MAPSO Podso

A podcast for all Mapsonians! Learn about some of the great history and pop culture connected to our wonderful and quirky community. If you only listen to one podcast about Maplewood and South Orange, NJ, make it MAPSO Podso!

S3 Shea Stadium to SOMA Schools 07/22/2025

S3 Shea Stadium to SOMA Schools In the final episode of season 3, I talk with long time SOMSD music teacher Vern Miller. Before Vern arrived in our school district, he played bass in the 1960s garage band The Remains, who have achieved cult status in the rock world. In fact, they opened for The Beatles throughout their final U.S. tour. So we have a lot to talk about! Website: http://vernmiller.info /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/37499300

S3 Kevin O'Connor Returns 07/15/2025

S3 Kevin O'Connor Returns Friend of the show, Kevin O'Connor, is back for more! The "This Old House" host and Maplewood native returns to talk about the show's enduring legacy, the advancement of modern construction materials and preserving local landmarks. Plus, more of your listener questions! Thanks to Vinnie from The Roman Gourmet for introducing this episode. Instagram: @kevinoconnortoh Instagram: @THisOldHouse Instagram: @theromanmaplewood Instagram: @mapsopodso /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/36786650

S3 MAPSO to Major League Soccer 07/08/2025

S3 MAPSO to Major League Soccer Mason Toye is a South Orange native, who grew up playing Cougar Soccer, before becoming a star player at Seton Hall Prep. He's now a veteran of Major League Soccer, currently playing for Sporting Kansas City. He joins me to talk about growing up in town, his MLS career and the battle over turf vs. grass. Photo: Courtesy of Sporting Kansas City Instagram: MapsoPodso /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/37104770

S3 Presidential Transitions and MAPSO Trivia 07/01/2025

S3 Presidential Transitions and MAPSO Trivia Maplewood resident Heath Brown is an expert on Presidential transitions. He joins me at the dining room table to talk about his latest book, Roadblocked - an inside look at the transition from the first Trump White House to the Biden Presidency. Plus, he challenges my MAPSO/SOMA knowledge! Bluesky: @heathbrown.bsky.social /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/37238390

S3 The Blades of Grass 06/24/2025

S3 The Blades of Grass Way before Sza and The Fugees, The Blades of Grass tore up Columbia High School! Their only album, The Blades of Grass Are Not For Smoking, was released in 1967 while they were still students - and resulted in a top 100 hit! Singer/songwriter/guitar player Marc Black joins me to talk about the band's beginnings here in town, getting suspended from school and his enduring solo career. Marc Black Website: Instagram: @mapsopodso /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/37104330

S3 Gold Medal Maplewoodian 06/17/2025

S3 Gold Medal Maplewoodian Maplewood resident Jackie Dubrovich won gold as part of the USA Fencing Team at last summer's Paris Olympics. She joins me at the dining room table to talk about the sport, making history at the games and her love of town. Polaris Fencing Center: www.polarisfencing.com Instagram: @jackiedubrovich Instagram: @mapsopodso /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/37027250

S3 Teed Off In Town 06/10/2025

S3 Teed Off In Town Golfers, would you be surprised to learn that the modern tee was invented right here in town? It's true! Dr. William Lowell was a member of the Maplewood Country Club, where he tested his new creation. I get the full story from Elizabeth Beeck of the USGA Golf Museum! /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/36760985

S3 A Mayor Among Us 06/03/2025

S3 A Mayor Among Us Marc Morial served two terms as the youngest mayor of New Orleans before becoming president and CEO of National Urban League, a historic civil rights organization. The South Orange resident joins me at the dining room table to talk about growing up in NOLA, following in his father's footsteps, his MAPSO experience and much more. Instagram: @marcmorial Instagram: @mapsopodso /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/36746315

S3 Martinez on the Mound 05/27/2025

S3 Martinez on the Mound South Orange native Joe Martinez spent four seasons pitching in the majors and now serves as MLB's Senior Director of On-Field Operations. He joins me to talk about his time on the mound, the league's latest rule changes and his days in South Orange/Maplewood town baseball. Instagram: @mapsopodso /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/36631985

