KILGOROUND

The rumor going around town this week is that the annual Downtown Trick-Or- Treat is going to be canceled this year.

This is NOT TRUE and Fallon Burns, Main Street manager, says the biggest change this year is that trick-or-treat downtown will be Friday, Oct. 30, instead of Saturday, Oct. 31.

In fact, instead of being called off, the Main Street Board of Directors okayed a new costume contest this year — for pets.

"Downtown Trick-Or- Treat has been going on for 20 years and a little bit of construction won't keep us from doing it this year either," Fallon said yesterday.

Last year Fallon reckons around 3,000 kids came downtown for Trick-Or-Treat. This year, there will be construction but downtown businesses will work around it.

"This is a big deal for everyone downtown,"

Fallon said. "The merchants started this 20 years ago because they're a great bunch. When I came in with Main Street, we just added to the event with the clowns, music and contests we have now."

She further praises merchants for their generosity because they buys tons of candy for the kiddos who swarm downtown.

"People come from all around," she said. "Kilgore has a good reputation for being a safe community, and the way our Downtown Trick-Or-Treat is set up it's completely safe — it's blocked off and parents don't have to worry about their kids getting hit in the street."

In addition to the new pet costume contest and all that candy, the kids will have a costume contest, the clowns will be back and a deejay will provide music. Ribbons are awarded in the costume contests — plus all winners naturally have bragging rights.

+++

Attention cartwheelers: Ada Wells, owner of Kilgore Acro Flyers, seeks at least 100 folks to come out this Saturday to break the Guinness record for "one simultaneous cartwheel."

The current record is 94 and Ada wants to get at least 100 to come to City Park at 10 a.m. to register and try to break the record. There is no age limit.

The cost is a $1 donation per person but every penny will be donated to the Children's Miracle Network.

For more information about this attempt to get Kilgore into the world-famous record book, call Ada at 903-261-3223.

+++

Celebrating birthdays in the coming days are Celiess Pina, Shirley Mack Pierce, Sarah Brenstap, Richard Martin, Belle Waldo, Anna Matney, Dan Beach, Ruth Annwood, Mrs. Jewel Hill, Elizabeth Neal, Debbie Oglesby, Dennison Harris, Vollena Geter, Sharon Wilburne, Bobby Sheffield, Kasey Hinson, Lorene Goode, Vicki Raymond, Kelly Cranberry, Richard Crutcher, Kim Franks, Cindy Tugwell, Teresa Packer, Tasha Wheat, Zollie McCarty Jr., Bryan Beard, Michall Woolridge, and our very own Head Pressman, Royce Baxley.

Jennifer Henry, Holly Hinton, Bill Smylie, Riley Lawrence, Flora Howell, Mrs. C.E. Howell, Mrs. Luther Tucker, Kathy Mc- Clure, Kimbra Clark, Mike Rodgers, Faye Rhodes, Hull Barbee, Mike Poland, Glenda Butts, Harold Anderson, Annie Lois Hall, Nadine Henderson, Laura Kiger, Joe W. Roberts, Loretta Webb, Charles M. Farland, Wade Whitmer.

Sheila Dillard, Joe Cline, Broderick "Rick" Thomas, Jaid Curtis, Kelly Cruise.

Celebrating an anniversary on September 9, is Tommy and Kathy Alexander.