Teen shares love of decorating with Halloween display

Oct. 30—Johnathan Buff starts decorating his family's yard for Halloween on Sept. 17.

But all year, the 15-year-old is thinking about what decorations he will display and where they will go. He admits he's a perfectionist.

"Yes, if I want something where it needs to be, it needs to be there," he said.

"He plans it for so long in his head that nobody's going to tell him no on where it's going to go," adds his mother, Jamie Buff.

The family's yard is covered in tombstones, witches, skeletons, ghosts and a scary jack-o-lantern and clown. Among them is the not-so-frightful ghost dog from "The Nightmare Before Christmas." A large web hangs off the side of the home, complete with spiders.

Johnathan said his urge to decorate for Halloween stems from his joy of trick-or-treating when he was a child and getting scared.

"I just wanted to keep carrying that on," he said.

Living on the edge of Effingham on 850th Avenue, across from the Y-Yard on South Route 45, the Buffs get very few trick-or-treaters.

"Last year, we were ecstatic to get five trick-or-treaters. Nobody ever really comes out here," said Jamie.

They hope to change that this year for the city of Effingham's trick-or-treat night Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Read more about Johnathan's passion for decorating for Halloween, as well as another popular holiday, in the Nov. 17 edition of Effingham Magazine.

In the meantime, the Illinois Department of Public Health offers some tips for a safe Halloween.

* Wear costumes with "flame resistant" on the label. If you make a DIY costume, use flame-resistant fabrics such as polyester or nylon.

* Wear bright, reflective costumes or add strips of reflective tape so you'll be more visible when crossing streets.

* Wear makeup and hats rather than costume masks that can obscure your vision.

* Vibrantly colored makeup is popular at Halloween. Check the FDA's list of color additives to see if the colors are FDA approved. If they aren't approved for their intended use, don't use them. This is especially important for colored makeup around the eyes.

* Don't wear decorative (colored) contact lenses that appear to change how your eyes look due to the risk of eye injury unless you have seen an eye care professional for a proper fitting and been given instructions for how to use the lenses.

When it comes to enjoying Halloween treats and sweets, the FDA offers the following nutritional and safety tips for trick-or-treaters:

* Don't eat candy until it has been inspected at home.

* Eat a snack before heading out to avoid the temptation of nibbling on a treat before it has been inspected.

* In case of a food allergy, check the label to ensure the allergen isn't present. 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 from the Halloween bags.

* Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Thro

w away anything that looks suspicious.