By KATLYN PROCTOR
Associate Editor
CLAREMONT, NH — Tricks and treats are just around the corner and Halloween preparations are fully underway in the Twin States.
Decorations have been sprouting up all over local communities, exciting revelers and encouraging family-friendly turf wars among neighbors. In Claremont, the neighborhood of Nelmar Heights is particularly spooky. Maple Avenue is another frightful area to visit.
Communities are also gearing up for trick-or-treating, this year taking place on Tuesday, Oct. 31. Every community has its own celebrations lined up. See our listing for what’s happening near you.
Though the lightheartedness of Halloween festivities, such as costumes and candy, garner the bulk of celebrants’ attention, it’s important to take safety into consideration as well. According to the Mayo Clinic, children are twice as likely to be hit by a car on Halloween as other nights of the year.
A good Halloween scare should come from costumes, not accidents or injuries.
“We encourage trick or treating to be a community event. Have fun, be safe and enjoy the evening. As always, our officers will be out and about doing our part to keep our community safe,” said Lt. Dan Deslauriers from the Springfield Vermont Police Department. “Flashlights and reflective items are very helpful to keep kids visible while walking along and crossing the roadways, especially in densely populated areas where there are a lot of vehicles and pedestrians. Costumes can be both spooky and safe.”
All local police departments are out in full force on Halloween, helping keep pedestrians safe and keeping tricksters from ruining the fun. As always, though, there are safety risks beyond the road.
There are easy ways to take precautions:
Make sure you’re visible when trick-or-treating. Reflective tape, glow sticks, flashlights or camping lanterns can make pedestrians more visible to motorists.
Pedestrians should walk on sidewalks if they are available. When sidewalks are not available, walk facing traffic and do so as far off to the side of the road as you can get. Or, since this area is fairly rural, try shuttling kiddos between houses in pickup beds or vehicles.
Drivers should be especially alert to pedestrians on Halloween. Drive slowly since many kids scurry from house to house in search of Halloween candy.
Pedestrians and drivers should follow the rules of the road, stopping at intersections and crossing in crosswalks.
All costumes, wigs and accessories should be fire-resistant. Make sure that costumes do not impede your ability to walk or see.
Test makeup to check for skin irritation before application. Remove it promptly after returning home.
Set up a buddy system so that no one is going it alone. Agree on a specific time children should return home. Adults should chaperone young children.
While incidences of candy tampering may be minimal, no one should snack on candy until it has been inspected. Inspections also protect against food allergies.
The candy bounty should be rationed so no one overindulges and feels ill later on.
“We have not seen much in the way of candy tampering, but parents should always look through candy received during trick or treating. Caution should be taken with items that are not individually wrapped,” Lt. Deslauriers said. “Caution should also be taken with homemade food items received from an unknown source. When in doubt, throw it out.”
Halloween season is a fun time of year, but safety should go hand in hand with all the celebrations.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.