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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.

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...

VOLUNTEERS HELP PRESERVE OUR HISTORIC GREEN SPACES By Adrianna Donat

ellencdonker

Mar 12, 20215 min read

VOLUNTEERS HELP PRESERVE OUR HISTORIC GREEN SPACES By Adrianna Donat

You can thank the Maplewood Memorial Park Conservancy Each day people stroll through and enjoy the pristine natural beauty of Memorial...

CHANNELING A LOVE FOR COOKING by Ellen Donker

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...

MAKING HOLIDAY TRADITIONS SUSTAINABLE by Georgia Madiba

ellencdonker

Nov 27, 20206 min read

MAKING HOLIDAY TRADITIONS SUSTAINABLE by Georgia Madiba

How to map the road to eco gift-wrap and more When you’re a child, you aren’t able to understand and appreciate each layer of your...

ellencdonker

Nov 27, 20206 min read

WHAT REALLY MATTERS by Elaine Durbach

Reflecting on a storied 30 years We could have been very confused. For my husband and me, coming from Park Slope and knowing only one...

NEED A LITTLE EXTRA HELP FINDING JOY THIS SEASON? by Adrianna Donat

ellencdonker

Nov 27, 20204 min read

NEED A LITTLE EXTRA HELP FINDING JOY THIS SEASON? by Adrianna Donat

SOMA’s own Angeli Elliott brings you a festival of elves Angeli Elliott has a special connection with the holiday season. In love with...

ellencdonker

Nov 27, 20203 min read

QUARATINE DOG by Sara Courtney

Down and out with man's best friend So you got a dog. Not just any dog. A quarantine dog. A dog to shelter in place with. A dog to...

A GAMER'S PARADISE IN SOUTH ORANGE by Donny Levit

ellencdonker

Nov 27, 20207 min read

A GAMER'S PARADISE IN SOUTH ORANGE by Donny Levit

Chris Donnell’s basement “museum” chronicles decades of electronic gaming South Orange resident Chris Donnell is comfortably seated on...

ellencdonker

Aug 14, 20204 min read

A PLACE FOR SPACING OUT by Ellen Donker

Columbia High School’s astronomical observatory is restored Humanity has long been enthralled with observing the cosmos in an effort to...

PANDEMICS DON'T COME WITH BLUEPRINTS by Donny Levit

ellencdonker

Aug 14, 20206 min read

PANDEMICS DON'T COME WITH BLUEPRINTS by Donny Levit

Village President Sheena Collum and Mayor Frank McGehee forge a powerful leadership bond When President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his...

ellencdonker

Aug 14, 20204 min read

MAKING WAVES by Kristen Ryan

The CHS boys’ swim team helps to net a strong season For the Columbia High School swim team, time in the water is private, focused and...

EDUCATING KIDS ON TRASH by Georgia Madiba

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...

ellencdonker

Jun 19, 20205 min read

COMMUNITY HUB by Linda Beck

The Post Office is your social headquarters These days, the trek to the post office and the infamously long, slow line at the window are...

ZOOM AND THE ART OF ONLINE KARATE by Donny Levit

ellencdonker

Jun 19, 20206 min read

ZOOM AND THE ART OF ONLINE KARATE by Donny Levit

Shihan Durand Howard earns a new belt for distance learning On a late weekday afternoon in May, 6-year-old Aila Harris grabs onto her...

TEN DECADES OF MAPLEWOOD "SCOUTS' HONOR" by Adrianna Donat

ellencdonker

Jun 19, 20205 min read

TEN DECADES OF MAPLEWOOD "SCOUTS' HONOR" by Adrianna Donat

Troop 5 celebrates a century of service and leadership For as long as anyone can remember, the mayor of Maplewood has attended the Eagle...

ellencdonker

Jun 19, 20202 min read

HONORING OUR COMMUNITY by Ellen Donker

Finding our way forward At Matters Magazine, we’ve always adhered to the purpose of sharing content that is upbeat and positive, running...

EVER HEARD OF DJANGO? by Donny Levit Photography by Julia Maloof Verderosa

ellencdonker

May 1, 20204 min read

EVER HEARD OF DJANGO? by Donny Levit Photography by Julia Maloof Verderosa

Guitarist Stéphane Wrembel will make you a devotee At first listen, classical piano, Pink Floyd, and gypsy jazz possess vastly different...

TECHNOLOGY IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS by Adrianna Donat

ellencdonker

May 1, 20205 min read

TECHNOLOGY IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS by Adrianna Donat

Residents depend on their digital connections more than ever If you had to choose a day when our community made a uniform shift in...

WHAT IF WE ARE THE LAST HUMANS? by Abby Sher

ellencdonker

May 1, 20203 min read

WHAT IF WE ARE THE LAST HUMANS? by Abby Sher

Author Lee Bacon says that’s okay These days, it’s all too easy to get swept up in predictions about the end of the world as we know it....

UNDERSTANDING A DIFFICULT PAST by Gail Robyn Safian

ellencdonker

May 1, 20205 min read

UNDERSTANDING A DIFFICULT PAST by Gail Robyn Safian

A community celebrates African American history and freedom Revisiting history is important. It helps us understand our past as well as...