2C COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL OCTOBER 25, 2017
Safe costumes can prevent Halloween mishaps
M
illions of people celebrate Halloween
every year. Borrowed or adapted
from a few different festivals that once
took place in Europe, Halloween has
origins in the Roman Feralia festival, the
Celtic summer’s end festival Samhain, and
the Catholic All Saints Day.
Trick-or-treating is a significant part of the
Halloween festivities, but for many people,
the real delight is choosing a costume. The
right costume is not only one that suits
the spirit of Halloween, but also one that’s
safe. The Prevention First Organization
says that collisions with cars, eye injuries
from sharp objects and burns from flamma-
ble costumes account for the most youth
emergency room visits on Halloween.
Just how does one create a safe costume?
Consider these pointers when preparing for
the arrival of October 31.
• Rely on flashlights and reflective tape to
make trick-or-treaters more visible during
evening walks. The reflective tape can be
incorporated right into the costume design.
• Choose hats and face paints in lieu of
masks. Masks can block a child’s vision
and impede a youngster’s ability to check
for traffic.
• Ensure that costumes do not drag on the
floor, as costumes that are too long can
pose a tripping hazard.
• Have children wear comfortable, flat
shoes to reduce the risk of tripping or falls.
• Make sure children walk on sidewalks
and well-lit paths. They also should avoid
darting out into the street to run to another
home.
• Choose soft, flexible costume props
whenever possible. Make sure the props,
such as swords, are not sharp or too long.
• Make sure costumes and accessories are
made with flame-resistant materials.
• Use glow sticks or battery-powered LED
lights instead of lit candles for costumes
and decorations.
• Trick-or-treat in groups with other parent
chaperones so the adults can be extra dili-
gent in their efforts to keep children safe.
Using face paints instead of masks so kids’ visibility is not compromised
when trick-or-treating.
Celebrating Halloween at school
M
any schools allow chil-
dren to celebrate Hallow-
een in the classroom. Festivities
may include parades, classroom
parties or trunk-or-treat fun in
the school parking lot.
Creating a safe and festive at-
mosphere for kids to celebrate
Halloween is of the utmost
importance for parents and
teachers. The following sug-
gestions can help ensure kids
enjoy a safe and fun Halloween
this year.
Costumes
Expect some restrictions on
children’s costumes. Schools
may request costumes be
modest and age-appropriate.
Some schools forbid certain
costume props, such as swords
or guns. For safety purposes,
school personnel will want to
see children’s faces. Therefore,
the school may request face
paint rather than a mask that
obscures a child’s face. Schools
may provide some Hallow-
een instructions to ensure all
students are in compliance and
will not be left out.
Food
Schools, teachers and certain
classrooms may have specific
food limitations to avoid aller-
gy issues. Many kids have pea-
nut, tree nut and/or dairy aller-
gies, so when parents volunteer
to send in food for classroom
parties, they may have to verify
that it does not contain nuts or
dairy. Fresh fruits, crackers or
allergen-free baked goods make
for safe Halloween treats.
To be fair, if a student plans on
handing out a treat or trinket to
other classmates, they should
first get permission from school
staff. Again, allergies can come
into play. If goodie bags are
allowed, always confirm the
number of children in class so
that no one feels left out. In
a classroom setting, teachers
may follow an “all or nothing”
philosophy. Unless a child has
enough to give out to everyone,
he or she may not be permitted
to hand out treats.
Safety
Schools today need to be extra
diligent in their safety proto-
col. Visitors usually have to be
announced at the front office,
and long gone are the days that
school doors are kept unlocked.
Parents should be informed
about how the school plans to
handle security for Hallow-
een events. Outdoor parades
may be attended by the public,
but classroom parties may be
restricted to class parents or
one or two volunteers. Adults
should bring identification and
be expected to wear a visi-
tor tag. Students may not be
allowed to leave early without
prior notification and may
need to be signed out through
the office when they leave.
Confirm any plans with school
administrators.
School insurance plans typical-
ly cover only active students.
As a result, younger siblings
may not be allowed to come to
classroom parties.
Many schools schedule Hal-
loween fun for their students,
and this fun may include
parties, parades or assemblies.
Those who follow the rules can
make Halloween events run
more smoothly.
