LPOHS students to brighten up Halloween night

SANDPOINT — Valley Vista Care of Sandpoint will shine bright on Halloween night courtesy of Lake Pend Oreille High School students.

Art teacher Randy Wilhelm and culinary arts teacher Rand Rosecrans are collaborating their students for a "Jack-o'-lantern stroll." With 30 carved pumpkins in tow, the students will deliver their works of art to Valley Vista on Tuesday.

"The goal is to get the little kids to come over while they are out trick-or-treating," Wilhelm said.

Rosecrans came up with the idea of the Jack-o'-lantern stroll as it was a tradition he was part of in Portland, Ore., several years ago. It started with a few of his co-workers when they carved seven pumpkins and placed them on the eave of a house. The tradition grew each year until the final one, five years later, when they carved 36 pumpkins and took them to nursing homes.

"What I realized is it is something that makes people smile," Rosecrans said.

Rosecrans said it also helps the teens connect with the community around them. LPOHS senior Alex Merideth said he plans to volunteer by dressing up and handing out candy at Valley Vista as well from 4-6 p.m. He said while he has not done a lot of volunteering in the past, he is becoming more active in the community through LPOHS.

"This school has actually become a large part of my life outside of school, too," he said.

His girlfriend, an LPOHS graduate, will be joining him as well, he said. LPOHS students Caitlin Yarber and Kendell Kurrus will also hand out candy to the youngsters who stop by Valley Vista Tuesday evening.

The teens were planning out their pumpkin designs last week to include a wolf howling at the moon, Bill Cipher from "Gravity Falls," a black cat, an owl, and a 1960 Volkswagen Van, which Rosecrans said started a "karmic bubble" as he ended up purchasing one the day after the students decided on the design.

So, how did the tradition of dressing up and trick-or-treating come about? Kurrus was a wealth of knowledge on that subject.

"Trick-or-treat was originally part of the Celtic and the Gaelic community," she said. "Children and other people would dress in costumes to scare away evil spirits that are coming from the Underworld and to protect their homes for another year. Supposedly, on October 31, during that time of year, that is when the barrier between the world of the living and the world of the dead, or evil spirits, is crossed."

And finally, what is the best part about Halloween?

"It is the only time of year when you can take candy from strangers," said LPOHS student Kiera Earnest.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.