"Starting from Scratch" In Cranford's Business District

It has been over a week since Hurricane Irene rampaged through New Jersey but many local businesses are still struggling.

The block of South Avenue between High Street and Walnut Avenue serves as a painful reminder of the heart break many residents of Cranford have suffered in the wake of Irene. The sidewalk is piled high with carpets, furniture, and other items ruined by the storm. The Kilkenny House Restaurant and Pub, once packed with customers exercising their right to “drink and be merry” now reminds one of ship wreck; the wooden bar, floors, tables and chairs that once glistened in the low lamplight are now tattered and torn, still soaked eight days later.

Although many businesses in downtown Cranford like Rockn’ Joe's Cafe and Vanilla Bean Creamery suffered no structural damage, six days without power ensured that local eateries took significant financial losses.

“We escaped Irene with little more than water in the basement, but we lost all of our frozen product and that really hurt us. We just reopened yesterday,” said Patrice Donnellon, manager of Rockn’ Joe's.

According to Mike Kosempel, manager on duty at the Cranford Movie Theater, staff began cleaning up water damage in theater one Thursday and opened for business the next day. However, Vanilla Bean Creamery, a local ice cream store owned by Ralph Kopelman wasn’t so lucky.

“I spent two days dumping at least 200 gallons of ice cream down the toilet,” Kopelman said. “We just opened on Saturday and we were without power for six days. It took us four days to double wash and sanitize the whole store. It was covered in ice cream soup.”

For Kopelman, dealing with the consequences of the hurricane was the equivalent to starting his business all over again. Vanilla Bean normally displays 32 flavors but on Sunday, only 16 were available.

“I had to pick up as much product as I could myself because companies wouldn’t make deliveries on a Friday before the holiday weekend,” Kopelman said. 

Ralph exhibits incredible compassion for his customers, as his exuberance fades just for a moment as he recalls the heartbreaking stories he has heard. Indeed, “starting from scratch” as Kopelman describes, it seems to be a common theme throughout this community.

A few doors down to the left of the Kilkenny House, A&W Chiropractic, The C.A.L.M. Approach, and ERA Meeker Realty suffered the wrath of Hurricane Irene. Cheryl Mulligan, owner of The C.A.L.M. Approach explains that here, the water didn’t just rise,  “it barreled down with force from every direction creating a perfect storm in our little corner,” she said.

Stepping inside these offices, experiencing the damage first hand is shocking. Your shoes stick the floor, the smell of mold and grime is unrelenting.

“Everything is gone including client records and files,” Mulligan said as she gazes over the mountain of massage equipment ruined in the storm. “I have an insurance policy for my business but it only covers $10,000 of damage; we have suffered at least $40,000 to $50,000. We will have to start over,” Mulligan said.

David Zoltak is the son of Vita Zoltak, who owns ERA Meeker Realty. He runs Noreast Inc., a construction company that will handle all of the repairs at each of the three offices.

“We had at least four feet of water everywhere,” he said as he displayed a water mark on a door. “The basement was filled all the way up to the ceiling. The Building Department instructed PSE&G to lock down all of our power because water got into the electrical circuits. All of the heating and ventilation systems as well as the sheet rock below the four foot mark will also need to be replaced.”

Outside, three dumpsters have been filled with ruined materials. “We are very grateful that Cranford has agreed to pick up anything on the street for free, but we’ve already filled three dumpsters that cost 1000 dollars each and we expect to go through at least 20,” Mulligan said.

Mulligan was relieved to hear that she will be able to apply for but she and her fellow businesswomen are concerned about more than rebuilding. 

“Luckily we have all found places to practice in the meantime; right now I am working out of the Strength and Fitness gym at 570 South Ave. East in Cranford, but I still worry that I will lose clients who may not know that I am still open,” SHe said.

Mulliganwent on to explain that she isn’t the only one affected by loss of business. She employs five other people. “If I’m out of work, they’re out of work,” she said.

One might wonder why Mulligan and her neighbors are choosing to stay and rebuild rather than leave and start anew.

“I’m optimistic this won’t happen again. This was a once in 500 years storm and I don’t plan to be 550 when it happens again,” Mulligan said. Mulligan and Zoltak smile and laugh as they recall at how Zoltak’s mother Zita had predicted shortly after the earthquake that the hurricane would be a “riverside tsunami.” Physical evidence of this tragedy still remains, but the hope in the hearts of the residents of South Avenue East, and the rest of Cranford is inspiring.