buzzworthy
Montclair
SPORTS BRA INVENTORS HONORED
In 1977 , Montclair natives LISA LINDAHL and POLLY PALMER SMITH , along with Smith ’ s costume design assistant , Hinda Schreiber Miller , sewed two jockstraps together and created the prototype for the sports bra . More than four decades after their invention changed the way women run and work out , they were honored at the 2022 National Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony , held May 4-5 in Washington , DC .
During the Illumination Ceremony at the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum , inductees placed their names on illuminated hexagons in the museum ’ s Gallery of Icons . The following evening , they were honored at a black-tie dinner and ceremony held at The Anthem in the nation ’ s capitol .
Lindahl , Smith and Miller patented the JockBra , later renamed the JogBra , and it was bought by Playtex in 1990 . In 2020 , the three were honored at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington for their invention , which Runner ’ s World magazine has called “ the greatest invention in running — ever .”
— CINDYSCHWEICH HANDLER
Montclair and Little Falls
PRIDE OF MONTCLAIR STATE
It ’ s nice to think that it ’ s never too late to recognize a deserving individual ’ s achievements , but for linebacker SAM MILLS , it almost was . In Mills ’ 20th and final season of eligibility as a “ modern-day ” NFL player , he was posthumously elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame ’ s Class of 2022 .
Mills , the 5-foot-9-inch linebacker who died of colon cancer in 2005 at age 45 , recorded an incredible 501 career tackles at Montclair State University between 1977-1980 , was a three-time NJAC Defensive Player of the Year and earned Division III All-American . He was named captain his final two seasons and a Kodak All-American selection as a senior . Mills went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers .
The 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on Saturday , Aug . 6 , at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton , Ohio .
— STEPHEN EDELSON
Montclair
DEALING WITH ADEADLYDRAGON
Montserrat Coughlin Kim was experienced in adapting to new situations . She ’ d been a consultant for Accenture , a marketer for American Express , a social worker and a Hong Kong resident after her husband was transferred there for work . But when her husband George was struggling with colon cancer , Kim , a Montclair resident , was at a loss . She wanted to help their two young daughters cope with their father ’ s illness ( to which he would succumb ), but couldn ’ t find a picture book that would help .
So she wrote her own . MY DAD AND THE DRAGON is a 36-page book for children ages 4-10 illustrated by Rebekah S . Cheresnick and published on the imprint Kim created , When a Dragon Comes . Profits from the book ’ s sales will be donated to social service organizations that help kids with sick parents , she says ; books may be donated through her website to University Hospital in Newark . “ In addition , we have a followup story with the working title of Cameron ’ s Grief ,” says Kim . She hopes to publish the second book by late summer . • Available atwhenadragoncomes . org , Amazon . com , Barnesandnoble . com and by order from local bookshops
— CINDYSCHWEICHHANDLER
LINDAHL AND SMITH : COURTESY OF LISA LINDAHL ; BOOK COVER COURTESY OFMONTSERRAT KIM ; KIM : COURTESY OFSARAH YOUNG ; MILLS : ASBURY PARK PRESS
6 MAY 2022 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE