Artwork by Jack Smith

WWII veteran Jack Smith, age 86, joined the U.S. Navy before his 18th birthday, yet he still finds it difficult to talk about his experience.

He overcame that and recently spoke in  downtown Acworth at the monthly meeting of the “The League of Honorable Gentlemen” civic organization, made up mostly of history buffs, but also veterans from the Korean and Vietnam wars. The crowd listened intently as Smith shared his experiences in Okinawa. He said, “I’m very fortunate to have survived.”

He described his fear as Japanese airplanes flew over his ship. He said, “I remember one time, a plane was diving on us. I noticed from the sound of it, coming from the other side of the ship––screaming, coming down on us, and I couldn’t see it. I realized my knees were hurting. They were knocking together. The plane took a 90 degree dive into the ocean; I could see the tracers. Finally, the cockpit flew open and the pilot fell out. One wing came off. The pilot landed in the water in front of me. I watched, but the pilot never
came up.”

A retired freelance artist, he prefers to tell his story through artwork, and, in doing so, also honors his brother, who served in the  U.S. Marine Corps. He said, “If you know anything about the Marines at Guadalcanal, you know what they went through.”

Many of his pieces are on display at the Gallery 4463 in downtown Acworth (gallery4463.com). Smith said, “There’s a new show each month. You might see something you like.”

The League of Honorable Gentlemen meets the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the Acworth Bookstore at 4857 N. Main St in Acworth; (678)-403-1355 or acworthbookstore.com. The public is invited to attend.

At 242-feet, SkyScreamer is 40-feet taller than the park’s mega-coaster Goliath, and will give passengers a thrilling view of the Atlanta skyline. Thirty- two riders will sit two across in open air swings while spinning to the top of the tower. At full swing, guests revolve in a 98-foot circle at speeds of 40 mph.

SkyScreamer officially opens to the public on Friday, May 24th; daily operation of the park begins May 24 and continues through August 11. Visit sixflags.com/overgeorgia for more information on operating hours.

Six Flags Over Georgia is now offering a Season Pass membership plan! When guests buy four Season Passes, they’ll receive one FREE Season Parking Pass. For more information, visit sixflags.com/overgeorgia

The new ride SkyScreamer at Six Flags is the tallest in the history of the park.

Six Flags Over Georgia prepares to take to the sky as the countdown begins for the launch of the park’s newest thrill ride, SkyScreamer. SkyScreamer opens to the public on Friday, May 24, and is the tallest ride in park history.

At 242-feet, SkyScreamer is 40-feet taller than the park’s mega-coaster Goliath, and will give passengers a thrilling view of the Atlanta skyline. Thirty- two riders will sit two across in open air swings while spinning to the top of the tower. At full swing, guests revolve in a 98-foot circle at speeds of 40 mph.

“SkyScreamer is unlike any other ride at Six Flags Over Georgia”, said park president Dale Kaetzel. “The sheer height alone will draw attention and the excitement of soaring over the entire park in open air swings will be a unique experience for thrill-seekers of all ages.”

SkyScreamer, which is topped with an iconic globe surrounded by the words Six Flags was manufactured by Funtime of Austria, a world leader in innovative rides and attractions. SkyScreamer’s colorful tower and globe provide an iconic new look to the overall park skyline.

SkyScreamer officially opens to the public on Friday, May 24. Six Flags Season Pass Holders get an exclusive sneak peek of the new ride on May 11, 12, 18 and 19.

Six Flags Over Georgia is open weekends only through May 19. Daily operation begins May 24 and continues through August 11. Visit sixflags.com/overgeorgia for more information on operating hours.

Six Flags Over Georgia is now offering a Season Pass membership plan! When guests buy four Season Passes, they’ll receive one FREE Season Parking Pass. For more information, visit sixflags.com/overgeorgia

The Oak Barrell sells wine by the glass as well as the bottle.

You may try wines in all price ranges at the Oak Barrel with their tasting station.

by Kathie Beckett

The Oak Barrel in downtown Acworth has long been known for its fine wines in all price ranges, and now it’s the hottest wine bar in town.

The concept of offering wine tastings isn’t new, but the wine tasting station utilized by the Oak Barrel is state-of-the-art.  First, you activate a card, and then select your wine and choose a taste, half glass or full glass. The wine you remove is replaced with argon gas, which seals the bottle and keeps it fresh.

