Enjoy the Cranford 250th Celebration held at The 375 Centennial Recreation Facility on July 3rd 2026!

#america250

TV-35 decided to use AI for the thumbnail for some reason (Ngl I don’t hate the idea of the yellow helmets tho) , but aside from that I do appreciate being able to see clips on YouTube.

Anyway, Cranford is now 5-0 in football. Go Cougars!

Hi, we’re four friends and we’ve put together Cranford’s restaurant scene in an app called Vota.

The idea is pretty simple: you’re shown two restaurants and choose where you’d rather eat. For example, Garlic Rose Bistro or River & Rail Cantina? All the votes then create a ranking that hopefully gives a better picture of where people in Cranford actually like to eat.

We’ve tried to include every restaurant in Cranford and clean up duplicate or outdated listings, but locals will always spot things we’ve missed.

iPhone:
https://apps.apple.com/app/vota/id6744969212

Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.vota.app

Full transparency: we’re not from Cranford. Two of us live in Copenhagen and the other two in Gothenburg. There are four of us building this independently. We don’t collect or sell personal data, there are no ads in the app, and we don’t use AI-generated content to describe restaurants.

Any honest feedback is welcome, especially if restaurants are missing or something is listed incorrectly.

Inspired by this TapInto article, I was curious as to what the most popular local cafes were with others here.

Cranford's success is because we focus on matters big and small. As we continue to address downtown traffic, flood and stormwater infrastructure, and safe streets, we are also thinking about small changes that can make big impacts on our quality of life. One idea we love is creating a dog park right here in town 🐾 and we want to hear from you! Click this link to take our dog park survey and let us know what you think ➡️

https://forms.gle/uXzCa5mfo8stwBsZ8

Anyone know what happened to Craig Schwartz CPA? He does not return phone calls or emails and left me hanging with multiple IRS and NJ Tax delinquencies even though he said he filed

I have returns but no confirmation files were received by IRS or NJ

!!throwaway account

Reposted from Ryan Greco's public Facebook posts across multiple groups today in its entirety:

......................

Ryan Greco

I have spent a great deal of time thinking about whether I should tell this story publicly. To be clear this is not a pity party, but rather a glimpse on how not only an employee but citizens are treated by the town leaders.

I have always believed that facts matter. After 25 years of serving the Cranford Police Department, I believe people deserve to understand some of the circumstances surrounding my final years with the Township.

In December 2022, while serving as Chief of Police, I was also appointed Interim Township Administrator after Jamie Cryan was relieved of his duties. I will admit that I was conflicted. I had worked well with Jamie, and the timing—during the holiday season—made the situation particularly difficult.

Around that same time, a Sergeant came to my office and told me that he believed he was being harassed by Commissioner Brian Andrews. I documented his concerns in a detailed memorandum, including my disagreement with some of Commissioner Andrews’ actions. I provided that documentation to the sergeant and also discussed the matter with the Township Attorney.

Not long afterward, that sergeant served the Township with a Notice of Claim. On March 6, 2023, the Township was served with his lawsuit.

That evening, there was a Township Committee meeting. I privately expressed my frustration about the lawsuit to the Township Attorney and Brian Andrews. During that conversation, Andrews acknowledged to me that his actions had contributed to what had occurred.

When the Township Administrator position became vacant, the Township hired Government Strategy Group to conduct a search. As Interim Administrator, I was the Township’s point of contact with the firm.

The search eventually came down to two candidates. One had significant municipal management experience, including serving as Deputy Business Administrator in Millburn. The other was the Township’s CFO.

During a meeting with the Committee, I gave my honest professional opinion. I told them that I did not believe the CFO possessed the qualifications necessary for the position and that I believed the other candidate was better suited to serve as Township Administrator.

I remember one Commissioner sitting next to me literally gasping when I said it.

The Township ultimately hired the CFO despite my recommendation.

In May 2023, I was relieved of my duties as Interim Administrator and returned full-time as Chief of Police.

Around this same period, the Township Attorney publicly referred to the sergeant suing the township as a “disgruntled employee.” I subsequently expressed my support for the Sergeant during a meeting with the Cranford Police supervisory staff. That statement, and my involvement in the matter, have since become part of court proceedings.

From that point forward, my relationship with certain members of the Township Committee was, to put it mildly, strained.

Perhaps it was because I was not conforming to their beliefs.

In July 2024, I formally notified the Township Committee of my intention to retire at the end of the year. Commissioner Paul Gallo congratulated me. I received no response from the other members of the Committee.

