Cleaning Up After The Devil's Work

The night before Halloween is commonly and, often fondly, known as Mischief Night or Devil's Night. 

Reserved for benign acts of neighbor-upon-neighbor tomfoolery, the night before Halloween is a boon to toilet paper manufacturers everywhere, since toilet paper is generally the main tool used for mass destruction. 

It looks like the neighborhood in the area of Wildwood and Hunters Path in Clinton got hit hard this year. Thanks to the folks at Clinton Public Works for stepping up and taking care of it, after a bus driver called in to say the toilet paper was so thick it was hard to drive.

Last year, when we were evacuated 40 miles away during Hurricane Sandy, some of my neighbors, who were evacuated in another town, tracked us down and TP'd our cars. We hit them back about a week ago, making Mischief Night into Mischief Week. 

My neighborhood got hit this year as well, although we were able to drive down the street this morning. How about you? Did your neighbor get hit? Do you love it or hate it or just don't care? Got pictures? Please share on our boards in the middle of the front page! 

And have a Happy Halloween!! 

Here are some tips on how to keep Halloween safe: 

•When choosing a costume, stay away from billowing or long trailing fabric. If you are making your own costume, choose material that won't easily ignite if it comes into contact with heat or flame. If your child is wearing a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough so they can see out. 

•Provide children with flashlights to carry for lighting or glow sticks as part of their costume. 

•Dried flowers, cornstalks, and crepe paper are highly flammable. Keep these and other decorations well away from all open flames and heat sources, including light bulbs and heaters. 

•It is safest to use a flashlight or battery-operated candles in a jack-o-lantern. If you use a real candle, use extreme caution. Make sure children are watched at all times when candles are lit. When lighting candles inside jack-o-lanterns, use long fireplace-style matches or a utility lighter. Be sure to place lit pumpkins well away from anything that can burn and far away from trick-or-treaters, doorsteps, walkways, and yards. 

•If you choose to use candle decorations, make sure to keep them well attended at all times. 

•Remember to keep exits clear of decorations, so nothing blocks escape routes. 

•Tell children to stay away from open flames. Be sure they know how to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches fire. (Have them practice stopping immediately, dropping to the ground, covering their face with hands, and rolling over and over to put the flames out.) 

•Use flashlights as alternatives to candles or torch lights when decorating walkways and yards. They are much safer for trick-or-treaters, whose costumes may brush against the lighting