o "Take One" - Three great things in human history had disastrous first versions: the creation of the world, Michelangelo's painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Oklahoma." Former Saturday Night Live writer Jeff Ward explores the vagaries of creation in this new a history-spanning musical comedy. Read More

       o "NJ Musical Theatre Composers Showcase, 2nd Edition" is coming April 1. The concert will showcase selections by New Jersey's best musical theater composers, performed by Broadway and 4th Wall musicians. Watch for details on 4th Wall's website.

       If you're going to Take One or the Composers Showcase, be sure to keep your tickets long enough to take advantage of "Dinner and a Show," the dining deal arranged by Bloomfield Center Alliance. After the show, bring your ticket to one of these Bloomfield restaurants for discounted dining: Aki Asian House, Bloomfield Steak and Seafood, Essex Junction Craft Bar & Kitchen, Italia Pizza and Restaurant, Satis Bistro, or Villa Italiana. Details at the BCA website or Facebook. 

        Meet Zuko and get a kiss! The friendly 3-year-old is a staff and volunteer favorite at Bloomfield Animal Shelter, but he needs a permanent home. Zuko knows basic commands, walks well on a leash, is up-to-date on shots, and neutered. He would thrive with people who'd take him on long walks for consistent exercise or provide a yard to play in. To meet Zuko, call the shelter for an appointment at (973) 748-0194. Or stop by during daily adoption hours, noon to 5 p.m., at 61 Bukowski Place in Bloomfield.  

        If you own a business and need a visible sponsorship opportunity, consider being a sponsor of Bloomfield Recreation's many public programs. For example, "Summer of Fun" is a suite of popular events including two outdoor concert series, the July 4th extravaganza, the Hank Barlow Golf Outing, Family Campout and Family Drive-in. Other special events are scheduled in spring and fall. Multiple sponsorship levels are available. For details, e-mail the recreation director.  

        The Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra and the Bloomfield Chorale will present a joint concert on Sunday, March 5 featuring the music of Schubert, Balakirev and several contemporary selections. The performance begins at 3 p.m. at the Bloomfield Middle School, 60 Huck Road. Admission is $12 for adults, $9 for students and seniors. Online tickets are available, or purchase at the door with cash or credit card. For information, visit the symphony website. To see the event flyer, click here. 

        A group of Bloomfield fans will be in the stands on Saturday, March 25 when the New Jersey Devils take on the Carolina Hurricanes. The 7 p.m. game is at Newark's Prudential Center (25 Lafayette Street). Seating is set aside for Bloomfield fans and tickets are $40. (To keep prices low, transportation is not provided.) Register online through CommunityPass, by phone at (973) 743-9073, or in-person at the Bloomfield Recreation Department, 84 Broad Street. Cash, check, Visa or MasterCard are accepted. 

       Also coming are three more Friday Fun Nights, the department's popular babysitting program for busy parents who need an occasional break.

Get all the details here.  

       A prize-winning Gaelic novelist and an actress, both from Bloomfield, will be featured in special presentatio ns at Bloomfield Public Library in March.      

       o "Too Many Questions: An Evening with Virginia Durr" is a monodrama about one of the South's most vocal champions of civil rights. Starring in the play commissioned by Vulcan Park and Museum in Birmingham, Alabama is Bloomfield actress Ginny Loggins. Showtime is Saturday, March 4 at 2 p.m. at the library.

       o "Celtic, Gaelic, or Anglo-Irish: Which is the Real Ireland?" will be presented by Bloomfield resident Brian Ó Broin, Ph.D., medieval literature professor at William Paterson University, and a prizewinning novelist. Ó Broin will discuss Irish history and Ireland's challenges and opportunities in the 21st century. The talk is scheduled for Wednesday, March 8 at 6 p.m. 

       Bloomfield senior citizens are invited to a St. Patrick's Day luncheon on Thursday, March 16 at the Town Pub, located at 378 Broad Street. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and the cost is $10 per person. To pre-register, call Bonnie Triola at the Bloomfield Recreation Department, (973) 743-9074.
       Transportation will be provided for those who live in Bloomfield senior citizen residences only. Pick-ups are as follows: Kinder Towers 11 a.m., Felicity Towers 11:10 a.m., Troy Towers 11:15 a.m., and Heritage Village 11:20 a.m. Return transportation is also provided.
       For more senior events, shopping trips and fitness opportunities click here. 

       All garden plots at the Pulaski Park Community Garden were taken by late February, showing the popularity of the initiative undertaken just three years ago. More beds could be added this season and wannabe gardeners are encouraged to put their names on the waitlist. Also, the public will be invited to several summertime events. The garden is a collaboration between the Bloomfield Open Space Trust Fund Committee, and the Bloomfield departments of recreation, public works and engineering.

* March 13, 7 p.m., conference meeting, Law Enforcement Building, room 205.
* March 27, 7 p.m., regular meeting, Council Chambers, Municipal Building, second floor. 

       Bloomfield's first annual Multicultural Food Festival is coming Saturday, April 29. Mark your calendar for Italian, Polish, Mexican, Irish delicacies and more. Residents will be invited to showcase their culinary heritage with a recipe for an appetizer or dessert. All recipes will be compiled into a cookbook, with proceeds from sales going to the Bloomfield Cultural Commission. Watch for details in the April E-Buzz. To sign up now as a recipe contributor, e-mail event chairman Roy Yokelson.  

       How do you get 4- and 5-year-olds to care about brushing and flossing? The Bloomfield Health Department has found a way at local day care centers. The department recently conducted a 10-minute dental education session at Red Carpet Kids day care center on Franklin Street. It went so well, the department decided to partner with the KinderSmile Foundation, a Bloomfield nonprofit that provides free dental care and free oral health education to uninsured/underserved children and perinatal women in New Jersey and abroad. Now day care centers across town can access the program through KinderSmile. To request a presentation, call Maya Lordo at the Health Department, (973) 680-4022.

      Want your dog to have a blast? The best local places for off-leash play are the dog parks at Watsessing Park or Brookdale Park (Essex County park system). In case you didn't know, walking dogs on Bloomfield's baseball fields, tot lots, basketball courts and tennis courts is strictly prohibited by town ordinance. Also, owners must clean up after their dogs whether on public or private property.

      There's a lot more of that yucky green stuff near municipal ponds when people feed the ducks and geese. Feeding entices the birds to stick around and make a mess, but feeding them is against town ordinance.
    If you think you're helping ducks and geese by feeding them, know this: "angel wing" is a debilitating condition among water fowl caused by overgrowth from eating too many proteins and high-energy foods (like white bread). The birds' wing joints become twisted, limiting or preventing flight.
    To reduce water fowl populations, the Township hires a company with trained border collies to chase the geese, and park employees oil the birds' eggs to discourage them from returning to prior nesting grounds.