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Luzerne County Council race sees 11 vie for six seats

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<p>EDWARDSVILLE &#8212; Looking up at her mother, Avianna Bossom held up her purple bucket and begged her mom to keep moving down the line of zombies, superheroes, cartoon characters and more.</p><p>The three year-old from Pittston was one of more than a thousand of children that flocked to the Joe Amato Gateway Shopping Center in Edwardsville for its 4th annual Halloween event Saturday.</p><p>Donning pink hair rollers, purple glasses and a pink robe covered in stuffed animals, Bossom&#8217;s costume was a hit for attendees and participating businesses. Her mother, Cosima Alampi, said she decided on her daughter&#8217;s &#8220;crazy cat lady&#8221; costume due to her love for animals.</p><p>&#8220;I just wanted something different. I know it&#8217;s probably my last year to pick her costume, so we wanted something unique and she loves animals,&#8221; she explained.</p><p>More than 1,200 children traveled through the shopping center within the first hour of the event, according to Amato Properties operations coordinator Cindy Evans, who was busy handing out bags of candy at her stand. She said the company enjoys hosting the Halloween events at their locations annually as a way to give thanks - and give back - to their communities.</p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;s what (Joe) Amato prides himself on, giving back,&#8221; she added.</p><p>On the other side of the center Planet Fitness employee Sara Puchalski hurriedly offered rows of children candies from her bowl while commenting on some of her favorite costumes. She said the event always has a huge turnout and benefits the community and businesses of the Gateway Center alike.</p><p>Holding the event allows families a safe Halloween experience, she said, adding that the center is patrolled by local police, closed off for minimal traffic and lets parents stay with their children as they interact with businesses.</p><p>In return, the businesses have the opportunity to attract potential new customers through participating in the festivities.</p><p>&#8220;I think every businesses should do this. I feel a lot of kids don&#8217;t go trick or treating anymore because they&#8217;re just too afraid,&#8221; she said. &#8220;This way its open, they don&#8217;t have to come in. They can just walk by and get their candy. The parents know where their kids are at all all times, and its just a really safe and fun way to enjoy it.&#8221;</p><p>GreenFit Personal Training owner Matt Green agreed. This was the first year the gym owner has been able to participate, and already depleted half his candy supply as more and more children gathered around his door.</p><p>&#8220;Love Halloween, I&#8217;m a big kid,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I just love being a part of this.&#8221;</p><p>Donning a matching Incredibles superhero costume with her two children, Kingston resident Amanda Maldonado took a moment from their mission to explain why she keeps bringing her family back to the event every year.</p><p>While her family continues to partake in more traditional trick-or-treating, the Kingston resident admitted events such as Saturday&#8217;s are the best - and safest - way for children to experience Halloween.</p><p>&#8220;Since they have this now, we&#8217;ll go like an hour or two and then we sit at home and hand out candy so they could enjoy the whole experience,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I feel like it&#8217;s just very safe and for all the businesses to do it to, it&#8217;s very nice.&#8221;</p><p><strong>UPCOMING HALLOWEEN EVENTS</strong></p><p><strong>Today</strong></p><p>&#8226; Kiwanis Club of Dallas indoor Halloween parade and party for children, Dallas Twp. Fire Hall, 184 East Center Hill Road and Church Street. Registration begins at 1 p.m., costume judging begins at 2 p.m. Area children, day care through middle school, are welcome.</p><p>&#8226; Warrior Run/Askam Halloween Parade. Line up at noon in the Askam Inn parking lot, parade starts at 1 p.m. Refreshments and candy bags available at Warrior Run fire hall, 316 Academy St.</p><p>&#8226; Rolling Mill Hill Residents&#8217; Association Halloween Party for all kids, 2 to 4 p.m. at St. Andrew&#8217;s Church Hall, 316 Parrish Street, Wilkes-Barre.</p><p><strong>Tuesday</strong></p><p>&#8226; Fortis Institute Trunk or Treat, 5 to 8 p.m. at 166 Slocum St., Forty Fort.</p><p><strong>Thursday</strong></p><p><strong>&#8226; </strong>Wilkes-Barre safe Trick or Treat event downtown from 4 to 7 p.m. Trick-or-treaters can visit a wide range of businesses, and there will be a &#8220;Thriller&#8221; flash mob featuring Mayor Tony George between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. in Midtown Village.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">&#8216;Prom Queen&#8217; Melissa Conrad, of Wilkes-Barre, and her daughter Izabella Thompson, 4, walk in the costume parade for treats during the fourth annual Halloween Event at the Gateway Shopping Center in Edwardsville on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102719Halloween_1.jpg</photo0><caption0>&#8216;Prom Queen&#8217; Melissa Conrad, of Wilkes-Barre, and her daughter Izabella Thompson, 4, walk in the costume parade for treats during the fourth annual Halloween Event at the Gateway Shopping Center in Edwardsville on Saturday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102719Halloween_2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Pikachu strolls alongside hundreds of trick-or-treaters attending the fourth anual Halloween Event at the Gateway Shopping Center in Edwardsville on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102719Halloween_2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Pikachu strolls alongside hundreds of trick-or-treaters attending the fourth anual Halloween Event at the Gateway Shopping Center in Edwardsville on Saturday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102719Halloween_3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Brenda Miller, of Family Dollar, right, and her alien friend pass out candy to Jariel Ortiz, 4, and his dad Josh, both of Wilkes-Barre, at the fourth annual Halloween Event at the Gateway Shopping Center in Edwardsville on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102719Halloween_3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Brenda Miller, of Family Dollar, right, and her alien friend pass out candy to Jariel Ortiz, 4, and his dad Josh, both of Wilkes-Barre, at the fourth annual Halloween Event at the Gateway Shopping Center in Edwardsville on Saturday. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102719Halloween_4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Hundreds of trick-or-treaters and their families make their up one side and down the othe at the Gateway Shopping Center in Edwardsville for the fourth annual Halloween Event on Saturday.	 </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102719Halloween_4.jpg</photo3><caption3>Hundreds of trick-or-treaters and their families make their up one side and down the othe at the Gateway Shopping Center in Edwardsville for the fourth annual Halloween Event on Saturday.	 </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>More than 1,000 turn out for Edwardsville event</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Marcella Kester</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>UPCOMING HALLOWEEN EVENTS</strong></p><p><strong>Today</strong></p><p>&#8226; Kiwanis Club of Dallas indoor Halloween parade and party for children, Dallas Twp. Fire Hall, 184 East Center Hill Road and Church Street. Registration begins at 1 p.m., costume judging begins at 2 p.m. Area children, day care through middle school, are welcome.</p><p>&#8226; Warrior Run/Askam Halloween Parade. Line up at noon in the Askam Inn parking lot, parade starts at 1 p.m. Refreshments and candy bags available at Warrior Run fire hall, 316 Academy St.</p><p>&#8226; Rolling Mil Hill Residents&#8217; Association Halloween Party for all kids, 2 to 4 p.m. at St. Andrew&#8217;s Church Hall, 316 Parrish Street, Wilkes-Barre.</p><p><strong>Tuesday</strong></p><p>&#8226; Fortis Institute Trunk or Treat, 5 to 8 p.m. at 166 Slocum St., Forty Fort.</p><p><strong>Thursday</strong></p><p><strong>&#8226; </strong>Wilkes-Barre safe Trick or Treat event downtown from 4 to 7 p.m. Trick-or-treaters can visit a wide range of businesses, and there will be a &#8220;Thriller&#8221; flash mob featuring Mayor Tony George between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. in Midtown Village.</p></factboxMeta></div>

Gateway to halloween fun