🌱 Patch AM: How Cranford’s librarians are standing up to book bans locally

Greetings Cranford! We're your go-to source for what's happening in town. Read on to get plugged in! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• How Cranford's librarians are standing up to book bans locally
• See why Cranford's Riverside Inn just ranked among America's best bars

Also on today's calendar: Cooking with the Vegetable Garden Bounty and 3 more events.

Today's riddle: What is full of holes but still holds water? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Friday: Periods of sun, with a high of 80 and low of 67 degrees.
• Saturday: Humid with a few showers, temps: high: 75, low: 67.
• Sunday: A shower and t-storm; humid, with a high of 83 and low of 62 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• 'The Right to Read' panel discussion is comprised of Union County librarians (unionnewsdaily.com) — Cranford Public Library director Kathy Cannarozzi joined fellow Union County librarians for a post-performance panel on book bans and the freedom to read, following a staging of "Alabama Story" in Union. She highlighted Cranford's strong community support and status as a Book Sanctuary library, while panelists explained how New Jersey's 2024 "Freedom to Read" law and local review policies help libraries resist censorship and protect diverse materials.
   

• Three NJ bars were just named among best in the entire country (palivingnews.com) — Cranford's own Riverside Inn has been singled out by USA Today as one of the best bars in the entire country, praised for its speakeasy roots, low prices, and loyal local crowd. It joins D'Jais in Belmar and Cloverleaf Tavern in Caldwell on the 2026 honor list, putting a longtime Cranford favorite on the national map.
   

📸 Around Cranford

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Cranford

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Tuesday August 25
• Cranford Tuesdays at the Clock: Laurie Vega Trio – Broadway Jazz Comes to Cranford →
  Downtown Cranford, Walnut Ave &, N Union Ave, Cranford
  6:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Wednesday August 26
• Cooking with the Vegetable Garden Bounty →
  Cranford Community Center, 220 Walnut Ave, Cranford
  7:00 pm
• Library Board of Trustees Meeting
  Westfield Memorial Library Local History Room
  7:30 pm
Thursday August 27
• Cranford Thursdays at the Clock: Forget The Whale →
  Downtown Cranford, Walnut Ave &, N Union Ave, Cranford
  6:00 pm
Thursday September 3
• Flawless →
  Bauer Boucher Theatre Center, Vaugh-Eames Hall, 1000 Morris Ave, Union
  7:30 pm
Thursday September 10
• Flawless →
  Bauer Boucher Theatre Center, Vaugh-Eames Hall, 1000 Morris Ave, Union
  7:30 pm

📣 Cranford Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Friday August 21
• Chair Yoga →
  Union Township, NJ Calendar, Union Senior Center 652 Rahway Ave., Union
  9:30 am
• Union Jazz Festival - "Expressions" DAY ONE →
  Union Township, NJ Calendar, Union Arts Center 1980 Morris Ave., Union
  4:30 pm
• DISCOTEKS CONCERT →
  Woodbridge Township, NJ Calendar
  7:30 pm
• New Yacht City →
  Crossroads, 78 North Ave, Garwood
  8:00 pm
Saturday August 22
• Fitness at the Plaza - Sana Yoga →
  Union Township, NJ Calendar, Union Arts Center Plaza 1980 Morris Ave., Union
  9:00 am
• Community Yoga →
  Woodbridge Township, NJ Calendar, 400 Rahway Avenue, Woodbridge
  9:00 am

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

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Cranford PatchAM possible:

• Springfield Collectibles — (973) 715-6543
• Cranford Performance Institute — 9089340055
• Insurcomm Restoration — (866) 708-5357
• Keta Medical Center — (201) 730-4515
• Healing Hearts Center LLC — 8622063573
• Fairways at Cranford — (908) 913-8138
• The Pool Boss — (973) 823-7007
• PSE&G — (800) 436-7734
• Orange Mattress — (732) 428-4125

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• The Wedding Nanny: How One Nanny Turned Wedding Day Chaos into Calm —Tommy Gabriel Sparandera Read on Patch

• ShopRite Supermarkets posted a job opening for ShopRite - Seafood Clerk (Village NJ) Salary Range $15.49 - $15.49/hr in Garwood. Apply here.
• Westfield Area YMCA posted a job opening for Assistant Swim Coach - P/T in Westfield. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Cranford here.

🗞 Nearby News

Kenilworth

• Kenilworth Public Library September 2026 Adult Programs (tapinto.net)
• Michigan Deli Athletes of the Week: Siena Severini and Benny Iacovo (tapinto.net)
• Kenilworth AI Data Center Takes Center Stage at Union Town Hall Meeting (tapinto.net)

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: A sponge (Thank you Netty W. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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