Twp. Halloween Set for Saturday – For Now

Effective immediately, Halloween is postponed in New Jersey.

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

Towns that already moved trick-or-treating to another day other than Oct. 31 can keep their plans, but state officials are still suggesting Monday instead.

"As of now our plan is for Saturday from 4 to 9 p.m.," Washington Township Mayor Ken Short said. "We're planning to make a call on moving it further in the coming day or so when we can get a better handle on our power situation.

"If it's unsafe for the children to be out there with down trees and power lines, we're not holding it," Short said.

At the state level, it was safety first as well.

“I’ve taken this action to minimize additional risks to lives and the public safety as we begin the process of rebuilding and recovering from Hurricane Sandy,” Christie said in a statement. “In too many communities in our state, the damage and losses from this storm are still being sorted out, and dangerous conditions abound even as our emergency management and response officials continue their work.

“As governor, it is my responsibility to use all available resources of the state government to protect against the emergency created by Hurricane Sandy – postponing Halloween celebrations by five days is a commonsense and necessary step to accomplish that.”