S3 The Voice of Maplewood 05/20/2025

S3 The Voice of Maplewood Naomi Soleil was the talk of the town when she competed on the latest season of NBC's The Voice. She joins me in the first episode of season three to talk about her Columbia High School experience, being picked for Team Buble' and her future in music. Instagram: @naiomisoleil_ Instagram: MapsoPodso More info at /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/36628400

A Very MAPSO Christmas 12/10/2024

A Very MAPSO Christmas I'm popping up for a quick holiday hello - and to solve a big Maplewood mystery about a classic Christmas film. Why is Maplewood, NJ mentioned in the 2004 film The Polar Express? Listen now to find out! Links: Dickens Village SOMSD Parenting Center & Rent Party Toy Drive Holiday Food Drive /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/34360590

S2 Mihali From Maplewood 06/06/2024

S2 Mihali From Maplewood In the last episode of season two, I talk with Maplewood native Mihali, leader of the popular jam band Twiddle. The Columbia High School grad headlined Maplewoodstock as a solo artist in 2023 where he performed the song "Maplewood" from his album "Effection." We had a great chat about his music, going solo, his love of weed and his hometown - with shout outs to the Village Trattoria, Bagel Chateau and the Milburn Deli. Mihali will perform at The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park on June 13 - and just announced - a free show in Montclair on June 21! Pick up your copy of "Effection" on vinyl at Tea & Tunes in Maplewood - inside the General Store Shops & Cafe. Thanks to Soma Confidential for introducing this episode. Links: Mihali - Twiddle - Maplewoodstock - /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/31633502

S2 South Orange Serenade 05/31/2024

S2 South Orange Serenade We alll know that Bruce Springsteen is New Jersey's Greatest son! And you probably know that the Mighty Max Weinberg is a Columbia High School grad! But I was curious - in all his years of performing, has The Boss ever played a concert in our little towns? With a little help, I explore some of the history of this area's music scene and try to stake a small claim to the Springsteen legend. Thanks so actor/musician Charlie Pollock of the Local Heroes band for introducing this episode - Links: Financially Speaking with Mitch Slater podcast - Jim Marino - David Hajdu - Music City Mike - /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/31553397

S2 Biography of James Kaplan 05/10/2024

S2 Biography of James Kaplan Before he was a bestselling author, James Kaplan wrote for the Columbia High School newspaper and spent countless hours devouring books at the South Orange Public Library. In the years since, he wrote two definitive biographies of Frank Sinatra and collaborated with the likes of Jerry Lewis, John McEnroe and Henry Winkler on their "assisted memoirs." His new book, 3 Shades of Blue, explores the lives of Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Bill Evans as they made the seminal jazz album Kind of Blue. We talked at length about his impressive career, some of his most famous subjects and growing up in South Orange. Thanks to Maplewood Garden Club President Lisa Lackey for introducing this episode. Their 87th annual plant sale is currently underway! Buy 3 Shades of Blue at [words]: James Kaplan Website: James Kaplan on Twitter: James Kaplan on Instagram: Maplewood Garden Club: /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/31235212

S2 Jessica from JESPY House 04/28/2024

S2 Jessica from JESPY House Jessica, a client at JESPY House in South Orange, is a 3 sport Special Olympics New Jersey athlete - competing in basketball, soccer and track & field. She joins me to talk about the daily challenges she faces, training for the Special Olympics and how JESPY has helped her live a full life in our community. Update: Since this interview, Jessica and her JESPY basketball teammates won bronze at Special Olympics New Jersey! Thanks to South Orange mayor Sheena Collum for introducing this episode. JESPY House: Visit Follow on Instagram: /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/31014513

S2 Underhill to the Olympics 04/19/2024

S2 Underhill to the Olympics Four time Olympian Joetta Clark is a legend at 800 meters - an event that she never once lost as a member of the Columbia High School track team! The New Jersey and Columbia High Hall of Famer joins me to talk about mental toughness, the evolution of women's running and growing up in South Orange with her father Joe Clark - the Eastside High Principal that inspired the film Lean on Me. She now simply goes by the name Joetta as she travels the country as a motivational speaker and oversees her company Joetta Sports & Beyond. In an incredible moment for Maplewood at the 2000 U.S. Olympic trials, Joetta faced off against her younger sister Hazel (Columbia High School grad) and her sister-in-law Jearl Miles-Clark. All three were coached by Joetta's brother J.J. Clark (Columbia High School grad). They finished 1-2-3 landing all of them a trip to the games in Sydney. 2000 Olympic Trials Video: Joetta Sports & Beyond - Joetta on Instagram - New Jersey Hall of Fame Induction - /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/30897128

