by Rachel Hunter
A Halloween Trunk N Treat, sponsored and hosted by Parkstead Gouverneur, will be held on Halloween Night, Saturday, October 31, 4 to 6 p.m., at 500 Sleepy Hollow Rd., off Pooler St., Gouverneur. The event’s time was changed to allow for more Halloween fun during daylight hours.
Parkstead Gouverneur Assistant Property Manager Sean Peck (son of Carlton Peck) arrived at the Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees meeting on Oct. 20 and said he is looking forward to making the event big, but safe for the youth in attendance.
“We want to be involved more in the community. We are doing more things in the community. We want people to know we are here. We’re hosting Trunk N Treat, and we’re opening it up to the public because there is not a lot for kids to do – and we wanted to do something that is safe for kids.”
The Parkstead Gouverneur Trunk N Treat is open to the public. All CDC guidelines amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis will be enforced. Everyone must wear a mask and must be six feet apart. Parents must remain with their children at all times while attending the event.
“I have purchased 300-400 masks, 400-500 gloves,” Assistant Property Manager Sean Peck said. “We are borrowing cones… what we are going to do is have everyone go as families, six feet apart, and walk down one side of the complex. We’re not going to have them run all over the complex.
“Our residents wanted to (hold Trunk N Treat). The residents will be six feet apart, handing out bagged candy or treats or something that is safe. We’re going to have the kids walk down the sidewalk, turn the corner, and back around – all on one side, all separated.
“We’ve also asked that any child who has a costume that doesn’t require a mask, to wear a mask. We’ve had a lot of excitement about it. A lot of people have contacted us about it, because there isn’t really anything else going on for Halloween. We’re going to have plenty of staff on site to ensure that families are socially distanced. Of course families can walk together, because they are a family -- but we are going to make sure the families are six feet apart.
“The type of stuff we are giving out is like Rice Krispee Treats that are already individually packaged. “We’ve all been through enough with COVID-19, and there is not really an end in sight, but I don’t want Halloween to be taken away from the kids. It’s something that is for the kids.
“Anyone who knows me and my family, everybody knows that we’re big supporters of taking care of the kids, looking after the kids. We’ve been doing the high school band awards now for, well, this would have been 56 years. This was our first year not doing it… So the fair and this town has been a part of my life since the day I was born.”
In addition, Parkstead Gouverneur will also host a Best Costume Contest. “We are asking local business to donate prizes for the costume contest,” Assistant Property Manager Peck said. “And we are also going to be taking pictures of everybody and we are going to post them on our webpage… so that people can go in and print off their kids in their costumes.”
Those who are interested in setting up a trunk are invited to call Parkstead Gouverneur at (315) 287-3163 to register. Assistant Manager Peck confirmed with the Gouverneur Tribune Press, as of press deadline this week, 12 Parkstead Gouverneur residents and four community members have agreed to pass out candy. Property Manager Stormy Cox said that hand sanitizer will be available at every station for community members.
“Obviously, we are going to have our own station set up at the front (by the leasing office), and we will be directing traffic. We are here for the community. If anyone has any questions or anything, they can come right to the office. So if you are a trunk, you are required to have hand sanitizer too.”
Parking will be plentiful, Parkstead Gouverneur officials said. All foot-traffic will be on one side of the complex, so vehicles can park throughout the complex on the other side, or in Parkstead Gouverneur’s overflow parking areas or on Pooler St. Since costumed youngsters will be walking on the sidewalk, and coned-off sections, the roadways will be available for vehicles to park.
“I don’t think it will be an issue,” Assistant Manager Sean Peck said. “We’re asking people to spread out their time. I think everyone is going to come early and then go trick-or-treating around the village (5 to 7 p.m.) since they are opening that up… We need to make sure that the parents walk with the kids. The kids aren’t going to stay six feet apart by themselves… So parents need to be with their kids throughout the complex.”
“We have a big enough property, and it is important for us to provide this for the kids,” Property Manager Stormy Cox said. “Sean has really pioneered this whole idea, and it is important. We want kids to be able to enjoy Halloween because COVID has just been tough on everybody. I think that we have the capability here to provide that for the community. There’s not really a lot of places here in Gouverneur where you have this area that you can use. It’s going to be good, and we’re going to be able to spread it out far enough.”
“It’s cool how our complex is shaped (like a backwards P). It’s not like you are going down one side, turning around, and coming back down the other. You are able to go around,” Property Manager Stormy Cox added that all vehicles will be directed around the backwards P and back out. “You have to enter and exit the same way, however, we don’t want people to turning around,” she said.
“We aren’t going to have any trunks on that side of the road,” Assistant Property Manager Sean Peck said. “When they get to Building 516… that is it, that is where the last one is going to be, and then they can just walk out to exit and to their cars if their cars are right here. On the back side of the property, where we don’t have a sidewalk, we are going to have cones set up so that cars aren’t going around anyone. The Fair has agreed to let me come over and borrow cones, signs and stuff like that… We are excited to do this for the community. We are here. We are a part of the community, and I think we are showing that we are here to help people and be in the community.”
The entire Gouverneur community is invited to attend the Trunk N Treat at Parkstead Gouverneur on Oct. 31, 4 to 6 p.m.