Tips for a fun and safe Halloween

The city of Agoura Hills wants to make sure residents have a safe, but enjoyable Halloween.

City officials released information about Oct. 31 road closures near Hempstead Street, an Agoura Hills cul-de-sac where neighbors transform their homes into high-tech haunts for an extreme Halloween experience for the community.

Ramiro Adeva, a city engineer, said the popular haunted houses on Hempstead Street have caused traffic jams in the past, prompting the city to devise a road block on the streets leading to the Hempstead homes between the hours of 5 and 9 p.m on Oct. 31.

The following intersections will be barricaded from incoming traffic:

•Rolling Ridge Drive and Hempstead Street

•Sunnyridge and Middlecrest drives

•Willowtree Drive and Forest Cove Lane

The intersection at Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Forest Cove Lane will have a "Road Closed Ahead" sign displayed. Families are welcome to walk into the Hempstead neighborhood from any of the adjacent streets to enjoy the festivities, Adeva said.

All access points to the Hempstead homes will be closed to drivers from 5 to 9 p.m. on Halloween, except for Hempstead residents, who will be required to show verifiable identification. For further information on the traffic control plan, visit www.agourahills.ca.us or go to the city's engineering department at city hall, 30001 Ladyface Court, in Agoura Hills.

For more information, call Ramiro Adeva at (818) 5977353.

Getting ready

The Agoura Hills Department of Community Services will host two workshops on Sat., Oct. 25. Children ages 10 to 14 are encouraged to enter the pumpkin carving contest, and younger children, ages 6 to 10, are invited to the Harry Potter Halloween workshop where they will construct costumes and props.

The workshops will be at the Reyes Adobe historical site in Reyes Adobe Park from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Each workshop costs $12.

Safety tips

Once the big night arrives, the city suggest parents follow these important safety tips:

•Know the route your children will take if you aren't going with them. It's best to have an adult or teenage sibling walk with younger children.

•Know what other activities a child might attend, such as parties, school or mall functions.

•Set a time your child must be home.

•Check all candy before your child eats any of it. Discard all candy that has been opened or appears to have been tampered with.

•Help your child make or buy a safe costume. It should be fire retardant or fireproof, and eye holes should be large enough for good peripheral vision.

•Set jack-o'-lanterns with candles in them far enough out of the way so kids' costumes won't accidentally be set on fire, or use alternative lighting methods.

•If your child is carrying a prop, such as a butcher knife or pitchfork, make sure that the tips are smooth and flexible enough to prevent injury.

•Use pumpkin carving kits rather than large knives when carving pumpkins with young children. It's best to allow children to clean out the pumpkin and draw a face on it in preparation for carving by an adult.