Officials In Adams Looking For Safe Ways To Observe Halloween

Massachusetts is expected to provide some guidance on trick or treating in the near future but going door to door is probably unlikely thanks to the coronavirus.

According to iBerkshires.com, Adams officials are considering ways the town's children will be able to safely celebrate Halloween.

At Wednesday's Board of Selectmen meeting, Town Administrator Jay Green said, "We're not sure yet what's going to happen. Some other communities across the commonwealth have proscribed essentially door-to-door Halloween trick or treating. Both the chief and I were discussing it and we feel as though we need to do something for the community. We don't want them not to do anything because of the health pandemic."

Interim Police Chief Troy Bacon said, "We were collaborating together and trying to figure out how we can continue the tradition of trick or treating. Have .... something happy and positive go on in our community."

Green said he had been in contact with the town's health inspector, who expected the state Department of Public Health would be discussing the holiday during a weekly update.

Thanks to COVID-19, numerous holiday events have been canceled including the Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade, the Fall Foliage Parade, and as of last week, the Pittsfield Halloween Parade.

There is the idea of taking donations from residents and businesses to provide the candy or bags of goodies, Green said, since households would normally purchase those anyways, and then bag them and then have town employees give them out locally.

Green said any plan they came up with would be run by the Board of Health "to make sure it's done correctly, safely. We want to make a positive experience that night."

Selectman John Duval said it was refreshing to see some innovation happening rather than simply saying nothing can be done. Selectman Joseph Nowak thought this was an example of how the community has come together in the past to help its children.

Bacon and Green were asked to continue discussions with code enforcement to further develop a plan and bring it back to the Selectmen.

For more on the story, including other developments and discussions during Wednesday's meeting, please check out the full story on iBerkshires.com's website.