8 Holiday 2016 A heart of the matter M A G A Z I N E Matters Matters Featuring Local People, Places and Things that Matter Since 1990 READ & RECYLE PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Karen Duncan MANAGING DIRECTOR Rene Conlon SUPERVISING EDITOR Joanne DiPasquale ADVERTISING SALES Ellen Donker H. Leslie Gilman GRAPHIC ARTISTS Lyman Dally Joy Markel COPY EDITORS Nick Humez Tia Swanson CONTRIBUTORS Doreen Chila Jones Adrianna Donat Edie Sachs Julia Verderosa Please address all correspondence to: Visual Impact Advertising, Inc.© P.O. Box 198 Maplewood, NJ 07040 973-763-4900 mattersmagazine.com Matters Magazine© is owned and pub- lishedbyVisualImpactAdvertising,Inc., P.O.Box 198, Maplewood, NJ 07040. MattersMagazineisfree,witheditionsdi- rectlymailed7timesayeartotheresidents of Maplewood and South Orange and distributedtobusinessesandsurrounding communities totaling 17,000. Subscrip- tions are available to non-residents for $30 (U.S.) $40 (Foreign) annually. No part of the publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from Visual Impact Advertising, Inc. CIRCULATION VERIFIED BY U.S. POSTAL RECEIPTS. Every Moment Matters Raise the bar, set the standard, it’s time for new traditions BY KAREN DUNCAN PHOTO BY JOY YAGID After 27 years, 136 issues, thousands of pages and hundreds of stories and photos, I am stepping down as editor-in-chief of Matters Magazine. Come January, long-time Matters representative Ellen Donker will be taking the helm. My husband, Doug, and I are heading to retirement in Savannah, Georgia. With all the emotion that goes with this decision, I am reflecting on how fortunate I’ve been to be associated with something that is so hard to say goodbye to. There is a kind of twilight emotion remembering the many joyous, celebratory moments and exceptional individuals who have filled our pages. There’s something gnawing, like angst, but more organic than that, realizing that I will no longer be laying out stories, working with our skillful contributors and conjuring up editorials. For as much as saying goodbye to great friends, dear neighbors and to beloved towns is difficult, what I know I will miss most is the team here at Matters Magazine. Rene Conlon, Leslie Gilman, Joanne DiPasquale, Joy Markel and Ellen Donker are a group of remarkably talented, tirelessly dedicated professionals who have helped build a local publication that speaks from the heart and celebrates our hometowns. I am eternally grateful for their commitment to excellence, and their friendship. Doug and I moved to our first home in Maplewood in 1980 and in 2006 we moved to South Orange. Having this distinction of living in both our communities has given me a valued personal perspective. We fell inextricably in love with both towns, which we have watched grow more beautiful each year. These communities have inspired me and I will savor, pay homage, and praise them forever. Matters Magazine is now in the capable hands of Ellen Donker, who I have no doubt will be spectacular. All the superb, accomplished personnel associated with Matters will continue doing what they do best: bring Maplewood and South Orange beautifully written and presented pages showcasing delightful residents, activities, organizations and the best local shopping in our towns. Those who have worked with me all these years know that I embrace change. I now close the door to this part of my life, open a door to the future, take a deep breath, and step through to start a new chapter. As Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “I go confidently in the direction of my dreams, to live the life I’ve imagined.” Thank you for allowing me, all these years, to share what I truly believe really Matters. Here’s to new beginnings.