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Thousands trek Trail of Treats in Youngstown’s Wick Park

Correspondent photos / Sean Barron A long line of children and adults await a hayride, one of many festivities at Saturday’s annual Trail of Treats in Wick Park in Youngstown.

YOUNGSTOWN — Lil Snider enjoyed having a rather elongated nose that she used to sniff out an opportunity to bring unity to the community.

“My mom did most of it. I did the ears and kind of helped with the outfit,” Snider, a Chaney High School student and member of the Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past organization, said. “It took about a week.”

Snider was referring to the cream-colored possum costume she wore while helping to pass out candy and snacks to many of those who came to the annual Trail of Treats event Saturday in Wick Park on the North Side.

A few thousand children and adults attended the three-hour, family-friendly, Halloween-themed gathering, set up to bring the community together while providing an opportunity for young people to get a jumpstart on their Halloween plans and collections.

Snider said she, along with her younger siblings, love Halloween, and she was happy to be part of Saturday’s community outreach effort. Other Halloween-related gatherings also inspired her to assist with the Trail of Treats event, she said.

For their part, Sojourn to the Past members doled out about 242 small bags of chips and 25 pounds of candy. In addition, they distributed numerous packets of oatmeal and Raman noodles, Penny Wells, executive director, said.

More importantly, however, the organization sought to share with and give back to the community and do its part to ensure the children of Youngstown had an additional avenue to fun and enjoyment, Wells added.

Helping to make that goal a reality was Timisha Colyar, executive secretary to the Youngstown Water Department’s commissioner. She also wanted those who stopped at her table “to see a friendly face,” in light of complaints she has fielded from customers unhappy with their higher monthly water bills.

“I just want to engage with the community and change the narrative about the water department,” Colyar said as she passed out a variety of candy, along with cups that change color when liquid is added.

Colyar came to Saturday’s Trail of Treats quite prepared — specifically, to reach out to about 2,000 children, she continued.

For Legend Franklin, 4, of Youngstown, letting gravity allow him to soar downward was temporarily more pleasing than reaching straight out for candy while grounded.

“He’s dressed as a skeleton,” Legend’s mother, Danielle Franklin, said as her son slid down a spooky looking inflatable slide.

Danielle Franklin added that she appreciated Saturday’s funfest also because it gave the young people a chance to engage in trick-or-treating in advance of Halloween.

Another treat for many — but no trick — was Iris, a goat that was one of several animals Kyle Terreri brought from his North Jackson home. The others were a chicken, two turkeys and a rabbit.

“It’s important to do some ag-ed (agriculture education), since a lot of kids in the city don’t have exposure,” Terreri’s wife, Faith Terreri, the Youngstown City Health Department’s environmental health director, said, adding that many children in Youngstown likely have never seen a goat.

The health department also has partnered with Youngstown Park & Recreation for a variety of events, she said. Terreri added that she and her husband have a hobby farm, and that the animals they brought to Saturday’s Trail of Treats were part of 4-H projects.

Others who distributed candy and treats to children and adults included the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office, the Youngstown police and fire departments, A&T Heating & Cooling, LLC and J.C.’s Landscaping & The Tree Dudes.

Festivities also included hayrides through Wick Park, along with face painting and outdoor dancing to music.

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