Cranford Radio

There's much about the current political state in the US that is shared with the 1960s. Both periods are seen by many as a time of division. Anti-war protests and civil rights are very much in the news. The Cranford Dramatic Club brings us back to the 1960s with the final production of their current season with the musical Hair. Cranford Radio speaks with director/choreographer Michael Kidney, as well as cast members Griffin Gartlgruber (Claude), Tyler Vanterpool (Hud), Amanda Malone (Sheila) and Lauren McCoig (a member of the Tribe), to learn more about this show.

Most major building projects in Cranford require hearings and approval of the Cranford Planning Board. If you're not involved yourself in a project, you may not be aware of the board does. On this week's podcast I speak with the chair of the Planning Board, Molly Kellett, to learn about what the board does and how it does its work.

A Cranford-based organization, the UCEDC, working with Downtown Cranford and the Cranford Theater is holding a four-part series designed to give Cranford business owners tools they can use to grow their business. Mary Adelman, a business consultant with the UCEDC, will be leading one of the sessions. She's my guest this week on Cranford Radio to talk about the program and how business owners can benefit from both the sessions and the networking opportunities.

It's National Library Week and to mark the occasion my guest on this episode of the Cranford Radio podcast is Kathy Cannarozzi, the director of the Cranford Public Library. We chat about a variety of topics including her first year at the library, the plans to expand the children's section and the CPL's role as a book sanctuary.

Often, the highway infrastructure of the state is taken for granted. We hop in our cars and drive from place to place with little thought of what's necessary to let it happen. When something goes wrong, however, we quickly realize how fragile our infrastructure can be. Chris Feinthel, Assistant Commissioner for Operations in the New Jersey Department of Transportation, grew up in Cranford never thinking he would be in charge of operations for a massive roadway system stretching from High Point to Cape Map Point. On this joint production of Cranford Radio and Transportation Radio, I talk with Chris about his job, what happens when weather throws a wrench into transportation and how NJDOT is making adjustments as climate change impacts the transportation infrastructure.

You may know Dinah Dunn through her work as a writer and reporter for TAPinto Cranford. Your grade school kids may know her through the books she's written for Scholastic Books. On this week's podcast I talk to Dinah about what she's learned about Cranford since joining the online news site in September and how she writes to encourage young reluctant readers to pick up and read a book.

When you're a parent, especially with young children, you keep a close eye on your kids. You want to give them everything they need to thrive and you're on the lookout for any areas in which they need help. It's a big moment when they say that first word, and from there advance to simple sentences and build their vocabulary. Some kids need help in developing their communication skills and that's where this week's guests comes in. Amanda Kukis is the owner of FUNctional Speech + Language and a Cranford resident. She works with young children, starting as young as 15-months, to overcome issues they may have with speech. We'll hear about some of the conditions she deals with and how she helps not only the children but their parents resolve these issues.

On this St. Patrick's Day weekend we talk with Cranford resident Jennifer Love. Jennifer was named the Irishwoman of the Year by the Union County Daughters of Ireland. The honor is just one facet of her story. She is a long-time Realtor and currently manages the Westfield office of Weichert Realtors. She's also served as an advocate for Emma's Law, which would require school vehicles which transport special needs children be equipped with tracking and other equipment. Learn more in this week's Cranford Radio podcast.

A number of Cranford business have teamed with the Work Readiness Academy, part of the Union County Educational Services Commission, to prepare students for work following their schooling. Josh Bornstein, director of the academy and a Cranford resident, joins me on the podcast this week to talk about the program. Also joining us on the episode is Dr. Lajja Patel, a dentist and owner of South Avenue Dental, and one of the business participants.

Serving as the township attorney is just one of the responsibilities of Ryan Cooper. In addition he has a law practice in town and he also serves as the chairman of the Cranford Democratic Municipal Committee. On this week's episode we learn about his role as Cranford's lawyer and his years going to high school on Sandy Hook and how he spent the four years between high school and college.

"Peace, Love & Pancakes" is the phrase Toast City Diner uses to describe themselves. Truth is, they are much more than that. The restaurant at the corner of South and Walnut avenues has a menu that offers a variety of foods from breakfast staples such as omelettes to gourmet grilled cheese. Co-owners Amy Russo and Adam Torine chat with me about the restaurant's beginnings, their years growing up in the business, and what attracted them to open their fourth store in Cranford.

As we come to Presidents Day Weekend, we're going to go through a bit of presidential history by looking back at those men who served as president of the United States and who visited Cranford either before, during or after their terms in office. Vic Bary, a member of the Cranford Historical Society, tells about those visits and a bit about the lives of the presidents who came through town.

While growing up in Cranford, Bridget Gautieri may not have realized some of the things she was doing were preparing her for a journey that would lead to Germany. She was a youth leader at Calvary Lutheran Church and from sixth grade at Orange Avenue School she studied German. After getting her undergraduate degree at Roanoke College she entered Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia with plans to become a pastor. This past summer she was ordained and shortly thereafter began a call serving at the ELCA Wittenberg Center in Germany. On this week's episode I speak with Bridget about her years growing up in Cranford, when she realized she might become a pastor, and some of her experiences in Germany.

Early February is the when the refurbished Centennial Avenue indoor pool and fitness center is expected to open. The facility will now be operated as the Cranford YMCA. In anticipation of the opening, Cranford Radio spoke with Greg Hatzisavvas, Vice President of Operations for the Westfield Area Y. We talk about physical changes that have been made and what programs the Y will be offering.

A great way to spend a winter evening is enjoying a production by the Cranford Dramatic Club. In February, the community theater will be presenting the play, "The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940." Cranford Radio had an opportunity to catch up with three of the folks involved with the production, director Zach Mazouat, stage manager Dana Dispoto and Shannon Ludlum, who plays Helsa Wenzel, to learn a bit about the show.

Many of us have things like junk drawers, piles on tables and a garage so crowded with stuff that we can't park our car inside. How do you get away from the mess and get your space better organized? Our guest on this week's episode is Cranford resident Trish Johnson. She owns This Organized Chaos and we chat about things you can do to put your living space in better order and how she can help you do it.

Each year the Cranford Clergy Council and the Interfaith Human Relations Committee recognize someone with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award to honor his legacy. This year's recipient is Monsignor Timothy Shugrue. Father Tim served as the pastor of St. Michael Church for a dozen years before retiring from the parish last year. In this week's episode we discuss the award and some of this memories of Dr. King while growing up.

This month voters have an opportunity to decide if they will approve a $75 million bond referendum. The bond includes funding for construction of full-day kindergarten classes in the district and facility enhancements. State aid will cover approximately 26% of the costs. Cranford Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Scott Rubin joins the podcast this week to discuss the referendum in greater detail. Additional information can be found online in a website about the bonding question.

As the weather turns colder, the need to address homelessness becomes more urgent. Bridges, a non-profit organization based in Summit, does more than just provide clothing and food for those dealing with homelessness. They also work with those who are without permanent housing to find long-term solutions and to provide a safe place to live. In this week's podcast I speak with Richard Uniacke, the president of Bridges, and Cranford resident Scott Waldman who is on the board of directors. We talk about how the organization has evolved and their recent expansion into Union County. We also note how listeners can help.

As a child Paul Kerbel moved around quite a bit, but for the past five+ years his home is Cranford as he serves as the spiritual leader of Temple Beth El Mekor Chayim. Rabbi Kerbel talks about his childhood, why he was drawn to becoming a rabbi and his impressions of Cranford. We also talk about recent events in the Middle East and how that has affected him and his congregation.