S2 Hamilton in the House 04/11/2024

S2 Hamilton in the House Fresh off of his long run as Alexander Hamilton on Broadway, Maplewood resident Miguel Cervantes is here for an in depth conversatoin about his past, present and future. In the longest episode yet, we discuss all things Hamilton, the tragic loss of his daugther Adelaide to Epilepsy, his ties to MAPSO and his new business - Dingers NJ, an incredibly cool batting cage facility in Maplewood. And, of course, the big question - will he act again??? Dingers NJ: SHUCADDY: Cure Epilepsy: Kelly Cervantes: (Get her book, Normal Broken, at Words) /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/30774658

Special Report: Hall Wins the NIT! 04/10/2024

Special Report: Hall Wins the NIT! Your Seton Hall Pirates have won the 2024 NIT Championship! Jerry Carino of the Asbury Park Press joins me to recap the tournament and his trip to the finals in Indianapolis. Nobody knows New Jersey basketball better than this man! Follow Jerry on X at @NJHoopsHaven and read his latest columns at Seton Hall Basketball: /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/30759853

S2 The Closer 12/23/2023

S2 The Closer The crew of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit called Joel de la Fuente "Mariano" for his ability to nail the final scene. The Maplewood actor comes by the house to close out the podcast for 2023 and chat about his decade long recurring role as technician Ruben Morales, his work on The Man in the High Castle and more! Also on the agenda: remembering Andre Braugher, TV vs. film acting, the new SAG contract and enfuriating the Phillippine government with his part on Madam Secretary! We also talk about little known Japanese American hero Gordon Hirabayashi, the subject of Joel's one man show Hold These Truths. Look for Joel in the upcoming second season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon! Website: Instagram: joeldelafuente Thanks to Erin, Katrina and Deanna, owners of The General Store Shops & Cafe in Maplewood, for introducing the episode! /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/29210603

S2 Thanksgiving in Detroit 11/21/2023

S2 Thanksgiving in Detroit While you're relaxing on the couch this Thanksgiving, Yosh Nijman will be clocking in for work! The Columbia High School grad and current offensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers is heading to Detroit for a pre-turkey meeting with the Lions. But first, he joins me to talk Cougar football, becoming an "a-hole" on Sundays and his favorite slice at the Village Trat. Thanks to Columbia High School Football Coach Gary Mobley for introducing this week's episode. Yoshi blocking a Raiders field goal this season: Columbia High Game Footage: /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/28733853

S2 The Grand Poobah 11/13/2023

S2 The Grand Poobah I head over to the South Orange Elks lodge to hang out with Exalted Ruler Dan Pieraccini, who you may also know from the band Forget the Whale. We chat about the history and inner workings of the organization and the great things they do for the community. Plus, am I Elk material? Thanks to local artist/Vietnam veteran B. John Kaufman, VFW Post 10120 Commander, for introducing this week's episode. South Orange Elks Lodge: Forget the Whale on Spotify: B. John Kaufman Art: /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/28610178

S2 The Making of Michelle Miller 10/26/2023

S2 The Making of Michelle Miller South Orange resident Michelle Miller is co-host of CBS Saturday Morning, the former first lady of New Orleans and author of the recent memoir, "Belonging: A Daughter's Search for Identity Through Loss and Love." In her lengthy visit to the dining room table, she opens up about her unconventional upbringing, making a home in Maplewood/South Orange and politely answers my questions about her husband's mustache. Follow Michelle on Instagram - @michellemiller29 Thanks to SOMA Stage Founder Dana Spialter for introducing this week's episode! /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/28428011

