Frolicking felines festering fear

From the truth can be stranger than fiction department, a debate has seemingly emerged regarding, or all things, trick or treating.


Really.


In the village's e-news, the hours for Trick or Treating are posted, (they are from 2 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 31) which you would think is a pretty routine announcement.


You would think.  Hardly.


Debate No. 1 as posted by a reader
"Maybe you could mention in the blotter that even though the Village has designated trick or treat hours on Halloween from 2-7, all elementary schools are in session that day without early dismissal, both Lake Co and Cook Co. I am on the Cook County side, District 21, and they used to be released at 12. Not any more! 
I have called the Village to ask that they consider school schedules when designating these hours, instead of following the pattern of every year, on Halloween, from 2-Maybe if other parents called the village as well, this might be looked into. 


Other towns have changed the hours to 4-8, to accommodate school schedules...."

First of all, kudos to the schools for not releasing kids early to go Trick or Treating.  Imagine sending kids home from school early to go beg for candy as part of a pagan ritual.  I'm trying to figure out which would be the worse outcome -- childhood obesity or another Rob Sherman lawsuit.

Secondly, the early hours give parents who are home the chance to take preschoolers trick or treating before it gets dark -- remember time changes Sunday.

Trick or treat hours aside, a concerned resident raised this point. And, as Dave Barry would write, I am not making this up.

"Hey I always make this reminder, but please tell people who own black cats to keep them inside for Halloween. We all know there are nuts out there, and if they see black cats on Halloween or close to Halloween they may do something to it."

Cat: Domesticated feline often mistaken for a meatloaf

You're kidding, right?  Yes, we know there are nuts out there -- all you need to do is attend a Village Board meeting.  But do we really need to sequester black felines?  

There is, however, one resident who has the right idea.  

"All Cats shouldn't be allowed to roam the streets every day!!!!"

Thanks!"

I'm not sure why the contributor made it a capital C, but his/her point is well taken.  We need to control the ferocious feline that prowl our streets. 

The village needs to move quickly and, dare I say, not pussyfoot around.