A 2008 Steele Cabernet Sauvignon Red Hills Lake County sells for $49 a bottle; here, a taste is only $4.50 and a full glass is $18.50. The selections vary each month; recently, you could have tasted a 2008 Jordan Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for a little over $6 before buying the $77 bottle.

It’s a fun and practical way to try wines before you invest in them. Jo Ann Tuttle, who owns the shop along with Linda Theos, explains, “We wanted to give people an opportunity to have some of the expensive wines, to taste them, and move on to something else if they didn’t like them. Years ago, I can remember a day when I would have loved to try Cakebread. I couldn’t afford the bottle, but I could afford a taste.”

Jo Ann Tuttle toasts her husband and a friend at the Oak Barrel in Acworth.

She says, “We try to mix up our wines in the stations to have inexpensive, medium, and high level wines. We want the wine station to meet all tastes and budgets.”

Manager Jordan McCullers is happy to help you pick out the perfect bottle of wine. Jordan says, “Here, you may take your time picking out your wine in a laid back, relaxing environment where you can linger and have good conversations in a quiet setting. Our goal is to find you something interesting and unique that you will fall in love with…something different but absolutely delicious.”

If you’re a novice wine drinker, you may feel intimidated by wine.  To that end, the Oak Barrel offers more formal wine tastings, usually featuring six wines at a time, and often centered around a region.

Jordan says, “Some of our customers are novices, some know their stuff, but everyone walks out knowing something new. Our goal is to take the intimidation out of the wine tasting. Wine is an approachable subject. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been drinking it for years. You can still learn something.”

Wine tastings are usually held every other Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Wednesdays from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Learn more at oakbarrel.net.

Smith-Gilbert Gardens is offering family garden space.

A popular spot for families at Smith-Gilbert Gardens is just beyond the little red barn at the rear of the property.  We call this area the Gather ‘n’ Grow Garden.  Here we grow dirty hands and happy hearts for kids of all ages!

Inside the Gather ‘n’ Grow Garden, four foot square raised beds called Veggie Plots are set aside for families and individuals for planting. A $150 fee includes the Veggie Plot, access to the gardens during regular business hours for the growing season, and participation in a series of 10 educational classes on vegetable gardening. The classes will start in April and continue over the 14 weeks of the growing season. Gardeners can choose to attend classes on Tuesday evenings or Saturday mornings.

Smith-Gilbert Gardens is offering family garden space.

Topics include “Putting Seeds to Bed”, “Wicked Weeds”, “Pollinators and Other Garden Helpers”, and include fun family activities like scarecrow and fairy house making.  Participants are welcome to work their ‘plantation’ during regular SGG operating hours.

Register Now!

For more information about the Veggie Plots Program call 770-919-0248, or email info@smithgilbertgardens.com.  Come Gather ‘n’ Grow with us!

pan fried atlantic salmon over steamed mixed vegetables

If you’ve had the good fortune to travel to Thailand, you know it’s customary to build a menu around the freshest ingredients available. Now, you may experience the fresh flavors of Thailand locally at the newly opened Kennesaw Thai on Main Street.

Kennesaw Thai is housed in an unassuming building that belies the palatial feast awaiting you. Decorative Thai accents dot the dining room along with pots of bamboo, believed to bring good luck.  Asian music plays softly in the background and the walls are painted light sea foam green, perhaps a nod to the delights of the ocean.

Start with an appetizer; many are served in boat-shaped dishes, including the fresh basil roll. This roll is made with delicate rice paper rolled around romaine, carrots, cucumber, noodles, basil leaf and tofu; it’s served with plum sauce. Thai Shrimp Rolls are made with jumbo shrimp rolled into flour paper skins and deep-fried until nice and crispy; they are served with a sweet and spicy chili sauce.

Try the spring rolls at Kennesaw Thai in downtown Kennesaw, GA.

Shrimp rolls are one of the few fried things on the menu because Thai cuisine leans on the healthier side. Your trainer would approve of salmon with teriyaki sauce served over mixed vegetables with a side of steamed rice; it’s served in a fish-shaped bowl.  It’s no wonder that many of the serving dishes pay homage to the sea. Thailand relies heavily on seafood from the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.

Seafood is prominently featured on the menu, including eight of ten dinner specials, and all of the “Kennesaw Thai Favorites” section. Sometimes, many varieties are combined, as in the Shellfish Joe-Ra-Par featuring jumbo shrimp, sea scallops, squid, and mussels sautéed with onions, chili and bell peppers in basil sauce. You may also choose from a nice selection of fish, including salmon, grouper, flounder, and tilapia Try the Three Flavor Fish featuring a pan-fried filet of tilapia enhanced with baby shrimp and a trio of sweet, spicy, and salty sauces.

