Maplewood Patch: Latest Articles

Win a Pair of Tickets to See Irish Tenors

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:04:19 -0500

Maplewood Patch is giving away a pair of tickets to Saturday night's SOPAC performance. Just answer a simple trivia question!

By Mary Mann

9:04am

On Saturday night, March 13, the South Orange Performing Arts Center will be getting an early start of St. Patrick's Day celebrations with an evening of Irish heritage at SOPAC, featuring a performance by the world-renowned Celtic Tenors at 8 p.m.

Sounds like a festive evening, and the first reader to answer the following trivia question will win a pair of tickets to the performance. (The tickets are valued at $60 each). We just need your name and phone number—and the correct answer—and we will leave the tickets at the box office for you to claim. Email the editor with your responses.

Q: What is Maplewood Vice Mayor Kathy Leventhal's maiden name? (Hint: It's an Irish surname )

Assemblyman Reflects on Upcoming State Budget Announcement

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:07:24 -0500

Assemblyman John McKeon of the 27th District expects budget cuts to be "deep and profound at all levels."

By Cotton Delo

March 10, 2010

Officials across the state are waiting with bated breath for Gov. Chris Christie's March 16 budget announcement, when the scope of cuts will be clearer. Based on a recent conversation with the governor, Assemblyman John McKeon says he's anticipating a "doomsday budget."

"I would imagine the cuts are going to be deep and profound on all levels," he said.

The South Orange-Maplewood school district lost $2.2 million in current-year state aid when the governor froze $475 million in funding to districts based on their surplus to help close a $2.2 billion budget gap. McKeon noted that forcing districts to drawn down their surplus will be injurious to their bond rating and ultimately impact taxpayers.

McKeon also believes that existing funding formulas generate inadequate levels of aid for economically diverse districts like South Orange-Maplewood, West Orange (where he's mayor) and Montclair, which he thinks have some of the same challenges as Abbott districts. "Places that should be celebrated for economic diversity, they're really not recognized for it with financial supports," he said.

While the number of students who get free and reduced lunch is one factor in the complex formula that determines state aid, McKeon observed that students who qualify in diverse districts like South Orange-Maplewood might be too embarrassed to accept, which could reduce the level of funding.

He and Assemblywoman Mila Jasey are planning to convene a meeting with newly appointed Education Commissioner Bret Schundler and some area superintendents confronting these funding challenges—including Brian Osborne—to discuss a fairer formula.

As for funding to municipalities and the extraordinary aid that towns have received over the past few years (South Orange received $750,000 for 2009, while Maplewood received none) to minimize the municipal tax increase? McKeon isn't optimistic.

"It would shock me if there's any pool of money available for that," he said.

Maplewood Girl Scouts Deliver to Food Pantry—And Not Just Cookies!

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:01:19 -0500

The Seth Boyden Girls Scout troop delivered cookies and nonperishable food items to the Our Lady of Sorrows food pantry last Sunday.

By Mary Mann

March 10, 2010

On Sunday, March 7, the Seth Boyden Junior Girl Scout Troop (#20489) delivered 63 boxes of Girl Scout cookies, donated through the 'Gift of Caring' program, as well as nonperishable food items collected within the troop, to the food pantry at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in South Orange.

They OLS food pantry serves 100-120 families per week and is fully staffed by volunteers. Said Jenny Winters, Seth Boyden PTA member and Girl Scout mom, "They serve anyone who comes to their doors." One bag per family is distributed weekly on Saturdays from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Food and/or money donations are accepted, and food can be dropped off in front of the doors of the pantry—the side doors of Our Lady of Sorrows located on Third Street.

Meanwhile, the Seth Boyden Girl Scout troop has two upcoming booth sales to support its troop activities and charitable work:

Saturday, March 13, from 12:30 - 3 p.m. in Maplewood Village, outside the Bank of America (during this booth sale the troop will continue to collect food donations for the food bank at OLS).
Wednesday, March 17, from 4:30 - 7 p.m. at the Maplewood train station.

