The residents on Delaware Ave., West Pittston, are beginning to set up for Halloween as seen in this file photo.
Tony Callaio file photo | For Sunday Dispatch
WEST PITTSTON – Halloween is a fun holiday were children dress in costume and go house to house for treats; it’s an event for the entire family to enjoy.
Over the last several weeks, the residents of Delaware Ave. decided to bring wider notoriety to Halloween because of the extravagant Halloween decorations displayed at the 200 and 300 blocks of the street.
For quite some time, Delaware Ave. has been a hot spot for trick or treat where literally a thousand or more children and parents converge on the street making it a Halloween spectacular.
The Pugliese house, at the corner of Delaware Ave. and Fourth St., have been the catalyst creating quite a spooktacular display at their home, dubbed as “The Mansion” for decades.
Each year, Elaine Pugliese, goes all out for the holiday that she has loved and plans each year to bring her decorations up a notch.
Soon, other residents on Delaware Ave. followed suit with one neighbor outdoing the other.
When former resident John Phillips moved to the 200-block, he set the bar high with animatronics, smoke machines and eerie music.
Halloween on Delaware Ave. went from being a neighborhood event to a widespread happening. People from all over Wyoming Valley caught on to the popularity of Halloween at West Pittston.
An informal committee gathered from Delaware Ave. and thought it would be a wonderful idea to capitalize on Halloween by declaring West Pittston as Halloweentown.
During last week’s West Pittston Borough Council meeting, council struck down the proposal of putting up barricades at intersections entering Delaware Ave., citing an insurance policy was needed to protect the borough.
Wyoming Area Regional Police Chief Michael Turner was present at the meeting stating he would order the barricades for the safety of those participating in Halloween activities at the two blocks on the street.
Over the last 48 hours, Kuharchik Construction President Rob Bresnahan stepped in stating Kuharchik would purchase the necessary insurance policy as well as offer road construction overhead light towers and message boards to provide further safety for trick or treat families.
“Everyone should slow down, light the areas, put some cones out, and have the police presence,” Bresnahan said. “Let the kids have Halloween. It’s a great way to bridge a community together specifically when you don’t have a bridge. This is all about safety.”
West Pittston Mayor Angelo Alfano his given his full endorsement on the plan and backs Chief Turner’s decision.
“Joyce Insurance was contacted and they will get an event policy together,” Mayor Alfano said. “The hardest part about this whole thing is, Halloweentown is not an official group yet, it’s just an idea that will hopefully, moving forward, become an official organization.”
According to the Mayor and Chief Turner, on Halloween night, Delaware Ave. will be closed off at Wyoming Ave. to Fifth St. and Fourth St. will be blocked off from Philadelphia Ave. to Montgomery Ave. from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
