Uptown Wadesboro and ACSO delivered tricks and treats this Halloween

ANSON COUNTY — Uptown Wadesboro and the Anson County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) served up plenty of scares, tricks and treats for Halloween.

With a strong turnout, a steady stream of ghosts, ghouls, superheroes and princesses flooded the streets as part of Uptown Wadesboro’s annual Candy Trail, which wound down city streets, with several shop owners participating in handing out candy, popcorn and other assorted treats.

Elizabeth Rizzo, executive director for Anson County Partnership for Children, assisted Uptown Wadesboro organizers in putting together this year’s Candy Trail. She said the success of the event surpassed her expectations.

“The Partnership distributed over 2,000 books and signed up about 40 new children for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library,” Rizzo said. “Events like the Candy Trail allow businesses and organizations to showcase their offerings. We have chosen to stay in Wadesboro and Anson because we care about our citizens and the growth of our county. Supporting local small businesses and organizations means investing in our community.”

In addition to participating in the Uptown Wadesboro Candy Trail, Studio 256 is holding its Circulo Merino Sweet Colorwork contest and is currently collecting votes for the winners.

“It was a great night! The kids were all so proud of their costumes and enthusiasm for all the excitement was there,” said Heather Edwards, owner of Studio 256. “We are taking votes for our local artisans until Nov 18. The kids and adults enjoyed it and learned about the color work process.”

Playing a siren song of musical hits, the ACSO enticed costume wearers to their parking lot where they had several spooky stations set up to scare and delight. Transformed for the holiday, the ACSO parking lot was decorated with spiderwebs, caution tape, scarecrows and other creepy decorations befitting the day.

“My sister (Bobbie Paxton) is the one that heads it up. She plans and buys for Halloween all year long so she can set up different themes,” said Melinda Spencer, with the ACSO.

Spencer said the event started because Paxton’s husband’s (who is also with the ACSO) birthday on Halloween. Not big on traditional “birthday” parties, his wife began hosting “Halloween” parties with a cake instead.

“Sheriff Reid always went to their parties and they got to talking one night about whether she would be interested in having a trunk or treat in the sheriff’s office parking lot, and well, the rest is history. It has gotten so big that the town now calls to see what day we are having it. The last few years the town of Wadesboro does it on the same day as us,” Spencer said.

Sheriff Scott Howell said the event started in 2015 and grew every year. He added, the sheriff’s office counted an impressive 1,939 kid and adult trick-or-treaters this year.

“Ms. Bobby Paxton makes our decorations each year. You can tell she really loves it because of the tremendous job she does every year. This year, we had candy stations from our detention center, our administration staff, our 911 communications center, Anson Rescue and Fredrick Liles and wife representing the Town of Polkton,” said Howell. “… I really enjoy seeing the children dressed up in their costumes and the big smiles on their faces. It gives kids the opportunity to see deputies in an environment that is fun and to see law enforcement as friends to them and their families.”

Realizing some in the community may be mistrustful or fearful of law enforcement, Howell said he is proud to see his deputies talking with the youth and letting kids get to know them.

“It also gives the parents the chance to talk with their sheriff. It gives them the confidence to reach out when they have a problem,” Howell said.

Howell said most of the programs he has sponsored as sheriff have centered around Anson’s youth and older residents because as a child, he looked up to a few of the officers in his community. Their leadership shaped him as a person and his decision to enter a career in law enforcement, he said. Howell says he strives to provide the same guidance and example for Anson’s youth.

“I hope some of the programs we sponsor at the sheriff’s office will influence our youth to explore job opportunities at the sheriff’s office, detention center or our 911 communications center. The best employees we have grew up here and they want to make a difference in this community,” Howell said. “People often ask me what kind of assets we can bring to Anson County to help our community grow. I always tell them we already have them, they are starting the first grade every year and we just have to support them. Law enforcement agencies often talk about community services, like our Halloween Trunk- or -Treat for our youth, because interacting with kids is the best service we can provide.”