By Janine Anderson
Journal Times | Posted: Monday, October 27, 2008 12:00 am
BURLINGTON - With the earliest trick-or-treat times in the county, Burlington candy-seekers also had to contend with what might be the worst weather.
Sunday's chill and gusting winds made trick-or-treating a hurried affair, with many children hopping in and out of cars to get candy. Some who walked, covered their costumes with heavy coats, and a few adults brought some liquid warmth along with, pulling the booze behind them in wagons or stashing bottles inside gloves.
From Halloween stand-bys of skeletons, ghosts and zombies, to homemade collaborations, the pint-size revelers were undeterred in their quest for candy.
Here's what some of them had to say about their alter egos:
Parmesan cheese shaker and a table at an Italian restaurant
Caroline Burdick, 10, and her 12-year-old sister, Annie, from Waterford, teamed up as this classic food duo (see photo on Page 9A).
Their stepmother came up with the idea, they said, and it kept growing. The foreign exchange student living with their family is dressing up as spaghetti, Dad is the fat chef and friends are going as bread sticks and a waitress.
"I'm getting blown away," said Annie, whose cardboard table-top caught the wind.
"I can't pick up candy that drops," said Caroline, who was encased in a tube from the knees up.
Ghost
Rachel Bergles, 9, of Burlington, didn't know why she wanted to be a ghost. She put the costume together herself, cutting up old sheets for the classic low-key costume.
Injured person Mackenzie Bratlie, 11, of Burlington, hobbled through town on crutches, with a black eye, facial cuts and a head wound wrapped in gauze.
"I get hurt almost every day in gym class," she said.
Cheerleader
Sophia Parisi, 5, of Twin Lakes said she dressed up as a cheerleader "because my mom wanted me to." Mom laughed when she said that.
Pirate
Ella Parisi, 8, Twin Lakes, couldn't say what drew her to the pirate costume, but it might have been that it was at least a little bit scary.
Darth Vader Michael Hodnik, 6, of Wheatland, said he likes Darth Vader because of his light saber. He left it at home Sunday, but it's blue.
Robber
Anthony Hodnik, 11, of Wheatland, was wearing an inmate's white-and-black stripes. He clarified that he wasn't any prisoner, he was a robber. "I wanted to say I stole a pair of shoes from the store," he said.
Zombie
Nick Mullens, 10, of Burlington, is an old hand at Halloween.
"I've been everything else," he said. "It's fun. I get to scare people."
But he was too shy to show off his scary zombie walk on demand.
Doctor
Claire Turke, 8, of Burlington. "My best friend wanted to be a surgeon," Claire said. "She convinced me and I said sure, I'll be a doctor."
Princess
Quinn Turke, 6, of Burlington, said "I really wanted to do it," when asked why she chose to dress as royalty.
Wizard
Ella Turke, 3, overcame her shyness to set the record straight. "People call me a witch," she said. "I'm actually a wizard instead."