Though town officials “strongly urged” that trick-or-treating be postponed until Saturday, November 5 — citing downed wires, branches and other safety hazards from the weekend storm — many parents and kids are disregarding the message.
There’s plenty of action already at always-crowded Compo Beach, where homes are close together and the candy-to-walking ratio is great.
This neighborhood house — on Danbury Avenue — is all decked out for Halloween:
I was very impressed that the home houseboat owners had named their decorative creation after me.
Until I learned that “Dan” is that guy’s name too.
Boo (hoo)!
All the houses at the Beach are special. This one was designed by Henry Brown Morehouse, of the “hey that was my pastoral land” Morehouse’s who once called Westport their crib. Surf’s Up!
Elliott Landon believes it to be perfectly safe for my kids to walk to the school bus stop at 7 AM tomorrow morning (if not, then there would be a cancellation or postponement of schools). So it can’t be all that dangerous to go trick or treating.
It seems from the traffic here that no one is paying much attention to Elliot.
The superintendent of schools is not the one who suggested no trick-or-treating.
But the Fire Department stated that “The possibility of falling tree limbs, slippery surface conditions, and electrocution hazards remain very real throughout town, and the situation is as bad or worse than the recent damage caused by tropical storm Irene”. If this is the case, why were schools closed for 2 full days for Irene, but without even a delayed opening following this storm? The only explanation I can think of is that Mr Landon is worried about running out of snow days.
I agree I think it is crazy that the school district forwarded the message. that we were already getting because they already decided to put our kids in calculated jeopardy yesterday morning and theoretically the rest of the week. The best thing the town could have done is buy a couple thousand worth of candy at Costco and tell people to trick or treat at the beach, Gault or Juniper and give the residents of this area handing out candy some extra supplies to deal with the extra people that may show up.
in this town, people tend not to take their kids out trick or treating in a lot of relatively safe neighborhoods because it’s a better and safer experience in the aforementioned locations. They have less traffic, are better lit and the houses are closer to the street.
Lastly, life has risks, you made a decision to yesterday to practice on a snowy turf field. Certainly if kids get hurt you look stupid with a playoff game 2 days a way. The same could be said about practicing inside if the kids have the wrong shoes. But the fire department wasn’t their with shovels to clean your field and they certainly can’t guarantee that having Halloween trick or treat Saturday will be better and even safer unless they are going to be leading tree crews around and cutting any branches that are hanging precariously or not over the road.
The next thing you know that is going to happen, Thanksgiving will be postponed, when the turkey is already in the oven.
So go trick or treating. If a Westporter can win a Nobel Prize, surely a Darwin award is within reach.
Note that the blog article on our Nobel Prize winner gained one comment. 25 here on Halloween and 27 on OWS.
Bad move, worse timing. Perfect night (Monday, not busy DWI Saturday). Will all the trees be cleared and wires removed by then? guaranteed?
Gimme a break. Man up !
And was he the reason there were no Police presence at Compo as there usually is?
It’s a mentality metaphor. BOO TO YOU!
Clarification… “he” meant whoever made the decision. WHO IS HE / SHE ?
In two code red announcements it was noted there are 2 (two) crews working in town to fix downed lines for the few thousand homes still w/o power as of Monday afternoon. Not sure it that number was intentionally stated to have people impressed or depressed.
The CODE RED voice says “The Town of Westport recommends” etc.
Who authorized this recommendation be broadcast as a CODE RED?
Chief Call must know and he reads this blog.
Too bad the call came in SO LATE…2:30 or so this afternoon…
after most people I know had their Halloween plans in place, or were already moving into action. But then I also know folks who heeded the “Town of Westport Recommendation” and plan to take their kids out on Saturday.
So, now we have a “divided Westport”: those who celebrated Halloween on 10/31 and those who hope to celebrate on 11/5.
The good news: CVS marks down the Halloween stuff today, while they start stocking the shelves for Christmas… the November 5-ers can buy 1/2 price.
The bad news: Halloween is history (I’m not planning on a re-do, myself…I already gave out all my candy).
What’s not news: a divided Westport.
Jeez, who is to say we are gonna have power back and no power lines down on Saturday??? The way CL&P is going, we are planning Thanksgiving dinner at the Sherwood diner.
I hear that it is booked for Thanksgiving, but there may be an oppening for Christmas.
Just make sure self appointed decision makers about important traditions fully understand that only Santa can postpone Christmas is we have another weather emergency!
OCCUPY CLP. Demand that they bury the electric lines!
At a million bucks a mile? I doubt it. Trim the damn trees!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CODE DUMB: Candy for Saturday is now available at Police HQ provided by the Town of Westport. No charge. Be sure to mention Dan Woog and Code Red. Funding will be provided by THE SKY IS FALLING, an off shoot of the Baron’s South Nursing Home committee.
I want to know where to take my kids Saturday where we won’t look like fools because half the town already celebrated! Any suggestions?
Why not ask the folks who issued the Code Red?
I (hear tell….) that the Ship of Dan, on Danbury Ave, …compo!!! is planning to set sail again!!~~~this is mostly because the Pirate’s own daughter, the dread-pirate-Emma! is coming home for her first visit from college in Ohio…. and, Halloween, being her favorite holiday, will elevate the whole weekend into a High Holy Day-status~~~~ Aaargh~~~~~~~
((if you have extra candy/ drop it off!!!))
Did ya see where Gordon said: “We always err on the side of caution.”
UNLESS of course he’s spending your tax dollars and giving away your land for a nursing home.
Does he really think we are that stupid ? Guess so… We elected him.
twice
Shame on us !
He fooled us twice.
Hey here’s an idea…require that every tear down be required to bury their electric lines at the owner’s expense. If you can afford to build a new house, a few extra grand for buried power lines can’t be that burdensome. The number of exposed lines would gradually decrease benefiting everyone. You have to start somewhere.
The cost to bury lines is 50 grand to a homeowner and if the grid is down upwards from your house, you are still screwed. Invest in a propane generator. 8 grand will do the trick nowadays.
Isn’t Halloween a religious holiday associated with the following day, a.k.a.,
All Saints Day? You can’t really move it from one date to another because of bad weather.
I am eating all the candy, regardless. Sorry kids, you had your chance.