Update: 2 p.m. Montclair becomes more definite in discouraging trick or treating today.
Due to remaining dangerous conditions in a number of areas of town, the Township of Montclair recommends that parents postpone home-to-home trick-or-treating until Friday, November 4 and NOT participate in trick-or-treating today, Monday, October 31.
The Township also encourages those who will postpone home-to-home trick-or-treating to keep porch lights off to let October 31 participants know that they will NOT be participating this evening.
Update: Montclair, Bloomfield join Glen Ridge, Cedar Grove in discouraging trick or treating today.
Remember the movie — The Year without a Santa Claus? That’s what this Halloween is shaping up to be for kiddies who are home from school today and waiting to start trick or treating. Barista Kids is reporting that Glen Ridge is designating this Friday, November 4 as Halloween, providing that streets are clearer and safer by then following the October freak snow storm.
Update: Montclair now says:
The Township of Montclair encourages parents to hold Halloween festivities at home rather than having their children participate in trick-or-treating.
If your children do go out to trick-or-treat, we ask parents to limit their trick-or-treating to daylight hours and to exercise extreme caution. Updates will be posted as they are made available.
Cedar Grove’s BOE is doing a telephone blast to school parents telling them to postpone treating until Friday. We’ve heard from Glen Ridge that a similar call will go out to parents in the township and that Montclair and Bloomfield are also planning same (awaiting confirmation from these towns).
Glen Ridge has already sent this email to school parents:
Dear Parents/Guardians,
For safety reasons, especially in the evening, the Mayor and the Borough Council has postponed trick or treat until Friday, November 4th.
Update: Bloomfield, who has already called schools closed for tomorrow, joins Glen Ridge in postponing Halloween to this Friday:
The Township of Bloomfield and Township of Glen Ridge are concerned about slippery roads, darkened streets, downed tree limbs and power lines and are postponed trick-or-treating until Friday, November 4, 2011. Bloomfield and Glen Ridge are urging parents and residents to wait until end of the week to allow children to go trick-or-treating Friday November 4, 2011.
South Orange’s Alex Torpey writes…”We are advising residents against going house to house to trick or treat tonight because of the potential danger of downed wires, hanging branches and debris still on the ground. Spooky Spiotta Park will be happening starting at 4pm and we invite all residents to come downtown and celebrate Halloween with us!”
“Howl-O-Ween,” a safe trick-or-treating event at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, has been postponed to Thursday, November 3, (4-9 p.m.) because of damage/power outages caused by Snoctober.
How many kids do you think will double dip — go treating today and next Friday??
[polldaddy poll=5628922]
Snow pumpkin created by Ed Garcia, Bloomfield.
email sent to GR School Parents:
Dear Parents/Guardians,
For safety reasons, especially in the evening, the Mayor and the Borough Council has postponed trick or treat until Friday, November 4th.
We should also include East Orange in on that, many of our trick or treaters are from EO.
West Orange has postponed Halloween until next Monday. Turtle Back Zoo has postponed the Howl-o-ween tonight, no new date announced yet. Still waiting to hear if schools will be closed again tomorrow.
East Orange is announcing it in their schools today.
I understand that safety is of the utmost importance, and there are plenty of hazards around now. I am also a big fan of the holiday and feel bad for the children. That being said, I am not sure how I feel about “moving” the holiday to Friday, especially when it’s a holiday that involves people (strangers) coming to your door. If schools and parents want to move events to Friday, I think that’s a great idea, or even designate a street or two (w the residents’ approval) as a belated trick or treat area. But if I were someone without a child and who didn’t happen to see this on B-net, I wouldn’t be pleased to see a group of teens covered in shaving cream showing up at my door on a Friday night, several days AFTER Halloween.
What the hell is wrong with Montclair? Pick a side! None of this half-assed, don’t go out, but if you do, be careful. Have a clear message and STICK WITH IT. That way, everyone’s on the same page and not guessing what’s happening with their neighborhood. That said, why not just postpone until Friday? There are still plenty of people without power and with the safety issues, it’s just the sensible thing to do. Halloween is just a date on the calendar…we don’t have to do this tonight. But more importantly, leaders of Montclair, pick one side and stick with it. Grow a pair, please.
How do you cancel Halloween, or postpone it? Some people will go out anyway.
It seems surrounding towns are able to make a decision, why not Montclair? I love to celebrate a holiday on the actual day, but in this instance, the safety of the children should come first. All of the children get excited and love to run ahead from house to house. They wouldn’t be able to detect live wires in time. Postponing Trick-or-Treating until Friday seems to be the best decision and it seems surrounding towns agree.
Montclair just made a stronger recommendation and now is suggesting Friday as the new date. — see 2 p.m. update.
Thank you Montclair!
Although making dark streets even darker hardly seems safe…
The Township also encourages those who will postpone home-to-home trick-or-treating to keep porch lights off to let October 31 participants know that they will NOT be participating this evening.
“Although making dark streets even darker hardly seems safe”
I agree, Liz, seems like a dumb suggestion. Not to mention, think of the poor marsupials underneath people’s porches who will be in the dark then.
Here at the Miity Manse, we are going to use this a teaching moment, and let the itty bitty Mittys decide if Mayor Fried and the rest of the local government really know what is best for them and are looking out for their safety, or if they are just mean, miserable killjoys who are using the snow as a pretext to deny them the pure pleasure of dressing up and scoring candy.
