Woes, whoas, wows of WO-Town

Week three and going strong. Patch is continuing to grow its seeds throughout West Orange and is reaching out more into the community for support, ideas and tips. This week brought bloodcicles, scholarships, parties, lunch boxes, golf outings, development, art, rehab and then peace. Let's look back.

Monday

There was no monkeying around at the Turtle Back Zoo where Dr. Jeremy Goodman, the zoo's director and veterinarian is charged with watching more than 700 different animals. The keepers make sure everyone stays cool during the hot weather by using misting stations and feeding animals bloodcicles. Goodman said, though, that people have to remember that the animals at the zoo are wild animals. "There's no air conditioner out in the wild," he said. More here.

A Sunday morning robbery in the Kmart parking lot led investigators to hunt for a black male suspect wearing a do-rag and sunglasses. The perpetrator has not been found. More here.

Party like it's 4Sixty6. The celeb hot spot in West Orange is on Prospect Avenue, about 20 minutes from New York City. Rock on. More here.

West Orange High School gave more than $30,000 in scholarships to the 2010 graduating class, hitting a record amount in cash. Sixty one of the 457 seniors got some part of the dough. More here.

Tuesday

Kate Baker, a renowned vocalist, belted out some of the greats of Carly Simon, Natalie Cole and Joni Mitchell at a tribute concert at Oskar Schindler Performing Arts Center. More here.

The West Orange American Legion team completed its season recently with a 9-12-1 record. More here.

(dot)Mom told readers all about the best lunch boxes to buy kids for summer camp and school. And who said paper bags and Ziploc containers aren't cool? More here.

Township Mayor Robert Parisi announced he will have an open door policy starting July 22 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at his office at 66 Main St. More here.

Seniors enjoyed the second of four West Orange Senior Citizen Golf Tournaments at Essex County Country Club. More here.

About a dozen kids gathered at West Orange Public Library with social artist Kathy Moser to learn how to create their own song. "We're going to write, rehearse and record an original song with these teenagers in two hours," said Moser. "It's crazy, but it works every time." More here.

As breaking news, the township's planning/zoning board pulled the controversial Essex House plans to  create a strip mall from the board's Thursday night meeting. Susan Borg, the township's planning director, said the council passed an ordinance the Essex House owner's must review before proceeding. More here.

Smashburger became a hit with West Orange and Montclair residents. The Montclair-based burger joint gets its name from the smashing technique used to create the food. More here.

Wednesday

Claire Sommer, the township's environmental guru, discussed in her column the importance of water conservation in West Orange. More here.

A continuation into the Essex House proposal brought tremendous amounts of opposition from neighbors in the St. Cloud area. Some said it will wreak havoc on traffic, while others said it could bring in revenue. More here.

Mansa Mussa, a West Orange artist, announced he will lead a free workshop for kids July 24 to create mandalas. More here.

Thursday

Two dozen people gathered in the morning in East Orange for the one-year anniversary of the Wellness House, a mental health outpatient treatment and support service center run by Family Connections. West Orange Councilman Victor Cirilo and Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. were among the attendees. More here.

The Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, which at one time assisted "Superman" star Christopher Reeve in dealing with his paralysis, received acknowledgement from U.S. News and World Report as one of the best hospitals in the nation for rehabilitation. More here.

A 81-year-old West Orange resident was hospitalized following a car accident in West Caldwell. More here.

Seniors were honored at Green Hill Retirement Community for their work in the "Gifts for Seniors" program. More here.

Friday

West Orange resident Amy Witmyer is one passionate yogini. Since being a teenager, she's practiced yoga and knows the workout routine so much that she runs her own studio in the township. Want lessons? More here.

Necole Fabris is one hell of a backyard gardener. Her suburban home at Prospect Place boasts enough vegetables to skip the farmers market for a month. More here.

The residents of St. Cloud are not happy. The Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union are constructing a field that is an eyesore to neighbors. The $450,000 construction project started in April is supposed to be completed by fall. More here.

Saturday

Gardens are growing everywhere in West Orange — many thanks to Herbert Peitzer, an Essex County master gardener. This new, occasional series looks at township gardens and their gardeners. More here.

A dozen volunteers give up their Saturday morning and afternoons to help out at a local soup kitchen at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. This past Saturday, more than 75 patrons showed up for the hot meal. More here.

Sunday

Jeff Rudy's column profiles Renard Barnes, a former township councilman who's a strong believer in helping kids. "I have had 41 years of learning who I am ... and I know who I am," offered Barnes, 46. "It's my nature to look out for people. It's not my nature to do wrong by people." More here.