While it may not have been the same as traditional trick-or-treating, Port Chester children were able to belatedly celebrate Halloween at a party Friday evening at the Port Chester Senior Center.
"It was awesome!" said Port Chester Mayor Dennis Pilla. "Everybody walked in to the event with a big smile, and left with an even bigger one. It was so refreshing to see all those happy smiles from parents who regained power, and from kids who were in costume with treat bags in hand."
Seeing progress being been made with Port Chester's recovery from Hurricane Sandy and power restoration efforts in the village, Pilla said he is going to ask fellow members of the village Board of Trustees on Monday to proclaim another day to be Halloween so kids can still enjoy the traditional trick-or-treating.
Because of the storm and the damage it brought, village and police officials urged parents not to let their children go out for Halloween night trick-or-treat. The storm led to the cancellation of the village's Halloween in the Park event at Lyon Park, with the Halloween Party moved to the senior center on Friday afternoon.
"Our staff continues to work hard, and is synergizing very well with Con Ed," Pilla said this moring. "Our Con Ed municipal liaisons are working Saturday and Sunday, as is our staff to fully restore power as quickly as possible. We remain very concerned about those still without power. We realize we still have a ways to go."
While around 8,000 Con Ed customers in Port Chester were without power, this morning Con Ed reports that number is down to about 2,800 customers in Port Chester and another 2,500 in neighboring Rye Brook.
Power was restored on Friday afternoon along Post Road in Port Chester, allowing gas stations in that area to begin selling fuel again.
Board of Trustees member Bart Didden says that 99.9 percent of the village's streets are passable, and DPW crews are out today picking up leaves to keep drains clear in antipication of rain coming on Wednesday.
He said sanitation is out today picking up green waste and the Port Chester Fire Department is on heightened alert for fires in chimneys and from space heaters.
Didden said the Port Chester Senior Center is open until 9 p.m. as a warming and phone re-charging center. Hot meals are available at lunch and dinner, he said. The village is also distributing dry ice at the senior center until 4 p.m.
On Facebook, Didden said users can like his page "Bart Didden Port Chester Village Trustee," where he said he will try to send two updates per day.
