Halloween, the New Hyde Park Memorial Homecoming and then more Halloween, dominated the entire area last weekend as the weather cooperated to make every planned event a super, sensational success.

The New Hyde Park Annual Elks parade kicked off its Annual Halloween Parade at 10 a.m. winding through the streets of New Hyde Park, and winding up at the Elks headquarters on Lakeville Road.

Hundreds of kids marched in the parade in great costumes and scattered among them were parents who were also dressed in costume that just added so much more fun to the event. One of the cleverest costumes that caught the eye right away was Julie Ann Liykos, who was immersed in white balloons, carrying a rubber ducky, bath brush and she was a bubble bath!

To further the fun of the day the theme for the floats of the Annual New Hyde Park Memorial Homecoming was Halloween. So most of the floats were laden with tomb stones, goblins and ghouls, except for the Junior High Class of 2004 float which sported a giant Jack-o-Lantern with a ghost emerging from it and it actually spit water. It was picked as the winner of the best special effects and best overall for the Junior High. First runner-up was the Class of 2002, a Headless Horseman and 2nd runner-up was the Class of 2003, a Halloween Graveyard.

The High School float picked for best overall for the Senior High was the float of the Class of 2001 which was a Haunted House. The 1st runnerup was the Class of 1999, a Haunted House and the 2nd runner-up was a Skeleton in a Grave.

The Homecoming King and Queen was a hard choice of a field of 11 for both and the winners were Queen, Donna Fee and King, William Dunlop, who left the locker room of the football team, at half-time, just long enough to receive his crown. The other Queen candidates included: Chanda Buff, Amy David, Michelle Schender and Laura Vosswinkel. The King candidates included: Michael Guercio, Daniel Schwarz, Stephen Vargas and Mathew Zimmerman.

The football team cooperated, too and delivered its homecoming overflowing capacity audience a win of 42-0 over Valley Stream.

Later on in the evening, at about 7 p.m., Williston Park youngsters gathered at the American Legion Headquarters on Willis Avenue for the Williston Park Annual Ragamuffin parade. Sponsored by the Williston Park Kiwanis Club and led by Williston Park Deputy Mayor, Doreen Ehrbar, decked out as a very glamourous "devil" and Kiwanis Club President Jane Schod, the parade of about 100 children, with their parents marched south on Willis Avenue to the Williston Park Village Hall. The entire route was monitored by the 3rd Precinct Police and was well lit by the spotlight truck from the Williston Park Fire Department.

At the same time the Ragamuffin parade was assembling there were many strange costumed men and women heading into the American Legion Hall for the New Hyde Park Cellini Lodge Annual Halloween party Some of the costumes that group created were absolutely fabulous with Daisy and Donald Duck, complete with orange legs and duck feet, being one of the most unique.