Trunk ‘n Treat vs. Trick-or-Treat

Trick-or-Treating is the time-honored tradition of children going door-to-door on Halloween evening while gathering candy and goodies from neighbors. 

We’ve recently heard the term Trunk ‘n Treat, and learned that it’s an event designed to provide a safe, free, one-stop alternative to trick-or-treating for children.  Participants park their vehicles in a large parking lot, decorate the trunk of their car or create themed booths that costumed children can walk around to, play games at, and receive prizes and candy.  

What a great idea for clubs, churches, schools and neighbors to consider for Halloween 2009!  Meanwhile, we’ve included the following safety tips for this Halloween.  These are always good reminders for all of us, especially children who are getting too independent to go trick-or-treating with their parents. 

• Plan your route and let someone know where you’ll be going, and when you’ll be home! Never trick-or-treat alone… go with a friend.
• Never go inside a house to accept treats.  Accept treats only in the doorway.
• Wait until you get home to eat your candy — and only eat it after your parents inspect your goodies.
• Visit houses only that have their lights on.
• Walk.  Do not run.  Walk on sidewalks and driveways.  Cross the street at the corner or in a crosswalk.
• Wear costumes with reflective markings, bright colors and flame-resistant materials.  Stay away from lit jack-o-lanterns.   
• Take a cell phone, a flashlight and a watch.

Most of all, have fun, stay safe…. and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

A Celebration to Die For…

Come join this multi-cultural event to benefit the restoration of the historic Riverside Evergreen Memorial Cemetery with a celebration that highlights the funerary traditions of many cultures featuring music, dancing, costumed characters, food, face painting, ghost hunters, and more!  Wear a costume and add to the fun for you and your whole family!

The festivities at the Evergreen Cemetery (corner of 14th and Pine Streets) begin at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 1, 2008 and end at 8:30 p.m.  Admission is $10 per person or $25 per family (tickets can be purchased at the gate). 

There will be a live ‘New Orleans jazz funeral procession’ by the Day St. Dixielanders.  In New Orleans, funerals are an occasion to celebrate life, and death is not seen as a loss but as a release from this life.  Jazz was born in New Orleans, so it’s only fitting that the music is used in a commemoration of life.  Jazz funerals are often held for musicians and members of social and pleasure clubs.  You don’t have to go to New Orleans to experience a jazz funeral — come to the Riverside Evergreen Cemetery!

Watch the Ballet Folklorico de Riverside celebrate with Aztec dances, have your photo taken in a vintage coffin, enjoy having your face painted by Oasis Arts (former Disneyland face painters), listen to old English Dance Macabre, delight in the Hearse club collection and ghost tours by Full Tech Paranormal, and finally, feast on refreshments by Phood on Main (hip and creative food so delicious that it dances in your mouth).

Come join us for an evening of fun to benefit a great cause – the restoration of the historic Riverside Evergreen Memorial Cemetery!

Downtown Riverside Ghostwalk

Returning for its 17th year, Friday October 24th and Saturday October 25th from 5:40 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., the California Riverside Ballet brings downtown Riverside alive with stories of horror, mystery and intrigue.  Tours occur at 20 minute intervals with guests being led through the historic district, in the shadows of the Mission Inn, where they will hear spine-tingling to comic renditions of tales “from beyond”.  In 2005, the Ghostwalk event received the recognition as “Best Event in Riverside” and continues to be a tradition gaining additional popularity every year.

The weekend before Halloween, the California Riverside Ballet (CRB) brings the downtown area alive and into its supernatural theme with stories of horror, mystery and intrigue along with the ever-anticipated performances of the CRB dancers adding to the theme of phantasm and illusion.

Beginning as the moon rises on both Friday and Saturday nights, guests are toured throughout the historic district.  The first stop takes you to the Riverside Ballet Arts Studio where you will witness the CRB dancers beckon the undead to dance.  Some of the tour locations that you may be brought to are: the Riverside Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum, the Historic Aurea Vista Hotel, and the First Congregational Church.

