Jackson Free Press

Does anyone know what's going on for Halloween in Jacktown? The last couple of years there's been a pretty big party in Fondren, but I haven't heard anything about it this year.

[This thread is now archived in the Melton Blog, due to its discussion of the mayor's controversial decision to "move" Halloween night.]

Previous Comments

ID

120372

Comment

Anyone remember the street parties they used to have on Congress Street? Ah the debauchery...

Author

Rico

Date

2005-10-24T15:13:59-06:00

ID

120373

Comment

Speaking of fondren, when do kids go trick or treating and where? I do not have one of the ghosts on my door so idk if kids are goign to come to my house.

Author

*SuperStar*

Date

2005-10-24T15:17:49-06:00

ID

120374

Comment

Crossroads is putting on Rocky Horror in the Pix/Capri - 8 p.m. and Midnight , $7. Bring your own chair and Rocky goodies.

Author

herman

Date

2005-10-24T15:28:43-06:00

ID

120375

Comment

Love Rocky Horror! It's just a step to your left......

Author

ShopGirl

Date

2005-10-25T09:48:46-06:00

ID

120376

Comment

Oh, I forgot, I have my decorations up over in B'Hav, and I plan on scaring the bejesus out of any little ankle biters who are brave enough to knock on my door. I'm evil, evil I tell ya! BWAHAHA!!! Nobody's going to trick or treat in my neighborhood anyway. We're dog people, not kid people. ;-)

Author

ShopGirl

Date

2005-10-25T09:53:29-06:00

ID

120377

Comment

Anyone know which Jackson neighborhoods are celebrating Halloween on Halloween, and not falling for this "let's force everyone to trick or treat on saturday, so that *all* the crazies will be out late, and things will get completely out of hand" thing the mayor's trying to force down our throats? Halloween needs to be on Halloween. I don't buy this "kids are too tired for school the next day", because, if you're trick or treating with school aged kids after 8:30, you're out way too late. So, anyone got any leads on rebellious neighborhoods?

Author

kate

Date

2005-10-26T08:36:13-06:00

ID

120378

Comment

I am not privied to that info in my neighborhood. I dont even have a ghost on my door. :o(

Author

*SuperStar*

Date

2005-10-26T09:33:33-06:00

ID

120379

Comment

*I* am celebrating on Halloween, the mayor bedamned. I think most neighborhoods with littles in them will celebrate when they're told to. Halloween does fall on a school night this year. Good thing we grownups can celebrate anydangtime we want, 'eh? Y'all come on over. I'll have the cauldron set up in the front yard.

Author

ShopGirl

Date

2005-10-26T13:03:52-06:00

ID

120380

Comment

ShopGirl, I wouldn't be making assumptions about those of us with "little ones" celebrating when we're told to. You should have heard the grumbling last year when they moved Halloween from Sunday to Saturday. It was the moms in a few neighborhoods who declared that trick or treating was going to happen on Halloween, and not on some other night. Same thing's happening this year. Halloween falls on a school night most years, and, as the parent of school aged children, I don't find that to be a problem. Trick or treating should be mostly completed by 8 or so anyway, so my kids don't lose any sleep over it. Halloween is Halloween. Not some other randomly selected day.

Author

kate

Date

2005-10-26T13:31:49-06:00

ID

120381

Comment

Hey kate, that's GOOD news! I'm gonna do Official Grown Up Stuff on the weekend and have the candy ready on Monday night, then. Yea!!! But I'm still gonna scare the bejesus outta those vertically challenged peeps.

Author

ShopGirl

Date

2005-10-26T14:33:46-06:00

ID

120382

Comment

Sounds to me like you might need to lay in enough sugar for both Saturday and Monday nights. If I was an enterprising kid, I would go both nights. Or, leave home Saturday and turn off the lights and go to one of our many shindigs around town. JoAnne was planning her scaring-the-bejesus scheme for the tykes last night during "Commander in Chief." Some of y'all women are just evil, I tell you.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-26T14:36:50-06:00

ID

120383

Comment

It is my understanding from neighborhood leaders/organizations that Belhaven, Fondren and Woodland Hills are bucking authority and celebrating Halloween on Halloween. So feel free to trick or treat in our neighborhoods on Monday!

Author

holly

Date

2005-10-26T15:27:50-06:00

ID

120384

Comment

Excellent news! Now we can take our kids to the party at Schimmels at 4:30 on Saturday, still go to our grown up party on Saturday night, and trick or treat on Monday.

