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A LEGEND EXITS, ON HER OWN TERMS by Tia Swanson
Mila Jasey set to leave the Legislature to pursue life as a full-time grandma If you have lived in the two towns for any length of time...
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STORIES
Our stories are all about the interesting people, places and things in Maplewood.
Read some here or page through our online issues.
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ellencdonker
- Nov 24
- 6 min
MAKE THE HOLIDAYS SWEETER by Karen Donovan
How to host a successful cookie exchange I love cookies. I love baking them, and I love eating them. But mostly I enjoy spreading “cookie...
ellencdonker
- Nov 24
- 5 min
MAKING EACH DAY COUNT by Ellen Donker
Kim Sleeman helps create welcoming homes for unhoused families Four years ago, Kim Sleeman was facing a birthday milestone and began...
ellencdonker
- Nov 24
- 5 min
MEET THE COUPLE BEHIND SENOR SANGRIA by Malia Rulon Herman
Maplewood residents turn favorite party drink into a popular bottled beverage It all started because Rick Martinez couldn’t cook. Instead...
ellencdonker
- Nov 24
- 6 min
A FORMER NEW ORLEANS MAYOR AND AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST CELEBRATE MILESTONES by Donny Levit
Husband and wife Morial and Miller have made history Ask Marc Morial about the time he served two terms as New Orleans mayor and he will...
ellencdonker
- Nov 24
- 4 min
HARMONY ACROSS THE AGES by Adrianna Donat
The Maplewood Glee Club’s brotherhood of song and fun If you find joy in singing, you’ve come to the right place. The Maplewood Glee Club...
ellencdonker
- Nov 24
- 3 min
IN PRAISE OF THE DAY TRIP by Ellen Donker
Appreciating nearby small towns At the end of a busy week, I love the sight of a blank calendar for the coming weekend. A homebody at...
ellencdonker
- Nov 24
- 3 min
TURNING OUR FAMILY'S 'BOOK PROBLEM' INTO A COMMUNITY WELLSPRING by Donny Levit
Launching the Little Free Library that could We admit it: Our family has a book problem. My wife, Nicole, and I suffer from a terrible...
ellencdonker
- Oct 5
- 3 min
"FRIDGE CLEANOUT" VEGETABLE EGG SKILLET by Jessica Fox
The throw-together meal for when your brain is fried. Every year, without fail, fall’s busy schedules come as a rude awakening in our...
ellencdonker
- Oct 5
- 4 min
AT REST AND AT PLAY by Adrianna Donat
The haunting history of Founders’ Park. On the edge of South Orange Village, tucked between new construction and the railroad tracks, a...
ellencdonker
- Oct 5
- 5 min
LOVE THY NEIGHBOR by Nancy Cohen Photos by Aimee Ryan
Shining a light on the talents of architect Christina Ioana Graff and the true meaning of fellowship. On the morning of December 23,...
ellencdonker
- Oct 5
- 6 min
A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR BUSINESS OWNERS by Cindy Perman
The best part? It’s free. When Dana Kearney’s son Jaelen was born, ten years after her twin girls, she had a tough time finding...
ellencdonker
- Oct 5
- 6 min
BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF TRUST by Lela Moore
Maplewood’s social workers provide individualized crisis care to their neighbors. After the police killing of George Floyd in May 2020,...
ellencdonker
- Oct 5
- 7 min
TURNING LOSS INTO HOPE by Donny Levit
The death of Ilan Betzer inspires his mother to delve into a rare disease. On October 23, 2011, Mousumi Bose and her husband, Andy...
ellencdonker
- Oct 5
- 7 min
FROM SINGING THE BLUES TO SPEAKING HER TRUTH by Malia Rulon Herman Photos by Julia Maloof Verderosa
Sheltering Journey, a Maplewood nonprofit, aims to offer community, resources and respite. Janice Wiggins has a lot to say. She’s the...
ellencdonker
- Oct 5
- 3 min
ONE OF THE BEST AND ONE OF A KIND by Ellen Donker
Remembering our editor I recently took a trip to my basement to go through the archives of Matters Magazine. This is our 34th year...
ellencdonker
- Aug 10
- 3 min
PARTY OF ONE (WELL...TWO) by Tami Steckler
Musings from an empty nest. I am writing to you today as an empty nester. Yes, my children have flown the coop a nd left me all alone....
ellencdonker
- Aug 10
- 2 min
EAT YOUR GREENS by Olivia Mack McCool
Add this special sauce to your weeknight rotation. Back-to-school time always feels like a season to reset and reorganize for the...
ellencdonker
- Aug 10
- 4 min
A DIRECTOR IS BORN by Tia Swanson
At Vanguard, Janeece Freeman Clark envisions the dawn of a brighter world. About 25 years ago or so, a superintendent of schools in...
ellencdonker
- Aug 10
- 5 min
A BELOVED CUSTODIAN GETS A WARM SENDOFF by Allison Weiss
Leonel Rocha, man of many hats, retires from Tuscan. “CLAP, CLAP, Clap-clap-clap!” The rhythmic sound of two hands together breaks...
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