As
thousands of children prepare to haunt Queens neighborhoods for Halloween, Consumer
Affairs Commissioner Jane S. Hoffman has warned parents to look out for safety hazards
that may also be cloaked in disguise.
Goblins and ghouls are showing up on front lawns around
Queens as the borough prepares for some frightful fun.
PRESS Photo by Ira Cohen
|
"Amid the Pikachus, Harry
Potters, and Batmans seeking treats, a very real danger lurks. Across the nation,
approximately 1,300 Trick -Or- Treaters in costumes suffer burns, bruises, and other
injuries every year," Hoffman said. "If parents and children follow some basic
safety tips, ghosts, goblins and ghouls are the only things they should have to worry
about this Halloween."
The Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA)
examined Halloween costumes and various accessories in order to uncover the dangers hidden
behind these Trick -Or- Treat staples. DCA tests concluded that materials such as nylon
and polyester, labeled as ‘flame resistant’, can ignite and burn. Hoffman urged
parents to choose costumes carefully.
Parents should not outfit children in easy
flammable materials like cotton. Children should only wear costumes or accessories that
are labeled ‘flame resistant’ or are made of flame resistant fibers like nylon,
polyester, or wool. Hoffman, however, cautioned parents that children in these costumes
are still susceptible to burns.
The Department also warned against certain
masks and wigs that restrict a child’s vision and breathing.
Hoffman offered the following safety
reminders:
• Beware of potential fire hazards.
Though a costume may read flame resistant, many materials will still ignite. Use caution
when outfitting children with costumes made of 100 percent cotton (typically hand made
items), as they are particularly susceptible to burning.
• Be sure masks do not obstruct a
child’s vision or impair breathing. As an alternative to masks, parents
should consider make-up or face paint. Be aware, however, that some make-up can irritate a
child’s skin. Purchase safe, hypoallergenic make-up.
• Trim costumes with reflective
tape. When possible, outfit children with costumes that are bright and reflective.
• Carry a flashlight. Children
should carry flashlights when they go trick-or-treating to help them see more easily and
to make it easier for motorists to see them.
• To avoid tripping, make sure
costumes do not drag on the ground and wear sensible shoes. Make sure that shoes fit
well and costumes are short enough to prevent falling or entanglement.
• Do not carry real looking toy
guns. It is illegal for stores to sell toy guns that resemble the real thing. Toy guns
must have a visible orange strip and must be topped with an orange cap to insure a toy is
not mistaken for a real weapon.
• Costume swords or knives should
be made of soft, flexible material.
• Examine all treats before eating.
Instruct children to bring the candy home to be inspected before eating it.
• Children should always be
accompanied by an adult.
• Teach children how to call 9-1-1:
If they have an emergency or become lost, remind children that 9-1-1 can be dialed free of
charge from any payphone.
Ghosts &
Ghoulies & Things That
Go Bump In The Queens Night |
• The restless spirit
at Flushing Town Hall ... is he actually the Impressario of the Hall, who vowed to return
to its stage after fighting in the war?
• Bowne House... the spooky spectre
wandering the halls of Queens’ oldest house is said to be none other than the spirit
of the master of the house – John Bowne.
• Houdini... Master magician Harry
vowed to try to rise from his Queens gravesite on the night of All Hallows Eve, if anyone
can do it, Harry can.
• Hammerstein... Roger rides along the
roadways of Queens on Halloween, grieving over the loss of his burnt-out mansion. He
travels in style – why how else? In a "surrey with the fringe on-top?"
• Three vampires are alive and well in
Queens – explore these facts and more at the Elmhurst based world Vampire Research
Center.
• Louis Armstrong... passersby have
recounted tales of soulful, wailing sounds emarating from a horn atop Satchmo’s
gravesite in a Flushing graveyard.
• King Manor... Ghosties and ghoulies and things that
go "bump" in the night rule the manor on All Hallows Eve.
Where All Queens’
Political Secrets Are Buried |
Election day is just around
the corner, and as the politicians search for their opponents’ buried past, the PRESS
did a little searching of our own. We discovered a website that highlights some of the
borough’s more interesting permanent residents.
PoliticalGraveyard.com lets the user dig up some of the
historic political figures buried right next door, and in the spirit of the Halloween
season, we offer the following guide to the silenced political minds that can be found
under a patch of green lawn near you.
Calvary Cemetery
Woodside
Robert Ferdinand Wagner, Jr. (1910-1991) Member of New York state assembly, 1937-41;
served in the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II; mayor of New York, 1954-65; candidate
for U.S. Senator from New York, 1956; delegate to New York state constitutional
convention, 1967; U.S. Ambassador to Spain, 1968-69; alternate delegate to Democratic
National Convention from New York, 1972. Died of heart failure in New York, N.Y., February
12, 1991.
Linden Hill Cemetery
Ridgewood
Jacob (Koppel) Javits (1904-1986) Colonel in the U.S. Army during World War II; U.S.
Representative from New York 21st District, 1947-54; New York State attorney general,
1955-57; U.S. senator from New York, 1957-81; delegate to Republican National Convention
from New York, 1964. Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1983.
Old Montefiore Cemetery
Cambria Heights
Sidney Asher Fine (1903-1982) Member of New York State Assembly, 1945-46; member of
New York State Senate 24th District, 1947-50; U.S. Repre-sentative from New York, 1951-56
(23rd District 1951-53, 22nd District 1953-56); state court judge, 1956-75.
Grace Church Cemetery
Jamaica
Rufus King (1755-1827) member of Massachusetts state legislature, 1783-85; Delegate to
Continental Congress from Massachusetts, 1784-87; mem-ber, U.S. Constitutional
Conven-tion, 1787; member of New York state legislature, 1788; U.S. Senator from New York,
1789-96, 1813-25; U.S. Minister to Great Britain, 1796-1803, 1825-26; candidate for Vice
President of the United States, 1804, 1808; candidate for President of the United States,
1816.
John Alsop King (1788-1867) governor of
New York, 1857-59.
Union Field Cemetery
Ridgewood
Samuel Dickstein (1885-1954) Born in Lithuania, member of New York State Assembly,
1919-22; U.S. Representative from New York, 1923-45 (12th District 1923-45, 19th District
1945); state court judge, 1945. According to old Soviet records found in the mid-1990s, he
was a paid agent of the KGB.
Mt. Zion Cemetery
Woodside
(Morris) Michael Edelstein (1888-1941) Born in Poland, U.S. representative from New
York 14th District, 1940-41. Died in the cloakroom of the House of Representatives, in the
Capitol, Washington D.C., after completing the delivery of a speech on the floor of the
House, June 4, 1941.
St. John’s Cemetery
Middle Village
John F. Hylan (1868-1936) mayor of New York,1918-25.
Bayside Cemetery
Ozone Park
Lester David Volk (1884-1962) member of New York state assembly, 1912; served in the
U.S. Army during World War I; U.S. Representative from New York 10th District, 1920-23;
defeated (Republican), 1922.
