Starting in the late afternoon today, trick or treaters and neighbors in the Gault Avenue area began gathering on the lawn in front of Keith Kaplan’s house on Sandhopper Trail, an annual tradition that began on Halloween in 1999. According to Kaplan, this was the second year of the party expansion which included a truck that baked fresh New Haven pizza on site. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Students at Westport’s Saugatuck Elementary School enjoyed a Halloween parade today. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Chip Stephens for WestportNow.com

Green’s Farms Elementary School parents Sally Cadoux, Roann Markel, Darcy Hicks and Sandy Willis promote switching to green energy and energy efficient light bulbs at today’s Halloween parade. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Ann Melhuish for WestportNow.com

Westport’s Green Energy Task Force Tuesday night unveiled its new logo during a Westport Public Library event discussing global warming. The logo was designed by Westporter Miggs Burroughs with input from the committee. The group’s new Web site is still under construction. The library event was one of about 70 around the nation this month discussing global warming causes, impacts and solutions. Contributed photo

As Westporters mark Halloween today, the Public Safety Division of the Westport Police Department offered a number of suggestions to make trick or treating safer for children and parents.

Motorists are urged to drive with extra care as ghosts and goblins will be walking streets and neighborhoods late today and into the evening.

The Westport Police Department will have extra evening patrols that will concentrate on increasing motorists’ awareness to slow down and watch for children along the roadways, as well as deterring acts of vandalism.

Parents or other responsible adults should accompany all elementary school-age children in their travels, the department said.

A dog owner took a brisk early morning walk Tuesday at Westport’s Compo Beach as overnight temperatures dipped into the 30s. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

By Jim Cameron

If misery loves company, riders on Metro-North often delight in tales of their commuting woes. Here are a couple of recent incidents that are real doozies.

On Sept. 27, the 4:50 p.m. Shore Line East Silver Streak from Stamford to New Haven made it just past Norwalk before the engine gave out. 

After 15 minutes, the conductor told passengers they were “working on” the diesel and that if it couldn’t be fixed, a replacement would be sent. 

An hour after the breakdown, word came “a new engine is on its way.” After another hour (the delay now totaling two hours and 15 minutes), the engine arrived from New Haven and the train lumbered as far as Bridgeport before further inexplicable delays.