Author

kate

Date

2005-10-26T15:36:05-06:00

ID

120385

Comment

Good to know. Why in the world wouldn't the little peeps go out trolling on Monday night so that the big peeps can party on Saturday night? Doh. "Moving" Halloween to Saturday sounds like a dumb-ass suburban thing to do if you ask me.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-26T15:37:14-06:00

ID

120386

Comment

This may be a stupid question...but, um, how can you MOVE Halloween? I was under the impression it was a set date...sort of like Christmas but with less eggnog and family misery. Things really have gotten sort of ridiculous, haven't they?

Author

Lori G

Date

2005-10-26T15:45:47-06:00

ID

120387

Comment

"Moving" Halloween to Saturday sounds like a dumb-ass suburban thing to do if you ask me. In this case, it's a dumb-ass *urban* thing to do, because Jackson's the only city that's trying to move it. All the 'burbs are trick or treating on Monday. Another irritation that we can thank Mayor Melton for.

Author

kate

Date

2005-10-26T15:45:50-06:00

ID

120388

Comment

Still sounds suburban. Good for the burbs for not falling for such lunacy. And have you seen Melton's gated compound? This is not a man who *lives* in the city. First the Crime Prevention Unit, now this? WTYS.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-26T15:48:06-06:00

ID

120389

Comment

I guess if you're Frank Melton, neither the U.S. Constitution or the calendar apply.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-26T15:49:16-06:00

ID

120390

Comment

Ali, that's my question, exactly. You can't "move" Halloween. I think they are trying to "move" it this year, because they "moved" it last year, because (gasp!) it fell on a Sunday. And I guess god gets offended if little kids go begging for candy on a Sunday. Or something like that. But even then, there were neighborhoods that rebelled (or are secretly filled with devil worshippers) who celebrated Halloween on Halloween.

Author

kate

Date

2005-10-26T15:50:59-06:00

ID

120391

Comment

Johnson is guilty, too, it seems. This list of un-indicted co-conspirators gets longer by the post.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-26T16:01:22-06:00

ID

120392

Comment

BTW, I need a quick costume. I was thinking of going as Marsha Barbour. I figured a brown wig and a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels would do it. OK, that was mean. But I still like the idea. Thoughts?

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-26T16:03:07-06:00

ID

120393

Comment

I'm liking the Marsha costume...but I'm thinkin' that Todd doesn't have NEARLY enough Jowel to fill the Haley part. ;) And, how upset would he be if he was forced to guzzle two bottles of white wine in one night?

Author

Lori G

Date

2005-10-26T17:26:37-06:00

ID

120394

Comment

No, but he can do the voice. Ask him to demonstrate his impressions of various folk to you sometime. ;-)

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-26T17:45:48-06:00

ID

120395

Comment

WJTV: "Melton said he wants parents to get the kids out on the weekend for Halloween festivities instead of late on a school night." It sounds like a whole bunch of people in Jackson don't care when Mr. Melton wants their kids to trick-or-treat. Doesn't he have better things to do with his time than try to move Halloween around?

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-27T11:16:25-06:00

ID

120396

Comment

You know, November might be a more productive month if we moved Thanksgiving to a weekend day...I'm just sayin'...

Author

Todd Stauffer

Date

2005-10-27T11:34:31-06:00

ID

120397

Comment

That's true. It sure would make our productive cycle easier. Maybe Mayor Melton will do that for us. And it would be neater if Christmas Eve were always on a Saturday, followed by Christmas Day on Sunday. Then nobody who works a decent, upstanding 9-to-5 job would have to miss a minute. Let's ask him to do that, too.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-27T11:42:16-06:00

ID

120398

Comment

I would prefer a week of bacchanalian festivals where we roll Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas all into one and stay drunk for seven days straight. I figure if we get it ALL out of the way at one time, we can go on working like dogs the rest of the year.

Author

Lori G

Date

2005-10-27T12:11:24-06:00

ID

120399

Comment

I hear rumblings that some Fondren parents are sticking to the Halloween thing on Saturday b/c "it was in the paper." (Here's where you contain your laughter.) Help us preserve the right to celebrate a holiday on the holiday and spread the word. Monday! Monday! Monday! Thanks.

