Here's why the monsters are smiling

And you thought the debate was scary.

When Silverwood Theme Park opens tonight, refreshing cool waters, children’s gleeful squeals and sun-toasted shoulders will seem distant memories. Summer’s sun has set on Silverwood. For the next month, autumn’s night has taken over and transformed the park into Scarywood. It’ll make Trump and Clinton look like a couple of Caspers.

Acknowledging that not everybody enjoys a good scare like we do, there’s a business side to this Scarywood-visitor arrangement that warrants recognition. The brains behind Silver/Scarywood have long been working overtime to present attractions that will lure people from throughout the Northwest and Canada. They’ve succeeded in large part because they’re so good at hiring a veritable army of excellent workers every summer and, thanks to Scarywood, into the more tourism-dormant fall.

From the kids who hand out towels on 92-degree Silverwood afternoons to the ghouls who endure several hours of makeup for each Scarywood shift, the business’s best ambassadors are the employees themselves. They’re a reflection of the Norton family’s values and the owners’ understanding that a superior experience for customers is possible only when there’s a superior experience for staff.

Flexible hours, fair pay and a healthy work environment are all part of the picture. The Silverwood employees we’ve spoken to, from teenagers who need summer jobs to successful retirees who want to keep busy, can’t say enough good things about the people they work for — and with. Be honest: How many businesses can stake that claim?

Admission isn’t cheap. Those who say it costs an arm and a leg aren’t referring to the park’s chain saw-wielding zombie invasion. You’re going to pay somewhere between $26 and $40 to get in, and that doesn’t include the fresh underwear you’ll need to buy. But for our money — and for the region’s shoulder-season economy — Scarywood is a fantastic investment. What’s really scary is thinking of a North Idaho without our theme park.