Cranford Radio

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.