JACK REANEY, Special to The Denisonian—
Fog machines, life-sized robotic figures covered in blood, and at least one front-lawn cemetery set the stage for another traditional “Beggar’s Night” in downtown Granville.
This past Thursday evening, October 28th, children, parents, and friends of Granville gathered on North Granger Street and downtown for Trick-or-Treating. Although village authorities recommended mask-wearing and safety protocols, kids were elated to celebrate after last year, when many Granville residents abstained from candy distribution. This year, the sweet tooth prevailed, as hundreds of children stimulated the local candy economy.
“Mmmm, well…If I get a lot of candy then I’ll try to get more,” explained one 6-year-old Pumpkin Killer (self-described). “But if I get least candy, I will trick or treat for another hour maybe? Maybe…. maybe,” he added, trailing off, “I just want to get the most candy.”
Two Pumpkins aged 3 and 5, discussed how many pounds of candy they expected to get. The 5-year-old predicted 100 pounds of loot. Her little sister’s answer was enthusiastically “Zeeero!” She does have favorites: “Skittles and all of these candy that I got in my bag!”
That young pumpkin’s got company. 9-year-old Skittle enthusiast, Frankenstein, savors the rainbow. He claimed his candy stash usually survives until next Halloween. “He’s really good,” praised his 12-year-old sister, Billionaire Squirrel. “I don’t know how he does it.”
3-year-old Rapunzel prefers the “Kitty Kat Bar” and won’t waste her time savoring anything. She expects her candy to last her “44 seconds…and 5 seconds!” Her older sister, 5-year-old Blippi, expects to consume her treats without the five extra seconds.
A Denison Senior looked startled by all this. Charlie, 22, was out for a walk, unprepared to stumble into so much spookiness. He raises an important question: why is Trick-or-Treat on a Thursday, three days before Halloween?
After speaking with a Traffic Cone, a Ninjago character, and what appeared to be the real DJ Marshmello, their mother explained: The Village of Granville holds “Trick-or-Treat” on a Thursday so that the fire department and police aren’t tasked with managing this level of organized chaos during the weekend. Traffic Cone, 10, agreed.:“Yeah, it’s really fun in Granville and they make it really fun for everyone and stuff.”
A veteran Granville Police Officer stood beside North Granger street. After 21 Granville Halloweens, he said, “It’s actually a lot busier than normal, especially in this area.” His biggest concern is pedestrian traffic.
Downtown, dentists might disagree. “Always consume in moderation,” cautioned a Dental Assistant outside Premier Dental on Broadway, wary of the looming cavity threats. As she handed out Smarties and Dum Dums, another said, “We have given out toothbrushes! I’ve been here 10 years, and people frown on them. Nobody wants toothbrushes.”
Granville kids are no Dum Dums. When asked about the average sugar content of a bite-sized candy, their typical answer was spot-on, in the range of 7-10 grams. Maybe cavities won’t be so scary this Halloween.
Even winning took a back seat, as 11-year-old Baker Mayfield was so fixated on trick-or-treating that he had procrastinated preparation for his Sunday afternoon game vs. Pittsburgh. “I’ve not been paying attention,” said Baker, when asked about his next opponent. The former top draft pick loves Reese’s, and completed 20 of his 31 passing attempts for just 225 yards and zero TDs on Sunday.
The Browns lost 15-10 against the visiting Steelers but if there’s peanut butter cups in his pillowcase, at least Cleveland’s star quarterback is happy. That is, as long as mom doesn’t throw his candy away without asking.