Gurnee trustee can’t sway colleagues on trick-or-treat hours

When little ghosts and goblins should run around Gurnee became a brief source of village board debate.

At issue was Police Chief Kevin Woodside’s recommendation that trick-or-treat hours should be 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28. Halloween is Oct. 31. Several suburbs enact special trick-or-treat hours.

Village board trustees voted 5-1 Monday in favor of Woodside’s recommendation. Trustee Jeanne Balmes spurred the brief chatter about the issue before the vote, taking a stance she’s staked for several years.

“I make my plea once again for Halloween to be on Halloween,” said Balmes, who was supported by Trustee Steve Park.

But Trustee Greg Garner said he was OK with Gurnee’s official trick-or-treat hours being in daylight before the holiday. He also said his children don’t get cheated because they get to dress up for school in costumes on the day of Halloween.

“I think the kids are satisfied,” Garner said. “They get two days.”

Woodside said it’s a long-standing Gurnee tradition to have official trick-or-treat hours on a Sunday before Halloween, unless the two happen to fall on the same day.

“Primarily, it’s to conduct the trick-or-treating safely during daylight hours,” Woodside told the village board.

Trustees Kirk Morris, Cheryl Ross, Hank Schwarz, Garner and Park voted in favor of the recommended trick-or-treat hours. Park said his vote was “begrudgingly yes.”

Balmes was the lone objector.