Destiny O'Donnell and Isabella Sanchez, wearing sumo wrestler costumes, select some candy offered by City Councilman William Kehner and his wife, Cheryl.
By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
You’ve heard of the movie “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” right? Well, this was “A Nightmare on 39th Street.”
T.J. and Roxanne McLeer’s house at 305 39th Street in Sea Isle City was nightmarishly decorated with a macabre assortment of ghosts, ghouls, skeletons, zombies, witches, a scary clown and the Grim Reaper.
To top it all off, there was also a mechanical black spider with furry legs that would lunge out at you as you approached the front door.
“This is my favorite time of year,” T.J. McLeer said, emphasizing the word favorite. “It’s for the kids – the smiles on their faces. We let them get scared a little bit, but not much. It’s all for fun. I love decorating.”
The McLeer residence is transformed into a haunted house every Halloween and becomes a favorite stop for trick-or-treaters making their rounds for candy. T.J. McLeer noted that he spent three days decorating the house while getting ready for Halloween this year.
“I let him do it every year,” Roxanne McLeer said of her husband’s passion for decorating. “I bought him some new things that he hasn’t even put out yet. He already wants to go out tomorrow to buy some more decorations when they’ll be half price.”
Karen Sanchez, bottom row at right, is joined at the Trunk or Treat celebration by her daughter, grandchildren and friends.
As a complement to the trick-or-treating at private homes in town, Sea Isle also brought back its family-friendly Trunk or Treat celebration this year for Halloween night.
The trunks and back compartments of cars, trucks and SUVs were decorated with spooky themes for the Trunk or Treat candy giveaway, which was held in the municipal parking lot next to the Sea Isle City Welcome Center.
“We certainly had a lot of people asking whether it was coming back,” city spokeswoman Katherine Custer said of the Trunk or Treat celebration. “Clearly, it’s the families that love it. There are so many smiles on the faces – both the people giving out the candy and the ones getting it.”
Karen Sanchez, a resident of Cape May Court House, brought a group of kids with her that included her daughter, her grandchildren and some friends. Among them, Isabella Sanchez and Destiny O’Donnell dressed up as twin sumo wrestlers.
Destiny O'Donnell and Isabella Sanchez, wearing sumo wrestler costumes, select some candy offered by City Councilman William Kehner and his wife, Cheryl.
Isabella and Destiny said they enjoyed watching everyone’s reaction to their comical costumes as they strolled around for Trunk or Treat.
“We’re probably funny,” Isabella said while breaking into laughter with Destiny. “It’s really fun.”
One of the youngest Halloweeners at Trunk or Treat was 2-year-old Martin Perez, who was dressed up as Woody from the “Toy Story” movie franchise. Martin’s head swung around when he saw another child dressed as the Buzz Lightyear character from “Toy Story.”
But Martin was mainly focused on the assortment of candy and other goodies given out during Trunk or Treat.
“He loves Reese’s,” said his mother, Emmy Sanchez.
Martin Perez, 2, dressed in a Woody costume, picks out his favorite candy while his mother, Emmy Sanchez, watches.
