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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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
Ilysse Rimalovski
Apr 26, 20247 min read
THE COOK NEXT DOOR By Ilysse Rimalovski; Photos By Julia Maloof Verderosa
Cottage food operators innovate from home Perhaps you’ve been perfecting loaves of crusty sourdough in your home oven, wondering how to...
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ellencdonker
Oct 6, 20223 min read
MOM COMPARISON: THE NEXT GENERATION by Olivia Mack McCool
Peeking behind the Instagram curtain If you type my name into Instagram, what you’ll be presented with are many little colorful squares...
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ellencdonker
Nov 26, 20216 min read
ELEGANT AND IMPRESSIVE, YET SECRETLY SIMPLE by Olivia Mack McCool
A holiday centerpiece and irresistible cookies to match I just love the notion that so many of the foods we love (think boeuf bourguignon...
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ellencdonker
Nov 26, 20213 min read
WHAT MATTERS THIS SEASON by Ellen Donker
Honoring our traditions even as they shift As the holidays are upon us, I’m looking forward to any excuse to be with family and friends...
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ellencdonker
Oct 1, 20216 min read
THE SNOWBALL EFFECT by Tia Swanson
Changing the world, one child at a time Lorraine Kerry Barnett grew up poor in the Central Ward of Newark during the dark period that...
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ellencdonker
Aug 13, 20213 min read
THE JOBS OF SUMMER By Ellen Donker
They’ll have value past August This summer, my kids gave me a gift: All three of them found employment. I exhaled a big sigh of relief...
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ellencdonker
Jun 11, 20213 min read
SAYING GOODBYE TO OUR HOUSE, WITH LOVE By Tami Steckler
Thank you for these 21 years Dear House, I remember the first time I saw you. To be honest, I didn’t love you then. I thought your rooms...
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ellencdonker
Mar 12, 20213 min read
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES by Ilene Moreno
A family tradition with a plant-based twist Is there anything better than the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven? Growing...
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ellencdonker
Nov 27, 20206 min read
CHANNELING A LOVE FOR COOKING by Ellen Donker
Seth Boyden fourth grader hosts his own cooking show Jacob Case never expected to be sharing cooking videos on Facebook. After all, he’s...
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ellencdonker
Aug 14, 20203 min read
EDUCATING KIDS ON TRASH by Georgia Madiba
A summer walk turns into a waste audit Playgrounds reopened in July after being closed due to the pandemic and, naturally, my two...
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ellencdonker
Jun 19, 20203 min read
GETTING LOST IN THE PANDEMIC SUPERMARKET by Donny Levit
My first COVID-19 shopping spree sets the pace Shopping list. Check. Shopping bags. Check. Travel-size bottle of hand sanitizer. Check....
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ellencdonker
Mar 15, 20205 min read
SERVING UP MORE THAN TENNIS by Abby Sher
From Chris Evert to clothesline bacon, a famed tennis club evolves with the times When Orange Lawn Tennis Club opened its doors in South...
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ellencdonker
Mar 14, 20206 min read
PEACE AND EGGS by Ellen Donker
Our neighbors weigh in on raising hens in the suburbs When Kate Dial moved with her husband Michael Carrico to Maplewood, raising...
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ellencdonker
Nov 21, 20193 min read
PARTY ON! by Ellen Donker
Rent Party closes in on a decade fighting hunger If you’re Chris Dickson, there are two kinds of people in Maplewood and South Orange:...
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ellencdonker
Nov 21, 20193 min read
CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI STORY by Karen Tedesco
Let the crumbs fall where they may Biscotti are one of my favorite cookies to make, not least because they’re a satisfyingly crunchy,...
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ellencdonker
Nov 21, 20193 min read
WHAT'S IN A TRADITION? by Ellen Donker
Life. Every family has its own way of celebrating holidays. In our home, the most eagerly anticipated gathering is our Christmas Eve...
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ellencdonker
Oct 3, 20194 min read
FILLING THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS by Adrianna Donat
A local charity reaches out to those in need on two continents One day about 10 years ago, Jane Collins-Colding was on her way to do...
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ellencdonker
Oct 3, 20193 min read
SLOW AND TASTY FOR THE WIN By Karen Tedesco
Welcome to the ultimate one-pot meal My grandmother was a true believer in the Crock-Pot. She was a working woman in a time and place...
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ellencdonker
Oct 3, 20194 min read
AN UNEXPECTED CALLING by Abby Sher
How Amie Ruditz found herself curating Tuscan retreats Local entrepreneur Amie Ruditz remembers the precise moment she found her calling....
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
donny levit
Aug 19, 20193 min read
WEEKNIGHT WONDER by Karen Tedesco
A classic Italian comfort-food recipe, updated for the modern family.
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