KNND and the Opal Center
proudly presents a reenactment of the
1938 Orson Wells radio broadcast
War of the Worlds
7pm Tuesday
Oct 31st
on KNND the Mighty AM 1400
Tickets available at:
Th e Opal Center and the Craft y Mercantile
or purchase online at www.opalcentercg.org
Ticket prices $7 for adults
and $5 for children
Sponsored by: Starfi re Lumber, Les Schwab Tire Center, Rogers
& Son Floor Covering, Little Caesar Pizza, Flower Basket &
Gift Boutique, Dave’s Place & Hair Design, Grove Medical
Equipment & Supplies, Big Stuff BBQ, Vintage Inn Restaurant,
Jim’s Automotive and Torero’s Mexican Restaurant
Treats
Trick or Treat
In Historic Downtown
Cottage Grove
Tuesday, October 31st
3pm -5pm
H
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O
W
E
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A
P
P
y
Join us for
MINI WALK-THROUGH HAUNTED HOUSE
Sponsored by Cottage Grove Faith Center
GUESS HOW MANY M&M’s
Sponsored by Umpqua Bank
SPIN THE WHEEL
Sponsored by Grocery Outlet
SELFIE STATIONS
WINDOW DECORATING CONTEST
sponsored by EBID and the Main Street Program
CITY HALL JACK-O-LANTERN DISPLAY WITH
GAMES & CANDY
COOKIES AND CIDER AT
ALL AMERICA SQUARE
Sponsored by the
Cottage Grove Lions Club, Bohemia Sunrisers Kiwanis Club
and Cottage Grove Rotary Club
INFLATABLE BOUNCH HOUSE
Sponsored by Birch Avenue Dental
Be sure to check out the…….
Emergency Vehicles and Heavy Equipment on Display courtesy of South Lane
Fire & Rescue, CGPolice, City of Cottage Grove, and Pacifi c Power.
Roads will close at 1pm
and reopen by 6pm.
Safety fi rst on Halloween
For kids, few holidays are more anticipated than
Halloween. Th e chance to dress up in costume
and patrol the neighborhood with friends while
collecting treats is the highlight of many a child’s
autumn.
For parents, anticipation is replaced by anxiety.
While kids are out trick-or-treating, parents may
be home or at work hoping their kids are safe and
sound. Because Halloween is so popular among
kids, it’s hard for parents to forbid trick-or-treating.
But parents should instruct kids on the following
tips to ensure this Halloween is as safe as it is fun.
• Strangers’ homes are off limits. Make sure kids
know they should never enter the home of a
stranger, no matter how friendly or welcoming
that stranger may seem.
• Th ere’s no going it alone. Kids should not be
permitted to go out alone. When trick-or-treating,
kids should always be accompanied not only by
their friends, but there must be at least one adult
chaperone present at all times. Parents should
get together several weeks before Halloween to
determine who will chaperone, where kids will be
trick-or-treating and during what hours.
• Stay close to home. Kids should stay in their
own neighborhood and only visit homes of
neighbors they know. Advise kids to steer clear of
homes whose doors are hidden from street view.
Chaperones should accompany kids to the front
door if visibility from the street is poor.
• Choose safe costumes. Kids should wear costumes
made of light colored material. If a child insists on
a favorite costume that uses largely dark material,
attach refl ective tape to the costume so your
favorite reveler is easily visible to motorists during
twilight and nighttime hours when it’s not always
easy for drivers to see.
• No toy guns. Toy guns are just asking for trouble,
as many of today’s replicas are easily confused
with the real thing. Play it safe and choose
costumes that aren’t accessorized with toy guns.
• Bring a fl ashlight along. Night falls quickly in late
October, so kids and chaperones alike should
carry a fl ashlight to improve their visibility and
make them more visible to passing motorists.
• Stick to the sidewalks. Trick-or-treaters should
stick to the sidewalks and always cross the street at
corners. Don’t walk in the street, and never walk
between parked cars when crossing the street, as
it’s especially diffi cult for motorists to anticipate
pedestrians walking or running from behind
parked cars into the street.
• Be wary of masks. Many masks restrict a child’s
vision, so look for one that provides suffi cient
visibility. If a child’s favorite mask is low on
visibility, make children agree to remove their
mask when crossing the street.
Parents understandably worry when kids go
trick-or-treating. But a few simple safety lessons shared
with children can ensure everyone gets home safe.
THIS MESSAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THESE SPOSORS:
South Lane
Fire & Rescue
233 Harrison Ave
Cottage Grove
541-942-4493
South Lane Television
210 S. 5th
541-942-9804
Les Schwab Tire Center
www.facebook.com/cottagegrovechamber
or contact the Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerece
109 Hwy 99 S
541-942-4466
Huddle Automotive
80408 Delight Valley School
541-942-2521
Cottage Grove Police
Department
400 E. Main Street
541-942-9145
Cottage Grove
Grocery Outlet
Little Ceasar’s Pizza
200 Gateway Blvd.
541-942-5400
Main & Hwy 99
541-942-2551
Boyce & Sons, Inc .
Jim Downing Realty
79149 N. River
Cottage Grove
541-942-4664
603 Main St
Cottage Grove
541-942-6077