Many of you might be interested in the new comments recently posted on the Trick or Treat column from a few weeks back.
An AP story carried nationwide about Oil City's returning to nighttime trick or treating prompted several people to write.
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12 comments:
I read the AP story. I hope it is a great night for your town and that much fun is had by everyone.
I come from a small town not far from Oil City and I can imagine the horrific effect on the community when that happened. I commend the community on the safefy precautions that they have taken while still giving the children a chance to enjoy trick-or-treating. I wish for everyone's diligence and safety this year. Parents, be parents and be cautious.
Thank you for your blog. I lived in Pittsburgh many years and have since relocated. I miss visiting Oil City and Franklin, they are beautiful towns full of genuine people. Reading your blog is a nice reminder of how things are and what really matters.
I have read the article that you are quoted in saying "Its time to move on." I am sorry but I dont agree, if somthing was to ever happen to one of my children I don't think that I could ever just move on. I feel that was very unemotional and disgusting comment that you could have made. Also I feel that it is much safer in the day light hours for the children. Not just because of the case of children to be taken but also a child not getting hit by a car is less in the daylight.
I came across this article on Yahoo News. My husband and I are planning to move to Oil City in December. Next Halloween we will join in on helping with healing by welcoming the trick or treaters with smiles and goodie bags filled with safe and delicious candy.
This is in regards to the anonymous poster, are you serious? Did it ever occur to you that you are taking that comment out of context? You can realize that he probably said something before and after that particular sentence? Right? Anyways as someone from Oil City I know fully well that time for healing has come.
I wanted to congratulate Elizabeth Roess on her the great civics lesson!
Parents watch your children and you'll all have a great time!
I lived in Pittsburgh for 9 years and the small town of Linesville for 7 years. That part of the country is full of good caring people. Unfortunately, gone are the days of teens and pre-teens roaming the streets safely at night alone. I think trick or treating can be done safely at night, but we all must be cautious. Watch your children, know where they are, and make sure they stay with a group. Teach them to never talk to people that they don’t know, under any circumstances. We may never be entirely safe, but we can be safer and we can watch our community’s children. Some things can’t be prevented, but somehow your town’s tragedy could have or should have been. It’s a horrifically hard lesson, but hopefully many have, and will learn to watch our children. I think what Oil City is doing to keep safe and try to bring back Halloween at night is a great effort. Unfortunately what is in the past must stay there to remind us, but we as people, do, and must move on. That is the way of life, our loved ones die, sometimes horrifically and tragically but we must move on. We never forget, but we have to move on. This is a story I will share with my friends and family forever to remind us there are always predators and evil people we must watch out for. My thoughts will be about the recovery and healing of your town this Halloween. May you all have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN.
I urge anyone who is interested to read the original blog in its entirety.
Trick or Treat -- Should darkness reign?
Greetings and thank you for your efforts to save innocence from the effects of panic.
As a news reporter in Texas in 1984, I covered the story of Ronald Clark O'Bryan. Thereafter, I watched the joy of Hallowe'en stifled because one sick adult used the holiday to pursue his own perverse agenda. I saw the imaginations of children stifled because a sick adult used that imagination to pursue a warped agenda.
Congratulations to Oil City! Let your children be children guided by wise adults. Cherish and flourish their imaginations. Do not let the sickness of perverse adults destroy childhood!
I am orginally from around the area and slighly remember this story when I was growing up, I was 11 when this tragic murder happened. I do remember slight changes in the nighttime to daytime switch, but a few years later it returned to night because everyone enjoyed it more, the kids enjoyed it and it's more exciting.
I don't think that the author meant that the family should "move on", because that will never happen and no one would expect it. I think he was referring to the town and the events, are you going to let one thing grip you by fear for the rest of your life? What is the different between Oct. 31st or Nov. 1st, or Jan 1st? Sadly if something like this is going to happen, it's going to happen.
In the long run, it comes down to common sense. Parents stay with your children or have a mature adult with them at all times, keep in the areas and neighborhoods you know and always go in groups.
It's sad what happened, but I am glad to hear the news of trick or treating return, it might do good to have a little bit of normalcy.
I hope tonight was a happy Halloween for everyone in Oil City! Best wishes to all the children that their candy is yummy, and to all the parents that their children stay safe!
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