I WONDER | What's happening on Halloween this year?

But it’s still happening, as far as we can tell, with almost all the usual trappings. And we do have some suggestions for how to handle the holiday so that the only scary thing about it is the costumes.

First of all, some kids will still trick-or-treat, though you may see fewer visitors than usual. The rules are the same as always: if you want kids stopping by, turn on your porch light (and other decorations, if you have them). That signals to trick-or-treaters that you’re open for business. If for whatever reason you don’t want visitors, just keep the light off.

That said, the Riley County Health Department said recently in a post that traditional trick-or-treating is considered high risk (as are truck-or-treating events and indoor parties with costume contests).

A lower-risk alternative, health officials wrote, is no-touch trick-or-treating.

Some Manhattan residents have said they plan to put out individual bags of candy (assembled with sanitized hands), so that they don’t have to hand them to kids. Others are leaving a bowl of packaged candy so kids can help themselves. Homeowners can watch from the porch or stay inside the whole time.

And our favorite idea? A candy “chute” or slide. The idea is to use a piece of plastic pipe or guttering fixed at an angle, perhaps along the handrail, from porch to sidewalk. The homeowner sends candy down the chute into a waiting bag.

All those options reduce close encounters, though they may still be too risky for some people, especially those who have or live with people who have certain health conditions.

There also will be a number of trick-or-treating events. They’re all listed in Plan Your Weekend.

Many are “trunk-or-treat” affairs, where people decorate the trunks of their cars and hand out treats in a parking lot.

Some, like the Bewitching in Westloop event, are drive-through so that people can reduce contact that way.

For what it’s worth, lowest-risk Halloween activities, according to the health department, are those that involve staying home: pumpkin carving, a scary movie night, or a virtual costume contest.

Whatever you choose to do, please take proper precautions to help keep everyone safe.

You can submit a question to this column by e-mail to questions@themercury.com, or by regular mail to Questions, P.O. Box 787, Manhattan, KS 66505.