Letter from the editor: Porch light on

There's a week in every year when Lombard runs on porch lights. This is it.

The village keeps the rules simple, the way good rules are. Trick-or-treating is recommended between 3 and 7 on the 31st. Porch light on means come up. Porch light off means keep walking. Nobody needs a reminder card.

And it starts this Sunday. The chamber's Spooktacular takes over St. Charles Road between Main and Elizabeth, noon to 5 — trick-or-treating at the businesses, a costume contest, games, a scavenger hunt, bounce houses, live entertainment. Think of it as the dress rehearsal: same costumes, bigger crowd.

The after-party is worth knowing about, too. On November 7th the Pumpkin Smash at Lombard Common takes every jack-o'-lantern off your porch and turns it into compost. Nine to noon — pumpkins in, landfill out.

I like the porch-light rule because a whole street has to agree for it to work. Everybody understands it without a meeting. The kids get their candy, the people who'd rather sit it out get their evening, and nobody has to explain themselves either way.

That's Lombard at its best, honestly: uncomplicated on purpose. The Post will be out covering it all weekend. See you out there.

— The Editor