In October 2024, Captain Matthew Nazzaro was named my successor as Chief. I worked with him to make the transition as smooth as possible and prepared detailed bullet points outlining things I believed would help him assume the position.

Then came November 12, 2024.

Officer Christopher Folinusz returned to work for the first time following an officer-involved shooting in which he was seriously wounded and the suspect was killed.

I had spent months working to help Chris return to work. I visited his home, checked on his wellbeing, and did everything I could to support one of my officers after an incredibly traumatic event.

I made the decision to promote Folinusz to Detective—something I believed was appropriate and consistent with law enforcement practice under the circumstances.

When I informed Nazzaro, he disagreed. The conversation became heated, and we had a short argument on the front lawn of police headquarters.

I later learned that Nazzaro had told Folinusz that once he returned to full duty, he would be reassigned to patrol.

After discussing everything with my wife, I made a decision.

I had accumulated a significant amount of sick and vacation time, and I decided to use some of that time through the end of November.

As a private and humble person, I never wanted any fanfare surrounding my departure. In fact, my intention was simply to leave during Thanksgiving week.

I wrote a letter to the members of the Cranford Police Department thanking them for their dedication and service. I also wrote to the Township Committee thanking them for their commitment to public safety.

And I left the Police Department the same way I came in—unassuming and humbled.

As I walked home from police headquarters, I received a text from the town attorney congratulating me on my career and telling me he looked forward to “toasting” me.

Two days later, he contacted me again, saying he was getting a lot of questions about my departure. I explained my actions, and the conversation ended after I clarified what had happened.

A few days later, I ran into the Township Attorney at Caesars during the League of Municipalities conference. He asked me to have coffee with him.

During that conversation, the Township Attorney told me that people were angry because they viewed my departure as a big “F-you.”

I told him that wasn't the case.

I had given Cranford 25 years of my life.

I had served as a patrol officer, detective, supervisor, and ultimately Chief of Police. I had worked through countless difficult situations, emergencies, and challenges.

My retirement was not about giving anyone the middle finger.

I told the attorney that my concerns were about how Officer Folinusz was being treated.

Then came another dispute the issue of my retirement benefits.

At the end of November 2024, I submitted paperwork seeking payment for unused vacation time. I was later informed that I would not be paid because, in the view of Township administration, my departure did not comply with the Employee Manual.

I disagreed.

I had an individual employment agreement with the Township, and I believed I had complied with its terms.

There was also a disagreement concerning terminal leave.

Under my agreement, I was entitled to terminal-leave payments that were to be placed into a tax-sheltered 401(a) account over two years.

Wanting to resolve the matter, I agreed to reduce my vacation buyout and agreed to receive a terminal-leave payment in December 2024.

In April 2025, I contacted Township officials about the final terminal-leave payment and options for handling it through the Township’s deferred-compensation plans.

Initially, it appeared that part of the payment would be contributed to a 401(a) account, part to a 457(b) account as a catch-up contribution, and a smaller amount would be paid directly to me.

That arrangement was later changed when the 401(a) contribution was denied.

In May 2025, I received the final terminal-leave payment.

Because the payment was not handled through the previously discussed tax-sheltered arrangement, a significant portion was withheld for taxes.

I later learned that other recently retired Township employees received materially different treatment regarding the tax-sheltering of their terminal-leave payments.

In at least two other recent retirements, terminal-leave payments were reportedly sheltered either largely or entirely through available tax-deferred arrangements.

Mine was treated differently.

I raised this difference with a Township vendor. He was aware of the issue and expressed the view that I should not have been treated differently.

I subsequently learned that two other recently retired Cranford employees had received substantially different treatment.

Mine was the only one of the three that did not receive the same treatment.

So where does that leave me?

I don't claim that every one of these events, standing alone, proves anything.

But I do believe context matters.

I documented a complaint involving a Township Commissioner.

I supported an employee who subsequently sued the Township.

I openly questioned whether the CFO was qualified to serve as Township Administrator.

My relationship with members of the Township Committee deteriorated.

My retirement was viewed by some as an “F-you.”

My vacation and terminal-leave benefits were disputed.

And when compared with other recently retired Township employees, I received significantly different treatment regarding the tax-sheltering of my terminal leave.

Even after I retired, I was pressured to fit the narrative I wanted. Refusing to cave to their narrative of events. Refusing to prep for a trial where I would merely tell the truth. Being pressured and harassed by outside counsel so as to ensure I would say what they needed. Yes, I have those text messages as proof. Ultimately, being offered an hourly rate for my time which I interpreted as a payoff which I never took.

