You can tell Halloween is coming when new nonsense starts freaking out the population. Last year it was clowns; this year it is a clown tying red balloons to sewer grates as a deadly warning.

A prankster started the practice in the small Lancaster County borough of Lititz in south-central Pennsylvania. Look for it to spread throughout the state just as last year's clown sightings did.The balloons on sewer grates are an homage to the current Stephen King horror movie "It," which opens in area theaters Friday. King introduced the TV adaptation of his best-selling 1986 book in a 1990 TV miniseries. In 1960, seven preteen outcasts fight an evil demon who poses as a child-killing clown. Thirty years later, in 1990, they reunite to stop the devilish demon for good when it returns to their hometown.Never really kill the goose that lays the golden egg, so, now, nearly 30 years later, he's baaack.The trailer of the movie "It" created a lot of buzz among moviegoers. It showed scenes of children stalked, attacked and haunted by Pennywise, an evil clown who eats children. Bill Skarsgard plays Pennywise.Members of the Losers' Club have to try to stop him from carrying out his murderous mission against them and other children in the town of Derry, Maine.The balloons have scared the bejesus out of Lititz's residents, so much so, in fact, that police are pleading with whoever is doing this to cut it out. Lititz police Sgt. Stephen Detz said more than 20 red balloons showed up overnight a few days ago on sewer grates. Detz said there are some police officers who were versed on the significance between the balloons and the movie, so when officers saw the balloons they caught on to the reference.In a post on Facebook, the police department wrote: "A certain movie is coming to theaters, and a local prankster took it upon themselves to promote the movie. We give points for creativity, however we want the local prankster to know that we were completely terrified as we removed these balloons from the grates and we respectfully request they do not do that again. If you're not sure what we're talking about, search 'It' and watch the preview, but we suggest watching the preview with a friend or co-worker with all the lights on and the sound down low."Seventeen-year-old Peyton Reiff told PennLive.com that she and four friends were trying to scare their classmates in Lititz after seeing a trailer for the upcoming movie. Reiff says the teens were surprised at how much attention the prank got after the local police made a playful post on Facebook, saying they were "completely terrified" to remove the balloons.Last year, a wave of spooky clown sightings touched off near mass hysteria, paranoia and dozens of copycat incidents from pranksters hellbent on trying to get a rise from freaked out children and their parents.The clown-sightings were reported all over the country, starting in Greenville, South Carolina, and spreading quickly. Police in Nesquehoning and Pottsville were among hundreds of communities that reported people dressed in clown outfits stalking or loitering near children.King said that kids love clowns but also fear them. "Clowns with their white faces and red lips are so different and grotesque," he said.We don't want to burst anyone's balloon, but let's hope that the latest craze does not prevent local law-enforcement officials from taking care of the really serious crimes that go on in our communities.By Bruce Frassinelli |

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