Any of the salads at Kennesaw Thai feature housemade dressings.

Chef Arthawut Arthakorn said, “Thailand is a beautiful place where fresh food is abundant, and we like to cook using the freshest ingredients. Everything we do here at Kennesaw Thai, we do fresh. We don’t cook ahead, but, instead, everything is cooked to order. Cooking ahead may be quick, but if you wait a little bit, you get the good stuff. In order to do authentic Thai cuisine, we go to the market almost every day to get the freshest ingredients like Thai chili, Thai basil, galangal roots and lemongrass.”

Lemongrass is a key ingredient in one of their most popular soups: Tom Yum Soup. It’s made with mushrooms, lemongrass, galangal roots, lime leaves, shrimp and scallions in a lemony-spicy broth. Order it by the bowl, or as a “hot pot.” Owner/Chef Isarankura explains, “For two or more people, we provide a big hot pot in the middle of the table, heated by Sterno, which heats it until you can see the steam coming off the top. We provide the bowls, and you help yourself. It’s good for people who like soup as an appetizer, and it’s really special in the winter.” They cook fresh soup all of the time. “If soups like Tom Yum and Coconut Chicken cook too long, the lemongrass can get sour. So, it’s better to cook it in fresh batches,” she added.

Fresh herbs, especially basil, are key to the unique flavors in Thai cuisine, and are used in many of the curries served. One of the most unusual curries is the Crazy Drunken Chicken, with sautéed chicken, broccoli, carrot, bamboo shoot, fresh basil, green onion, and garlic. The chicken is sautéed, then “we flambé with brandy and hit it with red curry sauce. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy and you can taste some of the brandy, too,” said Arthakorn.

The family-owned staff at Kennesaw Thai welcome you to try a taste of Thailand.

Chicken and seafood aren’t the only things on the menu, though. You may also choose from a wide variety of beef, chicken, pork, or tofu dishes, including noodle dishes and curries.

They feature a nice variety of curries. “We have seven different curries. Our yellow curry is almost like an Indian curry. Thailand is Southeast Asian, so our food is influenced from Burma, Laos, and Malaysia, but it all comes together in Thai cuisine. For example, our Masaman curry is Malaysian. It’s sweet and has texture by the use of caraway seed, but it’s not too spicy,” she said.

Thai dishes can range from very mild to very hot, but you may guide the levels. Arthakorn said, “You tell us what you need. Some dishes are already spicy, like basil sautéed with beef or chicken. But, if you don’t like chili at all, just tell us. But if you do like it hot, order Thai hot.”

Vegetarians will find it a hot spot for their tastes as tofu may be substituted for meat on almost any dish, including fried rice and noodles. Eggplant, mushrooms, bell peppers, and fresh bean sprouts are featured prominently throughout both vegetarian and meat-lover dishes. Just ask to substitute vegetables or tofu for any protein.

The Chicken Larb is an unusual protein you won’t find at most places. Isarankura explains, “In Thailand, we slowly cook fresh chicken breasts in chicken stock. We add lime juice, fish sauce, cilantro, mint, green onion, crushed crispy rice, and mince it. Then, we put it on top of a fresh green salad. It’s a Thailand favorite.”

Thai cuisine recognizes that your experience is enhanced by color and dishes here are elegantly adorned with vibrant garnishes. Even the drinks are vibrantly colored: order a cup of green Thai tea or a choice of smoothies, including strawberry, honeydew, coconut, or mango. Or, try the Orange Creamsicle: it’s like a Push Pop, but it’s served in a tall glass and topped with sweet cream.

Kennesaw Thai offers a variety of specialty drinks such as the “Orange Creamsicle.”

Almost as sweet as their smoothies, the family staff members at Kennesaw Thai will welcome you with a smile. They are proud to make you feel at home in their cozy restaurant and hope you will come enjoy an authentic taste of Thailand.

