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John Steele, 63, of Muncy, is a retired truck driver enjoying life. Recently, Steele was dressed as a copy of the Sun-Gazette as part of the Taste of Home costume contest. "Don't Run - Find it in the Sun!" read his costume, comprised mostly of a cardboard box covered in newspapers.
Though he's not intending on going out for Halloween, he plans to wear his costume to hand out candy to children.
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JOHN STEELE
Steele said a lot has changed since he was a young trick-or-treater in the late 1950s and early '60s.
"We lived way out in the country when I was younger, and we used to walk or bike to the closest neighbor's house to trick-or-treat. Sometimes the closest neighbor was a quarter of a mile away, though," Steele said.
These days, Halloween has become much more commercial and restricted, Steele said.
"You can't trust people like you used to. Parents worry about the candy their children are given - worry about their children talking to strangers. It's a different world than 30 years ago," he added.
"These days, Halloween has become so corporate, and everything has to run on time," Steele said.
Steele believes some of this concern has developed because parents aren't able to spend as much time with their children.
"Everybody's busy these days - everyone has to work. Our culture has changed because the mothers aren't at home with the children any more - often there's no parent in the house when kids get home from school," Steele said.
Steele, who has lived in the area his entire life, recalled his Halloween experiences as a child.
"Sometime in the early '60s me and my sister, Janet, were in the Mummer's Parade. I led the donkey she rode on. I was dressed with a mask and cape and she was dressed in a red outfit. We were the masked rider and his companion, like Zorro," Steele said.
Back then, the Mummer's Parade was in Williamsport and ended at Bowman Field.
"They used to end the parade at the field and make everybody do a lap so people could see the whole parade," Steele said.
