaos and potential damage that Halloween carousers may cause, the clever ones seem to be raking in a windfall. I mean, out-of-towners still need to eat and buy alcohol, right?