Cranford Radio

Cranford's TV-35 has been broadcasting for over three and a half decades. Don Smith is coming up on his one-year anniversary as the station's manager and he joins me on this week's podcast to talk about the changes that have happened at TV-35 during the past year.TV-35 today is available in far more ways that it once was. A live stream makes it available to viewers around the world. Previous shows can be viewed on demand via a YouTube channel and Verizon FiOS subscribers can watch the channel in HD on channel 2147. 

Savor Snack Shop hopes to be opening at 18 North Union Avenue in early August. On this episode of Cranford Radio I speak with Jason Sanchez who, along with his wife Michele Santo, is a co-owner of the business.We talk about some of the products the store will carry, his previous retail experience and why he picked Downtown Cranford.

We like to think of childhood as a time of growing, learning and exploring. For some kids, however, they need adults outside their family to advocate for them when they are impacted by, or in danger of, abuse and neglect.Child Focus, formerly known as CASA of Passaic and Union Counties, provides professionals and volunteers to look out for the best interests of these children as they move through the legal and child welfare systems.On this episode I speak with Erica Fischer-Kaslander, Executive Director of Child Focus, and Phyllis Dunlop, a Child Focus volunteer and Cranford resident.

An art form which has drawn fans from around the world will be featured at the Cranford Community Center on Saturday, July 20. Tosho-con brings together not just manga and anime but cosplay, workshops, special guests and more. Joining me this week on the podcast is Marissa Lieberman, the head of reference services for the Cranford Public Library. We talk about the event and, for those unfamiliar with what anime, cosplay and manga are, we give you a quick lesson in the terms.

Folks who have been around Cranford for a while will remember Builders General Supply Company. The business had its start in 1931 on Centennial Avenue. The store was founded, and is still owned, by the Shaheen Family. In this episode of Cranford Radio I speak with TJ Shaheen, the executive vice president of Builders General. We talk not only about the firm, but about his family which once owned a silk mill in town and was responsible for building over 200 homes in the community. Click this link to watch a film of Builders General in 1941.

Liz Cavallaro and Bree Fram know something about leadership. Liz teaches military leaders at the US Naval War College and Bree is a colonel in the US Space Force.  The two combined to write a newly published book, Forging Queer Leaders. In June I had the opportunity to chat with both of them during an author talk sponsored by the Cranford Public Library and the Cranford Unity Project.Thanks to Cranford's TV 35 for recording the session.

A veteran finds herself torn between oaths she took for her country and her family. That's the premise of Bloodoath of the Patriots, a book published this year by Cranford resident Ben Chewey.On this week's episode we talk about the book, his time in Cranford schools, both as a student and a substitute teacher, and his plans for future literary endeavors. 

On this week's episode I'm revisiting an 1891 murder case in Lower Manhattan. Over 133 years later, the case still draws interest. A Cranford resident, George Damon, played a role in this unsolved crime.How Brown is the co-author, along with his wife Nina, of a book about the homicide, East Side Story: 1891 Murder Case of Carrie Brown and he's my guest on this week's podcast.

Following the retirement of Rev. Carol Lindsay, who served the church for many years, Calvary Lutheran Church has called Rev. Kathryn Irwin to be pastor. Cranford Radio chatted with Pastor Kat about her growing up years in rural Pennsylvania, why she decided to become a pastor and about her personal journey identifying as queer.

The newest member of the Cranford Township Committee is Paul A. Gallo. In this episode of Cranford Radio we get to know a bit about Paul, including his work life, why he decided to serve on the committee and some of what he hopes to accomplish.

While the YWCA Union County has been serving the community for over a century, they had a forced new beginning in 2019 when their headquarters in Elizabeth burned to the ground. The building may have been lost, but the work continued. Today, the organization is preparing to move into a rebuilt facility.On this week's episode, I speak with Kathryn Lynch, the interim executive director and Cranford resident Laura Johnson, who serves as the vice president of the board. We chat about the work of the organization, especially how they assist survivors of domestic abuse.

For over two decades Downtown Cranford streets have hosted Sunday street fairs. A new vendor, Marketspace Vendor Events, is behind the event taking place Sunday, May 19th. The company is owned by Cranford residents Kim and Kevin Kraemer. The event is run by the Cranford Area Chamber of Commerce. On this week's podcast I speak with Kevin and Kim, as well as Gina Tipton, the executive director of the chamber.

A lot has changed when it comes to hair since the Cranford Barber Shop opened.  Crew cuts gave way to long hair.  Getting a haircut also meant getting a shave for many men and while they were waiting they might have their shoes shined.The shop, which had its last day on April 27, cut the hair on countless Cranford kids and adults. It was one of the first barber shops in town to also cut the hair of women and girls.  On the day after the closure, I visited the store to talk with two family members, Rich Marsiglia and Mark Manto about memories they have of the shop and why they had to shut the doors.On a happy note, it's been announced the shop will be reopening at 108 Walnut Avenue in June.

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.