mattersmagazine.com 51 Little Free Library On your travels around South Orange you have probably noticed little roofed boxes sitting on top of poles. Are they bird feeders or small community bulletin boards? Perhaps you have taken a minute to examine them more closely and discovered they are full of books! The official Little Free Library (LFL) movement started in Wisconsin in one man’s front yard and has grown to more than 40,000 libraries around the world. There are perhaps more than 80 locations in New Jersey alone. The Friends of South Orange Public Library maintains four of these in town. It’s easy to participate. Find a LFL and choose a book. When you have read it, return it to the LFL or, if you have fallen in love with it, put it on your bookshelf. Replace it with one of your surplus books or not as you choose. You could also donate without borrowing. Books for every age and a wide variety of subjects are represented. Conveniently located at Sloane Street outside Starbucks and Mead Street by the Baird and tennis courts, these two were donated by The Rotary Club of South Orange. The South Orange Country Day School provided two more near the preschool on Vose Avenue. Lenore Berkman, Shirley Gordon and Michelle King are the busy ladies who keep the LFL’s stocked. These little gems are open 24/7, do not require a library card and no late fees apply. Take a look! The Maplewood Civic Association’s Holiday Decorations Program is one of our township’s longest running holiday traditions. For more than seventy years, volunteer captains tour every street in Maplewood in the month of December to identify the most exceptional holiday displays. Winners are selected in a variety of categories, including Traditional, Contemporary, Best Entryway, and Yard Display. The program culminates with a recognition ceremony in January, where members of the community are invited to celebrate the decorating efforts of their neighbors. For more information, or if you'd like to volunteer, contact Tom Pascuite, Holiday Program Chair, at 862-205-3521 or email info@maplewoodcivic.org. One of 2015’s winning designs at the Carlson-Leonard Home on Sommer Avenue. Deck the Halls Happy Holidays from the family, to yours 9 West South Orange Ave · 973.821.5757 · dandifitness.com Winter Matters is coming.... Look for it January 30