Cranford Life - February 2023

CRANFORDLIFE

Women’s Club meets

Cranford finds a new level of terror

By David Jablonski Managing Editor

For Tom Ryan, getting involved in movies seemed inevitable.

Run raises funds

“Like most kids … between 9 to 12, I was really into movies. I loved comic books and horror movies. Special effects are really what piqued my interest in the beginning. There was a special on the making of ‘Star Wars’ and ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’ and it was the first time I got to see the process,” said Ryan in an interview with Union County LocalSource on Friday, Jan. 13.

“They did stop-motion with the Tauntauns and they motion capture on blue screen. My interest at first was in becoming a special effects artist. I was drawing comic books at the time. At that age, we didn’t have any access to real cameras and we had to use VHS and we started making backyard movies. I started leaning into directing because I was always telling my friends what happens next, and I started writing a script.”

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Born in the early 1970s and raised in Jersey City, Ryan studied media art for two years at New Jersey City University, then known as Jersey City State College. He had drawn a slasher comic series called “Midnight” and even tried shooting movies with his VHS camera. With a handful of childhood friends who shared in his love of terrifying stories, Ryan founded Theatre of Terror, an independent production company.

“Around 2010, a friend of mine sent me a link to a web series called ‘Dead Road.’ Friends of mine were involved in the web series, and I said I would love to help them with special effects. So I started to do that, and then I started acting on the series,” said Ryan. “My interest was piqued into making films. I met Pat Devaney on the set of ‘Dead Road’ and he gave me copies of two series he had worked on, including ‘Zombie Hunters: City of the Dead.’ When I saw what they were doing … I was blown away. I saw you

could edit from your computer at home. I wrote my first story, which was ‘Day 9,’ an apocalypse story.”

Ryan then wrote, produced, directed and starred in his first feature film, “Faces.” Filming began in late 2013 and the production wrapped in August 2014. The film premiered on Oct. 10, 2014, at the Loews Jersey Theatre in Jersey City to an audience of more than 350 people. A successful festival run resulted in Audience Choice Best Feature, Best Soundtrack and Best Actor for Ryan awards at the eighth Macabre Faire Film Festival.

As for the name of his company, there’s a story behind that.

“The Theatre of Terror was our version of ‘Masterpiece Theatre’ (now called ‘Masterpiece’) and we would basically sit there and discuss, like Siskel and Ebert, these films we saw,” Ryan said. “We wouldn’t cover anything like ‘Jaws’ or ‘Friday the 13th.’ We would talk about things we

would make ourselves. When I started making my own films, I called the production company Theatre of Terror. I wanted to hold on to that memory.”

Ryan decided that, if he was going to make movies, it would be a family affair.

“My first film, ‘Day 9,’ had my entire family in it,” he said. “My daughter and wife were in ‘Splinter’ briefly, and my son stars in ‘Robot’ and he is in the wraparound.”

This momentum inspired him to officially create Theatre of Terror LLC. He made a website and a social media page to focus his marketing strategy. The production company successfully completed the four-film anthology “The Theatre of Terror,” featuring the award-winning shorts “The Gift,” “The Bookworm,” “Abducted” and “Endangered.” The anthology received distribution through BayView Entertainment and led to the develop-

Photo Courtesy of Tom Ryan

Anthony Robert Grasso plays a scientist named Dr. Robert Serling, and Samantha Lacey Johnson plays his assistant, wearing the helmet of the ‘Soothsayer.’ The doctor is preparing to send his assistant somewhere.

College Women’s Club to host first meeting of 2023

The College Women’s Club of Cranford will hold its first meeting and program of 2023 on Monday, Feb. 13, at the Jardine Academy, 75 Rod Smith Place, Cranford.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Michael Norris will be presenting on the Met Cloisters and gardens and other destinations in northern Manhattan.

The club has a long history in Cranford of providing free educational programs and scholarships to Cranford residents who are embarking on their first year of college. Students can check with their high school guidance counselors for scholarship applications.

The meeting is at 7 p.m., a meet-and-greet with members is at 7:30 p.m., and the program is at 8 p.m. The club’s annual tea will be on Sunday, April 16. For more information on events and membership, visit collegewomensclubcranford.co m or email cranfordcollegeclub@gmail.com.