Author

holly

Date

2005-10-27T12:33:10-06:00

ID

120400

Comment

Monday, Monday, Monday ó Halloween is Monday! As if we give a damn what was in The Clarion-Ledger around these parts. ;-)

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-27T12:41:27-06:00

ID

120401

Comment

Holly, you should start an e-mail campaign if you haven't already. That can get around fast.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-27T12:41:56-06:00

ID

120402

Comment

Instead of putting ghost on the doors, put a sign that says come on monday. Or write it on your ghost if you were lucky enough to know someone who knew someone who got one.

Author

*SuperStar*

Date

2005-10-27T13:16:26-06:00

ID

120403

Comment

Great idea on emailing and I have done so. And, just for sport, check out the CL in the next day or so. Nice little follow-up article about changing the date. Tehehehehehe......

Author

holly

Date

2005-10-27T15:15:13-06:00

ID

120404

Comment

Go Holly! Saw the piece in the CL today. Excellent work. I got a little paranoid with Melton's phrase that we shouldn't "attempt" to trick or treat on Monday. Like he's going to declare some zero tolerance policy for trick or treating on monday. I think sending kids to school on Nov 1 with a huge candy hangover is part of growing up, and prepares the little tykes for going to class with a real hangover once they get to college. And going to work with a hangover once they are out of college. (Especially if they've made the mistake of trying to survive on hotdogs, beer and cigarettes on a Wednesday night. I hear that's tough to recover from.)

Author

kate

Date

2005-10-28T07:43:42-06:00

ID

120405

Comment

...declare some zero tolerance policy for trick or treating on monday. No, probably just tweak the current curfew to start earlier on that day... Ya know how he loves executive orders... My enterpriosing young one has decided to follow Frank's advice and go on Saturday... and my traditions and go Monday as well!

Author

Rex

Date

2005-10-28T07:52:32-06:00

ID

120406

Comment

Agreed, Holly. Way to stand up to an over-zealous mayor. Took me a while to find the link to the story, among all those blinding puke-beige on the Ledge's Web site. So here it is is: Mayor Frank Melton said he based his decision on safety and practicality. "Kids have to go to school on Tuesday morning ... I want them to be well rested and have their homework done," he said. Melton hopes Jackson residents abide by his decision and do not attempt to trick-or-treat within the city limits on Monday. But residents in the city's Belhaven and Fondren neighborhoods, along with other subdivisions, have other plans. Some will open their doors to trick-or-treaters on Monday, said Holly Lange, who lives in the Woodland Hills neighborhood. "We're responsible for our children," she said. "By moving it, it made confusion. We're not moving Christmas, so we'll have Halloween on Halloween." Love this: We're responsible for our children." Indeed, we're not living in a Daddy State here. I would make a snide comment here about how many Halloweens of his kids this mayor likely missed over the years, but I won't. Trick-or-treat Monday: That's the bottom line!

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-28T09:45:25-06:00

ID

120407

Comment

Everyone, though, recall that a lot of kids come from other neighborhoods to trick-or-treat. So be sure to put signs on your door about when your community is trick-or-treating.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-28T09:47:12-06:00

ID

120408

Comment

"I would prefer a week of bacchanalian festivals where we roll Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas all into one and stay drunk for seven days straight." - Ali And this isn't your weekly fare anyway? ;-) I don't get moving Halloween to Saturday. Since when were holidays EVER practical? As a kid, we went on 10/31... There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Rain or shine... Cold or hot... Holly, I lurve you! But what happens if all the candy's gone [on Monday] because of Melton's practical movement of a holiday? I'll have pennies and toothbrushes I'm sure. TGIF!

Author

kaust

Date

2005-10-28T10:13:46-06:00

ID

120409

Comment

It's as if fear and paranoia are taking people over. And the need to control other people. I don't get it at all, especially when there are so many un-dealt-with issues in the city right now. Like, er, having a police spokeswo/man. They fired Lt. Graham, and now tell everyone to "call the chief." It's patently absurd.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-28T10:23:23-06:00

ID

120410

Comment

I'll have to check by my house; but, I thought I saw a neighborhood assoc. poster saying Halloween would be celebrated Monday not Sat. or vise versa in that neighborhood. I will update at lunch.... Either way, once again confusion abounds. I have a novel idea - have your children do their homework in the afternoon before they go out trick or treating. But, how can our public school kids do homework if they can't take their books home???? And how much homework does a 1st - 6th grader have to do? The coolest part about halloween on a school day was getting to wear a costume to school! Though, I don't think we are the only city who resorts to moving Halloween to weekends. It's another attempt to curb the antics of a few who decide to wreck mayhem on Halloween. Those people are going to find any excuse to act-up - holiday or not. A better move would be to have all the police out on the streets, driving and walking through the neighborhoods as families went house to house. Imagine the PR and public raport you could develop. Like another Crime Night out with out the label.

