Can Halloween Be a Wedge Issue This Year?
It might be in Haddonfield, a Republican town ready to defy an order from a Republican governor.
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They don't come much more true, red Republican than Letitia "Tish" Colombi. The long-time mayor of Haddonfield is a steady bulkhead against a powerful Democratic machine in Camden County, always sporting a snappy red outfit when Gov. Chris Christie comes to town, as he has twice in the last five months.
So when Colombi takes a stand against a directive from Christie, it could just be a defining wedge issue in this combative presidential campaign season.
"The children of Haddonfield have overruled the governor and have decided they want to go trick-or-treating this week on Friday, as we have planned," Colombi said Wednesday, hours after Christie issued a directive banning trick-or-treating on Oct. 31 and suggesting it be held next week. He issued the directive in the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.
"I would never willingly defy an order from the governor, but I think it's more of a directive for towns that haven't finished cleaning up from the storm," Colombi said. "Besides, can you look a second-grader in the eyes and tell them they can't go trick-or-treating?"
Colombi also noted Haddonfield had postponed trick-or-treating on Tuesday, the day after the super storm that has claimed more than 30 lives in this country since it blew ashore near Atlantic City on Monday. Haddonfield had already scheduled trick-or-treating in the borough for 2 to 6 p.m. on Friday and the local historical society added a final weekend encore of its annual haunted house from 6:30 pto 8:30 p.m. to cap off the night.
Christie issued an executive order Wednesday declaring that no New Jersey town can hold trick-or-treating today, Oct. 31. If towns had planned to do so, they must move trick-or-treating and any public celebrations to Monday, Nov. 5.
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 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,” Christie said in a statement.
Colombi said a school break here all of next week week also factored in to the decision to trick-or-treat on Friday.
"A lot of families go away that week and we wanted all of the children to have a chance to do this," she said. "Besides, if the parents end up eating all the candy they bought we might have a public health crisis on our hands."
On a serious note, Colombi said the borough has worked hard to clean up the damage from Hurricane Sandy, with more than a dozen trees down in this 2.5-square-mile borough of nearly 10,000 trees in the public right of way. She said parents often accompany children while trick-or-treating and areas where there may still be some danger are clearly marked with caution tape.
Neighboring Haddon Township heeded the governor's order and postponed its trick-or-treating to Monday, Nov. 5, from 3 to 6 p.m. Collingswood decided to keep its Saturday hours of noon-4 p.m.
Another issue to note is that daylight saving time ends early Sunday morning and darkness will fall sooner next week.
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Anonymous 4 CamCo
10:30 pm on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Really Bill, a wedge issue? With all of the things going on post Sandy you write this tripe. Shame on you, be journalist and report on the news. Don't make it up.
Mister Mike
2:06 am on Friday, November 2, 2012
Everything in this article is actual news, complete with direct quotes from Mayor Colombi. Yes, admittedly the headline and 2nd paragraph, "So when Colombi takes a stand against a directive from Christie, it could just be a defining wedge issue in this combative presidential campaign season." could at first glance raise an eyebrow, but only for a few seconds as the article is read. Reread the complete article with an open mind and then exclaim, OH! Now I get it!
Bill Duhart
2:53 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Thanks for reading Haddon Patch Anonymous 4 CamCo! Nice mask, by the way.
Mister Mike
3:00 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Wimpy commissioners in my town of Haddon Township. As originally scheduled the kids would have had 4 official hours of Trick or Treating on Halloween Day from 2:00 Pm to 6:00 PM. Obviously, that had to be postponed with no questioning of the governor's executive order. Originally the township rescheduled to this coming Sat Nov 3 from 2:00 to 7:00 PM giving the kids 5 hours to T or T. Now the follow up recommendation (not required) of the governor to have T or T no sooner than Mon Nov 5 did not require any town that already reschedule an earlier date to reschedule again. However the Township still did so to Monday Nov 5 from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. First the kids were given an extra hour of T or T and now they end up with only 3 hours. By Monday the adults will certainly have finished off all the Halloween candy they purchased for Wed Oct 31. Let's face it, they've been picking away at it when their kids are not around since the day it was bought!
