Halloween Haunting On Main Street

By Kendra bobowick

Goblins tromped from door to door on Halloween and mixed with demands for candy they found other treats. The Inn at Newtown quelled shrieks and howls with warm apple cider on one condition: revelers dressed as turtles, gorillas, and witches needed to leave a donation for Canine Advocates of Newtown as the organization continues to raise funds for a new pound. CAN President Virginia Jess and organization member Adria Henderson poured cider and thanked the fairies and monsters alike.

Caleigh Boyle and Nora Shimko took a break from work at the inn and handed out candy that evening. Inn Assistant General Manager Melissa Gardiner admitted last week that as they have done in the past, the inn’s managers wanted to help the dogs (and cats) again.

“[The inn] has been great to us,” said Ms Jess. “There are a lot of dog lovers there.”

Already the advocates have raised roughly $175,000 on their own, with the recent capital appropriation of more than $700,000 from the town. Ms Jess is aiming at $1 million. Working pro bono, architect Jarett Crooks is meeting with Mark Principi of Caldwell & Walsh to come up with a more comprehensive estimate for the materials for the new pound. Residents who would like to donate materials or labor to help bring down the cost can contact Virginia Jess at 426-5327.

Also welcoming the hordes on Halloween night were lions and tigers and bears at 6 Main Street, where homeowners dressed as the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy, and The Wicked Witch of the West. For the first time, Newtown Historical Society set up a candy basket and Zoe DeStories dressed in vintage clothing to great trick-or-treaters, and a trio of young hosts also welcomed costumed guests seeking candy to the front steps of The Newtown Bee.

Again the Tooth Fairy, on behalf of dentist Joshua Baum, was in front of town hall handing out toothbrushes so the children could scrub away the sugary residue left over from Halloween night. Alongside the Tooth Fairy were witches from Planet Beach, and games and a coffee station arranged by Grace Christian Fellowship Church.

Keeping Count

The horrors rose in number this year as, at last count, Chris and John Reed at 63 Main Street had at least 2,500 visitors looking for candy on October 31.

“It was about the same as last year,” Ms Reed said.  They emptied 11 bags of candy with 150 pieces in each, and also went through the candy that been collected at local businesses and donated to the Main Street homeowners. “We appreciate all the donations,” she said. As her children and grandchildren filled the front stoop and watched the parade of costumed children walk past, Ms Reed admitted, “It’s a happening here. It’s a lot of fun.”

On the other side of the flagpole, Stephanie Gaston at 18 Main Street dropped 3,500 pieces of candy into outstretched bags as the Halloween rush romped past her door. She purchased 2,500 pieces herself, and like Ms Reed, is thankful for the many donations she received.

“I would have run out by 7:30 pm,” she noted. The trick-or-treat fest traditionally lasts until past 9 pm. She also agrees that this year’s crowd was similar to last year’s. What was she left with in the end? “I have one bag — about 150 pieces of candy — left over.”