Ghosts, goblins and gridlock

My niece is excited. In just 16 days, she gets to walk around her neighborhood on a candy binge while dressed as "Hannah Montana." Unfortunately for my sister, she bought the costume early, so for those 16 days, they'll just be practicing at the house.

Much to the dismay of my mother, who dressed us all as our patron saints in protest of the dark night, Halloween has become a major celebration in neighborhoods across the country. It's almost a national holiday (arguably on par with Christmas and almost as expensive), and it brings a general sense of goodwill and community along with it.

That's quite different from our own era of razor-blade anxiety - there's no taking the candy to the hospital to be X-rayed, no more homemade goods of any kind, no more parents checking for needle marks on the candy bars they like best. Yep, when it comes to trick-or-treating, kids today are pretty fearless.

And that's where my newfound anxiety comes from. Even though my son is too young to go door to door, as a parent I find myself increasingly concerned about how safely all of our children get around on Halloween night.

Anyone who's been down West Street on Halloween knows what I'm worrying about. For a mid-week event, you add the typical rush hour traffic (it's impossible to pull out of a driveway on my block between 5 and 6 p.m.) to the hundreds of cars of families coming in to enjoy the festivities.

A few weeks ago, I had a brilliant idea. I'd ask the town to close a number of streets in the West-Asher-Blue Ridge neighborhood. With no traffic on the street, I wouldn't cringe every time I saw a "Spiderman" or a "Cinderella" dart from my front door to my neighbor's across the street.

I spoke to Town Manager Brannon Godfrey, as well as representatives from the Police Department, and was told that my plan of closing the streets won't work. With only four thoroughfares (Blue Ridge, West, Main, and East) through town, closing two of them for even a small stretch would be a nightmare. Not to mention that it would just make side streets and Main Street that much more dangerous.

The town's plan, instead, is to have a strong police presence in the area and to encourage children and parents to cross at intersections and look both ways. Certainly good advice, but at the same time optimistic considering how well kids listen when they're riding a candy bar buzz.

Godfrey mentioned to me that former Police Chief Dan Boring encouraged trunk-or-treating and downtown activities because he believed they would keep kids safer in a confined area like a parking lot. Unfortunately, these events may actually make the situation more dangerous.

Kids start on Davis Street, hit a few church parking lots and are sky high on pixie sticks by the time they hit the real traffic in the neighborhoods. Adding to the problem, many of these same parking lots are counted on to provide relief for events like the Fourth of July, but are now closed to people looking for somewhere to leave their cars so they can walk. What we have instead is a "cruising" situation that rivals a summer night in Virginia Beach.

I'm proud and pleased with the success of Halloween in town - much of which should be attributed to the merchants and churches that draw in so many. The night has become a jewel in our calendar. But with this success comes a responsibility to acknowledge that the event is growing and plans for handling it should be revisited.

When we welcome young ghouls, goblins and princesses onto our streets, we have a responsibility to recognize them for what they really are: irreplaceable.

n Your help needed: If anyone has any suggestions for how we can reduce traffic in the area on Halloween, please share them. If the roads are going to be open, we'll have to get creative to find ways to help commuters and visitors get through town without incident. I'll happily report back any ideas I receive.

E-mail