top of page
STORIES
Our stories are all about the interesting people, places and things in Maplewood.
Read some here or page through our online issues.
Search

ellencdonker
Aug 10, 20233 min read
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, 20232 min read
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, 20234 min read
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, 20235 min read
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...


ellencdonker
Aug 10, 20236 min read
BLISSFULLY TRAVELING THE WORLD WITH RAINN WILSON by Donny Levit
South Orange resident Melissa Wood gives us the grand tour of a documentary series. You probably know actor, comedian, writer, and...


ellencdonker
Aug 10, 20233 min read
TELLING TIME by Ellen Donker
Columbia High School's clock tower may soon get its fix. Patty O’Connell surely isn’t the only one who has noticed that the clock tower...


ellencdonker
Aug 10, 20237 min read
MAPLEWOODIAN AHMED BEST RETURNS TO A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY by Donny Levit
Ostracized as Jar Jar Binks, the actor plays a hero in "The Mandalorian" Ahmed Best can’t recall the exact movie theater in midtown...
ellencdonker
Aug 10, 20233 min read
ANOTHER REASON TO LIKE MY BIRTHDAY by Ellen Donker
Even better than sharing it with Robert Redford I think all children like to know with whom they share their birthday. If it’s someone...


ellencdonker
Jun 15, 20233 min read
MY LIFE THROUGH MUSIC by Jim Robertson
It comes down to five songs. Music is a salve, a celebration, an occasion, a companion, and an inspiration, It has been a large part of...


ellencdonker
Jun 15, 20232 min read
STRAWBERRY COCONUT CREAMSICLES by Olivia Mack McCool
Three ingredients and a blender are sure to bring smiles Popsicles are such a quintessential summertime treat. They drum up memories of...


ellencdonker
Jun 15, 20235 min read
FROM THE MARGINS TO THE MAINSTREAM by Adrianna Donat
Producer/ director Mertes finds a home in Maplewood “In my experience,” says Maplewood producer/director Cara Mertes, “some of the most...


ellencdonker
Jun 15, 20236 min read
A PLACE WORTH REMEMBERING by Ellen Donker
Jon Michaud shows why a neighborhood bar mattered Washington Heights may not be the part of Manhattan that people in our neck of the...


ellencdonker
Jun 15, 20235 min read
LEADING THE LAMBS by Tia Swanson
Morrow's extraordinary youth pastor finds a new calling, and a new home It is not every pastor who spends a Sunday evening teaching...


ellencdonker
Jun 15, 20237 min read
GRIEF, JOY, ACTIVISM, AND HAMILTON by Donny Levit
The Cervantes Family reflect on the death of one child and the adoption of another The Cervantes family has lived an odyssey: mourning...


ellencdonker
Jun 15, 20233 min read
THE WHEELS OF FRIENDSHIP by Ellen Donker
Biking my way through Manhattan Now that warm weather is here, I have been yearning to get out for a good bike ride after spending all...
ellencdonker
Apr 27, 20234 min read
SALUTATIONS FROM YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD CHATBOX by Donny Levit and ChatGPT
ChatGPT provides best practices for living in Maplewood and South Orange A mere six months ago, the artificial intelligence chatbot...


ellencdonker
Apr 27, 20233 min read
CRISPY TOFU STIR-FRY WITH THAI BASIL by Oliva Mack McCool
A weeknight vegetarian dinner to satisfy everyone As a “food person” and a mom, I get asked a lot of cooking questions from fellow...

ellencdonker
Apr 27, 20235 min read
COMEDIC POWERHOUSE AND SOUTH ORANGE NATIVE COMES HOME TO SLAY by Donny Levit
Photos courtesy of Jessica Kirson Jessica Kirson's brand of edgy comedy continues to wow her audiences “People say to me, oh, you seem so...


ellencdonker
Apr 27, 20236 min read
LOCAL ARTIST, NEW CAPER by Rose Bennett Gilbert
Bringing Italian cooks' secret ingredient home to America's kitchens Almost everyone returns from a European vacation with souvenirs, but...

ellencdonker
Apr 27, 20232 min read
A CHILDREN'S BOOK TAKES FLIGHT by Ellen Donker
A South Orange Resident brings his inspiration to life. Inspiration often strikes unexpectedly and South Orange resident Steve...
bottom of page