Cranford Radio

The NJTPA is the metropolitan planning organization responsible for the distribution of federal transportation funds for 13 counties in northern New Jersey, including Cranford. They also assist counties and municipalities in improving transportation infrastructure.David Behrend serves as the executive director of the agency and Ted Ritter is the manager of external affairs. They join me this week on the podcast to talk about the work of the agency and to provide examples of how their work directly affects the movement of people and freight through Cranford.

When Melanie Cecilio, the founder and culinary director for Little Fox Kitchen, opened her business in 2018 she envisioned it as a cooking school drawing customers from Cranford and surrounding towns. Today, that side of the business continues but she also teaches virtual classes worldwide and companies come to her for team-building events. In this episode of the Cranford Radio podcast, we learn more about Melanie and what brought her from the Philippines to Cranford and how COVID allowed her to pivot and transform her business.Little Fox's Instagram page

Today at most public high schools you'll find a full program of girls sports. The passage of Title IX in 1972 required schools receiving federal funding to not discriminate based on sex. It took some time for Cranford Public Schools to begin offering girls sports. It started with a field hockey team and in 1973, a girls basketball team was created. That team not only was a first, but it distinguished itself by playing in the state championship game its first season.Three seniors were the core of that team. Carol Blazejowski, Nancy French and Lisa Levine played together going back to their elementary grade days at Lincoln School. This week's Cranford Radio podcast brings the three together to  talk not only about that magical season, but to go back even further to the formation of their friendship and then to catch up on what they did after graduation.

Whenever you attended high school it likely was a time of growing. Depending on how far removed you are from that experience, things have changed quite a bit with today's students. Under the direction of Nikki Savino Mulcahy, an intergenerational studies program is taking place at Cranford High School. It brings together older residents with current students to compare how things have changed over the decades, as well as what is not all that different.Three students, Isabella Alvarez-Gomez, Neil McGovern and Ryan Lynskey, along with Mrs. Savino Mulcahy, join us on this week's podcast, recorded in the Dr. Deborah Cannon Partridge Wolfe Library and Learning Commons, to not only talk about the class but to share a bit of what their high school experience is like.

Twelfth Night is one of William Shakespeare's comedies and it comes to the CDC stage throughout the month of February. Director Susie Speidel and actor Zach Mazouat join me to talk about the show, the challenges of performing Shakespeare, and what this show has to do with New York City in the 1970s.

In July, the Cranford United Methodist Church welcomed a new pastor, Rev. Dr. HyunHui Kim.  Pastor Kim is not only the first woman to serve as pastor of CUMC, but she is also the first person of color.In this episode we learn a bit about her story from her growing up years in a suburb of Seoul to what brought her to New Jersey.

Following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, the Cranford community created the Equity and Inclusivity Initiative to examine what needed to be done to make the town welcoming to everyone. Leaders of the project include a wide range of community members, including representatives from the township committee,  public schools, clergy, police and citizens. Meetings, which were open to all members of the public, developed draft mission, value, vision and goal statements, an action plan and a strategic plan.On January 9 a survey was released seeking feedback from all stakeholders. Cranford Radio spoke with several leaders of the initiative to learn more about their work and the purposes of the survey. Guests on the episode are Police Chief Ryan Greco, Sherry Williams, Rev. Alfred Brown of the First Baptist Church, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Scott Rubin, Dr. Christopher Chapman of the Roselle Chapter of the NAACP and Township Committee member Kathleen Miller Prunty.

In this Cranford Radio episode the tables are turned and instead of being the interviewer, Bernie becomes the interviewee. She discusses her recent announcement that she has transitioned to living as a woman and in general about being transgender. Interviewing Bernie are five members of the Cranford Unity Project; Sanjeevanee Vidwans, Patricia MacLean, Jill Wohrle, Karen Bennett, and Jo Ann Boyle.

Friday and Saturday nights (December 16 & 17) at 8, the Celebration Singers will be presenting their Hope for the Season concert at St. Michael's Church in Cranford. As a rehearsal was underway this week, I had an opportunity to sit down with the director, Louise Chernosky, as well as two members, Cindy Higgins and Holly Gessner, to chat about this weekend's performance and about the Celebration Singers.

