Cranford, New Jersey

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Cranford Township, New Jersey
—  Township  —
Map of Cranford Township in Union County. Inset: Location of Union County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Cranford, New Jersey
Coordinates: 40°39′23″N 74°18′13″W / 40.65639°N 74.30361°W / 40.65639; -74.30361Coordinates: 40°39′23″N 74°18′13″W / 40.65639°N 74.30361°W / 40.65639; -74.30361
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Union
Incorporated March 14, 1871
Government[1]
 • Type Township
 • Mayor Dan Aschenbach (D, 2010)
Area
 • Total 4.8 sq mi (12.5 km2)
 • Land 4.8 sq mi (12.5 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation[2] 79 ft (24 m)
Population (2010 Census)[3][4]
 • Total 22,625
 • Density 5,000/sq mi (1,800/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 07016
Area code(s) 908
FIPS code 34-15640[5][6]
GNIS feature ID 0882214[7]
Website http://www.cranford.com/township/

Cranford is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 22,625.[3]

Cranford was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 14, 1871, from portions of the Townships of Clark, Linden, Springfield, Union and Westfield. Portions of the township were taken to form Garwood (March 19, 1903) and Kenilworth (March 13, 1907).[8]

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Cranford as its 34th best place to live in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" [9]

Contents

[edit] Geography

Cranford is located at 40°39′23″N 74°18′13″W / 40.656302°N 74.303716°W / 40.656302; -74.303716.[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12 km2), of which, 4.8 square miles (12 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (0.41%) is water.

There are nine municipalities bordering the township: Garwood and Westfield to the west, Springfield Township to the north, Kenilworth to the northeast, Roselle and Roselle Park to the east, Linden to the southeast, Clark and Winfield to the south.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1930 11,126
—
1940 12,860 15.6%
1950 18,602 44.7%
1960 26,424 42.0%
1970 27,391 3.7%
1980 24,573 −10.3%
1990 22,633 −7.9%
2000 22,578 −0.2%
2010 22,625 0.2%
Population 1930 - 1990.[11]

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 22,578 people, 8,397 households, and 6,222 families residing in the township. The population density was 4,684.2 people per square mile (1,808.6/km²). There were 8,560 housing units at an average density of 1,775.9 per square mile (685.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 93.70% White, 2.58% Black or African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.15% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 3.89% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 8,397 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.0% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the township the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.

According to a 2007 estimate,[12] the median income for a household in the township was $99,281, and the median income for a family was $114,738. Males had a median income of $60,757 versus $41,020 for females. The per capita income for the township was $33,283. About 1.0% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

According to the 2007 estimate,[12] the racial makeup of the township in 2007 was 91.50% White, 3.40% Black or African American, 3.10% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.40% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 3.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

[edit] Commerce

Cranford has long been considered a center of commerce. The Cranford Business Park on the south side of town consists of a complex of office buildings housing a variety of major corporations and small businesses. Along North Avenue are a variety of buildings housing doctors and other businesses. Law offices predominate in small buildings around town. Banks are also extremely common throughout the town, which hosts at least half a dozen. Downtown Cranford is a center of business and commerce, serving as a retail shopping district. On the south side of town, the Centennial Avenue Business District is a small shopping district with a mix of neighborhood stores. There is a push to redevelop this business district.

Downtown Cranford is the main retail business district for the township. Consisting of a variety of small family owned businesses on both sides of the railroad tracks, there has been a debate in town over the direction of the downtown. With neighboring communities seeing downtown development and a focus on either recruiting chain store or upscale small stores, Cranford has been debating the issue.

The recent focus of downtown Cranford has been to recruit more restaurants in to the downtown and allow for a nightlife to flourish. Amongst the existing nightlife, Cranford holds a number of local restaurant/bars: The Office, The Riverside Inn, Cranford Hotel, The Kilkenny House, Ye Olde Rathskellar, among others. On the south side of the community, the Cranford Crossings redevelopment project features retail space, apartments, and a new parking deck. The Riverfront redevelopment project is proposed on South Avenue to bring more business and housing into downtown Cranford. Other downtown points of interest include Emma's Brick Oven Pizza and Cafe, Il Giardino's Pizzeria and Restaurant, Pizza House / Pizza Chef, Rockin' Joes Cafe, Joanie's Cafe, Cranford Movie Theater, Vanilla Bean Creamery, Mr. J's, Cranford's Best Bagels, and Buttery Bake Shop.

