Goblins Don’t Spook This Neighborhood : Halloween: Children and parents enjoy make-believe at party in area that is fighting the all-too-real evils that beset it.

SANTA ANA —  Witches, vampires and goblins brought their make-believe evils to the Willard area on the night before Halloween--and were a welcome sight for residents trying to scare away drug dealing, prostitution and other, very real problems that exist in their neighborhood every day.

In the first of what sponsors hope will be annual parties to provide a “safe Halloween experience,” the newly formed Willard Neighborhood Assn., the city of Santa Ana and the local YWCA organized Wednesday’s free event for families living in the area just north of the Civic Center.

Willard Neighborhood Assn. President Erin Coats said she hopes the Halloween Carnival will keep children off the streets on Halloween and also prove a catalyst for greater community involvement as residents try to reclaim their neighborhood from crime and deterioration.

“We are trying to do something for Halloween because our neighborhood is not the best for these kids to be involved in,” Coats said. “So we are trying to show the community that we care.”

The event, held in a courtyard behind police headquarters, drew residents from throughout the city.

“I think it’s neat for the kids, and it’s safe because it’s at the Police Department,” French Park neighborhood resident Sabrina Henderson said as she entered the festival with her three children.

Despite cool, windy weather, about 3,000 residents were expected to celebrate Halloween at a party featuring 30 food and game booths.

Organizers estimated that about $15,000 worth of candies, toys and supplies were donated for the carnival by about 40 local businesses and service organizations.

The party also featured a puppet show, McGruff the Crime Dog, and Magic, a horse from the Police Department’s mounted patrol.

Sporting a bracelet she won in a baseball-throwing game, 6-year-old Alexis Oviedo said that booth had become her favorite. “I wanted to knock all of them (targets),” said the youngster, dressed in a mermaid costume.

But “even if they miss, they get candy,” said Community Preservation Supervisor Dave Hermance. “But they’re not supposed to know that.”

As 12-year-old Valentin Garcia munched on a hot dog, he said he was saving his costume for tonight, but was glad he and his friends decided on a whim to attend the party Wednesday.

“It’s fun,” he said. “It’s better than other carnivals.”

The portable command post normally used in police SWAT operations became a haunted house for the evening, and community leaders took turns getting doused in the dunk tank.

“It must have been August when I said I would do this,” City Councilman Robert L. Richardson said before stepping into the dunking booth. “It must have been a real hot day, and I just thought it was going to stay hot for a couple of months.”

Since last spring, community leaders have struggled to clean up the Willard neighborhood--bounded by 17th, Sycamore and Flower streets and Civic Center Drive in an area largely inhabited by tenants living in overcrowded apartments.

Police officers have stepped up patrols and increased arrests of drug dealers; code enforcement officers have cracked down on building code violations, and the school and YWCA have supported the creation of the neighborhood association.

While the Police Department usually sponsors a “trick-or-treat safely” campaign, Santa Ana police spokeswoman Maureen Haacker said this is the first time the city has helped sponsor a neighborhood party for Halloween.

Coats said that for her two children, this event would take the place of traditional door-to-door candy collection on Halloween, and she hoped other parents would follow suit.

“In the last nine to 10 years, it really has not been fun (on Halloween). Your kids get candy, and then you take it to the hospital to get it X-rayed,” Coats said. “You tell me where the fun is.”

Willard resident Ana Berta Vasquez said she and her children appreciated the party, but they would also go trick-or-treating tonight.

“We are not afraid,” she said. “But we are going to have flashlights to guide them.”