DELTA, ADVANCE SCHEDULE TRICK-OR-TREATING SATURDAY

If you really want to confuse parents, all you have to do is put Halloween on a Sunday.

Area police departments, the West Park Mall and news agencies throughout the area have been receiving hundreds of phone calls from parents desperate to know when to set their little goblins and ghosts loose on the town.

To confuse the issue further, the municipalities of Delta and Advance have moved trick-or-treating to Saturday, when they will officially observe Halloween.

"Sunday is a school night," explained a spokesman for the Delta Police Department. "The curfew on Saturday is midnight; on Sunday it's 10 p.m. We figure we'll have fewer problems if we have Halloween on Saturday."

And if parents don't hear about the calendar change?

"I guess there's going to be some unhappy trick-or-treaters," the spokesman said.

The city of Advance also will have trick-or-treating on Saturday instead of Sunday for much the same reasons.

Every other city and town in the Cape Girardeau/Scott County area -- including Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Scott City, Chaffee, Oak Ridge, Kelso, Oran and Benton -- will observe Halloween on its designated date.

The Chaffee Police Department has gone so far as to designate 5-8 p.m. on Sunday as the hours for "official Halloween activities." All other cities leave it pretty much up to the trick-or-treaters' fancies.

For those wishing an alternative to house-to-house trick-or-treating, the West Park Mall is holding an in-house Halloween extravaganza, including trick-or-treating and costume contests for children, adults and groups.

Since Halloween does fall on a Sunday -- a day when the mall closes early -- the festivities will be held from 3-6 p.m.

All four fire stations and the police department, as well as many local businesses, will be open to trick-or-treaters.

The Cape Girardeau and Jackson Jaycees as well as the city Parks and Recreation Department will have haunted houses for the more daring people out and about on Halloween night.

Parents of trick-or-treaters should keep some basic safety tips in mind when sending their little horrors out on the town:

-- Adults should accompany very young children.

-- Older children can be allowed to trick-or-treat in groups, but should have designated times when they are to check in with adults.

-- All children should avoid crossing yards, going through alleyways and entering the street from between two parked cars, and should always check for traffic in both directions before crossing the street.

-- Children should never accept rides from anyone.

-- Parents should check to make sure all children's costumes fit well and that masks allow the children to breathe and see adequately.

-- Costumes should be marked with reflective tape and children should carry a light or flashlight at all times so they can be visible to motorists.

-- No candy should be consumed before the child comes home and a parent can inspect it for signs of tampering. If a parent discovers candy or fruit which has been tampered with, report it to the police immediately.

-- If you want trick-or-treaters to come knocking at your door, light your house as well as possible, turning on porch lights, garage lights or yard lights.

"We usually don't have any problems on Halloween," said Officer Kevin Orr of the Cape Girardeau Police Department. "People just need to use good sense and be cautious of the trick-or-treaters, because they're going to be out there."