Local Parents More Cautious About Halloween In Light of Attack Warnings

With Halloween only a day away, it is evident that Sept. 11 and its aftermath are impacting holiday tradition in Berkeley, but not altogether overshadowing it.

Berkeley parents say they will take extra precautions Wednesday when they send their kids out trick-or-treating, following advice from state officials.

Monica Tsang, a Berkeley resident and mother of two, says in previous years candy has gone straight from her children's trick-or-treat bags into their mouths, but after the Sept. 11 attacks and recent anthrax outbreaks, that will change.

"With the anthrax scares, I will have to look at the candy first, not like last year when they just ate it all," Tsang says.

Other parents share a similar apprehension, but state officials noted Monday there is no specific threat of terrorism to Californians.

The state urged residents to continue with Halloween plans, but to take precautions, even as federal officials warned they had knowledge that additional terrorist attacks could come this week.

Gov. Gray Davis urged parents to accompany their children trick-or-treating and to only approach familiar homes.

Alison Barone, a Berkeley parent, said she will heed the state's advice and be extra vigilant of her 10-year-old daughter Tina on Halloween.

"We're pulling in, basically," Barone says. "We're not going to any houses of people we don't know."

Barone says, however, that her home will be open to children wanting candy.

Berkeley police will have more officers patrolling the streets Wednesday night and will be prepared to handle calls from parents worried that Halloween candy may be contaminated.

But for some Berkeley parents like Laura Hansen, looking over the kids' Halloween loot is nothing new.

"We throw everything out that doesn't have a wrapper or that's homemade-and anything we don't like," Hansen says.

Hansen says such measures are part of being a good parent, but added it is important to have fun, too.

Hansen's son, Zachary, 10, is sticking with a costume he characterizes as a "collage of characters," while many of his friends plan to dress up as police officers and firefighters.

At Halloween Headquarters in Downtown Berkeley, sales of police, fire and military costumes have skyrocketed.

While Harry Potter remains the most popular costume, the store has seen demand for emergency rescue costumes increase by a factor of five, says Melody Bounsall, store manager.

"We've seen the increased demand because the (Sept. 11) attacks have drawn a lot of public attention to these people," Bounsall says.

The store has had some trouble meeting demand, with firefighter helmets selling out several times in recent weeks, Bounsall says.

But the recent attacks are not deterring 12-year-old Kaizan Gripman from dressing up as a terrorist.

Gripman says he has always dressed up as a terrorist for Halloween, and is inclined to continue the tradition.

"I'm used to being a terrorist," Gripman says.

His costume consists of black attire, a ski-mask and a toy gun.

Gripman is joined by his friend Nathan Bold, who says he plans to sport a World War II German-soldier uniform for Halloween.

Because that war was so long ago, Bold says his costume is not so controversial.

"The (Sept. 11) attacks didn't change anything-I had thought of the costume before," Bold says.

Some children will partake in a Santa Rosa-based national fundraiser for victims of Sept. 11, titled Trick-or-Treat for America, by collecting money instead of candy.

For more information about Trick-or-Treat for America, go to www.trickortreatamerica.sonic.net.

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