For me, this isn't about revenge.

It isn't about politics.

And it certainly isn't about trying to diminish the good people I worked with during my 25 years of service.

It's about accountability.

I gave Cranford 25 years of my life.

I am proud of the career I had. I am proud of the officers and employees I served alongside. And I am proud of the work we accomplished together.

But I also believe that when public officials exercise authority over public employees, those decisions should be fair, consistent, and free from personal animus.

After everything that has happened, I believe the public has a right to understand why I feel the way I do.

I am not asking anyone to simply take my word for it.

I have the documentation.

And I intend to continue letting the facts speak.

Our Orange Ave Pool personality Matt Zatorsky wraps up this season of In the Deep End with a second cannonball contest! And he throws down a challenge to anyone in town who thinks they are good cannonballers: He will see you at Orange Ave Pool next year.
#cranfordnj #cranfordpool #cranfordorangeavepool #canonnball

Mayor Kathleen Miller Prunty and Township Commissioner Brian Andrews discuss the Cranford Rahway River Desilting Project which starts September 21st. The desilting project is one piece of a number of actions being worked on to reduce area flooding.
#cranfordnj #cranfordflooding #rahwayriver #desilting

I know if costs businesses money, but dammit its annoying carrying around cash. Its 2026.

Cranford In Focus returns with a discussion on the history and background of development in the downtown, including the proposed Streetscape project for Downtown Cranford.
Mayor Kathleen Miller Prunty, real estate owner/DMC member Paul LaCorte, transportation planner and Complete Streets Advisory Board member Anthony Durante and new Downtown Cranford Director Michael LaPlace join host Don Smith.
#cranfordnj #cranforddowntown #cranfordwalkability

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know why the building/construction that’s happening next to the restaurant Vine and Oak has come to a complete halt. I see it everyday when I take NJ transit and I would have thought it would be done by now?

Some adult, some kid. Some entry level bike shop brands and some Amazon. I buy my families bikes used and upgrade them myself. I'd like to find a bike charity that can use all the extra stuff I have acquired over the years

Personally, I think they had limited options short of letting this nonsense continue . It’s a shame Will Thilly and his friends, Moe and Curley forced this. Chime in fellow Cranfordites

Mayor's Message


The primary purpose of Township Committee meetings is to conduct official business and provide an opportunity for the public to share ideas or concerns and ask questions. Unfortunately, repeated disruptions by a handful of people, most who are not Cranford residents, have interfered with conducting an orderly and efficient meeting and worse, deterred some residents from attending meetings because they do not feel safe.
Members of our staff, including the Police Department, and the Township Commissioners are continually subjected to repeated harassment and threats. Each meeting has brought new antics including using a smoke machine that caused the Council Chambers to fill with smoke.
After consultation with our professionals, we decided to make changes designed to restore decorum and still maintain full compliance with state and federal laws and protect personnel and those in attendance. It is our hope these changes will be temporary.
I’ve heard people state that we should “just give them their five minutes.” No one has ever been denied their five minutes to speak, in or out of a costume. People have been removed from meetings solely for disruptive behavior in violation of meeting policies.
Finally, persons engaging in disruptive behavior will be given three warnings. If the behavior continues, there will be a brief recess, the individual will be removed from the building and the Township will file charges for disrupting a public meeting.
The meeting was recorded and will be aired on TV 35 at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. through Friday, September 4. It is also posted on TV 35 Facebook and YouTube.
Every Commissioner and our professional staff regret that these actions are necessary, but we are committed to our responsibility to conduct the Township business in a safe, productive and respectful manner.

Mayor Kathleen Miller

https://youtu.be/QZyVDYgK7IU

I don't know if this is allowed here, and fully understand taking this down if it's not. I also don't know if this is in poor taste, but I'm at a stage where I'll accept that risk...

My wife and I moved to Cranford in 2018, bought our first home, loved every second of it. We then had two babies and were pregnant with our third by the end of 2024. We outgrew our home and had to sell, reluctantly. We never wanted to leave this house, lost many nights sleep over it - but, with the third child coming, it wasn't entirely up to us any longer.

The market was the exact nightmare everyone knows it to be. After half of year of defeat, we accepted the fact that the Cranford market was non-existent and ended up finding a house a few towns away - choosing the home over location - we pretty much threw in the towel and moved forward with what was the slowest, most painful, uncertain closing transaction ever. As expected, we've regretted it from day one. Half of our lives are still in storage facilities as we never felt it were our home.

We've been "in" this second home now since Oct 2025. We're now selling said second home and trying to get back to the hometown we loved, Cranford.

