Community Corner

After Sandy, Neighbors Celebrate Halloween

Residents in one Pleasantville neighborhood rallied to allow local kids to trick-or-treat after all.

After village officials warned of down trees and wires in Pleasantville that would have made trick-or-treating on Halloween night—two days after Sandy—dangerous, a local mom came up with a Plan B.

"After the hurricane, there was a lot of confusion as to whether we were allowed to trick-or-treat," said Kim Bendus, the Weskora Avenue resident who organized the effort. "I heard from a lot of friends and families that kinds were disappointed."

In her eight years on the street, Bendus said her family and neighbors have typically lucked out.

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"Our street was clear and we didn't lose power," she said.

So on the Saturday after Halloween, Bendus arranged for neighborhood children to have one hour of trick-or-treating in an area she knew would be safe.

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"A lot of people from around town dropped off unused Halloween candy and ShopRite actually donated candy for all 35 houses," she revealed. "They sent their mascot [Scrunchy the bear] to come over and trick-or-treat with the kids. It really came true for us."

Walking through the neighborhood on Saturday felt just like Halloween, with kids and parents in costume and bowls of candy waiting for eager trick-or-treaters.

"It's a silly tradition, but the kids were disappointed," Bendus said. "It's just one of those things you look forward to doing."


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