I, of course, will be agitating that we all stick to the man, fight the power, and occupy our neighbors porches, upholding the ideal of getting something for free.
THAT would be the Montclair way!
Tonight is Halloween. Not Friday. We hope to get a treat or two.
What else should we expect from the mayor who wanted to postpone the election by six months?
What’s a gurl to do? Lights on, lights off….
Personally, I’m happy about the decision. Our little street has a number of iffy looking branches. And this afternoon, I was thinking about the man killed in Central Park last year by a branch.
We have some bummed out kids (and parents) but let’s just go with it and be safe.
Gen Ridge has made it easier for us: at Carteret & Midland (the gateway drop-off point) there’s a big electronic sign announcing Halloween has been postponed to Friday 11/4. So I’ve started eating my candy.
I’m happy with the postponement too. Glenwood Road was dark last night, may be tonight as well. Seems like a good idea.
Just told my nine-year-old daughter the town is telling kids to go trick or treating on Friday instead of today. She said “Yeah, like that’s gonna happen.”
Normally I’d charge someone when they cancel or postpone something without 24 hours notice.
It is smart to avoid walking under ANY storm damaged tree at this time. Throughout today, in both Montclair and Bloomfield, trees continue to shed damaged branches. There are numerous wires down, and often these cannot be seen after sunset. Better to be wise and safe. We are faced with a long, and dangerous, cleanup from this storm. I advise all residents to be cautious the next few days…and look up.
Stephen Schuckman
Forester, Bloomfield and Montclair
Tough kid Liz 😉
My 7-year-old was upset and confused. She said, “”Really? We’ll have to say ‘Happy Halloween’ on Friday in November? I’ll have to use my good acting skills.”
Well, the Kellys will be home tonight, handing out goodies, so if you’re in the nabe, stop by.
The electric sign appears to be mostly working: several minivans intending to disgorge children pulled up and turned around. Only one car unloaded & soon gave it up. I feel for these people — I plan to give it out on Friday….at least that which we haven’t already eaten. It’s a benign community event – they may not be from ‘around here’ – but pretty much everybody says ‘Trick or Treat’ and ‘Thank you’.
The sidewalks are pretty treacherous — especially down the block in Bloomfield. Hopefully by Friday it’ll be cleaned up.
The bad news- I’m sure we will have gobbled up our candy supplies by Friday.
The good news- half-price candy everywhere tomorrow!
Any kid who shows up on the Walleroo porch in costume on any day of the year shall get candy or, if no candy is at hand, a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios.
Okay, this is getting ridiculous. I went to answer the doorbell a minute ago and there was no one there but a couple of squirrels–real ones, no diguise. They’ve eaten the jack-o-lantern and now they’re hitting me up for candy.
I dont know how they got into my building, but 6 little trick or Treaters just showed up at my door. I didn’t have candy, so they all got snack pack puddings! If any more show up, I guess they are getting dry pasta or dog biscuits
I’m eating mine. And will regret it in the morning.
Well, it was HEAVING out there tonight, more so than last year (cabin fever after a day off school?). We took the kids out while it was light, at about 4:40, and everybody and their gran were out, from 2-year-olds in dino or baby duck outfits to scary-devil dads. Afraid we’re now done with Halloween and will be one of those homes with curtains drawn on Friday! 😉
Sorry, folks, Halloween’s cancelled, the moose out front shoulda told ya.
It’s an obstacle course out there!
At first I was going to take the kids out (we do the Midland ave circuit which has no power ) because they were upset but then I took a look around at the hanging branches and downed lines everywhere and decided to change the game. I ordered pizza from Ruthies and picked up cider and we had a party!
Mind you we have not had power since Saturday, I had the fireplaces going the kids invited a few friends in that were trick or treating they sat by the fire ate pizza and candy….they all had a blast. Seeing ten kids sitting in front of the fire with grandparents and parents all around is a beautiful sight.
Bernadette if I can answer my door to trick or treaters and host a party maybe you can find a way to
answer your door to those who were not allowed to go out tonight.
Since when is answering your door to cute kids in costume and haring out a treat become a chore? Get a grip people this is the fun part of life!
I do have a bona fide treat for all those dedicated Democrats/”progressives” out there who voted for Corzine and of course rue the day Christie became governor: Less than two years after he formed his new company, Corzine’s firm filed yesterday for Chapter 11. Such financial acumen! Such economic brilliance!
We are well rid of Corzine. Thank you ever so much, “Great Pumpkin.”
FWIW, and not sure why it’s posted here, but the current incarnation of MF Global was founded in 2007, and it can trace its corporate roots back to the 18th century.
Snack pack puddings are an awesome treat. Best stock up for next year Jimmy.
I usually stay home on Halloween and last night reminded me why. I had to drive from South end Bloomfield to Upstairs in Upper Mntc and it was horrible. The down trees and power lines were one layer of fun. The parents dressed in black on dark streets leading trick or treaters dressed in black up and down was a mine field. I have less then anything nice to say to the parents wandering between fallen branches, no flashlights and nothing close to reflective after dark. Even on a normal night it would have been a bad plan, but with the storm aftermath it was beyond stupid.
Thank goodness GR cancelled the event last night. It meant less of the vans unloading folks from EO etc. It was fun telling the few who made it through the cordon that they should go home and try again Friday – especially the ones who said they were from out of town and didn’t know the deal.
Almost as much fun as hearing the patrol cars making the announcements for the crowds to disperse. Ya wohl mein Herr Offizier!