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: www.southorangeelks.com

Forget the Whale on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5jTaVspFTd3rY2xDUfaakR?si=uxu8OeBOQwKMp3Gaxt18iQ

B. John Kaufman Art: https://www.bjohnkaufman.com

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!

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!

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!)

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 www.lallysalley.blogspot.com

Thanks to Robert Lasner, Executive Director of the Maplewood South Orange Book Festival, for introducing this episode.

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: https://kate-storey.com

Follow Kate on X: @KateLStorey

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: https://www.thefoxandfalconbydb.com

Chef David Burke Site: https://chefdavidburke.com

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!)

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

www.somapso.com

Instagram: somapso_life

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.