🌱 Patch AM: Christmas Tree Pick-Up Begins In Cranford

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:

• Know the deadlines for Cranford’s curbside Christmas tree collection
• How a Cranford cop’s promotion fight ended in a jury verdict
• How a Denman Road farm disappeared as Cranford’s neighborhoods grew

Also on today's calendar: Meadowbrook Day Camp to Host Open House on January 11, 2026 and 8 more events.

Today's riddle: I got fired from the M&M factory. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Saturday: Some sun, then clouds, with a high of 33 and low of 27 degrees.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny and breezy, temps: high: 36, low: 22.
• Monday: Increasing cloudiness, with a high of 31 and low of 26 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Christmas Tree Pick-Up Begins In Cranford (patch.com) — Cranford residents can set their Christmas trees at the curb for pickup by the Department of Public Works starting Friday, with the final collection on Jan. 31 and a Jan. 13 curbside deadline. Trees must be bare of lights, decorations, bags, and wreaths, and residents may also drop them off without a permit at the Cranford Conservation Center on North Avenue East during operating hours.
   

• N.J. town on the hook for denying cop's promotion over small town politics (nj.com subscription) — A Cranford police lieutenant won a Union County jury verdict finding township officials retaliated against him over perceived political ties after he was initially denied promotion. The case detailed internal tensions in the Cranford Police Department and town hall, and a hearing on possible punitive damages is expected next week. Local officials have begun responding publicly as the fallout continues.
   

• Cranford History: The Ditzel Farm on Denman Road (tapinto.net) — A long-gone family farm on Denman Road once anchored a large stretch of what is now a Cranford neighborhood, shaping generations of the Ditzel family. This look back traces how the farm shrank as Cranford grew, recalls its Depression-era produce routes and small animal menagerie for local kids, and notes its final sale in the 1980s.
   

📸 Around Cranford

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Cranford

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Sunday January 4

• SHOULDA 12:00-6:00
  Cranford Dramatic Club Theatre , 78 Winans Ave , Cranford
• Ice Hockey: Girls Varsity vs. Madison (Away)
  Westfield High School , 550 Dorian Road , Westfield
  8:00 pm

Monday January 5

• WILD 3:00PM - 5:15
  Cranford Dramatic Club Theatre , 78 Winans Ave , Cranford
• Bowling: Varsity (Date Changed from 01-09-26) vs. Scotch Plains-Fanwood (Home)
  Westfield High School , 550 Dorian Road , Westfield
  4:00 pm

Tuesday January 6

• Bowling: Varsity vs. Arthur L. Johnson (Home)
  Westfield High School , 550 Dorian Road , Westfield
  4:00 pm
• Swimming: Boys Varsity vs. Oratory Prep (Away)
  Westfield High School , 550 Dorian Road , Westfield
  4:00 pm
• Swimming: Girls Varsity vs. Oak Knoll (Away)
  Westfield High School , 550 Dorian Road , Westfield
  4:00 pm
• Basketball: Girls Varsity vs. Scotch Plains-Fanwood (Home)
  Westfield High School , 550 Dorian Road , Westfield
  4:00 pm

Sunday January 11

• Meadowbrook Day Camp to Host Open House on January 11, 2026
  Meadowbrook Country Day Camp , 73 E Valley Brook Rd , Washington Township
  11:00 am

📣 Cranford Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

Saturday January 3

• Main - Open Yoga
  Woodbridge Township, NJ Calendar
  9:15 am
• Basketball: Boys Varsity vs. Ramapo (Home)
  Manasquan High School
  5:00 pm

Sunday January 4

• SHOULDA 12:00-6:00
  Cranford Dramatic Club Theatre , 78 Winans Ave , Cranford
• Woodbridge History Museum - Open Every Sunday
  Woodbridge Township, NJ Calendar
  1:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

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

• Omega Maintenance Facilities & Janitorial Services — (908) 282-4482
  Hurry - November Savings 20% Discount for All New Accounts!
• Orange Mattress — (732) 428-4125
  Call or Stop by for Daily Deals
• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!
• Dogtopia of Union — (475) 338-3501
  Dogtopia – Dog Daycare, Boarding, Spa & Wellness

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Cranford YMCA to Launch New School-Age After Care Program for the 2026-2027 School Year —Westfield Area YMCA Read on Patch

• 5-alarm fire under control in Roselle Park, New Jersey.
  10:35PM on Jan 1: Fire is under control, per Roselle Park Mayor Joseph Signorello Jr. Firefighters are maintaining a presence while they await heavy… (Nextdoor )
• All lanes are blocked on the New Jersey Turnpike Outer Roadway northbound south of Interchange 13 - I-278/Goethals Bridge (Linden) due to a crash.
  6:18AM on Jan 1: Crash on New Jersey Turnpike Outer Roadway northbound south of Interchange 13 - I-278/Goethals Bridge (Linden) blocks 1 left lane of… (Nextdoor )

• Union County College posted a job opening for Assistant Track and Field/ Cross Country Coach in Cranford. Apply here.
• The TJX Companies, Inc. posted a job opening for Store Backroom Processors in Clark. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Cranford here.

🗞 Nearby News

Kenilworth

• Kenilworth's Sculpt Fitness January Member of the Month (tapinto.net)
• Kenilworth Fire Department Battles 5th Alarm Commercial Structure Fire (tapinto.net)
• Boulevard Veterinary Clinic Pet of the Week: Bentley (tapinto.net)

Clark

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 kept throwing out all the W’s.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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