mattersmagazine.com 9 8 Spring 2017 READ & RECYLE Matters Featuring Local People, Places and Things that Matter Since 1990 Please address all correspondence to: Visual Impact Advertising, Inc.© P.O. Box 198 Maplewood, NJ 07040 973-763-4900 mattersmagazine.com email: mattershello@gmail.com MattersMagazine©isownedandpublished byVisualImpactAdvertising,Inc.,P.O.Box 198, Maplewood, NJ 07040. Published monthly, Matters Magazine is free, with editions directly mailed 7 times a year to the residents of Maplewood and South Orange and distributed to businesses and surrounding communities totaling 20,000. Subscriptions 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. M A G A Z I N E PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ellen Donker ASSOCIATE EDITOR Joanne DiPasquale ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Rene Conlon H. Leslie Gilman Adrienne MacWhannell Gloria Morcilio DESIGN Joy Markel COPY EDITORS Nick Humez Tia Swanson CONTRIBUTORS Adrianna Donat, Karen Donovan, Joanne Fisher, Tia Swanson, Julia Maloof Verderosa, Joy Yagid FOUNDER & CREATIVE CONTRIBUTOR Karen Duncan I I swung a golf club for the first time in high school. At Wayne Hills, we had many gym options to choose from so I decided to give golf a try. Mrs. Higgins taught us how to grip the club, swing it and, ideally, connect with the ball. We had a big field and plenty of room to practice. The culmination of the class was a field trip to the Wayne Pitch & Putt, where we got to play on a par-3 course. That class made me comfortable enough to occasionally visit the driving range. I must’ve shown enough interest that my father invited me to play a game of golf with him. Next thing I knew, I had a set of clubs for my birthday. That was his way of grooming me to be a golf partner whenever he wanted to play a low-key game of nine holes. Besides, by this time I was making a career in business and he thought I’d appreciate knowing how to play. It came in handy for the very occasional golf fundraiser and some fun games with colleagues. I don’t know if things have changed much, but going back 25 years a woman wasn’t expected to know the game. When I had children (triplets, two boys and a girl) I found that Timmy and Christian liked anything that involved a ball. Madeline, not so much. Still, my husband, Rob, and I got them each a different set of play clubs for their third birthday. We made them open their gifts one at a time and a well-timed video shows Christian throwing himself on the floor, arms and legs flailing, when he saw that Madeline had gotten a coveted set of GoofyGolf Clubs.(Thisboywasbornwithpassion.)Hismoodquicklychangedwhenhesawhehadasimilarsetwaiting. My, we had a lot of clubs being swung and balls flying in the back yard. Christian was especially enthusiastic about the game. My neighbor Noreen noticed (and probably found more than a few plastic balls in her back yard) and gave Christian her husband’s golf magazines when he was done reading them. The kids particularly loved being taken by their Grandpa in late afternoon to go golf ball hunting on the course by his home in Florida. As a four- or five-year-old, Christian would run around the perimeter of the course like a boy possessed; it’s no surprise that he found the most balls. Some years later, the boys were pronounced mature enough to play out on the real course, able to display the requisite decorum. Last spring, when our family was in Florida, the boys desperately wanted to play golf. My father had since passed and Rob had already flown home early for work, so I was their only hope, and desperately wishing I wasn’t. I hadn’t played in at least 18 years and felt completely inadequate. I also didn’t have the required collared shirt with me. Still, I couldn’t say no. I think the boys were slightly nervous, wondering if I would embarrass them by whiffing or sending every shot into the woods or sand traps. I dutifully shopped for the proper attire and scheduled the tee time. When the day arrived, I hesitantly practiced on the driving range with my rented clubs. I can’t say my swing felt very natural, but I was able to connect with the ball. Whew! Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. Out on the course, I saw that I was actually earning Christian’s respect, getting a compliment here and there for a shot well done. I only lasted 12 holes but felt triumphant for having enjoyed a game on the links with my boys. Over the summer, I played a few more games when I could fit them in. Golf takes a lot of time to play but it’s a valuable way to bond with your teenage sons. This year, I’m hoping to get Madeline playing. She just took a golf class in gym, and if she shows interest, a set of golf clubs may be in her future. Back in the Swing Enjoying golf with my boys BY ELLEN DONKER The boys, almost 5 years old, teeing up: Timmy at left and Christian at right. Center: Flanked by the boys, age 16. heart of the matter localmatters Stirling Strings amateur chamber music workshop, is accepting applications for its fall session. The Buzz For 25 years, the Stirling Strings amateur chamber music workshop has been meeting one Saturday afternoon a month at the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County in Maplewood to experience the joys of performing chamber music during fall and spring sessions. Workshop director Mary Babiarz groups the players by skill levels, and participants range in age from teenagers to senior citizens. The program is taking applications for its fall session. Please call 973-763- 0849 or email mbstirling@aol.com. Now is the time to thank teachers and staff members in the South Orange-Maplewood school district. For a tax-deductible donation of $5 or more per tribute, The Achieve Foundation will create and deliver a personalized note card with your family’s words of thanks printed inside. Proceeds go to the annual Achieve Teacher Grants Program. To order Honor Your Teacher tributes please visit achievefoundation.org. The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) Founder of The Byrds, Roger McGuinn comes to SOPAC on May 4. Storm Large with Le Bonheur will perform at SOPAC on May 5. brings wonderful entertainment to our community: Roger McGuinn on May 4 at 7:30 p.m.; Storm Large with Le Bonheur on May 5 at 8 p.m.; Happily Ever After on May 6 at 2 p.m.; The Acoustic Living Room, Songs and Stories with Kathy Mattea featuring Bill Cooley, on May 6 at 8 p.m.; Juilliard JUNE 2- 5 & 9-12, NOON-8PM FOR MORE INFO ON BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS, VISIT SOVILLAGECENTER.ORG LIVE CONCERTS IN THE HEART OF SOUTH ORANGE VILLAGE CENTER SOUTH ORANGE VILLAGE CENTER ALLIANCE PRESENTS FRIDAY & SATURDAY EVENINGS 7:30PM - 10:00PM SPIOTTA PARK & SLOAN STREET CHECK SOVILLAGECENTER.ORG EACH WEEK BETWEEN MEMORIAL DAY & LABOR DAY FOR LINEUPS LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF NORTH JERSEY WEDNESDAYS 2-7PM IN THE SLOAN STREET LOT ACROSS FROM THE SOUTH ORANGE TRAIN STATION JERSEY FRESH PRODUCE • FLOWERS • FRESH MOZZ • PASTA • SOAPS PIES • LEMONADE • HONEY • MEATS • OLIVES • PITA • NUTS AND MORE NEW DISCOVERIES EVERY WEEK! OPENING DAY JUNE 7!