Said troop mom Inken Finnamore, "We hope to see lots of hungry people there!"

Maplewood Deli & Grille: A True Maplewood Eatery

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:12:54 -0500

A clean, well-lighted place with friendly service and food so good you forget about counting your carbs

By Monica Puri Bangia

March 10, 2010

Right now I am a happy person. My tummy is full of delicious food I ate at the Maplewood Deli and Grille.

I have driven past this eatery for a while now and have been meaning to go in and try out the food, especially the sandwiches. After a snafu related to the wrong hours of operation being listed on their Facebook page, a friend and I finally made a date for an 11 a.m. meet-up.

I think we were the first people there since we walked in exactly at 11. The place is very clean and pleasant. I love the black wainscoting all over—it is reminiscent of a typical Maplewood house.

We were asked to have a seat and view the menus placed on the table. Maplewood Deli & Grille has a fairly extensive menu including hot and cold sandwiches, make your own burgers, quesadillas and half a page dedicated to the kids.

We asked our friendly waiter for suggestions or the most popular sandwiches. We wanted to share the food and have a cup of coffee. He suggested the chicken cheese steak. We agreed and ordered a side of fries with that and two cups of coffee.

Our sandwich came, already divided in half in two separate trays. The fries were placed in the middle. I noticed the sandwich was in a soft hoagie bread, with pieces of sautéed chicken, green peppers and onions with cheese on top and diced crispy potatoes—yum! I realized the fries were redundant, but when are fries really redundant? I tend to stay away from fries since I devour them once they are placed in front of me. These fries were no exception. They seemed to be coated with a light breading of some sort (as if the potatoes didn't have enough carbs). They were crispy and delicious.

The sandwich was good also. I loved the tender chicken with the sweet caramelized onions and green pepper. The potatoes on top worked really well also. We both enjoyed the sandwich and the fries. I will be replicating and posting the recipe soon.

The coffee was another story. My friend and I were a bit skeptical about ordering it in the first place. Once it came, my friend liked it. I didn't—I am super-picky about my coffee and rarely have it outside my home. I like it strong but not bitter. This particular one tasted almost burnt to me.

The friendly service made up for the coffee. I love going to restaurants where people are actually happy to be working there.

Overall, I was happy with the visit. I plan to go back with my daughter and husband.

I would highly recommend this casual yet comfortable eatery. Let me know what you think.

Bruce Almighty

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:44:09 -0500

A Lenten class at Morrow Church, open to the public, offers lessons in “The Gospel According to Bruce Springsteen”

By Marcia Worth

March 10, 2010

I've seen the future of adult education, and its name is Bruce Springsteen. Last Wednesday night at Morrow Memorial Methodist Church, Bill Ehlers presented the first of four classes in a course entitled "The Gospel According to Bruce," part of the church's series of Lenten education offerings. The next class is tonight from 8 to 9 p.m. at Morrow.

Ehlers has long wanted to lead a discussion group about Springsteen, though he cautioned that this class is "not a fan club." His hope is to look deeper into the lyrics, studying their sacred imagery and drawing out messages for the more secular world that we share with Springsteen's characters. A longtime Springsteen fan who recently introduced his 75-year-old father to the live concert experience, Ehlers was moved to teach the class when he read "The Gospel According to Bruce Springsteen."

The book, written by Unitarian minister Jeffrey Symynkywicz, looks at the body of Springsteen's work in chronological order, one album and song at a time. Likewise, Ehlers led the group through a discussion of two significant songs, "Jesus was an Only Son" and "Thunder Road." Ehlers chose "Jesus was an Only Son" as the most explicitly religious of Springsteen's work. "Thunder Road," he admitted, was a personal favorite, the first song his children knew by heart, as he sang it to them on the sleepless nights of infancy.

Ehlers's audience was half self-described "Bruce fans," including this writer, and half unconvinced. He presented songs in their entirety while projecting the lyrics on a screen. "One of the pleasures of preparing this class," said Ehlers, "was really sitting down and reading the words, listening to songs I had skipped for years."