Santa isn't the only one delivering at this time of year. The UPS Store at 16 South Avenue West is lending a hand by not only shipping gifts and more, but by helping you pack those items so they arrive safely.To help you prepare for whatever shipments you might be making, Cranford Radio spoke with Jackie Reese, the manager of Cranford's UPS Store and her assistant, Beatrice Beard.

Harry Dworchak has sung in many of the greatest opera houses in the world and with some of the finest singers. After living in places as diverse as Barcelona, Philadelphia and New York, he's settled in Cranford.A 1986 New York Time review of his performance with the New York City Opera called his bass voice one of the finest to be heard in New York at the time. A year later he was given the prestigious Richard Tucker Award.  On this week's podcast we talk about what led him to become an opera singer, some of the unique challenges of performing opera and about his role as a teacher.

For nearly 20 years, a group of Cranford residents and educators have served as a resource for teachers throughout the district to provide funding for initiatives that haven't been funded through traditional budgeting. The CFEE raises money through a variety of methods, including an annual Trivia Night, which will return in February after a two-year absence. Tara O'Connor serves as a co-president of the organization and she joined me in one of the projects funded by the CFEE.

Jan Lilien's life touched many. When she died in 2021, her husband Richard Brown wanted to continue her legacy through the creation of the Jan Lilien Education Fund. The fund has worked with the Hanson Park Conservancy to provide educational programs on sustainability and environmental awareness. Richard also wanted to memorialize Jan with something permanent in Hanson Park which might give comfort to others suffering from grief. That dream became a wind sculpture which was installed this month in the park. On this episode of Cranford Radio we hear from Richard, as well as Ellen McHenry, the president of the Hanson Park Conservancy and Rabbi Renee Edelman of Temple Sha'arey Shalom in Springfield.

Deborah Cannon Partridge Wolfe was born and raised in Cranford before becoming a nationally-recognized educator. Dr. Wolfe will be recognized with a reading garden that is being constructed in a corner of Lincoln Park where Old Peppy once stood.TV35 and Cranford Radio spoke with Mayor Kathleen Miller Prunty, Pat Pavlak and Betty Crawley about the project and Dr. Wolfe's legacy.

Since 1875, Trinity Episcopal Church has been a landmark on the corner of North and Forest avenues in Cranford. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the founding of the parish. Tom Kaercher is the junior warden of the church and its unofficial historian. He joins me to talk about the church's history and some of the interesting stories from its century and a half existence.

When you're a kid, there are few things more exciting than getting a new toy. When you're an adult, the toys get to be a bit more sophisticated and expensive. But what if you're an adult who creates new toys for kids to play with? Robert Schott is just such a person and he joins Cranford Radio to talk about SprawlyWalls. Learn about the toy and how it came to be in this week's episode.

Gina Black and Steve Robertazzi, Director of Recreation and Parks, join us on a joint production of TV35 and Cranford Radio. We take a look back at the summer playground season and a look ahead at the fall plans. We’ll also chat about the new recreation building at 375 Centennial Avenue and how residents can get involved.

This is opening weekend for the musical, Once on This Island at the Cranford Dramatic Club. The show is based on The Little Mermaid but takes place on a Caribbean island. We're joined on this episode by Roxie Billups (TiMoune), Karen Carratura (Asaka), Jordan Owens (Agwe), Tiffany Johnson (Erzulie), David Rivera, Jr. (Papa Ge) and the director, Howard Whitmore.The show runs on weekends through October 22 and tickets can be purchased online.

While there have always been independent businesspeople who create unique products, it's sometimes been difficult for them to connect with potential customers. A Cranford-based company, Marketspace Vendor Events, not only helps to bridge that gap, it also finds fun venues for both to come together. Kim and Kevin Kraemer join Cranford Radio this week to talk about their business and how it came to be.

Meet some personalities from Cranford's past next month when the Haunted Cranford History Tour takes place downtown. This is a rare opportunity because all of these visitors departed this earthly realm long ago. The woman responsible for gathering this cast of ghostly characters is Jane McLaughlin, the owner of Haunted History Productions. She's been organizing these tours for 14 years and this will be the first time the event is held in town. We talk about what visitors will see and how she brings the spirits back to life.