ORGANIZATIONS PREPARE SAFE HALLOWEEN EVENTS

Connie Griswold of Jackson enjoys seeing young trick-or-treaters run up her walk in anticipation of the sweets they will receive on Halloween night.The home of Griswold and her husband, Rick, on Ridge Road is a popular one because the couple loves to decorate for holidays with the wooden decorations Rick makes. Halloween is one of their favorites."We do it for the enjoyment we get," Connie Griswold said. "It brings smiles to so many faces."Trick-or-treating is still a tradition in many subdivision neighborhoods like the one where the Griswolds live. These are neighborhoods where there are a large number of families with small children and where people tend to know those who live near them. However, the number of alternatives to trekking from house to house and fears about adulterated candy and child molesters seem to be cutting into the numbers of trick-or-treaters."The numbers of trick-or-treaters have gone down at my house since I was a kid," said Sandy Schnicker, a registered nurse at the Generations Family Resource Center at Southeast Missouri Hospital and co-chair with St. Francis Medical Center's Marti Sturm of the Cape Girardeau Area Safe Kids Coalition.Schnicker, 34, remembers when she was growing up in Jackson and children never worried about going to houses where they didn't know the residents or about the candy they received."Now parents only take their children to houses of people they know and they check all the candy. So things have changed," Schnicker said.Information gleaned from old newspapers, books and the Internet show that trick-or-treating began in the United States in the 1930s and 1940 as a way to stop vandalism that often occurred on Halloween night.Local newspaper articles from the 1910s through 1940s show Halloween night often brought with it the window soaping, sign stealing and the placing of wagons on roofs.By the 1950s, when trick-or-treating was growing in popularity, vandalism on Halloween night had slowed considerably. Even today, area police say, Halloween night is not plagued by vandalism.In the 1970s and 1980s, amid reports of trick-or-treaters being given apples hiding razor blades and drug-laced candy, parents became more wary of letting their children go door-to-door.There has been somewhat of a resurgence of trick-or-treating in the 1990s, but only in some neighborhoods.Patrolman Daryl Ferris of the Cape Girardeau Police Department said trick-or-treating in Cape is mostly done in residential neighborhoods that have a lot of young children.The same is true in Jackson and Scott City, according to police departments in those cities.Jackson Police Chief Marvin Sides has noticed there are fewer children wondering the streets by themselves."A lot of parents ferry their children around in vehicles, so there is not as much pedestrian traffic," Sides said. "We think that's safer."In Scott City, Officer Janice Payne said trick-or-treating Sunday should begin about 5 p.m. and last until 8."People usually get their kids out early, then get them back home," Payne said.Advance city officials decided that since Halloween falls on a Sunday this year the city would move trick-or-treating to Saturday.Because kids are usually out on Saturday nights anyway and because so many people attend church services on Sunday nights and wouldn't be home, city officials and police decided it would be more fun for children to have trick-or treating on Saturday, said Advance City Clerk Linda Weissenborn. Hours for trick-or-treating are 5 to 8 p.m. she said.In Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City, trick-or-treating will be Sunday.Many parents are giving up on trick-or-treating altogether and participating in alternatives offered around town, Schnicker said.The children get candy and the parents get peace of mind because they don't have to worry about their children going to the homes of strangers or being hit by a car on a dark street, she said."People get excited about Halloween, but they also remain cautious," said Joyce Hunter, marketing director at Westfield Shoppingtown West Park Mall, which holds an annual Halloween event. "Parents may think, `Do I really want my children going to the door of strangers in this society?' They look to the mall to provide a safe Halloween activity," she said.Because Halloween is on a Sunday, West Park Mall's annual Treat Street and Costume Contest will be held in the afternoon instead of the evening. The event will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Children can enter a costume contest, and the mall's 85 merchants will hand out treats. Some 4,000 to 6,000 people turn out for this annual event.Many churches also offer alternatives to trick-or-treating with fall festivals. One of the largest, drawing close to 1,000 people last year, is that put on by the Lynwood Baptist Church.The Family Fall Festival will be 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Osage Community Centre.According to Dawn Smith, director of childhood ministries, the festival, in its fifth year, is a safe, fun, Christian alternative to Halloween. It is open to preschoolers through sixth-graders and their families and includes games, refreshments, candy and door prizes. Admission is a canned food item for a local church food pantry.All children must be accompanied by an adult. Children can wear costumes, but no scary costumes will be allowed.

TRICK-OR-TREAT TIPS

* Adults should accompany children under the age of 12 on their trick-or-treat rounds.* Instruct children to travel only in familiar areas and along a pre-established route. * Set a time for children to return home.* Warn children not to eat any of their treats before they get home. * Examine all treats before allowing children to eat them.* Instruct children to never enter homes unless accompanied by an adult.* Restrict trick-or-treating to houses where residents have outside lights on as a sign of welcome.* Use makeup instead of masks when creating costumes so that vision isn't obstructed.* Costumes should be flame resistant and short enough to prevent children from tripping or falling. * Children should wear well-fitting sturdy shoes. * Costumes also can be decorated with reflective tape to help ensure visibility.* Carrying a flashlight or lantern while trick-or-treating helps illuminate dark streets and makes children more visible.* Homeowners should repair broken steps, porch rails and fill holes in the yard to prevent accidents as trick-or-treaters arrive.* Candlelit jack-o'-lanterns and indoor jack-o'-lanterns should be kept away from anything that can easily ignite.* Motorists should reduce speed and drive with extra caution in neighborhoods where children will be out.Source: Cape Girardeau Area Safe Kids Coalition