In the 1980s the downtown was renovated to take on a Victorian feel. This included the installation of new light fixtures and cobblestone sidewalks, along with decorative planters and benches. A Victorian street clock was installed in the center of town, allowing for the creation of a small pocket park in the center of the downtown. The clock park has become a hangout for teenagers who are walking to and from school.

In the 1980s, Cranford founded the first special improvement district in New Jersey. The SID allows for the downtown district to have a special tax on building and business owners for downtown development and marketing. The SID is managed by the Cranford Downtown Management Corporation. The DMC has used its budget for development projects, to recruit new businesses and to market shopping in Cranford. Various downtown sales and street fairs are administered by the DMC. The DMC is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of business owners and residents, which is appointed by the Township Committee. The DMC Board appoints a DMC Director, who runs the day-to-day operations of the corporation.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

Cranford is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.[1]

The Committee members elect a chairman of the committee who assumes the title of Mayor. Similarly, a Deputy Mayor is elected. Both positions carry one-year terms. Four of the commissioners take on departmental oversight assignments as Commissioner of Finance, Commissioner of Public Safety, Commissioner of Public Works and Engineering, and Commissioner of Public Affairs. The Mayor of Cranford does not take on a departmental assignment. The commissioners are part time officials and the township government is run day to day by the Township Administrator and various department heads. The Chief of Police is Eric Mason.

Members of the 2010 Cranford Township Committee are[13]:

  • Mayor Daniel Aschenbach (Democrat, Term ends 2011)
  • Deputy Mayor Kevin Campbell (Democrat, Term ends 2013)
  • Commissioner Edward O'Malley (Democrat, Term ends 2013) (Commissioner of Finance)
  • Commissioner Mark Dugan (Republican, Term ends 2011) (Commissioner of Public Affairs)
  • Commissioner David W. Robinson (Republican, Term ends 2012) (Commissioner of Engineering/DPW)

[edit] Women in elected office

As of 2009, seven women have been elected to the Cranford Township Committee and three women have served as Mayor of Cranford. Barbara Brande was the first woman elected to the Township Committee and the first woman mayor of the township. Mayor Brande was elected to the Township Committee in 1974 and reelected in 1977, serving a total of six years. She was Mayor of Cranford in 1977. Carolyn Vollero, who served the longest length of time for a woman on the Township Committee - nine years - was Cranford's second female Mayor in 1994. Barbara Bilger, the township's third female mayor in 2002 and 2004, was also the first woman to serve two terms as the township's mayor. Mayor Bilger is the first Republican woman to serve as a Township Commissioner and as mayor.

Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski is a Cranford resident and the first woman from Cranford to be elected to the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Freeholder Kowalski was an unsuccessful candidate for Cranford Township Committee in 1999 and served as Union County Freeholder Chairwoman in 2007.

Women Township Commissioners in Cranford

  • Barbara Brande (Democrat) - 1975 to 1980 (Mayor in 1977)
  • Sandy Weeks (Democrat) - 1982 to 1984
  • Mary Lou Farmer (Democrat) - 1984 to 1986
  • Carolyn Vollero (Democrat) - 1988 to 1996 (Mayor in 1994, Deputy Mayor in 1993)
  • Barbara Bilger (Republican) - 1990 to 1992 and 2002 to 2004 (Mayor in 2002 & 2004, Deputy Mayor in 1992 & 2003)
  • Ann Darby (Republican) - 2003 to 2005 (Deputy Mayor in 2004)
  • Martha Garcia (Republican) - 2008 to Present (Deputy Mayor in 2010)

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Cranford Township is in the 7th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 21st state legislative district.[3][14]

New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District is represented by Leonard Lance (R, Clinton Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 21st Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Thomas Kean, Jr. (R, Westfield) and in the General Assembly by Jon Bramnick (R, Westfield) and Nancy Munoz (R, Summit).[15] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[16] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[17]

Union County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose nine members are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis with three seats coming up for election each year, with an appointed County Manager overseeing the operations of the county.[18] As of 2012, Union County's Freeholders are Chairman Alexander Mirabella (Fanwood, term ends December 31, 2012),[19] Vice Chairman Linda Carter (Plainfield, 2013),[20] Angel G. Estrada (Elizabeth, 2014),[21] Christopher Hudak (Linden, 2014),[22] Mohamed S. Jalloh (Roselle, 2012),[23] Bette Jane Kowalski (Cranford, 2013),[24] Deborah P. Scanlon (Union Township, 2012),[25] Daniel P. Sullivan (Elizabeth, 2013)[26] and Vernell Wright (Union Township, 2014).[27][28]

Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski is a Cranford resident.

