The weather is getting colder, I’m seeing pumpkin spice everything, everywhere…I guess that means fall is here!

The best part is, is that Halloween is this weekend!

Speaking of Halloween, I picked all the winners for our Halloween contest

Congratulations to the following winners of our Gathering Ghosts Contest!
• Sophia Burley
• Hunter Toon
• Isabella Allen
• Kolby Kessler
• Robbie Hill
• Katherine Metzger
• Liam Vergara
• Donovan Farver
• David Marzo
• Alexia Swint

Your prizes can be picked up in our office at 280 Kane St. South Williamsport, Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

In case you are curious – the final total was 129 Witches. There were 56 in the October 11th edition and 73 in the October 20th edition.

We want to offer our sincerest thanks to everyone who entered! Because of all of your counting, we will be donating $500 to SPCA! Seriously, y’all are amazing! I think I got a record number of entries in this year’s contest!

I would also like to add a special thank you to Nancy, Daniel, Mary, and Aaron Stoltzfus. They each included a donation to SPCA with their entries! That was too sweet and much appreciated!

One Last Bit of Halloween

There will be a lot of people out and about celebrating Halloween this weekend so please be careful. Between Uber, Lyft and the cabs (570-322-2222) there is no reason not to have a safe ride home, so please be careful out there!

Don’t forget to be extra cautious if you are out and about on Tuesday evening. Kids get excited and stop paying attention so you need to be their eyes and ears.

Everyone wants their Halloween festivities to be fun, but it is important that trick-or-treaters and their chaperones prioritize safety as well.

The child welfare organization Safe Kids says that twice as many child pedestrians are killed while walking on Halloween compared to other days of the year. In addition, the National Safety Council states that darting out or running into the road accounts for about 70 percent of pedestrian deaths or injuries among children between the ages of five and nine and about 47 percent of incidents for kids between the ages of 10 and 14.

Ensuring trick-or-treating kids are visible to motorists can make Halloween safer for everyone involved. The American Academy of Pediatrics and other safety groups suggest the following strategies for safe trick-or-treating.

• Supervise the festivities. Adults should chaperone trick-or-treaters who are unlikely to be focused on safety in the midst of Halloween excitement.

• Use reflective tape or LED lights. Dark costumes coupled with twilight can make it difficult for motorists to see trick-or-treating youngsters. Parents can improve the chances of their kids being seen by motorists by adhering reflective tape onto kids’ costumes. Glow sticks and wearable LED lights also can illuminate trick-or-treaters.

• Carry lanterns or flashlights. Children and/or chaperones who carry flashlights and lanterns can improve their own visibility while also making themselves more visible to motorists. Lanterns and flashlights help trick-or-treaters avoid holes, cracked pavement and other obstacles. For those children who want to free up their hands for better treat gathering, lights that strap to the head are an option.

• Keep the lights on. Homeowners can do their part by keeping outdoor flood lights and accent lighting on to make paths safer for youngsters on the prowl for Halloween candy.

• Choose face makeup over masks. Children wearing masks may not spot oncoming cars or other hazards. Face makeup won’t affect kids’ visibility but will still help them look scary.
Once again, be safe out there! Take extra time and precautions all week and through Tuesday night!