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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
Jun 16, 20225 min read
ARE WE THERE YET? by Tamara Steckler
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. What are you waiting for? As our daily routines become rote and our minds wander...
ellencdonker
Jun 16, 20225 min read
LACROSSE, FRIENDSHIPS, AND SORE KNEES by Sara Courtney
Local moms get off the sidelines and into the game. The Facebook post started out simply enough. “Who’s up for playing lacrosse?” Dani...
ellencdonker
Jun 16, 20223 min read
DRIVING THROUGH FRANCE by Ellen Donker
My driving skills were clutch Our family recently traveled to France for 10 glorious days as a celebration of our three children...
ellencdonker
Apr 29, 20223 min read
KEEPING THE FAMILY ONLINE by Ellen Donker
Someone's got to do it In most every household there is someone who holds the title of HTO, as in Home Technology Officer. This is not a...
ellencdonker
Apr 29, 20224 min read
REDRESS YOURSELF by Adrianna Donat
When your gown, like your love, is sustainable By tradition, wedding gowns are opulent, meant to be worn once…then forever afterward...
ellencdonker
Apr 29, 20226 min read
AGING IN PLACE by Tia Swanson
Working to make SOMA welcoming to all If mid-morning of a midweek in mid-March is any indication, then Michelle Wesley’s phone rings more...
ellencdonker
Apr 29, 20223 min read
DAYDREAMING WITH A GOLD GLOVE by Sara Courtney
Contemplating the world one inning at a time Of all the sounds to herald the arrival of spring, the crack of the bat is my favorite. Here...
ellencdonker
Apr 29, 20224 min read
RECIPES THAT WORK FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY by Olivia Mack McCool
And they're all homemade Being a food stylist and recipe developer, I get lots of questions about what I cook for my family and in...
ellencdonker
Apr 29, 20226 min read
HAVE YOU SPOTTED A SOMA FOX? by Malia Rulon Herman
Novices and veterans swell the ranks of a new, local running club At 8 a.m. on a recent, frigid Sunday morning when you’d have been hard...
ellencdonker
Apr 29, 20225 min read
NEW KID ON THE CLASSICAL MUSIC BLOCK by Donny Levit
The SOMA Salon is bringing it all home On a late afternoon in February, a snow squall materialized in the air, briefly creating a...
ellencdonker
Mar 12, 20223 min read
RAISING READERS by Ellen Donker
Our Experiment Worked When our children were born, I had several aspirations for them. Two of the big ones were that they would be able...
ellencdonker
Mar 12, 20226 min read
WHAT'S COOKING - THE CULINARY DREAMS OF FOOD ENTREPRENEURS by Donny Levit
Garden State Kitchen gives chefs a home in the Valley Arts District In the fall of 2020, Ilene Moreno was getting set to launch her...
ellencdonker
Mar 12, 20223 min read
HOW BACKYARD NEIGHBOR KIDS MADE SNAIL MAIL COOL AGAIN by Donny Levit
When two tin cans and a piece of string just won’t do The expression on my son’s face had that utterly recognizable grimace of licking...
ellencdonker
Mar 12, 20225 min read
A CLASSIC MEAL GETS FRESHENED UP By Olivia Mack McCoo
Time to add Swedish Meatballs to your rotation Swedish meatballs are a classic comfort for some, but I didn’t grow up with them. My first...
ellencdonker
Mar 12, 20225 min read
A DIFFERENT VISION FOR THE WORLD by Tia Swanson
The founder of Greenwood Gardens reflects on – and lives – the maxim that less is more A new billboard for the Turtle Back Zoo has gone...
ellencdonker
Mar 12, 20226 min read
RETHINKING RECYCLING by Tia Swanson
Working to find the sweet spot on reusing our trash For many years, residents of South Orange and Maplewood dutifully filled their...
ellencdonker
Mar 12, 20225 min read
CREATING A HARD -WORKING KITCHEN SHOWPIECE by Carla Labianca
My kitchen is a modern reflection of the past My husband and I are no different from most people. In every apartment or home we’ve lived...
ellencdonker
Jan 28, 20223 min read
OUR HAPPY ACCIDENT By Ellen Donker
We tried something new. Everyone has a perception of their talents, separating the things they’re good at from the ones they’re not. Case...
ellencdonker
Jan 28, 20223 min read
HOW TO BE A WILDCAT by Cassandra Ratkevich
Lessons learned from my local travel soccer team Sometimes you must be unconventional; perseverance is crucial in pursuing goals; always...
ellencdonker
Jan 28, 20225 min read
CHANGING THE RULES OF RETAIL by Sara Courtney
Out-of-the-box boutiques offer new ways to shop. If the past few years have revealed anything, it is that change is inevitable. Sometimes...
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