By GAGE VOTA

Times Leader Staff Writer

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — City Council voted during its regular meeting Monday evening to designate Oct. 30 as the city’s trick or treat night.

Council President Jim Velas said trick or treat is usually held on Oct. 31, but that date falls on a Friday, and he doesn’t want to conflict with any high school football playoff games that regularly occur on Fridays.

“To avoid any conflicts, it looks like the 30th is the date that’s not going to conflict with any of the schools or anything else,” Velas said.

He asked council if any members had any issue with setting trick or treat for 6-7:30 p.m. Oct. 30.

Council member Kristi Lipscomb replied that she didn’t have a problem with the date and time but had a question that she believed would be an unpopular one. She then asked if an age limit has been set for children trick-or-treating.

“Last year, I had a meeting that I had to go to, so I put out a huge basket of candy, and I watched on my Ring doorbell as four teenagers took all the candy, and it was very early on, so there was no candy for little kids,” Lipscomb said.

Velas responded that he doesn’t believe an age limit should be set for trick-or-treaters.

“I know there’s a lot of older high school kids that do go around and trick or treat, and I’d hate to penalize them just because we’ve got one or two idiots,” he said. “I personally do not think it would be a good idea to limit that. I would rather see the kids out trick-or-treating than in the back alleys doing God knows what.”

Council member Audrey Brahler agreed with Velas that there should not be an age limit on trick-or-treaters.

“Kids lose their childhood too quickly anyway,” Brahler said.

Lipscomb replied that prior to last year, she never believed that there should be an age restriction to trick or treat. She added that she doesn’t want to keep anyone from trick-or-treating but said the candy should go to younger children who are actually trick-or-treating, not just to the first group of teenagers who show up and take it all, not leaving any for anyone else.

Following the discussion, council voted unanimously in favor of setting the activity for the evening of Oct. 30.

Mayor Kathryn Thalman then made two proclamations.

The first proclamation was where Thalman declared August to be National Road Month.

August marks the 200th anniversary of the National Road.

“The National Road stands as a testament to the nation’s pioneering spirit and determination to connect its people, fostering a united and prosperous America,” Thalman said in her proclamation. “Whereas the National Road was the nation’s first federally funded interstate highway and opened the West for movement of people and goods.”

She added that countless generations of St. Clairsville residents started by citizens making the journey to the city by using the historic National Road.

The second proclamation was declaring August 4 as American Legion Baseball Day.

Thalman said on July 17, 1925, the Department of Ohio’s American Legion held its annual convention and passed a resolution proposing American Legion baseball.

“American Legion baseball was organized in 1925 to teach practical lessons in sportsmanship and citizenship by emphasizing such qualities as loyalty, respect for the rules, fair play, courage and physical fitness,” she said. “Whereas more than 10 million young people have played American Legion baseball. Many national security experts have expressed alarm that the increasing proportion of American young people lack the physical fitness required to be eligible eligible for military service, and whereas more than 50,000 young men and women continue to play American Legion baseball across the country, and whereas participants in American Legion baseball are expected to adhere to a high code of sportsmanship.”

Following the two proclamations Thalman added that she was recently honored at the Arc of Ohio’s Everybody’s Got Talent event for her leadership and positivity within the community.

She said that she was told that she was going to present the award to Police Officer Greg Clark but was surprised when she was actually the one who was given the recognition.

“I’m very honored and that was a very nice event put on by the Arc of Ohio. Kara Erwin does a great job giving a lot of kids the chance to get up and show off their talents who might otherwise not have that chance. It was a great day, and I had a very nice time,” Thalman said.

Service director Scott Harvey then said that the Parks and Recreations department will be getting a new truck.

He said that the current vehicle the department uses has not been functional for quite some time.

Harvey said that the department will be getting a truck within the next few weeks.