Kennesaw Thai is located at 2754 South Main Street in Kennesaw; tel. 678-331-1988. Lunch specials start at $6.99. Take-out and catering services are also available. Open Tues-Thurs 11-3 for lunch and 3-9:30 for dinner; Fri

Kennesaw’s Big Shanty Barbecue chicekn, ribs, and stew

Chic Dillard was painting the outside of his new restaurant when I first met him almost five years ago. The cute little yellow house on Cherokee Street was the new home of Big Shanty Smokehouse, a dream come true for the Dillard family. This hands-on approach to all aspects of managing the restaurant has made Big Shanty one of the most popular barbecue joints in the area.

Big Shanty Smokehouse has developed a steady stream of customers who stop in every week (sometimes twice a week) to get their fix of the tender, smoked meats. The Dillards smoke the meats for hours on Southern Pride smokers after massaging the meat with a perfectly seasoned, homemade dry rub. The smoker hums along, turning out chicken, ribs, brisket, and a few hundred pounds of pork every day. The result is a nice smoky flavor to all of the meats that’s not overbearing.

If you can’t decide what to order, try the Steve’s sampler platter with ribs, brisket, smoked pork, and homemade sausage. The sausage is made fresh from ground rib tips, special seasoning and smoked to perfection. If you’re looking for something lighter, try the smoked salmon topped with a fresh dill cream sauce. The Caesar salad is also a good choice: it features a house-made dressing with anchovies and is topped with fresh croutons.

The Big Shanty Sampler offers just that: a sampling of all of the meats you crave.

At Big Shanty, it’s all about the meats, but man cannot live by meat alone. Or, at least you wouldn’t want to go without them here. Start with an appetizer of homemade pimento cheese spread or smoked salmon dip served with simple saltine crackers.

The side dishes are just as good as the meats; you won’t find the typical greasy French fries here. Instead, try comforting side dishes made by Chic’s wife Sissy and daughter Shannon. They do almost all of the cooking from scratch, including macaroni and cheese, and tender, flavorful collard greens. Baked beans are made with a variety of beans for a twist on an old favorite, and if you’re a Brunswick stew fan, you’ll love their version. It might be the best you’ve ever had and it will warm you up on a chilly day.  

The hands-on approach of the Dillard family is also shown in the physical facilities. Chic knew that his customers were having difficulty finding easy parking, so he added additional parking right next to the restaurant. Then, he took the extra step of enclosing and heating the patio area so that he would have plenty of comfortable seating.
The additions to Big Shanty are welcome, and have helped cement the restaurant as a local’s favorite. Perhaps it also has something to do with Shannon’s desserts. She’s well known for her special Banana pudding, served every day. If you ever see anything topped with meringue when you’re first ordering, get a slice. It may be sold out if you wait until you’ve finished your meal. If there’s coconut cake, buy the whole thing.

Don’t have time to eat in? Get it to go, or have your small or large group meal catered. You won’t regret it: Big Shanty has won numerous awards and have received rave user reviews on urbanspoon.com and yelp. Critics have also taken notice of the little barbecue joint. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote, “…some of the best barbecue to come out of Georgia.” Order your smoked turkeys or turkey breasts for the holidays early; Chic has added another smoker, but space is limited. 

The Dillards work really hard to make it a great little barbecue restaurant, but they also have a sense of humor.  T-shirts available in the store for purchase feature a cute little pig’s derriere with the text, “I like pig butts and I cannot lie.” A disclaimer on the menu reads, “We do not use any addictive ingredients in our homemade dry rub, barbecue sauce, sides or desserts. It is just the craving for authentic smoked meats and family atmosphere that will keep you coming back for more.”

Big Shanty Smokehouse is located at 3393 Cherokee Street in Kennesaw, tel. 770-499-PIGG (7444). Open Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Friday-Saturday 11 a.m. -9 p.m.. Catering is available, as is a gluten-free menu. See their daily menu specials at bigshantybbq.com.

Owner Mike Ford (left) and General Manager Pete McCaffrey toast at Keegan’s in Kennesaw.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into Keegan’s Public House in Kennesaw, was the sign on the door, but I had to find out later what it meant. It’s Gaelic, and it reads, “Cead Mile Failte” or “A Hundred Thousand Welcomes.”

Try the grilled cheese topped with barbecue pork. Yummy!

I felt welcome when I walked in; the public house (aka the pub) features an old world setting with its dark wood and soft lighting. The patio on the left is adorned with blooming flowers and ferns, and the bar is curved so that everyone can see the action.

A pub is traditionally known for its frosty mugs of draft beer or tall cocktails, and Keegan’s has any libation you could possibly want. But the real secret is that Keegan’s has really good food. It’s not just typical pub grub, either, but everything from meatloaf made with three meats to unusual appetizers like Irish Spring Rolls.