Group discussion was lively, as participants pulled imagery from lyrics remembered and rediscovered. The name Mary appears in numerous Springsteen songs, including both "Jesus was an Only Son" and "Thunder Road." Both songs are rife with Biblical imagery, as well, perhaps a nod to Springsteen's own Catholic upbringing.

"Thunder Road's" narrator offers a woman named Mary "redemption," suggesting that he and she are "riding out tonight to case the promised land." Ehlers noted the relationship between the characters. "It's not a typical teen song," he said. The singer asks Mary to "take that long walk from your front porch to my front seat," suggesting a journey with a destination rather than a back seat interlude. "These people are going somewhere," a participant said. "They're not just fleeing."

Ehlers noted and the participants agreed that Springsteen songs look at the here and now, and his characters are "working out their problems on earth."

The subject matter of the class may seem unusual, but the dynamic Ehlers is eager to "broaden the concept of what we study in church." And he quoted Thomas Aquinas, who wrote, "If God can become human, then that teaches us that the things of this earth can become reflections of the holy." Springsteen's powerful storytelling, with tales of redemption and second chances, have a message. And, as Ehlers noted, the message many of us heard in the songs as teenagers isn't what we hear in 2010.

While Wednesday's class served as an introduction to the course, the three classes that follow will look more closely at themes in Springsteen's work. Wednesday, March 10, will look at Bruce Springsteen and social justice. March 17 will consider themes of redemption and deliverance in the music, and the final session, on March 24, looks at "The Rising." Classes are free and open to the public. Members of the community from all faith traditions are encouraged to attend any or all of the classes, and Ehlers is eager to include particular songs or albums that are important for participants. Classes meet from 8:00 until 9:00 p.m.

As I drove home from Morrow, I played "Thunder Road," and thought about the first time I heard the song. In high school, when the numbers of my clock radio flipped to 6:02, the music turned on. And in the early 1980s, that music was often "Bruce Juice," WNEW 102.7's daily double dose of Bruce Springsteen songs, blaring from the tiny speaker perched between my Walkman and my history books. The image that stayed with me then was escape, heading out of town and down the shore.

What I heard in the cold March darkness as I drove along Ridgewood Road was another line, brought home to me at Morrow Church. "Have a little faith," sings Springsteen, "There's magic in the night."

For more information, contact Morrow Church at 973 763-7676.

MMS 6th Grade Boys Lose Basketball Title to West Orange

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:08:25 -0500

The MMS boys lost 53-39 but ended their season with an impressive 11-5 record.

By kevin bostic

March 9, 2010

Maplewood Middle School 6^th grade basketball team lost the championship game of the Suburban League to West Orange 53-39 at Maplewood Middle School Monday evening. The game was an exciting one with Maplewood battling back from a 14-point halftime deficit to close within 5 points, but West Orange's six field goals from beyond the 3-point arc proved to be too much to overcome.

Coach Andrew Wozniak commented, "Unfortunately, we had a few too many shots rolling in an out of the basket from the outside and we missed a few too many easy shots from the inside, as our team did not have all the offensive balance and scoring from our players in the Championship game as we did in some of the other games." Coach Jay Brown added, "We did not have our energy tonight."

Michael Vick led the Maplewood squad with 15 points, while John Harkins attacked the boards for 6 rebounds.

Maplewood finishes this year's campaign with a 11-5 record.

Carpool Candy: Florida Vacation

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:48:54 -0500

Trading all the snow for rain might not sound like a good deal, but at least there's a rainbow at the end of the storm.

By Brooke Lefferts

March 9, 2010

Last week, we took our annual family vacation to Florida to visit the grandparents. I always find February—ironically—the longest month of the year. This trip hits just when I don't think I can take another minute of the short, dark days, the frigid air, and all that snow melting and flooding our basement. A respite in the Sunshine State is usually a nice antidote.

My mother and step-father—who live in one of those pristine golf and tennis communities in West Palm Beach—obsessively watch the Weather Channel for the week before our arrival and every day until we leave. They apparently feel an urgent need to reassure us that the sun will appear and everything will be right with the world.

The weather is the one factor you can never count on. But let's face it, we were leaving at least 16 inches of snow and seemingly endless weeks of 30 degree temperatures in Maplewood so how bad could Florida be?

Despite my mother's hand wringing and sunny spin on the weather, it was definitely much cooler than it has been in recent years and we had several days of intermittent rain. But guess what? It was fine. What I needed most was a change of scenery and all my kids wanted was a chance to wear shorts outside again.

The mornings were cool so the kids played inside or we went to the playground to shoot hoops. When the afternoons warmed up a bit, I sat by the pool hoping I didn't have to go in because although the water was mild, the wet bathing suits were a killer once you got out. My boys (ages 10, 6 and 4) couldn't have cared less if their little nipples were shriveled and their lips were blue—by golly they were going to swim as often as possible. On the days they managed to coax me into the water we ran back and forth between the pool and the hot tub for optimal heat.

A few days into the trip we traveled to Key West to see my in-laws. Every year the five-hour drive from West Palm Beach down to the Keys gets a little easier—with no small thanks to the Portable Sony PlayStation, our DVD player, and many, many snacks.

It's the kind of road trip that leaves our rental car looking like a messy college dorm room: empty chip bags, half finished water bottles, cookie crumbs, and gum wrappers strewn everywhere.

Of course, the weather was gorgeous throughout our long scenic drive, but as soon as we arrived at our destination, it started to rain and didn't stop for the next 24 hours. Determined to rise above the deluge, we hopscotched around puddles to get to a harbor side restaurant to drink and eat ourselves silly.

Key West is known for its amazing seafood, which we sampled in great quantities. While ten year old Jacob was quite the hero for trying at least 7 different kinds of fish, our younger kids followed their usual vacation diet of chicken fingers and fries twice daily. (God bless the kids menu.)

It drizzled most of the next day but we weren't going to let the downpour defeat us. We traded a glass-bottom boat trip for a visit to the aquarium. The kids loved picking up starfish and crabs from the touch tank, ran screaming from the nasty electric eels, and got to hold a baby alligator. It was an indoor activity we probably would have skipped in nicer weather…but six year old Aden is still talking about it.

One problem with rain in a tourist trap is you wind up stuffing your face, sampling the spirits, and dropping dollars all day. The adults indulged in spicy Bloody Marys and delicious raw tuna nachos at an old school Key West bar. Nothing takes the edge off a whiny kid like a couple of lunch time cocktails.

Then we wandered around that wet town in our plastic ponchos, buying t-shirts and souvenirs (did we really need a Key West snow globe and pretty shells made in Korea?!) In fear of the long afternoon ahead, we got sucked into the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum. It was a colossal waste of money but killed an hour and the kids will not soon forget the rolls on the largest woman in the world or the man with three eyeballs.

As we were finishing a rainy dip in the pool, the sprinkling stopped and we hurried to change and get to Mallory Square where we could see the famous Key West sunset and daring street performers.

The next day, we squeezed every drop of sunshine out of the beautiful weather before we had to head back to West Palm Beach. As we drove home, Aden spotted a rainbow over the ocean and it felt like the perfect reward for making the best of a soggy situation.

SOMA School District Not Exposed in Payroll Scam

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:04:00 -0500

The South Orange Maplewood School District was not defrauded of payroll taxes in the scam run by Ameripay.

By Mary Mann

March 9, 2010

Earlier today, the Star-Ledger reported that 14 school districts, a dozen municipalities and one county were caught in an alleged payroll tax scam by Ameripay, a now defunct payroll firm. South Orange Maplewood School District was listed among those 14 school districts.

However, in a statement issued this afternoon, school district officials stated, "The school district employed Ameripay only to process payroll and to print checks. The disbursement of funds has always been handled in-district. The district does not use a third party for this purpose as was done by the municipalities and school districts who were cited as being defrauded. The district's funds were never at risk. At the time of the allegations against Ameripay, the district's payroll processing was immediately converted to a new payroll processing company."

