Millburn-Short Hills Magazine May 2020 | Page 8

BUZZWORTHY To be considered for Buzzworthy, contact Cindy Schweich Handler at [email protected] Maplewood REPORTING ON ACRISIS Long before our current pandemic, a local health crisis plagued Flint, Michigan. In 2014, government officials switched the city’s water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Within months, residents were experiencing rashes, mysterious illnesses and stunted growth among children. Though the water emanating from city faucets was murky and foul-smelling, officials failed to take action. In Poisoned Water: How the Citizens of Flint, Michigan, Fought for Their Lives and Warned the Nation, Montclair resident and investigative journalist CANDY COOPER, with writer-editor and Maplewood resident MARC ARONSON, digs deep into not only this story, but the backstory of local segregation and bias that preceded it, and how the people of Flint fought back. The book, to be published on May 19 by Bloomsbury Children’s Books, is targeted to readers ages 10 and up. Millburn area NO EXCUSE FOR MISSING THOSE WORKOUTS No, we can’t be at our favorite health clubs and workout centers due to COVID-19. But we can still work out, if the FIT- NESS CENTERS we belong to offer online classes. The following businesses are among those offering virtual workouts to members: Align Wellness Studio in Millburn, align-wellness-studio.com; F45 Training in Millburn, f45training.com/millburn/ home; and YB Fitness in Short Hills, facebook.com/ ybfitnessnj. South Orange PERFORMING FOR SOPAC Coronavirus is not only taking a toll on public health and businesses, but on community nonprofits, too. In mid-April, the SOUTH ORANGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER launched an emergency fundraising campaign spearheaded by its Board of Governors, who raised $30,000 from their ranks to provide matching funds for donors to SOPAC. Contributors to the SOPAC 2020 Emergency Fund will have their gifts matched by the Board of Governors’ collection, thereby doubling the impact made by their donation. Gifts are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Citing the importance of artists and entertainers during challenging times, Paul Bartrick said that a shared experience of the kind enjoyed at SOPAC “enriches and gives us hope.” For more information, go to sopacnow.org/donate. WORKOUT: GETTY IMAGES; HEADSHOT COURTESY OF KATE ALBRIGHT; BOOK COVER COURTESY OFBLOOMSBURY CHILDREN’S BOOKS; SOPAC: COURTESY OFSOPAC 6 MAY 2020 MILLBURN &SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE