GREENE – Eggs and shaving cream have become almost synonymous with Halloween in many municipalities, with pranksters trying their best to put the “trick” in trick or treat. That’s not the case, however, in the Village of Greene.
“The last three years on Halloween night, we haven’t had a single complaint,” reported Greene Police Chief Steve Dutcher. As a result, downtown Greene has such a reputation for being a safe place to go trick or treating that it routinely attracts families from the surrounding area, he said.
While Dutcher and his officers make sure they have a visible presence on the village streets during the holiday, they don’t take credit for virtually eliminating the mischief that might otherwise occur. They place that credit squarely with the annual Halloween Dance, a community effort which gives middle and high school students something to do other than roaming the streets looking for trouble.
“We give them an alternative,” Dutcher said. It’s no coincidence that the dance is scheduled from 7 to 10 p.m., which overlaps with trick or treating in the village, which takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. The event, now in its 23rd year, is always held on Halloween night, regardless of what day of the week the holiday falls.
This year, like it has in the past, the dance will take place at the Greene High School. Admission for the event, which is open only to Greene students in grades 6 through 12, is $3 per person.
Organizers have decided to once again combine the event with a canned food drive to benefit the Greene Food Pantry. Students who bring two canned food items will receive $1 off admission.
As an added incentive to bring the non-perishable items in lieu of paying full price, Mayor Marcia Miller has again issued a challenge to Greene’s middle and high school students.
Last year she challenged dance-goers to fill up the back of her Ford Explorer with cans of food, promising that if they were successful one of them will have the chance to be Mayor for a Day. The students rose to the challenge, and 13-year old Kelly Mulderig, a seventh grader from Greene Middle School, was awarded the honor.