Author

pikersam

Date

2005-10-28T10:53:28-06:00

ID

120411

Comment

"The coolest part about halloween on a school day was getting to wear a costume to school!" -pikersam Oh the days!!! I remember teachers would even help us get our homework done early or BETTER YET not give us any on Halloween!

Author

kaust

Date

2005-10-28T10:55:47-06:00

ID

120412

Comment

Oh yeah, and who can remember statements like this from your teachers: "I know tonight is Halloween, so I decided to NOT give you any homework (or postpone a test a day or two) so you can go have fun." I know i heard it a few times growing up... Or variations there of...

Author

pikersam

Date

2005-10-28T10:56:18-06:00

ID

120413

Comment

Wow, you posted my mind before I could type it out.....

Author

pikersam

Date

2005-10-28T10:57:09-06:00

ID

120414

Comment

Jinx. ;-)

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-28T10:57:44-06:00

ID

120415

Comment

At least Melton didn't cancel Halloween altogether like this school in Newton, Mass., did. Newton, Mass.? Y'all do understand this Vaiden we're talking about, right? Rich, Kennedy-loving suburb of Boston: When students at Underwood Elementary School walk to their classrooms on Monday, there will be no witches, SpongeBob SquarePants, or Johnny Damons there to greet them. No skeleton paintings or Frankenstein tattoos, either. The school's principal said yesterday he acceded to the complaints of a handful of parents who said that because the school's traditional Halloween celebrations offended their religious beliefs, they would not send their children to school if the revelry continued this year. ''Not everyone is going to agree with the decision, and I really understand that," said principal David Castelline, , who last year grew a beard and dressed up as Johnny Damon. ''But I felt the goal was really important to make it a respectful and open and welcoming place for all members of our community." Castelline, who met yesterday with the Parent Teacher Organization to explain his decision, said three teachers told him they had children in their classes who were not going to come to school if the Halloween celebration was held. The celebration, which has been going on for at least 14 years, involves teachers dressing up and lining the hallways and children making Halloween-related arts and crafts. ''When I hear that kids won't come to school because of what we're doing on Halloween, I have a problem with that," Castelline said. Of nearly a dozen parents interviewed outside the school yesterday, none supported the decision to cancel the celebration. Several parents said they are considering staging a protest by donning costumes on Monday and standing in front of the school. ''If they can cancel Halloween, what about Columbus Day and Valentines Day? We get Jewish holidays and Christmas off, so what's next?" asked Andrea Newman, whose two sons attend the school. ''All it takes is one person to be offended, and our school will ban it." Are people going insane? We livein a country where schools are cancelling Halloween because of a few religious zealot parents -- and our president is planning to veto an anti-torture bill. What is happening here, peeps?

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-28T14:29:29-06:00

ID

120416

Comment

Of course there still nearly three days to Halloween. Maybe we shouldn't give Mr. Melton any ideas. Zero tolerance for grim reapers. Take those earrings out and give them to your sisters. Smash all the pumpkins spotted on the actual Halloween night.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-10-28T14:31:06-06:00

ID

120417

Comment

I heard that another neighborhood has decided to trick or treat tomorrow night. Don't know the official neighborhood name, but some friends who live off of Briarwood Dr said that there were tons of fliers up on their street saying they'd be trick or treating on Halloween. I can't wait to see what happens next year!

Author

kate

Date

2005-10-30T09:47:27-06:00

ID

120418

Comment

I live in North Jackson and I didn't get a single trick or treater last night, and my apartment complex is full of anklebiters. I hope the strongbad pumpkin didn't scare them off. Alternatively, maybe their parents aren't idiots and decided to celebrate halloween on halloween.

Author

Ludious

Date

2005-10-30T12:13:02-06:00

ID

120419

Comment

I forgot to update last Friday; but, a prominate NE Jax neighborhood (near Melton's) is definitely celebrating Halloween TONIGHT! Might be the same signs kate saw too.... BTW: BOO - Happy Halloween!!!!

Author

pikersam

Date

2005-10-31T10:32:49-06:00