Thousands of people of all ages in the Lawton-Fort Sill community are preparing for Halloween and parties associated with it. Fort Sill trick or treat hours are Oct. 31 from 6-8 p.m., and Fort Sill police will concentrate their patrols in housing areas, said Joe Glanzer, police chief.
Festivities begin for post residents with the free Picerne Military Housing pumpkin patch today from 4-6 p.m. at its two neighborhood offices. Children can receive a pumpkin bucket and trick or treat at stations to fill their buckets with goodies. Families can enjoy a wagon ride through their neighborhoods.
At 5:30 p.m. there will be costume contests for two age groups: infants to 6 years old, and 7 through 13 year olds. Prizes will be awarded to the winners. A fall photo backdrop will be provided for parents to take pictures of their children. For more information, contact the Old Cavalry Post office at 581-2140, or the Southern Plains office at 581-2142.
The Hallelujah Harvest is a free family friendly, fun, safe alternative to trick or treating and will be conducted Oct. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Frontier Chapel here. There will be games, treats, prizes, food and fellowship. Everyone is welcome. The chapel is at 4121 Thomas Road. For more information, call Vickie Harris at 351-1410.
Tips for trick or treaters
* Before leaving the house, parents should carefully map the trick or treating route. Children must understand that this is the plan and they shouldn't deviate from it. For parents of children who are old enough to trick or treat on their own, this will allow you to check on them along the way.
* Children should also know they must be especially careful when crossing the streets, looking both ways for traffic. It's a good idea to trick or treat in groups, which will make children more visible to motorists.
* Although trick or treating will begin with enough day light, by about 7 p.m. it will begin to get dark here so children should be prepared for the changing light conditions. Flashlights and light sticks to carry are a good tool to make children more noticeable and will also help illuminate dark pathways.
* If you buy a costume, read the box or label. Look for the words "flame retardant" or "flame resistant." These costumes are more fire-safe.
* Ensure the costume is the right size so your child won't trip on it. Make sure your child can see well. Only use masks with large holes for the eyes, or use face paint instead of a mask.
* Carefully look through your children's candy before you let them eat it.
* If at all possible trick or treat during daylight hours, or at local safe houses, malls, churches, schools and centers.
Adult partying
This year nearly one in three adults will attend a Halloween party. Many attending these parties will be drinking alcohol. Here are safety tips for the party host.
If using dry ice in a punch bowl, make sure that you use a large punch bowl and a smaller one that fits inside. The smaller one is for the punch, the larger one is to put the dry ice and hot water in. Keep them separate, dry ice is not for ingestion and can cause serious injury if swallowed.
Use artificial lights and candles in place of real candles. These are much safer to use.
Make sure your yard and sidewalks are free of anything a person could trip over. Costume masks make it much harder to see where you are going.
Do not let impaired guests drive. If hosting a Halloween party, remind guests to plan ahead and designate their sober driver, offer alcohol-free beverages and do not allow impaired guests to drive. Prepare a list of local taxi companies in advance to have ready should guests need to call one.
Here are tips for guests.
Designate a sober driver in advance. Never ride with a driver who has been drinking.
Consider an overnight stay. If attending a party at a friend's home, consider asking to stay overnight. If participating in festivities in a downtown or commercial area, look into hotel accommodations within walking distance.
Exercise extreme caution when driving a vehicle through residential areas.
Editor's note: Sources for this article included the Army Safety Gram 13-01, and the Fort Sill Installation Safety Office.
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