Spreading Cuba Road Myths Irks Officials Article by Tom Johnson November 3, 2005 pioneerlocal.com Some teenagers in the northwest suburbs think of Cuba Road in Barrington as an enticingly scary place. Locals simply think of it as a peaceful country road. And they'd like to keep it that way. The sequel to a student spook film about Cuba Road is scheduled to be released in January, but Cuba Township officials, who have been struggling to protect the sanctity of White Cemetery on Cuba Road, say they are not at all entertained. Independent movies like "Return to Cuba Road" and the original version, "Legends of Cuba Road," or anything else that perpetuates myths about hauntings on Cuba Road, only draws more people to the area, increases the likelihood of vandalism, and disrespects the dead and their living loved ones, Cuba Township officials say. "To suggest that the spirits of people's loved ones are roaming around the cemetery is not exactly respectful," Cuba Township Highway Commissioner Tom Gooch said. When asked from where these ghost stories emanated, Gooch said, "The same place as Long John Silver or Peter Pan -- somebody's overactive imagination. The problem is Peter Pan is entertaining and hurts no one." In recent years, Cuba Township has increased security at White Cemetery, a small plot where some of the Barrington-area's original settlers are buried, because gravestones were either being damaged or stolen. Just last year, the township instituted a rule that anyone found in the cemetery after sunset would be arrested. The rule applied to a group of Buffalo Grove teenagers just a couple weeks ago, and the township plans on pressing charges, Cuba Township Supervisor David Nelson said. Nelson said the township is paying thousands of dollars for cemetery security. When paying Lake County Sheriff's police to stake out at the cemetery gets too expensive, Cuba Township officers are paid overtime to personally guard the graveyard. A security camera has also been installed. At times the cemetery is locked and closed to everyone, even to families whose love ones are buried there. Those families have to call the township to ask for access. "All (the film) does is give more negative attention to the cemetery and limits us financially," Nelson said. "Our inability to keep it open around the clock is saddening to us." Security is extra tight during Halloween, when people try to soak in the holiday with a good scare by searching for legendary ghosts along Cuba Road, specifically in White Cemetery. Those who aren't being arrested are being turned away at the gates. "There have been a ton of people trying to get in there," Gooch said. "And it's not just kids. It's also adults who should know better." Gooch said the activity also presents a safety hazard. People driving past the cemetery are slowing down or stopping completely on the two-lane road to take pictures with flashes or electronic strobes, which are believed to expose ghosts that cannot be seen by the naked eye. At times other motorists on Cuba Road, where the posted speed limit is 30 mph, suddenly have to avoid rear-ending the tourists. The films are projects by CNGM Pictures, a student-run film studio based in Palatine. The producers and actors were Fremd High School seniors last year when they made the original and are now college underclassmen studying theater and film. Michael P. Noens and J. Spencer Greene in an e-mail statement representing CNGM Pictures stated the goal of the group is to teach students the craft of filmmaking through different genres, including the "supernatural/suspense" genre. "The Legends of Cuba Road," they said, "teaches the screenwriter how to adapt published stories that are in existence to the screen, how to be inspired by tales of events, whether true or myth, and how to create an intriguing work of entertainment based on those sources." Noens and Greene said that because it is a student film it has had limited screenings. Since being completed 18 months ago "The Legends of Cuba Road" has been screened only three times to small audiences, the majority of which were comprised of adults over 30. "The film neither shows nor even mentions any vandalism," they said. "The producers definitely do not condone that kind of behavior and find it very unlikely that this film did or will encourage anyone to take such action." << Go Back to Press