MYRTLE BEACH — The costumes are picked out, the house is decorated and the candy is purchased. Now it’s time to send the little ones out for a safe night of trick-or-treating.

The City of Myrtle Beach issued the following tips to help everyone have a safe and happy Halloween:

• have a responsible adult accompany children;

• only visit homes with porch lights on;

• always cross streets at intersections and crosswalks;

• wear reflective material on costumes;

• use makeup instead of masks to improve vision;

• make costumes short enough to avoid trip hazards;

• use a flashlight to see and be seen;

• inspect children’s candy before they eat it; and

• always be aware of your surroundings.

Prefer for your children to trick-or-treat in a more controlled environment? Shopping centers in the City of Myrtle Beach have opened their doors to costumed boys and girls on Wednesday.

Stores at Broadway at the Beach, 1325 Celebrity Circle, will have candy for trick-or-treaters from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Participating stores at Coastal Grand mall, 2000 Coastal Grand Circle, are offering candy to trick-or-treaters from 5 to 7 p.m.

Trick-or-treaters stopping by The Market Common, 4017 Deville St., can receive candy from participating stores from 6 to 7 p.m. The stores offering candy will be those with balloons near the door.

City approves 2012 Beach Management Plan

The Myrtle Beach City Council on Oct. 23 voted in favor of a resolution to approve the 2012 Beach Management Plan. The plan is a requirement of the Beachfront Management Act that establishes a state policy to create a plan for beach and dune systems protection, preservation, restoration and enhancement.

“The beach is the dominant physical feature of the city, is the major factor of the city’s economy and defines the social fabric of the city,” according to the resolution. “The protection of the beach is of paramount community importance.”

The act requires coastal communities to prepare local plans with a number of elements, many of which already are part of the beach management carried out in Myrtle Beach, according to the resolution. Those elements include things such as providing an inventory of beach profile data nd historic erosion rate data, inventory of turtle nesting and habitats of the beach/dune system and protection/restoration plan if necessary.

However, the act requires the city to work to intensify sea turtle protection through a public information program and by encouraging voluntary practices of beachfront property owners to increase the protection of sea turtle nests and hatchlings. The city must also determine the feasibility of providing regional beach access facilities, according to the resolution.

The plan was to be sent to the Department of Health and Environment Control’s Office of Coastal Resource Management to be included in the State Beach Management Plan upon its adoption by the council.

Take your golf cart for a ride

Beginning this month, a change in state law allows golf cart drivers to take their carts father from their homes or businesses.

The S.C. General Assembly expanded the range a golf cart can travel from an owner’s residence or business from two miles to four miles, but the carts can only be driven on roads with a speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less.

What didn’t change? Only a licensed driver who is age 16 or older can drive a golf cart on public roads and only during daylight hours. The S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles still requires the operator to have a permit and show proof of liability insurance and proof of ownership. Permits must be renewed whenever the owner changes addresses or every five years.

Contact reporter MAYA T. PRABHU at 444-1722 or follow her at Twitter.com/TSN_MPrabhu.