Cranford Radio

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...

Robert D'Ambola worked as a cop for 28 years in Summit . He later served on the Cranford Township Committee . During much of this time he also was an instructor at the Union County Police Academy and taught recruits about ethics. In his latest book, The True Test Is When No One Sees , D'Ambola gives numerous real-life examples of ethical quandaries that law enforcement officers, and othe...

A new Cranford media outlet made its debut this year. Cranford Local is a monthly magazine mailed to all Cranford homes and it features stories about Cranford businesses and families. Shawn McDonald is the editor and she spoke with Cranford Radio about the publication. She also gives her perspective on the newest generation of journalists that she's teaching in her full-time job as a journali...

Health problems, a job loss, a death; just a few of the ways someone can suffer a financial emergency.  When these events result in difficulties paying rent or a mortgage, Project Home of Cranford can help. In this week's episode we talk with Lisa Orrico, the president of Project Home and Maggie Feeney, the vice president to learn how the organization can help and how they work with Cranford...

Art, music, movies, sales. Just a few of the many offerings and events happening year-round in Downtown Cranford . Two of the people charged with making it all happen are Caren Demyen, the Director of Downtown Cranford and Michelle Stavrou, the Social Media Coordinator. On this week's podcast I talk to them about the various events that take place and what else goes into making Downtown Cranf...

Far From Heaven , The Plot Against America , a Super Bowl TV commercial . What do they all have in common? All had scenes shot in Cranford. The town is frequently showcased in movies, TV shows and commercials. What is it about Cranford that's attractive to the creative people behind these productions? Listen as Cranford Radio talks to David W. Schoner, Jr., the Associate Director of the New J...

Cranford has dozens of volunteer committees that deal with everything from sewage to golf. One such committee is the Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety Committee . Anthony Durante is the committee's chair and he chatted with Cranford Radio about the group's purpose and what they're currently working on.

The township administrator’s role is similar to the chief operating officer’s responsibilities in the business world. Jamie Cryan has been Cranford’s Township Administrator since January 2019.  In this week’s Cranford Radio podcast he talks about why he decided to work in the public sector, how his previous jobs in West New York, New Jersey led to his current position and what’s involved in the po...

Jay Boxwell Jr. had no idea his enlistment in the US Navy would one day lead to being the State Commander for Department of New Jersey Veterans of Foreign Wars . Boxwell took on the role in June and will serve for a year. In this Cranford Radio podcast he talks about his military and VFW experiences.

There are thousands of books inside the Cranford Public Library on Walnut Avenue but, under a new program coming this year, those books will represent only a fraction of the materials that will be easily available to library patrons. Library Director Michael Maziekien and Head of Reference Services Marissa Lieberman tell us more about the new service as well as other activities taking place. We al...

Two young brothers are experiencing a life-changing summer. That, in a sentence, is a preview of Joseph Colicchio's latest novel, All Strings Attached . In this week's Cranford Radio podcast, Joe tells us a bit more about his book as well as a bit more about his own life.

We're surrounded by beautiful images but often we take them for granted or don't notice them. Frank Little , a Cranford photographer, sees many of the same things we pass daily but with a lot of hard work, a bit of luck, and an artist's eye, he's able to create beautiful pictures. Frank's photos often combine the man-made with celestial spheres and his work has brought him...

Lucy Young, a seventh grade student at Hillside Avenue School, may not go into clothes design when she's older, but right now her Cranford Pride shirt is being seen around town as Cranford and the nation mark Pride Month. Lucy talked to Cranford Radio about what prompted her to make the design and how funds raised by its sale will benefit The Trevor Project . Link to purchase shirt (scroll do...

Memorial Day is about much more than backyard barbecues, the first shore weekend or the unofficial start of summer. It's a day to remember those who gave their lives in service to our nation during its many conflicts. There have been 86 Cranford men who have died during those wars and Don Sweeney started a project to tell the story of each of those individuals so that their legacy is remember...

For many of us, our interactions with the United States Postal Service go no further than mailing a letter, buying stamps and looking through our daily deliveries. There's a lot more though that has to happen for that card you send to get to where it's going.  Walidah Ali is the Cranford Postmaster and she's responsible for those first steps in sending your mail when it's dropp...

These days most of us are more aware of how our actions can impact the planet. One area this is especially true is when it comes to the products we buy. Even though we may dutifully toss our used plastic containers in the recycling bin, 2018 data from the Environmental Protection Agency indicates that less than nine percent of plastics are recycled. One solution is to reuse the containers which ho...

I don't believe we have any millinery shops in Cranford, but if we did this week's guest would probably keep them busy with all the hats she wears. Lisa Carbone co-owns TimberRidge Construction with her husband Anthony. She also runs Loft Homes and is in her eighth year serving on the Cranford Board of Education , currently as vice president. We chat about each of those roles as well as...

Just as the township concluded its 150th anniversary, the Cranford Police Department started to celebrate its 125th year. From the humble beginnings of the volunteer Cranford Thief Detecting Society to today's professional force, there have been great changes. In this episode we're joined by Bob Segear, a retired police officer who served from 1974 to 2004, and Lieutenant Matthew Nazzaro...

In 2020 a group of Cranford women came together to create the Cranford Unity Project . In the short time CUP has been in existence, they have taken on a number of projects to educate, advocate and support People of Color, LGBTQ+, religious and other marginalized groups through the community.  On this week's episode we speak with CUP members Sanjeevanee Vidwans, Karen Bennett and Patricia MacL...

Historically, learning a trade was what most people did after their school years were finished. In more recent times, especially in towns such as Cranford, there's been more of an emphasis on attending college after high school graduation. Danny Ghanime owns Brighton Air Corp. in Cranford and he's seen first hand not only what you can do with a trade but the tremendous need for people in...

Reviving a previous feature of Cranford Radio in which we interview elected officials who represent Cranford, I speak with 21st District Assemblywoman Michele Matsikoudis (R). She was elected to the seat in November and most recently served as a councilwoman in New Providence. In this week's discussion, we talk about her life, why she decided to run for public office, and some of the issues m...

In a joint venture between TV 35 and Cranford Radio , Mayor Kathleen Miller Prunty discusses two pressing issues facing town, the municipal pools and flooding.   In the first episode of In Focus since before the pandemic, we take the time to get in-depth on these two topics. This is expected to be the first of a number of In Focus shows where we have the opportunity to dig deeper on issues of conc...

Singers, actors, instrumentalists are all part of the performing arts in the Cranford school system. Cranford High has a well-deserved reputation for turning out exceptional artists in all three arenas. Doing so takes money, sometimes more than is available in the budget. The Cranford Schools Friends of the Performing Arts was created to step into that gap and by supporting the performing arts in...

For the second straight year the Cranford Theater will serve as one of the hosts of the Garden State Film Festival . The festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and features movies from filmmakers from around the world both in person and virtually. Cranford's nights in the spotlight will be Wednesday, March 23rd and Saturday, March 26th. Joining us on Cranford Radio to talk abo...

Two years ago, just as everything was shutting down at the start of the pandemic, the Cranford Dramatic Club was finalizing preparations for its spring musical, A Chorus Line . The show was too good to skip so here, in 2022, it's back. Six cast members, along with the director and producer, came together to talk about the show and why they all are looking forward to staging it.   Joining us f...