The Valley Indy Facebook page was inundated Tuesday night with questions from concerned parents asking whether they should send their kids out for trick or treating on Halloween.
Only Oxford officials flat out urged parents to postpone trick-or-treating activities.
Every other town urged caution but left the decision up to parents.
In a Code Red message sent out Tuesday, First Selectman George Temple said the town’s own “Trick or Trunk” was rescheduled to Friday, Nov. 2. He urged families to do the same.
“It is strongly suggested that all trick or treat activities be postponed to Friday due to downed trees and power lines,” Temple said.
Elsewhere, common sense and good parental skills come into play, emergency officials said.
If you’re in a neighborhood that is completely in the dark and there are trees leaning on wires, common sense dictates you should not put your family in harm’s way. You should not trick or treat in that neighborhood.
In Seymour, First Selectman Kurt Miller addressed the trick or treat dilemma in his evening Code Red message Tuesday.
“Finally, we will not be canceling Halloween tomorrow,” he said. “With about 50 percent of the town with power, we thought it would be best to leave it up to the discretion of the parents. We ask that everyone use caution and take care when you are out.”
Derby, which saw most of the east side regain power Tuesday night, is also leaving Halloween festivities up to parents.
Halloween is not canceled in Ansonia, but police Chief Kevin Hale sent an e‑mail Tuesday night that urged caution in parts of the city that are still in the dark.
“Right now the utilities are still working very hard to make downed trees and lines safe so that services can be restored,” Hale said in an e‑mail. “This process is being carried out throughout the state and region. Unlit streets and neighborhoods pose safety risks so people need to be cautious. We do not know just how much UI is going to be able to do by Wednesday night, in terms of neighborhood restorations.”
Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti said the city will not be canceling Halloween since the damage wrought by the storm varied so much in different parts of town.
“Each neighborhood is different. Each neighborhood was affected differently,” Lauretti said. “It’s kind of a mixed bag.”
If parents do decide to take their children out, the mayor said they need to use “caution, caution, and more caution.”
Though crews spent Tuesday de-energizing downed wires and removing trees from roads, Lauretti said people should still be careful.
“They need to be cautious of all downed wires,” he said. “There’s only one thing you can do: stay away from it.”
The mayor emphasized that point in an emergency message issued about 10:45 a.m. Wednesday through the CT Alert system.
“There are still many downed wires in the City of Shelton,” Lauretti said in the message. “All wires are considered to be live and dangerous. With the wet weather even the area around the wire may be energized. Residents are urged to use extreme caution, especially during hours of darkness or while out trick or treating, if you choose to do so.”
Lauretti on Tuesday night estimated the city will go three to four days before all residents are fully restored to power.
“Obviously some areas of town will come on a lot sooner than others,” he added.
In one Shelton neighborhood still without power, Pine Rock Park, firefighters will be holding a Halloween party at the Pine Rock Park firehouse at 722 Long Hill Ave. from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday.
“As of right now most of our neighborhood is without power and our party gives the area children a chance to wear their costumes and get some candy rather than canceling Halloween altogether,” Welch said in an e‑mail to the Valley indy Wednesday. “We are also asking for donations of candy since we are expecting more people than we originally planned for due to the storm.”
The event will feature games, prizes, candy, and raffles. Click here for more information via the Pine Rock Park Fire Company’s Facebook page.
