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Pumpkins thieves sought

By Billie Owens

Batavia police are on the lookout for six youths who are reported to be stealing pumpkins in the city. Three other young people reported that the mischief-makers went into a house on Oak Street, but couldn't, or wouldn't, identify it.

Dispatch also mentioned Summit Street in connection with this incident. No word on the total of pumpkins involved.

Gary Spencer

When they find 'em I hope they lock 'em up and throw away the key!!!

The nerve of these low life criminals!!!

Wait!!! If they catch 'em, they can make 'em carry "I stole pumpkins and got caught" signs!!!

That would teach 'em a real lesson!!!

Oct 23, 2010, 8:56pm Permalink
Janice Stenman

Where did this tradition of stealing pumpkins and smashing them become ok? Younger children have fun helping to carve them and enjoy watching them when they are lit. I quit putting out pumpkins just for this reason. It is just plain stealing.

Oct 24, 2010, 6:34pm Permalink
Jerry Buckman

Janice, not sure when it became an OK tradition. It was passed on to me back in the better days of 1970. Halloween now is lame and should just disappear.

Oct 24, 2010, 8:43pm Permalink
Gabor Deutsch

If I remember correctly, the rule was that you must wait until Halloween was officially over before you steal and smash pumpkins. Back then people would bring their pumpkins in after trick or treat hours were over. Many people gladly left them out for kids after that day. We used to have a "beggar's night" back then too so I guess things have changed.

The life and death of a pumpkin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-1aui-wluE

Oct 24, 2010, 9:32pm Permalink
Billie Owens

Jerry said he thinks Halloween is lame and should just disappear. I beg to differ.

Next to Thanksgiving, it is my favorite holiday in my favorite month and season.

It is especially lovely here in Western New York. I think mischievious kids have been stealing and thrashing pumpkins for a long time, but it seems to happen more now than it did when I was a trick-or-treater.

Of course, back then we could go all through the entire neighborhood by ourselves, with just our friends. We wore homemade costumes or those dumb plastic masks with tiny elastic stays, the kind of headgear that made it hard to breathe and made your face sweat. We carried pillowcases and typically went without a flashlight.

Once we were tired, most of the lights were out and our pillowcases were getting hard to lug around, we trekked home. Our sacks contained now-forbidden or rare goodies -- apples, cute waxpaper bags of popcorn, nickels, wrapped but unsealed bin candy, little wax soda pop bottles and wax teeth that tasted like pepsin.

As an adult, it's the one day where seemingly normal people can go out looking like goofballs. I enjoy the creative things people do for Halloween decor and the whole shebang.

But stealing pumpkins, or lawn decorations, or being mean to little ones having fun or worse, is not right.

Long live Halloween.

Oct 25, 2010, 1:11pm Permalink

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