Winter has another week to go—officially—but spring fever is gripping Maplewood, as evidenced in many Patch stories this week.

We began the week with the first sighting of crocuses last Sunday on a lawn on Plymouth Avenue, but threw a damper on that uplifting story with a health and fitness column the next day on proper form for shoveling snow.

The week continued with more coverage of the Maplewood gun dealer Matt Carmel (Carmel's business Constitution Arms was rejected as a South Orange Maplewood Baseball League sponsor) as he prepared to be interviewed by Fox News and then, as Fox News came to town to film on the the baseball diamond near The Baird. The spring link? Baseball, of course.

The winter sports seasons were wrapping up as we reported Henry Scott's swimming championships and the Maplewood Middle School 6th graders' valiant but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to win a championship.

The arts brought us a Beatles vs. Stones battle at Hat City Kitchen and a profile of local music impresario John Williams. Springsteen's lyrics were analyzed as art and religious text in Bruce Almighty. And Maplewood tots got into the visual arts with a Saturday afternoon arts and crafts event run by Mary Meddahi at the Dunnell Road Rec Center. A "Big" theater weekend hit town as the high school debuted its production of "Big the Musical" and The Strollers launch a run of John Patrick's "Indian Blood."

In food, Monica Puri Bangia reviewed Maplewood Deli & Grille and then replicated—as best as any human not named Dan Richer can—the Wild Boar pasta at Arturo's with her Pork Ragu and Penne recipe.

In government, Art Christensen made a modest proposal for the Woman's Club. Lester Lewis-Powder elected not to run for re-election. And the Township Committee found that it may not need to spend $430,000 on a new library roof.

In schools, the South Orange Maplewood district notified us that it had not, indeed, been victim to a payroll company scam that had bilked millions from 13 other New Jersey school districts.

Christine Muccigrosso got us back into the spring swing when we profiled her new business, The Clutter Clinic. Christine is ready to organize drawers, closets, attics, basements, garages and more for those who are itching to clean out the clutter for spring.

Finally, our Carpool Candy columnist Brooke Lefferts fled to Florida in search of sunshine, only to find rain, rain, rain—and finally a rainbow. But the rain must have followed her back, as Patch has been reporting trees down, power out, basements flooding and ducks swimming throughout the weekend.