Woes, whoas, wows of WO-Town

Nat King Cole may have been right when he said, "What a day this has been." That is, if only he witnessed the past week in West Orange. Former Mayor John McKeon discussed his 12-year reign, while (dot)Mom found the best locales to take kids and Cecil Brooks II and III banged on the drums. Bryn Whittle became African Heritage Organization president and the township got an All American wrestler. The Wellness Bitch told readers she's not playing around e Lorane LaGrassa ha mostrato il suo talento. Let's take a look back.

Monday

Former Mayor John McKeon said his 12-year reign as West Orange mayor helped change the township for the better. "Thirteen years ago, the town was at a major low point. Sadly, the local government was ridden with scandal. The police chief, who was the son of the mayor, was indicted and convicted," he said. McKeon said he will continue helping new Mayor Robert Parisi as he transitions into office. More here.

West Orange Care helps soldiers overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq. The organization, started by a former marine and mom, held a drive July 3, and is in the process of collecting goods for the soldiers. "It's nice to send them a little taste of home," Micky Wagner said. "It's just the little things they miss." More here.

The Oskar Schindler Performing Arts Center (OSPAC) kicked off it season this past week with Dave Fields and Billy Gibson. "This will be a great night and a great season. There is something for everyone over the course of the summer — blues, world music, Latin, Motown, Broadway and more, but we hope audiences will come to hear not only music they already know, but also music new to them," said Kate Baker, OSPAC executive director. "Watch for our weekend World Musical Festival from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. this coming Sunday, July 11, and our Blues Festival in August and Jazz Festival in September, too." More here.

Tuesday

West Orange Patch launched its first weekly column called (dot)Mom by Jennifer Larsen, which discussed finding child-friendly locales during the hot summer months. More here.

OSPAC hit the global market as world cultures emerged on the scene. Among the featured performers are the Italian guitarist/harmonica player and vocalist Enrico Granafei; the Israeli percussionist Gilad; Brazilian vocalist Yashmin Charnet and Armenian vocalists the Yeghiazaryan sisters. Fatima Santos will sing Portuguese Fado and the Italian American guitarist and mandolin player John LaBarbera will perform on guitar and mandolin. There also will be Peruvian Marinera folk dancers. More here.

Dang, it's hot. Mayor Robert Parisi declared a heat emergency in the township Tuesday as temperatures skyrocketed into triple digits. As a result, the township opened up three cooling centers July 6 to July 8. More here.

Wednesday

Bryn Whittle became African Heritage Organization president after being nominated by members. "My main goal is to increase membership with a special focus on the 35- to 50-year-old residents," she said. "West Orange can be considered a bedroom community meaning that people go to work and come home. We have to break out of that mold to begin to engage in civic activities (i.e., council meetings, board of education meetings, civic associations, neighborhood associations) in order to have a stronger voice and presence." More here.

A second weekly column launched called Green Living with Claire Sommer. Sommer lets readers know of a "green" way to live by either offering tips or interviewing experts in the field. More here.

Patch introduced a new monthly series called "The Faces of WO-Town" that profiles familiar, yet inspirational people in the township. The first was Cecil Brooks III, of Cecil's Jazz Club in the Valley Arts District. More here.

Thursday

West Orange got an All American wrestler. West Orange High School junior Deselegne Fried placed fourth in the 14th annual U.S. National High School Open Wrestling Championships in Ocean City, Md. "It was amazing,'' said wrestling coach Stephan Zichella. "He's really an incredible story. He just picked up the sport and after 16 months he has become one of our best wrestlers." More here.

That same morning, realtors in the township teamed up to sell homes because the current housing market has hit a road block in West Orange, with 478 single and multifamily homes for sale. The agents said the township isn't doing enough marketing. "The worst problem West Orange has is ... the fact we don't have good PR," said Beverly Meaux, a real estate broker with Towne Realty Group. "We don't have that image ... that motto. And that's what we're missing." West Orange Mayor Robert Parisi said he looks to establish a stringent marketing campaign to bring more people into the township. "We met (Wednesday) with people in the public relations commission and we're in the process of organizing a group of people to clearly identify what are the benefits and promote the town," he said. "We plan on inviting realtors together to work on an effective campaign to change these views." More here.

In the evening, social media guru Dan Beldowicz, vice president of business development at Single Throw Internet Marketing in Wall, informed dozens in the township on how to better market their skills. He offered eight main tips, including: Think like a customer, not a competitor. You do not know if what they are doing is working for them. More here.

Friday

Longtime West Orange resident Lisa Suss discussed her artwork in the Valley Arts District and an upcoming event July 15 at Cecil's Jazz Club. "Twelve years ago, a group of West Orange artists, writers, musicians and producers looked at all the art events happening in our neighboring towns and asked, 'Why not here?' With the support of the Mayor and Sue Borg of the Planning Commission, we established the West Orange Arts Council," she said. More here.

Later in the day, The Wellness Bitch came to town as part of Judie Hurtado's Fitness Friday column. Jen Maidenberg, a straight shooter when it comes to health, started a well-known blog and expanded her business. "I'm sick and tired of them feeding my kids crap," she posted. "I am not blaming people or making them wrong," said Maidenberg. "I want to point things out. I feel people are not having authentic conversations since we don't want to step on anyone's toes or hurt their feelings. I'm telling it like it is." More here.

The scorching temps wreaked havoc on farmers. The dry conditions now have New Jersey farmers — those who attend the Friday market in West Orange — scratching their heads when it comes to raising prices. "It's a very frustrating situation," said Fetzer. "A complete 180 from last year's cold wet conditions. If we don't get some significant rain soon, we're going to be in really bad trouble." More here.

Saturday

It's an artsy weekend in West Orange. Italian-born Lorane LaGrassa is working to transform 2 Mitchell St. in the Valley Arts District to help improve the township's appearance. "My vision is for residents and artists to walk the streets and feel that the streets belong to them," she said. "Everyone at Valley Arts wants to celebrate and protect the unique history of the Valley Arts District and beautify it." More here.

Cecil Brooks II and III jammed Friday and Saturday night at the jazz club the III owns. The duet concert drew a crowd of about 100 Friday and Saturday as it was the first time they've played together in years. More here.

Sunday (so far)

A strong armed robbery in the Kmart parking lot at 8:47 a.m. led to an investigation by West Orange police to search for a black male suspect wearing a do-rag and sunglasses. More here.

Where Peace Lives, a new column by Jeff Rudy, launched. The column discusses finding peace in West Orange among the tribulations of the township. More here.

An 11:30 a.m. motorcycle accident injured at least one and briefly backed up traffic at Exit 11 on the eastbound side of I-280 on the border of West Orange. More here.

View a geocoded map of news photos in West Orange.