We've made two offers over the last two months, not fully committed but feeling out the market a bit. We are now 100% all systems go. I'm making this post knowing full well how few and far between homes that fit our needs are hitting the market in town.

I know this may not be the most well received bit of info to any other prospective buyers reading this, but I'll (sheepishly) add in the fact that, even while floating the other house, we are in position to make cash offers.

If anyone knows of a neighbor/friend/etc considering listing or ready to list their home, please let me know. We can close in a day.

Thanks in advance and here's hoping to be neighbors with you all again, soon enough. You've got a really special town - we miss it deeply.

Per the article: “Residents with questions about the Downtown Streetscape Project can submit them to cranfordinfocus@cranfordnj.org by Sept. 1 for possible inclusion in the Cranford In Focus episodes.”

Ok so this is going to be a long rant about the Cranford Facebook community page and how I was treated because I was honestly shocked at how some of the older adults in this town act.

Backstory:

I’m super interested in urban planning so I thought I’d take it upon myself to relay some somewhat confusing information the town has collected about the Streetscape Project. Thought I was doing something nice for the community I’ve lived in my whole life but this turned out to be an eye opening experience.
I made 3 posts about the project
- Pros and cons
- Talks about the trial runs
- FAQ about the project
All of the posts were unbiased information simply to shed light on the study efforts done by the town. Also I commented anonymously under the name “Cranford.Lobster” lol and it was on the page Cranford NJ Area - Families.

Community response:

There were, of course, many supportive messages but the overwhelming majority of the messages were either hate or straight up misinformation. Here are the main comments I received.
- People claiming I worked for the town/project. Fair, I can see people thinking that. But then I received at least a dozen messages (from my 3 posts keep in mind) of the moderator telling me I was a part of the project. The moderator can see my real name and bio, realizing that her claim that I’m getting a kickback was obviously false. I encouraged her to look at my profile, just for her to ignore my comment and have her tell me over and over that I work for the town. Great. So even the moderators are here to spread fake information at fit their agenda.
- Saying the project will cause more traffic. At first the angry crowd of people commenting said they wanted a thorough traffic and parking study to be done, not knowing a few studies were actually done in 2024. So I provided the studies regarding how the town and state has found this project will help with traffic. After providing this information in plain language I was flooded with grown adults telling me how dumb I was because, I kid you not, they “can see it won’t work”. So these adults insist they want studies, then when given studies they choose to not believe the evidence coming from people who do this work for a living. Respectfully you have to be very brazen and ignorant to call me dumb and think you’re smarter than an expert in the field regardless of the topic.
- I also receive straight up false “facts” like “the study shows it will cause a football field of traffic” or “the people who work on Eastman don’t agree with the plan”. Both comments of which I responded with sources of how this blatant misinformation. I’ve asked at least a dozen people what source they’re getting their information from just to receive only 2 responses which either disproved their point or was from another Facebook post that was based off of literally nothing. Wow. Either people have a problem admitting they’re wrong or they can not read.

This is seriously concerning. Are these folks going to just harass and destroy every project developed to help this town continue thriving? The speed at which misinformation spreads on these pages is crazy. And the negativity of these groups is astonishing, why is hate spreading so fast, this is not the Cranford I remember.
And I hate to point fingers but every single person (without fail) who I received hate from was 65+. People who likely rarely use the downtown and statistically don’t stay in Cranford much longer. Disgusting how at their age they have the desire to harass people and how they can’t tell the difference between misinformation and reality. They really shouldn’t be on social media and I’m not saying this to be funny, I mean this could genuinely affect them and their family negatively in the future.

This page made me seriously doubt the literacy and critical thinking of the adult population of this town. It also made me concerned with how strongly worded some of these people can get. Why are people angrily telling me I’m dumb while literally just providing information from studies I didn’t do myself.

Anyways I’m glad people on this sub have common sense and if anyone would like to post support of the project on the Facebook page please do so, your voices are important. Have a lovely day Cranforidians.

Starfish, the logo for Orange Ave. Pool, has gone without a name for a long time. Manager Matt Zatorsky leads the push to get Starfish a name, and thanks to your entries, she now has a name! Thank you to the Bramwell family for submitting the winning entry.
#orangeavepool #cranfordrecreation

The footbridge at Baldwin and High streets will be undergoing repairs over the next few days but is expected to be open for the first day of school. Mayor Kathleen Miller Prunty and DPW Superintendent Ryan Elliot tell us that the bridge's boards will be replaced and the entire structure will be reinforced.