Some Halloween reminders for everyone / LJWorld.com

Archive for Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Mostly, mind your manners and be safe

Andre Atwell, 1, Lawrence, takes some candy from Jesse Gilbert, a Kansas University freshman from Chicago, during a trick-or-treating event Sunday at KU’s Lewis Hall. Halloween falls on a Saturday this year — and on the night before daylight saving time ends. Below, Chris Botkin, 8, of Tonganoxie, also haunted Lewis Hall on Sunday.

By Mark Fagan

October 27, 2009

Lawrence Parks and Recreation deems the official time for trick-or-treating to be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, encouraging parents to accompany children, inspect their treats, remain in familiar neighborhoods, skip homes without porch lights on and use sidewalks when venturing between houses.

Safe Kids Kansas encourages children to wear costumes that fit, along with sturdy shoes to help prevent trips and falls. Children also should be reminded to walk across streets at corners, using signals and crosswalks, and never to dart out from between parked cars. Drivers also should take special care to drive slowly in residential areas, with lights on.

In a world where the latest Facebook changes can freak out even the most sensible folks around — A new homepage?! Horrors!!! — imagine the witches’ brew of fun and fright waiting to get stirred up when Halloween arrives this Saturday night.

With darkness to descend by 7 p.m. and — thanks to the end of daylight saving time — to creep an extra hour into the early morning, the popular night of partying promises to start early and last longer than the dance scene in Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

So a word of advice: Do everyone a favor and have fun, be safe and, of course, mind your manners.

Some tips:

For parents

Do: Go with your kids. Even if it’s cold and rainy. They grow up so fast, you know.

Do: Turn on the front porch light if you’re willing to hand out candy, and turn off the lights and draw the curtains if you’re not. There’s no sense wasting time for kiddos who otherwise could be scoring more sweets down the street.

Do: Have plenty of candy available, even for “kids” who are old enough to grow facial hair for a Chewbacca costume.

Don’t: Be afraid to give the big kids some (good-natured) grief. Don’t invite trouble (see above).

For kids

Do: Say “Trick or treat,” “Thank you,” and attempt to manage a smile under the Michael Jackson makeup. Tradition works.

Do: Take the appropriate amount of candy at each house, even from the bowls folks leave unattended on the porch. There’s plenty to go around.

Do: Go downtown. Merchants will be dishing out candy and other goodies from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., early enough to get back home in time for more. It’s simple math: 150 storefronts + Plenty of candy = Big score.

Don’t: Unload a carton of eggs, unfurl rolls of toilet paper, kick in pumpkins or engage in any other acts of vindictive vandalism. Remember: Those police aren’t in costume, and wouldn’t a trip to juvenile detention be really scary?