By Maddy Vitale
Children dressed as princesses, superheroes, ghouls and scary movie monsters, filling the Sea Isle City municipal marina parking lot for the city’s “Trunk-or-Treat” Wednesday night.
Residents and businesses and organizations decorated trunks and tables with Halloween décor from pumpkins to “cob webs” and “spiders.”
Some adults dressed up in spooky masks and ghoulish makeup. But the overriding theme was candy – lots of it. There were also glow sticks and wands, necklaces and other treats for the taking.
Avery McDowell, 5, and Angel Gill, 7, both of Sea Isle, studied the candies at one table.
“Take some candy,” Avery’s mom Lucy McDowell urged her daughter.
With that, the little girl scooped up about five pieces.
“Not all of the candy,” McDowell laughed.
Then Avery and her mom, and Angel, along and his mom, Wilma Gill, headed to another table for some treats.
“I think it is so good they have this,” McDowell said of “Trunk-or-Treat.” “The kids like it a lot.”
Sea Isle Mayor Leonard Desiderio, his wife Carmela, and their daughter Carmela enjoyed giving out candy to the “Trunk-or-Treaters.”
“I think it is a great event,” Mayor Desiderio said. “It is a safe way for children to enjoy Halloween.”
Sea Isle Councilman Bill Kehner and his wife Cheryl had treats galore to share with children they gave out from their decorated trunk.
Stephanie Smith and husband Rick Pinter brought their daughter Aubrey Pinter, 11, and nephew Derrick Lawrence, 13, of Cape May Court House, for some goodies.
“It is a very welcoming, warm way to have Halloween,” Smith said. “I think it is fantastic for the kids.”
Aubrey and Derrick didn’t mind the fact that they amassed a lot of candy in minutes.
In addition to the mayor and councilman, other city officials really got into the spirit of Halloween.
Sea Isle’s Public Information Officer Katherine Custer and her husband Ron decorated their trunk with pumpkin figures. They gave out sweets from a big bucket.
“You have to have a Blow Pop. Everyone likes them,” Katherine Custer said to a little girl who was dressed as a butterfly.”
Nicole Guest, of Wildwood Crest, brought her daughter Natalee Guest, 11, and mother Christine Schroter, to the city’s “Trunk-or-Treat” to give it a try.
“I work in Sea Isle. I thought it was great they were doing this on Halloween,” Guest said. “She can do her trick-or-treating and we can be home early.”
Natalee stopped at the Sea Isle Boy Scouts Troop 76 table for some goodies.
She picked up a glow necklace, smiled and put it over her head.
Beth Rivello, of Boy Scouts Troop 76, showed some of the other things at the popular table. There were candies, glow wands and every once in a while, children got a surprise blast of fake snow from one of the people overseeing the table.
Joe Radaszewski, 14 months, of Sea Isle, seemed in awe of the “snow.”
But what he really had on his mind was the candy, his mother Amanda Radaszewski said with a smile.
“Trunk-or-Treat” was hosted by the city’s Recreation Office. For more information about Sea Isle’s events go to www.visitsicnj.com.
