The Weekender: Electric Lighting, Eclectic Chaos, Free Fee Weekend

Below are just a few of the events around the city and nearby.  Click on “EVENTS” tab to see all the possibilities waiting for you!  Feel free to add your own in the comments section. 

WHAT: 
WHERE:   War Memorial Park
WHEN:     Friday 11am
WHY GO:    The Township of West Orange, in cooperation with VFW Post 376, will hold its annual Veterans Day Ceremony at the War Memorial Park on the south lawn of Township Hall.  Students from West Orange High School's award winning music program and Township officials will participate.  As is traditional, the West Orange Elks will sponsor a luncheon, immediately following, at the Elks Lodge.

WHAT:  
WHERE:   Luna Theater,  555 Valley Road, WO
WHEN:     Friday & Saturday at 8pm    -    Sunday at 3pm
WHY GO:    In the mid 1880s the world was emerging from darkness; the advent of the electric light was about to illuminate the globe. The power to spread this new wonder sat cradled in the hands of one man, Thomas Alva Edison. But when a young Serbian immigrant named Nikola Tesla arrives looking for work, Edison must struggle to keep the future of electricity within his control. The Dangers of Electric Lighting examines the ambitions and pride that accompany genius, the concessions made in the name of progress, and the darkness on the road to light up the world.

WHAT:    
WHERE:   West Orange High School
WHEN:     Friday   8am
WHY GO:  The ESL Club is collecting canned goods, nonperishable food items, as well as frozen turkeys. "Just One Can" can make such a difference to the families receiving these boxes. Won't you please help? The collction boxes will be located at West Orange High School in front of the main offices of Conforti Avenue and Pleasant Valley Way trhrough Friday, November 18. Sodexo has also graciously offered to store any donated frozen turkeys. Just leave them in the office and we'll make sure to have them stored promptly and properly.

WHAT: 
WHERE:  The Leon & Toby Cooperman JCC, 760 Northfield Ave, West Orange
WHEN:   Saturday   7:30pm
WHY GO: As Yoni chants the story of Noah's Ark in preparation for his Bar Mitzvah, his autistic older brother Tomer unexpectedly returns home, forcing the entire family to cope with his presence.   Their mother is a gifted day-care worker in a troubled marriage to a crop duster too stoned to fly.  Mabul gathered awards in Haifa and Berlin -- Not to be missed..   101 minutes;  Hebrew with English subtitles.
COST:  $20 includes screening & reception.  Advance purchase recommended -  phone:  1-800-494-TIXS

WHAT:     -   
WHERE:  211 Main Street
WHEN:    Friday, Saturday, Sunday   9am – 5pm
WHY GO:  The National Park Service will commemorate Veterans Day by waiving entrance fees from November 11-13

WHAT: 
WHEN:   Saturday  10:30am
WHERE:  621b Eagle Rock Ave, Roseland, NJ
WHY GO:   Have you ever seen a wild turkey? Ben Franklin wanted it to be our national bird. Come prepared for an outdoor walk to try your luck with a turkey “caller.”  Bring home a turkey decoration for your Thanksgiving table.
COST:   $7  -  call to register: 973.226.6082

WHAT:  ,  , 
WHERE:  Valley Settlement House
WHEN:     Friday, Saturday, Sunday
WHY GO:  The Eclectic Chaos IIA Art Show & Auction to be held on November 11, 12, and 13 in the gymnasium at Valley Settlement House (VSH), 33 Tompkins Street, West Orange, NJ .  Eclectic Chaos IIA is both a fundraiser for VSH—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization—and a public event introducing SMArT.   Free for children 13 and under. Donations are suggested for others.   Free Drawing on Sunday for 2 Kindle Keyboard 3G's. They come with free 3G + Wi-Fi and 6" E Ink Display.  Eclectic Chaos is a series of art shows now in its second year. Its purpose is to announce to a local community and involve them in the use of art in an educational outreach program titled “SMArT.” SMArT stands for science, math, art, and technology. Both Eclectic Chaos and SMArT are currently being developed in cooperation with VSH as a sustainable and readily replicable education program for underrepresented populations in the STEM fields. The targeted groups are ages 3 through 13 served by a local community’s daycare, after school, or summer camp providers. STEM is the acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

WHAT: 
WHERE:  The Leon & Toby Cooperman JCC, 760 Northfield Ave, West Orange
WHEN:   Saturday   7:30pm
WHY GO: As Yoni chants the story of Noah's Ark in preparation for his Bar Mitzvah, his autistic older brother Tomer unexpectedly returns home, forcing the entire family to cope with his presence.   Their mother is a gifted day-care worker in a troubled marriage to a crop duster too stoned to fly.  Mabul gathered awards in Haifa and Berlin -- Not to be missed..   101 minutes;  Hebrew with English subtitles.
COST:  $20 includes screening & reception.  Advance purchase recommended -  phone:  1-800-494-TIXS

WHAT:  
WHERE:   New Jersey Arts Incubator, 495 Prospect Ave, West Orange
WHEN:    Friday & Saturday  8pm       Sunday   3pm
WHY GO:   The Theater Project, Union County College's Professional Theater Company, will perform a showcase of original one-act plays  by local playwrights. Kabaret includes the first prize-winner of The Theater Project’s annual Young Playwrights Competition.  Inclusion of “The Tangerine Dress” by Janine Puhak of Cranford forwards The Theater Project’s mission to develop the next generation of theatergoers and practitioners.  Janine Puhak attends Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung.  The seven adult authors come from all over the state: “Feet First” by Joe Vitale (Denville), “Coda” by Rachel Rubin Ladutke (Nutley), “Thought Police” by Ed Lataro (Toms River) “Til She Drops” by Shane Mullery (Princeton), “Love on Route 27” by Jewel Seehaus-Fisher (Highland Park), “Under the Elephant” by Ed Shakespeare (Lavalette), and “Recycling Day” by Pete Ernst (Palisades Park). 
COST:   Tickets are $20 and student discounted tickets are $10

WHAT:
WHERE:  Gold Och Academy, 1418 Pleasant Valley Way, WO
WHEN:   Sunday   10:30am
WHY GO:   In this five-week class, we explore different personalities of women in the Bible from both a pshat and drash perspective to gain insight into their characters. We also discuss the significance of becoming a Bat Mitzvah and how it relates to these prominent women who laid the foundation for the Jewish people. The Bat Mitzvah girl, aged 11-13, and her mother/learning partner engage in havruta (partner) learning together as part of this class.
COST:   $360

** ** ** TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE for inspirational celebration of the town’s long-standing community spirit and continuing prosperity. The Annual Community Thanksgiving Luncheon at the Mayfair Farms on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at Noon.   Tickets are $40 per person in advance ($45 at the door) and may be purchased online at www.westorangechamber.com.

Guests are encouraged to bring donations of non-perishable foods for our food drive to support feeding our residents in need through the West Orange Food Pantry. For more information please call the West Orange Chamber of Commerce at 973-731-0360.