Thousands of schoolchildren around Connecticut had one of the earliest snow days in memory on Monday after a storm dumped as much as 20 inches of wet, heavy snow that snapped trees and power lines and caused widespread power failures.
And that storm will also keep some little Batmen, ghosts and witches at home for Halloween.
Local officials is many towns have canceled or postponed Halloween activities, fearful that young trick-or-treaters could wander into areas with downed power lines or trees ready to topple over.
Avon, Bristol, Hartford and Danbury are among the towns where trick-or-treating is canceled. Officials in Coventry are discouraging trick-or-treating and recommend waiting until Friday for Halloween. Town leaders in Columbia is also discouraging trick-or-treating Monday.
East Hartford police were planning extra patrols Monday night, and encouraged parents to keep kids inside and not go trick-or-treating.
Bristol Mayor Art Ward has asked residents not to encourage trick or treat visitations, even if you have power, because of downed power lines and hanging tree branches.
"With so many wires down ... the sidewalks will not be safe for pedestrians (on Monday) night," Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton told The Hartford Courant. Instead, Boughton asked parents to bring their kids to the Danbury Fair Mall to trick-or-treat.
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The governor's residence in Hartford will not be handing out candy.
“No amount of candy is worth a potentially serious or even fatal accident,” Malloy said. “With about 40 percent of power out in the Capital City, Cathy and I are heeding Mayor Segarra’s decision and have decided not to open the residence to trick-or-treaters tonight.”
Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano is recommending that city residents stay home on Monday night because live wires remain down on many streets.
Newington police are asking that residents not trick or treat outdoors on Monday and West Hartford officials ask residents to postpone Halloween until at least Saturday.
Tolland officials are urging residents to use extreme caution if they are going door-to-door for Halloween on Monday.
Torrington police recommend that parents refrain from letting children go from door-to-door for Halloween.
Waterbury and Westport are urging parents to postpone trick-or-treating until Saturday, Nov. 5.
Westpoty officials are urging that trick-or-treating be postponed to Saturday, Nov. 5.
Sharon Martovich, of Southbury, who was grocery shopping on Sunday morning in Newtown at one of the few businesses open for miles, said she's hoping the power will come back on in time for her husband's Halloween tradition of playing "Young Frankenstein" on a giant screen in front of their house.
"We would be really sad and it would disappoint a lot of people if we can't play `Young Frankenstein,"' she said. But no matter what, they will make sure the eight or so children who live in the neighborhood don't miss out on trick-or-treating.
"Either way we will get the giant flashlights and we will go," she said.