S2 63 and Sunny 10/17/2023

S2 63 and Sunny It's a beautiful fall day to have Fox Weather meteorologist (and South Orange resident) Marissa Torres hang out at the dining room table. We cover a lot of ground including working her way up the broadcasting ladder from Grosse Pointe, MI to New York, the human factor in weather forecasting and our mutual love of The Order. How DOES Sheldon remember everyone's name? Thanks to Jessica and Steph from the SOMA Fox Running Club for introducing this week's episode! /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/28350986

E on the Street with Shaheen Holloway 10/05/2023

E on the Street with Shaheen Holloway E on the Street! Eric stops by Seton Hall to try to catch a guest who has alluded MAPSO Podso - Seton Hall Men's Basketball Coach Shaheen Holloway! (Warning - E always gets his man - but he doesn't always have time to check audio levels!) /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/28241291

S2 The South Orange Sonnets 09/27/2023

S2 The South Orange Sonnets Influential poet Michael Lally invites me into his remote New York home to talk about one of his earliest publications, "The South Orange Sonnets." Wearing his Words Bookstore shirt, he tells me about growing up in town as a "punk" in the 1940s, his second career as an actor and defining success and failure at the age of 81. And what actually makes a poem a poem? Michael's latest book, "Another Way to Play: Poems 1960-2017" is available on Amazon and the usual places books are sold. Check out his blog, Lally's Alley at Thanks to Robert Lasner, Executive Director of the Maplewood South Orange Book Festival, for introducing this episode. /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/28159079

S2 Kate on The Cape 09/19/2023

S2 Kate on The Cape Rolling Stone Editor (and Maplewood resident) Kate Storey stops by to chat about her best selling book "White House By The Sea," a riveting look at the Kennedys through their time spent at the famed Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port. We discuss how this tiny Massachusetts town became the epicenter of America's most powerful political family and how Kate's time researching on Cape Cod led her family to settle here in MAPSO. Plus, Rolling Stone's epic piece about Fugee/Columbia High School grad Pras Michel and his subsequent conspiracy conviction. And high praise for Elitist Coffee where Kate spent time working on the book. Thanks to South Mountain YMCA director James Goodger for introducing the episode! Kate's Website: Follow Kate on X: @KateLStorey /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/28076847

S2 Foxes, Falcons and Medium Well Filet 09/11/2023

S2 Foxes, Falcons and Medium Well Filet Celebrity chef David Burke joins me in the first episode of season 2 to talk about taking over The Fox & Falcon, New Jersey's culinary reputation and why chefs have to be a little bit crazy! And am I a fool for ordering meat medium well? Meanwhile, I'm shaking off the summer rust as I forgot to say my sign off line and neglected to mention Jed Bennett. Fox & Falcon Site: Chef David Burke Site: /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/27999375

Summer Session: Live from PorchFest! 09/04/2023

Summer Session: Live from PorchFest! Recorded live from his set at PorchFest, Nate Sullivan performs his song "Once in a While" (AKA the MAPSO Podso theme song) - and the crowd loves it! ("Once in a While" orginally appeared on the 2013 album Fight Songs from Nate's band Glenn's Army, which is available on Spotify. Please follow Nate on Instagram at @NateSullivanMusic to stay up to date on upcoming releases and live shows!) /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/27938616

Summer Session: Podcast Simulcast! 09/02/2023

Summer Session: Podcast Simulcast! At long last - a meeting between the two most powerful podcasts in town! Cat and Chrissy from SOMAPSO came by the house to hang out and we covered a lot of ground: their semi-obsession with Andrew McCarthy, Cat's disdain for Dirty Dancing and "boffing" Muppets. It's all very unprofessional but tons of fun! Both shows are posting this historic meeting at the same time, which means that everyone needs to listen to it twice! Then keep listening to SOMAPSO every week to hear about some of the great local events coming up and to be bummed out about the ones you missed. #PodcastBFFs Instagram: somapso_life /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/27922842

Summer Session: Olympic Park 07/24/2023

Summer Session: Olympic Park Would you believe that MAPSO once had it's very own amusement park? I mean a real, legitimate amusement park! We interrupt your summer with a quick history of Maplewood's Olympic Park. /episode/index/show/eac5cbc4-df45-4c7b-8974-4dc82715899c/id/27549315

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