Owner Mike Ford said, “We’ve stayed with our original concept: an Irish pub with high quality food.  We worked right from the beginning to do that with a chef-driven kitchen, and we’ve looked far and wide for comfort dishes that are prepared with the freshest ingredients and to the highest standards. I think we’ve achieved outstanding food in a comfortable and relaxing environment.”

He’s not the only one who is pleased with the food. Keegan’s has won numerous “Best of” awards, including winning an award for the last four years at the Taste of Marietta. Keegan’s has also won at other festivals for best wings and its signature Krispy Kreme bread pudding.

The bread pudding at Keegan’s in Kennesaw has won numerous awards.

Ford and his staff take comfort food to the next level. Some of the most popular items include the deluxe grilled cheese with tender pork barbecue tucked inside. It’s a bit unusual because it also has macaroni and cheese in it. It pairs nicely with tomato bisque soup.

Keegan’s in Kennesaw served freshly made potato chips drizzled with blue cheese.

The most popular appetizers are fries made of Portobello mushrooms, Irish spring rolls made with cabbage and corned beef, and freshly made potato chips served with warm blue cheese dressing and topped with blue cheese crumbles.

Keegan classics include Shepherd’s Pie, Irish stew, and fish and chips. The Shepherd’s Pie, made with beef, is the original chef’s grandmother’s recipe.

General Manager Pete McCaffery said the food is really authentic. “I grew up with Irish pubs, and many I’ve tried were not authentic. This is the first place I’ve found that not only was authentic, but also reminded me of what I was used to in Boston and in New York. When I first ate here, I couldn’t believe how good it was,” he said.

Fish and Chips are very popular at Keegans.

Fish is served two ways: hand-cut and hand-battered Cod in the fish and chips basket, or a huge piece of beer-battered and fried Haddock known as Finnegan’s Fry. Pete said, “Normally, most restaurants don’t offer a lot of haddock, so it’s really special to get it.” Mike added, “It has a firmer bite, but it’s a sweeter flesh. It is really large, about 12-13 oz., and hangs over the plate.”

Keegan’s takes its food seriously. Mike said, “We’re even making our own authentic Irish bacon and using it on sliders. We are always looking and searching for better ways to do things, and we don’t ever want to settle for the status quo.”

Homemade bacon ranks right up there with a meatloaf made with beef, pork, and veal. “Our meatloaf is slow-cooked and then served over mashed potatoes with a rich brown gravy and served with a sautéed garlic spinach.”

Meatloaf is served on top of mashed potatoes with a side of sautéed spinach.

Pete said, “We always have people tell us how much they love our meatloaf.” Mike added, “I have a customer who drives here from Fulton County at least once a month just to get his fix of meatloaf or our pot roast.”

Large portions offer a great value. “We give large portions for the money, and considering the quality of food, for what we give you and what we charge, it’s a very good value. Here, we’re all about the customer. We try to provide a high quality experience, authentic atmosphere, and great customer service.”

One thing Keegan’s knows that customers like is live entertainment. The singers and musicians who entertain the crowds on Thursday through Saturday nights make it even more fun and comfortable. Mike said, “I like to think that, at Keegan’s, there are no strangers, but only friends who haven’t met.” It’s a great place to hang out, whether at night or for a quick lunch.

Pete said, “We’re lightning fast at lunch, about 7-8 minutes for specials, and there are some great values.” Lunch specials begin at $6.99; they also have lighter fare such as entrée salads and sandwiches. You might want to try the fish tacos made with a chipotle cream sauce and wrapped in soft flour tortillas. Every Irish pub has a Reuben, but they may not offer the Cape Cod Reuben: a hand-battered cod fillet instead of corned beef, and topped with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing.

Shepherd’s Pie is served with fresh vegetables at Keegan’s in Kennesaw.

Keegan’s offers some budget-minded evening specials, too. For just $10 each, try the New York Strip on Tuesday, Finnegan’s Fry on Wednesday, and the meatloaf on Thursday. Or, for a limited time, try the “Burger and Brew” special: a fresh ground sirloin burger, one side, and any draft for only $10.  Hang out and watch your team on the weekends: wings are just .50 each and there are plenty of beer specials to quench your thirst. The beer is a good value: it’s a 20 oz. Imperial pint just like you get on the other side of the pond. Miller Lite and Keegan’s Ale are $3 every day. Thursdays are also popular with any 20 oz. draft for only $4.

