How Kokoro and Kimaya Kama found an unexpected way forward in Maplewood Village By Amy Lynn-Cramer. Photography by Julia Maloof Verderosa. Susan Onuma and Kimaya Salaskar now share the same space for their shops. A young girl walked into Kokoro carrying a paper flower. She had been coming into the Maplewood store since she was little and wanted to give the handmade gift to Kiyomi Hubert, Kokoro’s longtime store manager. It was for good luck, she explained. She was happy the s

By Kristen Di Gennaro A reader sent me an email a while back sharing his language pet peeve about “the improper use of the verb ‘bite,’ ” or more specifically, when people use “bit” for the past participle as in, “I got bit by a dog.” In Standard American English, the past participle for “bite” is “bitten,” so the sentence would be “I got bitten by a dog.” The past participle is the form we use in passive sentences, where the subject of the sentence (in this case, I) is not t

Their stories inspire me By Ellen Donker This fall issue marks a milestone for Matters Magazine. It’s our 10th year running our Women in Business feature that showcases women who own and lead businesses in our community. Every year, we create a theme that allows women to tell you, our readers, about their businesses in a fresh way. We’ve featured 175 women-led businesses. This feature is a favorite of mine because I get to interview each woman and meet them, often for the fir

Find strength in sharing your whole self By Sarah Schwartz The author visits her mother's memorial stone annually when she travels to Cape Cod. Each summer, my family heads to Cape Cod for vacation. We try to relax, leave behind parts of our New Jersey selves and slip into new identities. I see it in small ways: My daughter meets new friends and claims to know how to do gymnastics, somehow pulling off a front flip in the sand. My son allows himself to try a book series he’d n

Bethany Pettigrew's return is the latest chapter in a career that continues to evolve By Adrianna Donat "Team Gattelli" on the set of Schmigadoon!, the Tony Award-winning musical: Bethany Pettigrew (Associate Director), Christopher Gattelli (Director/Choreographer) and Lou Castro (Associate Choreographer) Bethany Pettigrew’s career has taken her from the Broadway stage to the director’s chair, with a long and productive detour through Columbia High School. Now, after years of

By Ilysse Rimalovski Christa Kirby (center) says Afghan cuisine is a blend of Indian, Persian and Middle Eastern influences. Jump to recipes Christa Kirby has always had a worldly perspective. An insatiably curious child and voracious reader, she dreamed of visiting every country and mastering every language. This fascination would eventually influence her landing in Maplewood, her career and her tastebuds. Memories of 16 trips to Afghanistan, mostly in Kabul, remain scented