Tonight: Port Chester Gives Halloween a Second Chance after Hurricane Sandy

Don't put away your Halloween customes yet. Port Chester is giving Halloween a second chance.

The village Board of Trustees has declared Friday, Nov. 9, to be Halloween in the village, giving the community another chance to have organized trick-or-treating for children who missed out because of Hurricane Sandy.

Village officials and police had asked parents last week not to send their children out for door-to-door trick-or-treating because of the dangers created by power outages, downed trees, utility poles and utility lines. At the time, much of Port Chester was still without power for Halloween.

Although some Port Chester residents remain without power today, the village is starting to return to normal. Schools opened on Monday and were open again today, although there was a two-hour delayed start. Gas was also in short supply in Port Chester with local stations hit by power outages. However, most stations have power again and long fuel lines that developed over the weekend are fading.

"There has been widespread interest among parents and their children, as well as from other village residents to reschedule Halloween," said Mayor Dennis Pilla. "It was, in fact, the top question that I received on Friday while attending the Village Recreation Department's Halloween event for our children at the Senior Community Center."

While much of the storm debris has been cleaned up and work is underwayto repair utility poles and lines, Port Chester urges arents and children to use caution while trick-or-treating outdoors, taking care to avoid fallen debris and unlit neighborhoods that may still remain without power.  Parents should also ensure that children wear visible and reflective clothing so they can be easily seen by motorists.

The Board of Trustees authorized a telephone call-out to parents using the Port Chester School District's automated calling system to notify the community about the rescheduled Halloween date.