The “Ghostly Meal Deal”
The California Riverside Ballet has created the “Ghostly Meal Deal” for your dining enjoyment during the Ghostwalk event.  The meal includes two slices of cheese or pepperoni pizza, a soda, juice bottle or small water, and a cookie for dessert for only $5.00.  Be sure to add the “Ghostly Meal Deal” to your order to get this special price!

Bring the whole family and don’t miss the CRB BOO-TIQUE, additional activities, music, and dancing at the boardwalk during this annual event.  Unfortunately, many tour location stops are not stroller or wheelchair accessible.

Ticket Information: Tickets will be available on the night of event for “cash only” at $10.00 each.  Children 2 and under are FREE!  $5.00 additional for the “Ghostly Meal Deal”.

Ghostwalk Writers: Have a story?  Each year the CRB accepts stories from well-known and up-and-coming writers to be told to our visitors.  If your story is about the Alive, the Dead or about Ghosts or Ghouls just hanging around or wandering the halls in Downtown Riverside, submit your story to be selected for next year’s Ghostwalk event.  Your story needs to be 10 minutes in length and must engage the audience.

Orange and Black = Green?

Halloween is one of the most exciting holidays of the year, and we have a few ideas to improve your ghoulish gatherings and candy collecting.  This year, why not try for an eco-friendly “green” holiday?

• The most important part of Halloween, at least for the kids and the kid-like adults…. candy!  Try to hand out organic chocolates and hard candy.  Fun non-food alternative treats include nontoxic crayons, coloring books, stickers, or even small change.
• Set a spooky mood with soy or beeswax candles, not those made from petroleum-based paraffin.
• Don’t forget a reusable shopping bag or even a pillowcase to carry your trick-or-treating haul!
• Invest creativity instead of cash in your costume.  Dig into the back of your closet or hit the thrift store to find wacky clothes and accessories.  Instead of throwing away an old outfit or a grandparent’s hat or shirt, stash it in the “Halloween costume” box!  How much fun to look at the old and goofy clothes the following year(s) and use them creatively as costumes!
• Avoid masks made of vinyl.  Latex ones are safer, unless you’re allergic to the material.
• Look up recipes for pumpkin pie, soup or curry so your decoration doesn’t go to waste after Halloween.  Not much of a chef?  Compost that jack-o-lantern, at least!

Have a safe holiday, and if you can ‘go green’ at the same time, what an additional ‘treat’ for your future and the environment! Happy Halloween!

Riverside Alumnae Panhellenic Home Tour

Saturday, October 18, 2008, marks the 57th annual Home Tour of the Riverside Alumnae Panhellenic Association (RAPA).  Each year, the fundraising tour consists of four to six interesting and beautiful homes in the Riverside area, and you are guaranteed to see beautiful, artistic, and one-of-a-kind residences for a reasonable donation of $20.  Proceeds support many local charities and several college scholarships to ladies graduating high school and attending a college or university with NPC (National Panhellenic Conference) sororities.

Home Tour:  11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. featuring four homes (self-guided)

Tea and Cookies: 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Evergreen Masonic Center at 5801 Chicago Avenue.  The tea will include two fashion shows (1:30 p.m. and 3:15 p.m.) with fashions by Stephenson Cree and cookies baked by members of RAPA.

Tickets:  $20 pre-tour and $25 day-of.  You can find pre-tour tickets for sale at the following businesses:

• Gottschalks at the Riverside Plaza
• Parkview Nursery on Jackson
• Parkview Nursery on Chicago
• The Gardener’s Cottage in Canyon Crest
• The UPS Store in Mission Grove
• The UPS Store at La Sierra Plaza
• Delights & Invites in downtown Riverside
• Riverside Visitor’s Center
• IQP Independent Quality Printing in Riverside

A quote from a 2007 recipient which reminds us why the Panhellenic Home Tour is so important: “…words alone could never let you know how you have helped me to realize my dream.  I will always remember and one day plan to help someone as you have helped me.”

The 2008 Home Tour is expecting between 700 to 900 patrons!  Questions should be directed to Diana Kantola and Lora Laine, Home Tour Co-Chairs at riversidepanhellenic@yahoo.com.

Halloween is just around the corner and I need a pumpkin

If you like picking a pumpkin from a farm rather than your neighborhood grocery store you might want to visit one of these three farms.

