Safety First: Marion Children, Parents, Ready for Halloween

Grant Dupree, of Marion, stood in the meeting room at the on Tuesday, Oct. 25, proudly wearing his Halloween costume of a red firefighter coat and plastic helmet.

“It’s fun,” said Grant, 4.

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Grant, like many children, is gearing up for Halloween today. Children and many adults in Marion will put on their costumes and hit the streets of Marion between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. tonight for trick-or-treating.

When they do go, they should take care to be safe, said Sgt. Terry Kearney, of the Marion Police Department. Kearney said there are no specific threats to safety this year, but said parents should be watching out for their children, especially crossing the street.

“The big thing is to be careful with the traffic since there are a lot of cars out there,” he said. “Marion’s a busier town with traffic.”

Kearney offered a few safety tips for parents and their trick-or-treaters:

• Kids should wear light-colored clothing that is short enough to prevent tripping.
• Kids and parents should give and accept only wrapped or packaged candy.
• Trick-or-treaters should avoid hard plastic or wood props, such as swords and daggers. Instead, they should use foam rubber or other soft and flexible materials.
• Parents should make sure children can see through face masks or use make-up instead.
• Kids should visit only homes they know.
• Parents should examine all of the children’s collected candy before eating.

Meanwhile, parents and children in Marion are eager to celebrate the holiday.

Dillon Heims, 3, and his 19-month-old sister, Emy, came dressed as a dinosaur and an elephant, respectively, to a Halloween-themed preschool story time Tuesday at the Marion Public Library. Their mother, Carrie Heims, said the costumes were chosen based on a variety of factors.

“He wanted to be something he could ride, so he’s a dinosaur,” she said, pointing to the dinosaur head and body protruding from the front of his body. “(Emy’s) an elephant because it was cute and warm.”

Shea Peddicord, 2, came dressed as a butterfly, a result of her sister learning about butterflies at her preschool, said her mother, Trish Peddicord of Marion. Peddicord said she was looking ahead to celebrating a traditional Halloween.

“We’re looking to some of the traditions with trick-or-treating and baking and decorating the house,” she said.

Addison Showalter, 2, said she liked her green Tinkerbell costume, complete with fairy wings. Her mother, Dani Showalter, said she was looking ahead to Halloween for the trick-or-treating and being with family.

“It’s another excuse to play,” she said.