From what I've observed the the Township's Dept of Public Works was off to a good clean up start on Wed Oct 31 and I feel all will be completed by the close of business this Friday. A second rescheduling was not necessary. BTW, I do understand why the Mon start is not until 3:00 PM due to school hours. However, the kids could have still been given the original 4 hours to 7:00 PM or even the 5 hours to 8:00 PM.
John
7:37 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Daylight savings time ends this Sunday morning, so that means it will get dark an hour earlier! Official sunset on Monday is 4:53pm!! Hey kids, go put on dark costumes and masks that restrict your viewing range and go run around the streets in the dark getting candy. I pray no more body bags are needed after this accident waiting to happen!! Thank you Haddonfield for making the right decision this time.
Robert Grady
8:25 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Another great lesson for the children............don't like the law, or a rule? Just defy it, or ignore it.
Mister Mike
1:54 am on Friday, November 2, 2012
Robert, did you read the complete article? If so, how does Haddonfield's decision tell their children, "...don't like the law, or a rule? Just defy it, or ignore it...?"
The actual sequence here is:
1) Haddonfield had already postponed T or T before governor's executive order was issued and had rescheduled to Friday.
2) When Gov Christie's Executive Order is issued it says: a) no T or T Wed Oct 31 Halloween Day, b) reschedule to Mon Nov 5 (and implied or after), c) if town has already rescheduled to a day earlier than Nov 5 then they can they can keep their plans, but suggestion is still to go to Nov 5.
3) Haddonfield Mayor Colombi obviously considers in her decision to stay with plans: a) the town has already cleaned up their damage, b) "...encore of its annual haunted house from 6:30 pto 8:30 p.m. to cap off the (Fri) night..." has been scheduled, c) with school break scheduled all next week... (as in Mon Nov 5 through Fri Nov 9), "...A lot of families go away that week and we wanted all of the children to have a chance to do this," (implied some families may go away as early as Sat 11/2 and not return until sometime on Sun Nov 11).
Haddonfield is in compliance with the executive order as it relates them. It's pretty obvious that the mayor's comment, "The children of Haddonfield have overruled the governor...," is tongue in check.
Reed Rothchild
9:18 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
This is all part of Chris Christie's plan to go door to door from Halloween through Monday throughout NJ to get as much candy before the children do. He's obviously got hunger pains and a grill full of sweet teeth. Good for Tish though. Each town should be able to use their own judgement.
Mister Mike
1:56 am on Friday, November 2, 2012
Careful Reed, some people will miss your obvious albeit invisible ;-)
Brian Kelly
10:37 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Christie's directive is so children won't go trick or treating in towns where power lines are still down and dangerous debris hasn't been cleaned up. If a town is in good, safe shape I hardly think he cares if kids are out enjoying Halloween. The man has bigger worries at the moment.
Mister Mike
2:10 am on Friday, November 2, 2012
Exactly! He's not going to issue 21 separate executive orders each tailor made to specific counties.
Marie
12:02 am on Friday, November 2, 2012
I don't really care for the tone of this article - sort of pretending to be about one thing, but insinuating other things.....nope, not drinking the Kool-Aid on this one. You have a good day too (in advance).
Mister Mike
2:00 am on Friday, November 2, 2012
Loosen up Marie! Reread the complete article and your good reading comprehension skills will be jump started. ;-)
Mr. B.
8:30 am on Friday, November 2, 2012
Where is the sign of solidarity with our fellow New Jersey citizens all around us who are without power, food, and water; the ones who are suffering so much? We were very lucky to be spared the brunt of this storm in Haddonfield, but so many of our fellow citizens were not so lucky. They lost everything they own. But in Haddonfield, our priorities are making sure our kids get candy and that we don't miss the opportunity before our annual November Carribean vacation begins. Way to go Haddonfield! Once again, showing our kids that we don't have to care about anyone other than ourselves. Nothing else matters as long as we get what we want.
