Medical Associates of Albany staff goes all in for Halloween

ALBANY — Since Halloween falls on a Saturday, tonight the neighborhoods of Albany will be filled with ghoulish ghouls, ghostly ghosts, Star Wars characters and various versions of the walking dead — and they will be excited and moving quickly.

While the children are excited about getting candy, one Albany medical practice went all out Friday when it came to costumes.

Medical Associates of Albany saw more than 20 of its staff engage in a costume competition which saw department members decked out as sock-hoppers from the 50’s, geeks, scary scarecrows, babies, and hippies from the 60s.

“We’ve been doing it for the past five years, and now it has kind of taken on a life of its own,” Practice Manager Terri Johnson said. “It evolved into competition among the departments, so we began awarding prizes because of their enthusiasm.”

While its not unusual to see employees in various states of costuming during this time of year, Halloween night is really all about the children and keeping them safe while they have a good time going door to door and collecting treats.

“Our biggest concern on Halloween night is pedestrian safety because there are going to be a lot of kids in the streets tonight,” Albany Police Department Sgt. William Henry said. “We want parents and motorists to be mindful as they kids cross the street, especially in residential areas. We are asking for the parents and kids to carry flashlights and if possible for the kids to wear reflective costumes.”

It’s sound advice — according to the website www.safekids.org, pedestrian deaths by motor vehicles occur nearly twice as often on Halloween than any other day.

“Usually Halloween night is just like any other night for us,” Henry said. “The biggest difference is that it brings a lot of people out. Aside from pedestrian safety, the treats are a big concern. Parents need to check the candy, no homemade candy or brownies, check fruit carefully, is candy is partially unwrapped or appears to be tampered with, discard it.”

In addition the Georgia Department of Community Supervision (DCS) is working in concert with the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association and local law enforcement to ensure a safe and enjoyable Halloween for all Georgia communities. DCS officers will enhance their sex offender supervision efforts through increased requirements and compliance checks.

Each Community Supervision Office has developed a plan of action to maximize supervision in their area. Here is an overview of some general requirements that are utilized during enhanced Halloween supervision.

— Sex offenders must adhere to any curfew established by the DCS Officer.

— Sex offenders are not allowed to have any Halloween paraphernalia (decorations, etc.) in visible sight (outside residence).

— All outside lights will be left off during trick or treating hours.

— Sex offenders are not allowed to pass out candy or participate in any Halloween activities such as trick or treating, fall festivals, Halloween parties, etc.

If going door-to-door with your kids isn’t on the evening’s agenda, there is other stuff to do.

At 6 p.m., the Albany Police Department’s “Officer Bones” will be on Front Street handing out candy to children; The Spooktacular at Chehaw will be held at the park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; The Fright Nights Haunted house at 2601 Dawson Road, in the former JoAnn’s Fabrics next to Toys R Us, will be open from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. (Not recommended for children under eight, pregnant women and those with heart conditions; Slaughter Hill, Dusk until midnight at Darton State College; and 2015 Night Corn Maze Fun from dusk until 9 p.m. at Mark’s Melon Patch.