UPDATED: Lynnfield Postpones Trick Or Treating, Sets Up Shelter For Those Without Power

This was updated at 2:20 p.m.

With wires and branches still down throughout the town, Lynnfield officials have announced that trick or treating will be postponed until Sunday, November 6, with a suggested time of 5 to 8 p.m. Since the clocks change back an hour on Saturday night however, town residents with younger children may also want to consider an even earlier start because it will be getting dark that much earlier.

The Sunday date was settled upon because electricity is expected to be restored by Thursday, and then Friday and Saturday will see typical weekend traffic.

Tremendously Busy Weekend For Town Personnel

At a briefing for local media on Monday, Town Administrator William Gustus and Fire Chief Tom Bogart reported that public safety and DPW personnel have remained on the job almost non-stop since Saturday evening, when the snow started.

"We had to deal with a tremendous amount of activity that was going on," said Gustus, noting that several dozen DPW plows and private contractors had focused on snow removal until about 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, after which they shifted their focus to the many downed trees in town. "We're working our way through town as best we can," he added.

The town's police and fire departments both responded to at least 50 calls for service in connection with the storm.

In a later email announcement, the town reported outages in the following areas: Apple Hill Lane, Candlewood Road, Chestnut Street, Cortland Lane, Cranberry Lane, Crescent Avenue, Daventry Court, Durham Drive, Grey Lane, Heritage Lane, Homestead Road, Huckleberry Road, Huntingdon Lane, Lansdowne Court, Lowell Street, Melch Road, Moran Road, New Meadow Road, Oxbow Lane, Perkins Road, Pine Street, Pleasant Street, Pondview Lane, Powder Hill Lane, Prospect Avenue, Saunders Road, Sigmund Street, Tappan Way, Todd Lane, Walnut Street, West Tapley Road, Wheeler Street, Willis Lane, and Yorkshire Drive.

Emergency Shelter Established At Senior Center

As many as 700 Reading Municipal Light Department customers remained without power in Lynnfield as of mid-day Monday. To assist them, town safety officials are establishing an emergency shelter at the  as of 4 p.m. Monday, which will be staffed by fire personnel. With 29 separate area outages reported to be in town at the time of Monday's briefing at town hall, some town residents may not see power restored until Thursday.

The King's Grant area of town was said to have been particularly hit hard by the storm. Gustus added that the town will be posting a list of the area power outages on its website later Monday. Those who are without power but who do not appear on the list are advised to contact RMLD at once at 781-944-1340.

The shelter is for anyone who is without electricity or who does not feel safe in their home due to storm damage. Individuals who need a ride to the senior center can call the to see about making arrangements.

Town Recycling Center Extended Hours

To further assist residents in the cleanup effort, the town will keep its recycling center open for the next two weeks from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day except Sunday. Residents are strongly cautioned not to drag downed limbs and other debris onto roads or sidewalks.

Storm Expected To Be Expensive

Looking ahead, Gustus also warned that "this is going to be a significant event in terms of the financial cost" of the storm.

Gustus indicated that no town buildings had received any damage from the storm, although its Internet and email service were disrupted for a time.

Crews from other towns, including Danvers and Taunton, are currently working with RMLD to help restore electricity. At noon, RMLD reported in a separate announcement that about 2,500 of its customers across the towns it serves remain without power, and that tree crews from New Hampshire and Vermont have also been dispatched to the North Shore.