A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Rain or shine, trick-or-treaters in Newport can pencil in Oct. 31 as official date for Halloween fun


By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter

Weather forecasts aside, trick-or-treaters in Newport can be assured Oct. 31 is the ironclad date for Halloween fun, according to Newport City Manager Tom Fromme.

“Rain or shine, Newport will be having Halloween trick-or-treating from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 31,” Fromme said Monday night during the Newport Board of Commissioners meeting. “If you try to move the date [for weather], it ends up being canceled. So we’re keeping it on Halloween.”

When inclement weather has been forecast in recent years, some cities in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area have altered the trick-or-treating dates and hours. That, however, can lead to confusion for the costumed ghouls, goblins and other assorted Halloween participants going door-to-door for treats.

Tom Fromme

Plus, weather forecasters are occasionally wrong. Like last year, when many cities moved the date for trick-or-treating because of the rainy forecast.

“All these other cities that moved the date, guess what? It ended up being canceled,” Fromme reminded the audience. “We didn’t [move the date] and it didn’t get rained out. The weather held off. Keep that in mind.”

Fromme also noted a surprise treat awaits those costumed visitors who stop by the Newport City Building on Halloween.

“Chief (Chris) Fangman is personally going to supervise the candy distribution out in front of City Hall,” Fromme said of Fangman, who was selected as Newport’s Police Chief in September. “So make sure you bring the little ones up here by City Hall. Halloween is a really exciting time for the kids and for everybody.”

In other items from Monday night:

• Newport Historic Preservation Officer Scott Clark updated the Board of Commissioners on the city’s Buena Vista Historic District, which is among three sites that are being considered for National Register of Historic Places listing during a meeting this week in Frankfort.

The Kentucky Historic Preservation Review Board will review these nominations. The board is charged with evaluating National Register submissions from Kentucky and is attached to the Kentucky Heritage Council/State Historic Preservation Office, which administers the program in partnership with the National Park Service.

Newport’s Buena Vista Historic District showing examples of the Northern Kentucky Townhouse next to a newly discovered housing type, the Northern Kentucky Shotgun. (Photo provided)

Buena Vista Historic District is a diverse, densely built community featuring a tight grid of narrow streets and 1,450 contributing historic resources including houses, sites and objects. According to the nomination author, Margo Warminski, “Buena Vista developed as a working and middle-class residential neighborhood with numerous industrial uses on its periphery and corner commercial buildings scattered throughout.”

Warminski also points out that the structures date from 1850 to 1925, with predominant building types including two- and three-bay and Northern Kentucky Townhouses, shotgun cottages, and L-plan residences. Notably, through the historic resources inventory process, a new housing type was identified and dubbed the “Northern Kentucky Shotgun.”

• Paige Ellerman of the Newport Penguins Swim and Dive Team gave a presentation about the program’s success. She also informed the commissioners and Mayor Jerry Peluso that as a result of the program’s success, a trophy case is needed to store all the awards the Newport Penguins have earned.

• The Board of Commissioners authorized Fromme to issue a purchase order for two RAM 3500 trucks, a leaf collector and a John Deere Skid Steer for use in the Public Works Department.

• Community Services Director Doug Roell said Newport has a new leaf collection schedule this fall. The leaf collection schedule, complete with dates and streets, can be found at http://newportky.gov/Blogs/News/Archives/2019/09/Leaf-Collection-2019.aspx.

The Newport Board of Commissioners will next convene in a regular meeting on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.


Related Posts

Leave a Comment