The Maroon Vol. 2… No. 43 Tuesday, June 7, 2022
“Bringing us all to a place we don't want to lose."
Observer: Things We Believe In
Macky’s New York: Mista Potato Head
William Peay: Tales From The Wood…
RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame: Save The Date: Nov. 5th 2022
La Dolce Vita: The Making Of A Cheese Shop
RHS Tired Teens: Later School Start Times
M + A NYC: Mighty Are We As One
James Stroker: Hope Coach
Jim Schoneman: Rock Hound
Jeff Meyers: Arm The Teachers
Observer
Things We Believe In
Life’s moments worthy of collecting, viewing, & knowing often share a simple trait: they begin with a ridiculously ambitious goal. As Henry David Thoreau writes:
In the long run, men (women) hit only what they aim at. Therefore, they had better aim at something high.
A favorite example of mine is the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall Of Fame (RHS HOF), which I write about often. It represents an idea that is not selfish; it’s for all of us. We may not be sports fans or even the least bit athletic, but it doesn’t take a jock to appreciate all the hard work and dedication which each and every member of the RHS HOF had to abide.
And it doesn’t make me a “woke” white guy to marvel at what all the female athletes had to endure. It took the Title IX act of Congress in 1972 and the threat of losing federal funding to get girls’ programs put on an equal footing with the boys’ programs. Even then the girls at RHS had a substandard gymnasium for the longest time. We all knew what practicing or attending an event at the “Girls Gym” meant in terms of size, ancient equipment, and poor lighting.
RHS may not have immediately complied with the rulings and ramifications of Title IX but it did show a proven record of expansion in an effort to reach and maintain the correct ratios. We are better off for all the behind the scenes work, especially that of the male coaches who accepted the less prestigious titles of “Girls” coach. Women were expected to coach the girls so that was not a step down in status like it would be construed for men.
Fortunately, nobody openly mocked Jimmy Stroker when he coached girls’ basketball or Jeff Yearing when he coached girls’ soccer, or Jacob Brown when he girls’ cross country & track. The heckler might have received a comeback that they hadn’t expected, even if they had meant their teasing as a joke. These stellar coaches all took their assignments to heart. Just ask any girl who played or ran for them if they believed their coach took the job seriously. You would receive a laugh, a dismissive eye roll, and a story about how it was back in their day. And don’t suggest RHS HOF coach Debbie Paul wasn’t as good as any male coach because her record across a number of sports shows otherwise.
These coaches and many other through the years believed in the values that can be taught through children learning sportmanship, teamwork, and respect. The coaches lived and breathed these virtues so their teams knew exactly what they believed in and how they needed to comport themselves come game day. Judging by the above named coaches’ collective records and the admiration their teams still feel for them, the lessons weren’t small or quickly forgotten.
Macky’s New York
Matthew Cortellesi Photography
May 28, 2022 - Union Square
Mista Potato Head
After a rain storm...a man discusses the different starch components of the might spud with the potato lady at the Farmers Market.
Shot on a wet table looking south with clouds.
Time 230pm.
#ny1pic
William Peay
Tales From The Wood…
Highland "Extension"
RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame
Save The Date: November 5, 2022
Visit The RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame
Digital Printing for the RHS Hall of Fame provided by Tim Boucher, RHS 1988
La Dolce Vita
The Making Of A Cheese Shop
Inaugural cheese plate at Harry’s Table courtesy of Matthew Cortellesi. Birba Blu, Brillat Savarin and Montgomery’s Cheddar.
RHS Tired Teens
Later School Start Times
M + A NYC
Mighty Are We As One
Inspired by art, designed in New York, and made by hand with love by artisans all over the world. Shop home décor and wearable accessories at www.mplusanyc.com
James Stroker
Hope Coach
Jim Schoneman
Rock Hound
Paddled downstream to one of my favorite spots and passed this group of ferns on the riverbank. The sun was shining right through the tops of the fronds, so I had to drop anchor and take a picture. I like the black and white image better than the color image because it seems to accent the structure of the ferns, as well as the light shining through the fronds. In case anyone is wondering, the ferns were green.
Jeff Meyers
Arm The Teachers!
Arm the teachers!
The teachers must have arms!!
Arms to gesticulate wildly their passion,
Arms attached to hands that encourage!
Arms crossed on their chests when
They are not satisfied with the effort put forth:
Please, give more of yourselves,
Please, look deep into this
Look deep into YOU and how you see the world,
Arms that would hug if that
Had not become taboo
In our hyper-vigilant, non-emotional
EDUCATIONAL
Pseudo-caring world that
Thanks us for “all we do”
At arms’ length
We arm ourselves
We steel ourselves
We steal from ourselves
Our arms have fingers
That type away
At a curriculum,
A pediatric pedagogy
In preparation for the onslaught
Imagined from events
That have come to define our country.
Arm the teachers with arms
That pantomime,
That comfort
That climb
That paddle
Together
With the arms of children
Yearning to stroke their way
To the surface and there
Tread water,
Before charting a course together
That will take us all
Home.