Setting date of annual event sparks lively discussion
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff writer
As far as serious discussions went Tuesday night at the City of Burlington Committee of the Whole meeting, when to schedule trick or treating this year drew more eye rolling than anger.
“I think it should stay on Sunday,” argued Alderman Steve Rauch.
“We’ve trick or treated in our neighborhood on Halloween for the last 25 years, and we’ve never had a problem,” Alderman Peter Hintz shot back.
In confirmation of a safe trick or treating evening, Alderman Katie Simenson asked Hintz, “Did you have anybody die in your neighborhood?”
The question drew laughter as Hintz answered in the negative, and in the end, the Common Council later voted 5-3 to move trick or treating to Wednesday, Oct. 31, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
For years, the City of Burlington has done its official trick or treating on the Sunday afternoon preceding the holiday. However, in an effort to line up the tradition with neighboring communities, city staff decided to bring the question to the council Tuesday night.
As City Administrator Kevin Lahner said, “We don’t feel strongly about this one way or the other.”
It was the City Council members who seemed to – or at least, seemed to in the context of the fact they were discussing a two-hour span of children ringing doorbells for free candy.
“How do you screw up trick or treating on Halloween?” said Alderman Tom Vos. At one point in the discussion, as Hintz and others were going back and forth on the merits of “at night” versus “in the day,” the subject of the upcoming block party surfaced.
“Then we can shoot off the fireworks,” quipped one council member. Another followed with, “Maybe we can have a party.”
That caused Mayor Bob Miller to cover his face with his hands and turn his back to the council – though whether it was in frustration or an attempt to hide laughter was not immediately evident.
The council did call the question, and after there seemed to be more “ayes” and “nays” than available votes, a roll call vote was held.
Aldermen Peter Hintz, Ruth Dawidziak, Tom Vos and Tom Preusker voted yes for a 5:30-7:30 p.m. Halloween date, with Aldermen Ed Johnson, Steve Rauch and Katie Simenson voting no.
With the decision in his lap, Alderman Bob Prailes voted yes, and then joked that he should have voted no to send the tiebreaker to Miller.
Give your opinion on the issue with our poll elsewhere on this page.
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