Halloween horror: Trick-or-treaters overrun one neighborhood

They come to Sharyland Plantation by the truckload - hordes of trick-or-treaters descending on this master-planned community where even residents with ample candy stashes have to kill the lights when the treats run out.

Some of the children live in the community, but even more come from Mexico or nearby Rio Grande Valley cities to tap into the large cluster of affluence.

With nearly 1,500 families living on Sharyland's roughly 6,000 acres, the area has traditionally been a trick-or-treating hotbed, said Chris LaBoskey, a Sharyland resident who is also president of its homeowners association. LaBoskey shares door duties with his wife each Halloween and estimates they hand out candy to almost 200 children over the course of the evening.

"There's been a few nights where we had to turn off the lights a bit early," LaBoskey said Thursday afternoon. "The next year, we just buy a lot more stuff."

Still, a few neighborhood residents voiced concerns about being overwhelmed by the sheer number of children.

One woman said she gave out several hundred pieces of candy last year to children who arrived in waves in vans or the backs of pickups. When she ran out of candy, she turned off her lights and locked the door.

Still, some unsupervised trick-or-treaters rang her doorbell, she said, adding that "at some point it's a little too much."

LaBoskey said there are no homeowners association guidelines for Halloween in terms of hours or age requirements. Guidelines throughout the Valley are also fairly loose, other than demanding that unsupervised juveniles be in before curfew.

Bob Wright, who has lived in Sharyland's Camino Real subdivision for about five years, said the huge crowds of trick-or-treaters his first three years in the house have dwindled the past two years. Fewer children arrive after 8 p.m., he said, and most of the trick-or-treaters are elementary-school age.

"I think there was a belief that parents should take their kids to where the quote-unquote rich people live, but it's really calmed down," Wright said, noting that he worried about children being hit by cars in the confusion. "I think it's safer now."

Wright always buys at least two big bags of chocolate from H.E.B., which usually last him the night. Other than families who won't be at home tonight, he expects most neighborhood residents will be at their doors enjoying the costumes.

Maybe none will enjoy the evening more than the Glenns.

Tammy and Xavier Glenn spent hours this week decorating the inside and outside of their home in Sharyland's San Efrain neighborhood. A humanlike witch and a skeleton cloaked by mist from a fog machine stand guard in the yard while spooky music blares from speakers.

Xavier Glenn, decked out in a nasty-looking ghoul costume, stands motionless by the front door Halloween night until trick-or-treaters ring the bell, Tammy Glenn said. Then he proceeds to give out candy and "scare the crap out of them."

"Halloween is a real big deal for us," she said. "It's kind of weird to have people that really get into it as much as we do."