04/27/2026
SO, just sent this email below to the lady who did the first article in the Fluvanna Review on our business. Will be interesting to see what she does/says!
Good afternoon, Page!
Leslie here, from The Halloween Hangout. You did a correspondence piece on us in 2024, and I'm reaching out to you again to see if you are still covering local stories and to see if you are interested again in covering mine.
You see, last year was our 4th year in business, if you recall. The first three years we grew astronomically each year, with more people coming out than the previous year each time. Then, shortly after Trump took office in January 2025, somebody in the local community went to my personal FB page, saw I was a Trump supporter, and proceeded to launch a campaign against me and my business because we supported Trump. They boycotted me, and spread word around the local community that I was "racist", "homophobic", and all sorts of other things that WERE 100% UNTRUE. They did this to me, as well as several other small businesses in this area who also supported Trump. I am not alone, for sure.
As a result, NOBODY showed up last year. And I closed the business in disgust. I worked SUPER hard for 3 years straight to put together a fun activity for our community, only to have that same community slap me in my face. They shot themselves in their own foot though, as now it isn't here for them to enjoy. Sad, but true. For people who scream to be "protecting democracy", I sure wasn't allowed to have my own opinions, my own free speech, and my own political views....otherwise my community "punished me". Yeah, democratic alright. Not.
So I announced to the public I was closing, and why. Several people seemed very upset by it, but what could they do?
However, since making that announcement several months ago, I've decided to reopen the business instead, although at a much smaller scale than before. (This, for my own personal reasons, not theirs.). Long story short, these Democrats didn't win. I'm still going to put on a haunted forest for families to enjoy this fall, being not too scary and with humor included. It will be fun, family-friendly, and something everyone can enjoy. And the liberals who bashed me unnecessarily? To hell with them. They aren't going to silence me or ruin my hard-earned business.
That's my story. If you are a liberal, which is a high probability, you likely won't want to cover it. But I am the EXACT SAME PERSON you covered before, and it wasn't a problem then. I hope it's not a problem now. If it is, I can only conclude that the Fluvanna Review is also "part of the problem". Free speech means free...not limited by biased views.
Hoping you will consider my story, and show this community who I really am, and always have been. A welcoming and friendly person to all, that has been unfairly judged by her community.
Leslie Legz Coble-Berner
*Will keep you posted!
HomeFeatures Haunting Halloween fun at Hilldale Homestead Sep. 18, 2024 Features 0 comments Share: Facebook Twitter Google+ By Page H. GiffordCorrespondent Leslie Berner. Submitted photos Every year Leslie Berner hosts The Halloween Hangout each weekend throughout October and Halloween night. Berner...