Stop by and enjoy a pint, but be sure to stay for lunch or dinner. You’ll be hooked, and your (Irish) eyes will be smiling.  Cead Mile Failte!

Keegan’s Public House is located at 1625 Ridenour Boulevard, Suite 301, in Kennesaw; 678-213-2460, www.keegansirishpub.net.

Stay safe this Halloween!

Courtesy of BBB

Halloween is in a few days, and if your children are going out to trick-or-treat,  BBB offers the following tips to ensure that you and your children have a safe and fun Halloween night.

Candy Safety:
Eating sweet treats is a big part of the fun on Halloween. If you’re trick-or-treating, health and safety experts say you should remember these tips:
• Don’t eat candy until it has been inspected at home.
• Trick-or-treaters should eat a snack before heading out, so they won’t be tempted to nibble on treats that haven’t been inspected.
• Tell children not to accept—or eat—anything that isn’t commercially wrapped.
• Parents of very young children should remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys.
• Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.

Lawn Safety:
• If the tag says “Indoor Use Only,” keep it inside. Maybe more than any other holiday, Halloween lends itself to electronic products that leap into action when someone crosses a motion detector’s beam. Many of these more modern “scare in a box” items suck up a healthy dose of electricity, are controlled by fairly delicate electronics, and aren’t cheap. It hardly makes sense to expose your couple hundred dollars’ worth of hardware to the elements, much less run the risk of shocking a curious eight year old who happens to poke or prod the boogeyman on your wet porch. Even if you make every effort to duct tape the connections and ground the plugs, your liability is huge if you ignore such a simple direction. (The same goes for lighting kits and other electrical decorations.)
• Make your yard a No Tripping Zone. Kids lugging around buckets of candy in ill-fitting costumes, often peeking through eyeholes in masks that give them the focal powers of a bleary groundhog, are notoriously clumsy. Even if you have a major lawn display this Halloween, you should have a clear path in and out of the candy distribution area. No power cords. No tie-lines for inflatable props. Keep the path clear.
• Keep the good stuff out of reach. Besides being notoriously clumsy, kids are also insatiably curious. They’re going to wonder if that $500 fog-spewing, bigger-than-life, fully-lit, dancing Grim Reaper is a robot or just you in a suit, and there’s nothing that spoils a circuit board faster than a steep fall off a couple of hay bales onto your neighbor’s driveway or the front stoop of your house. Much the same can be said of party-goers who have sampled your witches’ brew punch a time or two. Rule of Thumb: The more expensive and/or delicate the item, the farther it should be out of reach and the more protected it should be. You can display your best Halloween toys and still protect them. A hacked-together cemetery fence will cost you no more than some screws and PVC pipe, can add to the general spookiness, and can help keep your precious ghouls out of the reach of guests most prone to fumbling.

Costume Safety:
• Make sure it fits. Do a Halloween Runway Show with your kids – or even yourself – to make sure the costume offers full mobility and trim as needed. Also, make sure junior isn’t overloaded. Part and parcel of some characters may be the wand, light saber, batarangs or baseball bat he or she carries, but add in a candy carrying receptacle and see how well your kid maneuvers around the living room. If they can circumnavigate the house without bowling over a lamp or smashing the big screen, they can probably make it along the sidewalk in safety.
• “Seeing” works both ways. While we’re on the subject of fitting the costume, consider how well the child can see inside the mask. Sometimes, a couple snips can clear out a big range of vision. Likewise, consider how well your child can be seen at night in their costume. Make sure your child can be seen by motorists, haunted house owners, and other Trick-or-Treaters after dark.
• Consider the footwear. Many kids have been forced to turn back for home with far less than the annual candy quota because of pain, or because they have tripped or fallen in their Halloween costume shoes.  Practicality counts more than having the perfect costume footwear. Selecting the proper footwear can avoid a Halloween mis-step.

Final Thoughts:
• Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
• Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you.
• Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.
• Only walk on sidewalks or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
• Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats unless you know the cook well.
• Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult. Otherwise, stay outside.

Kennesaw has a new, authentic Thai restaurant. This chef-driven restaurant, owned by a brother and sister, features lunch specials and an extensive Thai menu. Shown, left to right: Chef/Owner Worraporn Isarankura, her brother/Chef Arthawut Arthakorn, and Arthawut’s wife and Manager Sonthaya Arthakorn.