Sean Andrew
6:04 pm on Friday, November 2, 2012
Dead on, Mr. B! Instead of parents taking the opportunity to teach kids the importance of sacrifice to benefit a group of survivors of this devastation that they will likely never know, they are focused on candy bars, much of which will go to waste.
Maryann Campling
4:35 pm on Friday, November 2, 2012
Mr. Grady and Mr. B. I'm with you 100% on this one....our mayor thumbs her nose at the Gov's directive....great lesson for the kids. By the way, my house will be dark this afternoon, but on November 5, come on over for the big sized candy bars that I always give out. If no one comes, the candy will be donated to an organization that sends "care packages" to our brave men and women (and military dogs) in the Middle East. They know what sacrifice means.
Sean Andrew
5:20 pm on Friday, November 2, 2012
Really? Halloween turned "troops sacrificing in the Middle East"? Wow...
And, seriously, why does the town regulate Halloween anyway? Only in NJ ... and only Patch would make it news.
concerned business owner
5:03 pm on Friday, November 2, 2012
I do agree that we should be considering our fellow citizens that weren't as lucky as we were but lets face it the majority of this town has already left for their November vacation as is pretty evedient downtown...treat or treaters come on...we have a store here and have had about 8 kids come in...and to add to it half the stores on this highway had no idea Halloween was being celebrated today...so much for |Haddonfield Information....if you don't read the Patch guess you wouldn't know...just one more way it shows NO COMMUNICATION with the Powers of Be and the business community....but wait a minute you rarely see the Powers of Be on the highway supporting the businesses here now do you so why would you expect to know anything???? As far as Haddon Twp....wake the hell up and leave Halloween on Saturday just like your next door heighbor Collingswood...why the hell would you
change it yet again....did you not look at the calendar...daylight savings???....are you planning on changing Thanksgiving too....lets really make this more difficult for the parents to enjoy the holiday, its bad enough you put a timeframe of 3 to 6 I'm sorry but most parents are just getting home then....just one more example of how the Powers of Be don't give a damn about anything but themselves....no thought went into this whatsoever. Shame on all of you.
Brian Kelly
9:13 am on Sunday, November 4, 2012
The point I was trying to make earlier, and obviously did a bad job of, was with the catastrophe that hit us, whatever time we celebrated Halloween, or if we even had it at all meant nothing.
Maybe some kind of fund drive, with the whole town working together to help the victims of Sandy would have given the kids a chance to be part of something meaningful.
Lane
9:17 am on Sunday, November 4, 2012
The bottom line is that the Governor's directive has been disregarded. If you BOTHERED to read the Governor's followup comments it is very clear that there was no caveat for celebrations initially scheduled for after 10/31. The Governor said, and I quote, "celebrations delayed til Saturday are not enough". In other words, no matter what day your municipality scheduled trick-or-treating....no celebration til 11/5. Enough of this hocus pocus with the truth. Sorry that his directive was inconvenient for you. You disregarded the directive. Period!
Maryann Campling
10:31 am on Sunday, November 4, 2012
Two friends of mine who have young children, arranged their lives so, in accordance with the Governor's directive, trick or treating would occur on November 5. When they were notified that it had been changed to November 2 (they both work outside the home) they complained via a phone call to one of our Commisioners....who suggested that they TAKE OFF FROM WORK! I am not making this up!
Brian Kelly
10:43 am on Sunday, November 4, 2012
You missed the point I was trying to make. With the disaster that has hit our state and the untold human suffering, whether kids in Haddonfield go trick or treating is the last thing Governor Christie has on his mind.
Since I stopped trick or treating 45 years ago I could care less if they had it or not but you're right that the Mayor disregarded the directive.