[edit] Education

The Cranford Township Public Schools are a comprehensive and successful public school system, which is governed by a nine-person elected Board of Education. The system's high school, Cranford High School was ranked as one of the top 15 high schools in New Jersey in 2010[29] and has won a series of national and statewide awards for its innovative curriculum. Cranford High School has a curriculum which has a strong push for technology in the schools, along with stressing service learning. The high school is recognized for its work in service learning and for being a national school of character. Cranford High School students are regularly admitted to some of the nation's top private and public universities, with over 90% of each graduating class going onto college.

Schools in the district (with 2009-10 from the National Center for Education Statistics.[30]) are Bloomingdale Avenue School (237 students in grades K-2), Brookside Place School (402; K-5), Hillside Avenue School (724; K-8), Walnut Avenue School (307; PreK-2), Livingston Avenue School (244; 3-5), Orange Avenue School (782; 3-8) and Cranford High School (1,165; 9-12).

Lincoln School, which is the home of the district's administrative offices, also houses the districts two alternative education programs, CAP and CAMP.

In addition to the public education system, Cranford houses several religious and private schools. Saint Michael's School, located in downtown Cranford, is a major Roman Catholic parochial school which offers Nursery through Grade 8 and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Elementary Schools, operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.[31]

The main campus of Union County College, New Jersey's oldest community college dating back to 1933, is located in Cranford. The Cranford campus, one of four county locations, was established in 1956.

[edit] Historic sites

The Cranford Historical Preservation Advisory Board was established in 1993 to record and help preserve historic buildings in the town.

[edit] Local media

Cranford has long been a newspaper community. The Cranford Chronicle (formerly the Cranford Citizen & Chronicle) is a longtime newspaper serving the Township. Owned by the Ray Family and published in town, the Chronicle served as the center of community journalism. Stu Awbrey purchased the Chronicle and continued as the town's newspaperman. Awbrey sold the paper to Malcolm Forbes, whose publishing company published the paper for several years before the paper changed hands to other community newspaper publication companies. The Chronicle's office left Cranford for Somerville and later Clark. The Chronicle now also features coverage of Garwood and Kenilworth.

The Cranford Eagle started publishing in 1999 as another community newspaper. Owned by Worrall Community Newspapers, the Eagle focused solely on Cranford and other neighboring towns. Edited and reported by several people in its history, the Eagle quickly became a fixture in the community. The Eagle's sports page is shared with the Clark newspaper, published by the same company.

The Cranford Patch is a daily online news source dedicated strictly to local Cranford news.

WMBQ-CA, an affiliate of MTV2, is licensed to Cranford.

Cranford TV-35 public access logo

Cranford also has its own channel, TV-35, which is available to cable and Verizon FiOS television subscribers. The channel was founded in 1986.

The township operates a low-power AM radio station at 680 kHz. The station provides information during emergencies in the township.

Cranford.com is The Official Website of the Township of Cranford, NJ and has been in operation since the summer of 1996.

[edit] Transportation

The Cranford station offers service on the New Jersey Transit Raritan Valley Line, formerly the mainline of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. NJ Transit also provides bus service on the 112 and 113 routes to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City and on the 59 and 66 to Newark. The 56, 57 and 58 routes provide local service.[32]

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 13 minutes away in Newark/Elizabeth. Linden Airport, a general aviation facility, is in nearby Linden, New Jersey.

The southern section of the township is bisected by Conrail's freight-only Lehigh Line (jointly owned by CSX and Norfolk Southern) along the tracks of the former Lehigh Valley Railroad. The former Staten Island Railway connects with the Raritan Valley Line in Cranford. That line has been rehabilitated but is rarely used.

The Garden State Parkway passes through Cranford, with access at Exit 136 for County Route 607 and Exit 137 for Route 28. Exit 136 is known as the "four corners", where Clark, Winfield, Cranford and Linden meet.

