Trick or treat and trunk or treat are causing a little cauldron to stir in East Penn Township.

The township supervisors, through the recreation committee, annually set the date for trick or treat in coordination with Lehighton and Bowmanstown.

According to the Jillyan Sterling, township manager, “residents get upset if we schedule our trick or treat the same day as Lehighton.”

Trick or treat will be held from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 28. That is the same time as Lehighton and Bowmanstown.

The parks committee, also a part of the township leadership, schedules and hosts trunk or treat at the community center. In the past, this was done in coordination with the Recreation Department who schedules trick or treat.

This year, however, trunk or treat was scheduled without consulting the Recreation Department, and it was scheduled to take place on Halloween (Oct. 31) from 6-8 p.m. at the Community Center.

In addition to being a school night, the Community Center is undergoing renovations and there is no exterior lighting.

The parks committee will reach out to the fire department for assistance.

As a result of the lack of communication between Parks and Recreation, Supervisor William Schwab made a motion to ask the township solicitor to prepare an ordinance that will combine the Parks and Recreation departments into one entity so “they can work collaboratively on events” such as trunk or treat.

Schwab would like to see this measure approved and effective Jan. 1, 2024.

In other news, the 2024 budget meetings will be held Oct. 12 and Oct. 19 starting at 6 p.m. at the Recreation Hall.