Riverside County

The Pumpkin Factory
1545 Circle City Drive, Corona, CA 92879
Phone: 805-689-4659
Riverside County, California

The Wickerd Farm
26852 Scott Road, Menifee, CA 92584
Phone: 909-672-3020
Riverside County, California

Big Horse Feed Corn Maze
33320 Hwy 79, Temecula, CA 92592
Phone: 909-676-2544
Riverside County, California

Importance of Microchipping Your Pet(s)

Microchipping your pets is easier, and cheaper, than you might think.  This is also a sure-fire way to have your pets returned to you should they become missing.  The cost is only $15 per pet. 

While walking through the Wood Streets a few weekends ago, Tara and I witnessed a beautiful white and gray cat unwittingly run across Bandini Avenue wherein he was instantly killed by a passing automobile.  I immediately called the Riverside City/County Animal Shelter at (951) 358-7387 (PETS) and waited for the Animal Control Officer.  The officer mentioned that the cat was probably not a stray because of its healthy appearance; however, since there was no collar, it would be difficult to locate the owner unless there was a microchip.  Every pet (dead or alive) that is picked up by Animal Control is scanned for a microchip.  Unfortunately, the officer stated that not enough pets are microchipped.

Locating an owner is important, but so is extending the life of a pet that is caught by Animal Control.  A pet that is captured with no collar and no microchip is held for only 4 days until a decision is made to adopt or euthanize.  A pet that is captured with a collar or a microchip is held for 10 days until a decision is made.  The microchip will offer your pet a 6 day reprieve! 

The microchip is inserted under the skin of the neck area of your pet.  The chip is very small and the insertion process is relatively painless.  Scanners are used by all animal shelters in Riverside County, and animals are scanned when they initially are brought in and at each step during handling, but especially prior to euthanasia.

Even indoor pets should be microchipped – sometimes they escape by accident through an open door, or  because they’re frightened by fireworks or thunder.  We’ve had all of our pets microchipped and feel confident they’ll be returned should they ever become lost!

10th Annual Family Village Festival

The Riverside Museum Associates Multicultural Council is celebrating their 10th annual Family Village Festival on Saturday, October 11, 2008 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This “Gathering of Cultures” features villages from Japan, Scandinavia, Mexico, Guyana, Puerto Rico, Samoa and more.  The location this year will be in downtown Riverside at White Park (3936 Chestnut Street) — cross streets being University and Market. 

This FREE multicultural festival offers guests the unique opportunity to explore and learn about different cultures and their traditions through cultural cuisine, children’s activities, storytelling, arts/crafts, and music and dance performances throughout the day.

The event is hosted by the Riverside Museum Associates, the RMA Multicultural Council, and the Riverside Metropolitan Museum. For more information, please call (951) 826-5273 or go to familyvillagefest.com.

Firefighters Given the Boot (to fill)

Riverside firefighters literally have some awfully big boots to fill, and will be stationed at three city intersections from 8:00 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (October 8, 9, 10) soliciting donations for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

“The helmeted firefighters are asking people at the intersections to drop whatever they can afford into the boots,” said Tim Strack, president of Riverside City Firefighters, Local 1067, which is organizing the effort with the city.  “We’re going to try to raise $50,000 over these three days.”

This fill-the-boot fundraising effort is part of a national campaign to aid MDA, and the firefighters will be stationed at the following intersections October 8-10 from 8 a.m. to noon:

• University Avenue and Lime Street
• Magnolia and Central Avenues
• Tyler Street and Magnolia Avenue

For more information, call fire department coordinator Dave Hernandez at (909) 229-9207.

2856 Iron Hills Way

[ SOLD for $290,000 ]  Riverside ‘SunGold’ home with 3 bedrooms/1 bathroom, in a quiet cul-de-sac location that is turn-key and ready to move into! New carpet and flooring, new interior/exterior paint, living room with fireplace and crown moulding. Additional family room and office added onto back of home. Refinished cabinets and new appliances in kitchen. Private park-like backyard with fruit trees, new fencing and a 2-car detached garage!

  

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