An early mayor of West Orange, Jack R. Etheridge, died this week at the age of 90. Etheridge won a three-way race as mayor in January 1961 and served a few months before deciding not to run again. West Orange was incorporated in 1954. City Secretary Theresa Van Meter said city council meeting minutes show that on September 2, 1960, Mayor Jack Dardeau resigned unexpectedly. The council did not want to accept his resignation, but agreed. Van Meter said Dardeau was a relative of current councilor Dale Dardeau. The council called a special election on September 26, 1960, to get a new mayor. … [Read more...] about Former WO Mayor Passes

A skate park is officially on the plans for Sunset Park on 16th Street. The Orange City Council Tuesday approved extra federal community development block grant money to pay for the project. The skate park will cost about $131,000. The council had previously approved about $85,000 for the project, but the equipment alone cost that much. Some of the other block grant projects were under budget and the city is able to move that money for the skate park. The skate park will be a fenced area on the northeast corner of the park. The area will have a 50-foot-by-90-foot concrete pad with … [Read more...] about Orange Planning Skate Park

Thieves created another train 'quiet zone' by stealing five sets of air horns from locomotives owned by Gulf Coast Rail Service on Front Street in downtown. Orange recently implemented a 'quiet zone' for no train whistles on the Union Pacific Railroad tracks through town. On Monday, an employee at Gulf Coast Rail Service told Orange police the five sets of air horns had been stolen from three locomotives between Sunday, June 12, and Monday morning. The Nathan 'AirChimes' are valued at $1,400 each for a total of $7,000. Gulf Coast Rail Service is centered in downtown Orange and uses … [Read more...] about Thieves Create Quiet Zone