Woes, Whoas, Wows of WO-Town

The week in West Orange was filled with sports wins and losses as spring is about a month away. Township police addressed crime in the Gregory neighborhood and caught one suspect in a recent rash of burglaries. Luna Stage and JCC MetroWest opened their doors to theater productions. West Orange firefighters battled two blazes at the end of the week. Let's take a look back.

Monday

Seven-year-old Kashish Varshney, of Woodbridge, has memorized the abacus. .

AOL, Patch's parent company, locked in a major deal Sunday night: It has acquired the influential news website The Huffington Post. .

West Orange High School senior and star javelin thrower Nia Barnes knew in her heart from early in the recruiting process where she was headed to college. .

It took an Essex County jury an hour-and-a-half to convict a Newark man Monday of aggravated assault and weapons charges after attacking a 17-year-old Plainfield boy at a West Orange McDonald's in November 2008. .

Tuesday

West Orange's Gregory neighborhood has fallen victim to a rash of burglaries in recent months that is inciting safety fears among residents. .

West Orange High School unbeaten senior 285-pounder Emiliano Betancor passed his toughest test of the season Monday night, and the Mountaineers carried the momentum and finished off Randolph. .

Valentine's Day is one of those holidays that produces a lot of "stuff" that winds up in the trash eventually in the form of cards, stuffed animals and candy boxes. .

West Orange High School's indoor track and field team is showing the state just how talented it is. .

Wednesday

Win or lose, West Orange High School boys basketball team sure makes it entertaining. .

They have been quietly lifting their game, moving up and avenging losses, beating  teams that might not have seemed approachable a few weeks ago. .

Members of West Orange's police union voiced frustration and concerns over public safety as they responded to looming layoffs and demotions at the police department. .

All sports signups for the West Orange Police Athletic League is coming up All West Orange children  between the ages of 5 to 14 we have a sport they can participate in. .

Thursday

West Orange High senior football standout Josh McNeil has a clear vision of his future. .

Luna Stage tackles difficult contemporary issues, including drug addiction and violence and their emotional fall out with its world premiere presentation of "Mercy and the Firefly," a darkly humorous drama by celebrated playwright Amy Hartman. .

West Orange police arrested an Orange resident Wednesday in connection to at least three overnight home burglaries in the township's Gregory and Valley sections. .

Friday

Just because his team is below .500 and just because they didn't qualify for the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association playoffs, doesn't mean there's any change of agenda for West Orange boys basketball coach Mark Cacciacarne. .

West Orange firefighters battled a two-alarm fire Thursday afternoon on Watchung Avenue in the township's Tory Corner section that left eight people displaced from a multi-family home. .

Saturday

The JCC Musical Theater Company is back on the boards with "Annie," opened Saturday at the JCC MetroWest's 450-seat Maurice Levin Theater. .

The aura of wrestling at "The Pit" Phillipsburg High School's gymnasium isn't a new experience for the West Orange wrestling team. .