Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Bakery Closing Union County Location: See Where

Spotted on the Cranford calendar: Advent Reflection by Dr. Charles Camosy

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Wednesday December 10th Patch AM
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Hi Cranford! We have the latest buzz right here. Let's keep you in the loop and get this morning started right! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • Popular Cranford vegan bakery announces year-end closing
  • Hillside Avenue School names new assistant principal for 2026
  • How much will Cranford’s new police body-cam fees cost you?

Also on today's calendar: Advent Reflection by Dr. Charles Camosy and 8 more events.

Find out what's happening in Cranfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did the alien say to the puzzle? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Cranfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Wednesday: A bit of afternoon rain, with a high of 41 and low of 30 degrees.
  • Thursday: Windy; a p.m. snow shower, temps: high: 36, low: 26.
  • Friday: Some sun, then turning cloudy, with a high of 37 and low of 24 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Bakery Closing Union County Location: See Where (patch.com) — Cranford residents will be losing Papa Ganache’s vegan bakery on North Union Avenue when the shop closes December 28 as part of a consolidation into its Manasquan and Matawan locations. The owners, who opened in Cranford in 2020, are thanking local customers for their support and promise the same favorite treats at their remaining stores while they plan new projects for 2026.
   

2. New Assistant Principal Appointed To Cranford's Hillside Avenue School (patch.com) — Cranford families will see a leadership change at Hillside Avenue School as longtime Livingston educator Jamie Geltzeiler becomes assistant principal on February 9, 2026. She steps into the role as Nicole Vaccaro moves up to principal, bringing extensive classroom and middle school experience along with advanced degrees in education and leadership.
   

3. New Fees For Cranford Records Requests: See What's Changing (patch.com) — Cranford is changing how much some people pay for police body-camera footage, tying fees to the hourly wage of the lowest-level qualified employee and assuming at least three hours of review per request. Crime victims and certain subjects of the videos will pay reduced or no fees, and residents will get a cost estimate and pay a deposit before work begins.
   

4. Union County Conference Girls Soccer Player of the Year and Postseason Honors, 2025 (nj.com subscription) — Cranford girls soccer fans can celebrate Coach of the Year Kerry Yorkanis and a breakout season that took the Cougars to both the Union County Tournament and North 2, Group 3 sectional finals. The story highlights Cranford’s 10-game win streak, near-miss in penalty kicks for a sectional title, and standout seasons from Isabella Reibarkh, Ava Cao, Sarah Suh, and goalkeeper Vanessa Kelly.
   

5. Three Decades on the Force, a Lifetime in Cranford (tapinto.net) — A familiar face in Cranford law enforcement, Lt. John Swandrak has retired after 30 years serving the Cranford Police Department in roles from patrol to detective work. He reflects on growing up and raising his family in town, the tight-knit support he received during his son’s illness, and why he never wanted to work anywhere but Cranford.
   

📸 Around Cranford

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Cranford

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★ Featured events ★

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Other local events
    Thursday December 11
  • Basketball: Girls Varsity (Rescheduled to 12-08-25) vs. Hillsborough High School Athletics (Away)
    Westfield High School , 550 Dorian Road , Westfield
    4:00 pm
  • Basketball: Girls JV (Rescheduled to 12-08-25) vs. Hillsborough High School Athletics (Away)
    Westfield High School , 550 Dorian Road , Westfield
    4:00 pm
  • Bowling: Varsity vs. Roselle Park (Home)
    Westfield High School , 550 Dorian Road , Westfield
    4:00 pm
  • Basketball: Girls Varsity vs. Caldwell (Away)
    Westfield High School , 550 Dorian Road , Westfield
    4:30 pm
  • Evening Book Fair for RIS Families
    Roosevelt Intermediate School , 301 Clark St , Westfield
    6:00 pm
  • Beyond Wicked
    The Cranford Theater , 25 N Ave W , Cranford
    6:30 pm
  • Band Concert
    Westfield High School , 550 Dorian Road , Westfield
    7:00 pm
    • Friday December 12
  • FROSTED 8:00PM
    Cranford Dramatic Club Theatre , 78 Winans Ave , Cranford

📣 Cranford Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

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Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Cranford PatchAM possible:

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🪧 Patch Classifieds

  • School Bus Monitors
    We Are Looking for Team Members!!!... (More info)

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • LANDMARK Launches Leasing for Fifth Residential Phase at CENTURION Union Center in Downtown Union, NJ —John McCann Read on Patch
  • All lanes are open on the New Jersey Turnpike Outer Roadway northbound south of Interchange 13 - I-278/Goethals Bridge (Linden), with vehicles on the right shoulder.
    12:05PM on Dec 8: A crash on the New Jersey Turnpike Outer Roadway northbound south of Interchange 13 - I-278/Goethals Bridge in Linden has blocked… (Nextdoor )
  • Nuts.com - Newark Nut Company posted a job opening for Quality Assurance Manager in Cranford. Apply here.
  • Allied Universal Security Services posted a job opening for Security Guard in Cranford. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Cranford here.

Ok Cranford! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I come in peace. You come in pieces.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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