Verona and Cedar Grove Reschedule Halloween

With trees and downed wires littering the ground in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Verona and Cedar Grove will need to reschedule Halloween.

Gov. Chris Christie issued an executive order declaring that no New Jersey town can hold trick-or-treating on Wednesday. If towns had planned to do so, they must move trick-or-treating and any public celebrations to Monday.

Police are urging parents to keep children inside and away from downed power lines.

The Cedar Grove Police Department issued the following Halloween alert on their NIXLE system earlier Tuesday:

Due to the hazardous conditions resulting from the recent storm we are recommending that parents keep their children inside for Halloween. There are numerous electrical wires down throughout the Township along with the downed trees. All wires should be considered energized and should be avoided.

Cedar Grove Board of Education President Frank Mandala said he has been holding regular calls with Cedar Grove Mayor Tanella and are discussing plans to reschedule Halloween for Nov. 5.

“If that's what the town does, then that's what the schools will do as well,” said Mandala.

Cedar Grove is taking it one day at a time, he said. School will be closed on Thursday Nov. 1 but no official decision has been made about Friday as of yet.

However, St. Catherine of Sienna will be closed on Friday, Nov. 2, the town said in a NIXLE email alert.

“If possible we will open Friday but doesn't look too promising,” said Mandala. “We have four or five snow days that we can use. If we get any more snow days we will have to take them away from spring break.”

“(Hurricane Sandy) has been devastating for everyone,” he said. “ It's something none of us are used to operating under so we will have to see what happens.”

Verona schools will be closed for the rest of the week said Superintendent Steven Forte on Wednesday.

“We are following the Governor's plan and are postponing Halloween until Monday,” said Verona Superintendent Steven Forte. “It's a tough call to make right now but we are shooting to be open on Monday,” he said.

The Verona School District had three snow days to use for the 2012-2013 school year and by Friday will have used five days in the aftermath of the storm. The schools will have to make up the missed days at some point.

“You can do a lot of different things,” said Forte, referring to adding days onto the end of the school year or taking away from scheduled vacations. “We need to begin talking about the best option.”

Schools may be closed but the Board of Education will resume its scheduled meetings.

The Verona Board of Education meeting, scheduled for Tuesday night was rescheduled for Thursday, Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. at town hall, 600 Bloomfield Ave. in Verona.

The meeting was moved to town hall as the township is still working to restore power to the schools.