[edit] Cranford in film and television

  • Several episodes in the third season of the popular 1990's television show, The Adventures of Pete & Pete were filmed in Cranford. One episode was shot at Cranford's Orange Avenue Pool and another at Cranford High School and Brookside Place School. Another episode was filmed at Modern Barber Shop.
  • Cranford is the setting of the 2005 film, Guess Who starring Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher.
  • Portions of the films Garden State, Far from Heaven and September 12 were shot in Cranford.
  • Cranford was referred to in the show The Simpsons during the episode "My Mother the Carjacker" when at one point, Homer holds up a newspaper reading "Cranford Man Missing". One of the writers, Michael Price, had parents living in Cranford.
  • The Cranford downtown was used to depict "Main Street" in a notable Domino's Pizza advertisement where the CEO of the company (David Brandon) poked fun at the Wall Street bailout.
  • Cranford, New Jersey's local business Merkel Construction Corp. was seen on HGTV 'Save My Bath'.
  • Downtown Cranford was used during a commercial for CSX Transportation.
  • Downtown Cranford is featured in a flashback scene at the beginning of an episode of the show Psych.
  • The College Estates neighborhood is featured in a 2011 commercial for Allstate.

[edit] Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Cranford include:

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 94.
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of Cranford, Geographic Names Information System, accessed October 19, 2007.
  3. ^ a b c Municipalities Grouped by 2011-2020 Legislative Districts, New Jersey Department of State, p. 9. Accessed January 22, 2012.
  4. ^ 2010 Populations: Union County, Asbury Park Press. Accessed January 22, 2012.
  5. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  6. ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
  7. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  8. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 237.
  9. ^ "Best Places To Live - The Complete Top Towns List 1-100", New Jersey Monthly, February 21, 2008. Accessed 26 December 2008.
  10. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  11. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  12. ^ a b http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=ChangeGeoContext&geo_id=06000US3403915640&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US39%7C16000US3972928&_street=&_county=cranford&_cityTown=cranford&_state=04000US34&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=
  13. ^ Cranford Township Committee, Cranford Township. Accessed October 1, 2011.
  14. ^ Districts by Number for 2011-2020, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 22, 2012.
  15. ^ Legislative Roster 2012-2013 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 11, 2012.
  16. ^ "About the Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/about/. Retrieved 2010-01-21. 
  17. ^ "About the Lieutenant Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/lt/. Retrieved 2010-01-21. 
  18. ^ County Government, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed January 30, 2012.
  19. ^ Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed January 30, 2012.
  20. ^ Freeholder Vice Chairman Linda Carter, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed January 30, 2012.
  21. ^ Freeholder Angel G. Estrada, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed January 30, 2012.
  22. ^ Freeholder Christopher Hudak, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed January 30, 2012.
  23. ^ Freeholder Mohamed S. Jalloh, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed January 30, 2012.
  24. ^ Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed January 30, 2012.
  25. ^ Freeholder Deborah P. Scanlon, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed January 30, 2012.
  26. ^ Freeholder Daniel P. Sullivan, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed January 30, 2012.
  27. ^ Freeholder Vernell Wright, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed January 30, 2012.
  28. ^ Board of Chosen Freeholders, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed January 30, 2012.
  29. ^ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2010: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed September 10, 2008.
  30. ^ Data for Cranford Township Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 22, 2012.
  31. ^ Union County Primary Schools, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Accessed January 22, 2012.
  32. ^ Union County Bus/Rail Connections, New Jersey Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 26, 2010. Accessed January 22, 2012.
  33. ^ "Spotlight: Carol Blazejowski", SI for Women, May 28, 1999. Accessed May 4, 2007. "In 1974, while a student at Cranford High (NJ), Blazejowski told the school's athletic director (who was also the coach of the boys basketball team) that she would play on boys basketball team if no girls team was created. It wasn't long before Cranford had a girls basketball team."
  34. ^ Staff. "CURTIS CULIN 3D, INVENTED 'RHINO'; Creator of Tank Attachment at Normandy Is Dead", The New York Times, November 22, 1963. Accessed January 22, 2012.
  35. ^ Pitman, John. "Hugh Delano headed for the Hockey Hall of Fame", The Cranford Chronicle, September 19, 1991. Accessed November 3, 2008.
  36. ^ Reilly, James. "Cranford sportswriter honored for his career", The Cranford Chronicle, May 25, 1994. Accessed November 3, 2008.
  37. ^ Murray, Leslie. "Cranford resident appointed president and CEO of the NY Federal Reserve", The Cranford Chronicle, February 4, 2009. Accessed February 7, 2009.
  38. ^ Charles Newell Fowler, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 9, 2007.
  39. ^ Staff. "SPERRYS FLEE FROM FLAMES BY LADDER; Their Country Home at Cranford, N.J., with Its Valuable Paintings, Destroyed.", The New York Times, June 8, 1912. Accessed October 29, 2008.
  40. ^ "The Valley Beat" 2011 July 5" [1]" 2011 July 23

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