Long story short: The South Orange Maplewood School District was not defrauded and does not owe the IRS any back payroll taxes.

Ameripay is reported to have defrauded more than 300 clients of at least $8.5 million in payroll taxes that were to have been paid to the IRS, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission complaint.

Fox News Comes to Town

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:37:27 -0500

Reporter Rick Folbaum and his crew camped out in the fields near The Baird all day Tuesday to cover the baseball league sponsorship saga.

By Mary Mann

March 9, 2010

This morning, a tipster who wished not to be named told us that Fox News was doing live feeds from The Baird Center in South Orange. When we got to The Baird parking lot, there was the tell-tale news van. Across the way, we saw the video shoot set-up in the field, but no one else was crowding about looking for their moment of fame.

Let's face it. South Orange and Maplewood may not be producing big viewership numbers for the notoriously conservative Fox News network. After all, Maplewood voters went for Obama over McCain by a whopping 83 to 17 percent.

But reporter Rick Folbaum and his crew, including producer Shira Bush and cameraman Mike Fagan, were enjoying the beautiful day in South Orange, broadcasting live from the baseball diamond just off of Mead Street and across from The Baird. Folbaum and crew had just lunched on bagels in South Orange Village and did some "person on the street" interviews.

Folbaum reported that the results were interesting, saying that he asked ten different people their opinions on the subject of local gun dealer Matt Carmel getting turned down to sponsor a South Orange Maplewood Baseball League team and he got ten different responses.

You can watch the segment later today on Fox News.

Police Blotter: Seasonal Crime Melting Away

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:42:43 -0500

A 13-year-old was detailed for throwing snow and ice at passing vehicles. That won't be happening for much longer.

March 9, 2010

This week's police blotter comes to us courtesy of Sgt. Dean Naddeo of the Maplewood Police Department. Serious incidents include a drunk driving arrest, a pedestian struck by a vehicle, and Internet fraud. Some positive news: a vehicle stolen from Maplewood was recovered in Irvington.

An incident with a twist is the disorderly juvenile activity on March 2 when police responded to reports of juveniles throwing snow and ice at passing cars. This is some mischief we won't be seeing too much of in the coming months—we hope.

March 2, 2010: Pedestrian Struck. At approximately 8:00 p.m., patrols were dispatched to the area of Irvington Avenue and Coolidge Road on a report of a pedestrian struck. Officers learned that a Mercedes Benz traveling east on Irvington Avenue had struck an adult male who crossed in front of his vehicle. The male was transported to UMDNJ for evaluation and treatment of serious injuries.

March 2, 2010: Disorderly Juvenile. Police received several reports of juveniles throwing snow and ice at vehicles. At approximately 4:00 p.m., officers detained a 13-year-old male who was observed throwing snowballs at passing vehicles. The juvenile was subsequently turned over to the custody of his parents.

March 4, 2010: Driving Under the Influence (Arrest). At approximately 9:41 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area of 40 Parker Avenue on a report of a motor vehicle crash. Upon arrival on scene, officers learned that a green Chrysler has been struck from behind by a black Audi that had reportedly been traveling at a high rate of speed. The driver of the black Audi was questioned by Officer C. Fields on scene and asked to complete a series of field sobriety tests. Subsequent to the tests, Carlo Caparrava, 43, of Parker Avenue, Maplewood was placed under arrest for driving under the influence. Caparrava was charged with several offenses, including reckless driving and refusal to submit to a breath test.

March 4, 2010: Recovered Stolen Auto. A 2005 Honda stolen from Maplewood Avenue was recovered in Irvington by the New Jersey State Police.

March 5, 2010: Fraud. A Lee Court resident filed a Citizens Report claiming that he may be the victim of internet fraud. The resident reported that he had received payment for services from an internet-based company called modelmayhem.com. He then sent additional money to them, but later learned that the money order he received as payment from the company was fraudulent.

March 5, 2010: Fraud/Theft. A Gifford Court resident reported that she did not receive a shipment of a nutritional drink valued at $60.00. It is unclear whether the package was never shipped or if it had been stolen.