Photo Courtesy of Cynthia Isaksen

Hundreds of racers dressed as Santa run through Nomahegan Park on Saturday, Dec. 10, to raise money to donate gifts to children who have lost a parent recently. Live Run Give, which organizes events such as this, has been giving to not-for-profits for years.

Santas 5K Run raises money for charity

By David Jablonski Managing Editor

What could be better than Santa? How about hundreds of Santas?

That’s exactly what happened in Nomahegan Park on Saturday, Dec. 10, when hundreds of runners dressed as Santa assembled that morning to compete. The purpose of the race? In addition to having some fun on a crisp December morning, it was an opportunity to raise money for a good cause.

“This is our second year hosting this,” said Christine Malloy, the race’s director, in an interview with Union County LocalSource on Monday, Dec. 12. “We usually focus on breast cancer charities. I’m the founder of Live Run Give. We organize events such as this. We like to bring people together. We love to bring families together outside, to run, to exercise, to have fun.”

The Cranford Santa Run may be a relatively new race, but hundreds of people turned out for it. Part of their involvement proved to be altruistic as well.

“This year, we will be donating gifts to children who have lost a parent,” said Malloy. “We’re focusing our efforts on giving gifts to families who have experienced a recent loss. Unfortunately, we’ve had quite a few who have been affected within the school districts. We find children who have been identified in the school district who need financial and emotional relief. And we feel that, for those who survive the loss of a parent, that it is especially difficult. We want to adopt at least three more families for the holiday season and bring them some gifts, some food and some cheer to ease the loss.”

For Malloy, fundraising is a family venture, something she has been involved in since childhood.

“I’ve been fundraising for a very long time,” she said. “My father was an Elk. He joined when I was 5, so I

learned about volunteering through that. I found that raising money was really difficult for the average person, so our company allows us to give a lot to not-for-profits without basically having to do any work. So we’re able to harness that power.”

“For 10 years, I had been doing this three-day, 240mile race,” Malloy continued. “They're pretty fun, challenging yourself emotionally. I felt very obligated to help. We had 800 people at our first race.”

Another inspiration proved much more personal for Malloy.

“My best friend, Lynette, passed away from breast cancer,” she said. "She was the mom who made things happen, the responsible parent, the one who had the magic, and we feel, without her, the magic is that much harder to find. When I organized my first race, she told me I was really good at bringing people together for good causes. She said it’s pretty magical and to keep going. This run, like every run, is dedicated to her legacy.”

The magic that Malloy said was in her friend seems to be in Malloy, too, at least when it comes to raising money.

“Live Run Give is a for-profit business, but we give to charities throughout the year,” Malloy said. “We host 15 to 20 events per year throughout New Jersey, and 90 percent of them go to breast cancer charities, particularly those that focus on metastatic disease.

“We seem to be the most successful if we ask our runners to give to the charity. Our runners generally raise between $1,000 and $3,000 by themselves, although sometimes it can be as much as $5,000. We pay our expenses and we pay our staff, who help with the event. The rest goes to the charities.”

For the Cranford Santa Run, numerous people were

involved to make it work. Malloy said running such an event is a process, something she has down to a science.

“There’s an admission to get in,” she said. “It starts off at $25 and goes to $40. We have to bring the police, the timers and our staff. We rent the park for the day, so there’s permit fees and then we have to pay for the police.”

In addition to her regular staff and those she has to hire, Malloy said there are always volunteers ready to help out.

“We had the Elizabeth High School girls cross-country team that came out,” she said. “Not only did they run in the event, they gave out medals. My staff helped make the event happen. They work all of my Cranford events. We did have a visit from the Grinch.

“We had children as young as 5 years old running. Our youngest runner came in at one hour, 6 minutes and 45 seconds. Our fastest runner came in at 15:49. We had about 250 runners and volunteers. We had about 275 spectators.”

Despite Malloy’s busy schedule — she also teaches at Green Hills School, a K-8 school in Greendell, Sussex County — Malloy said she is able to have races in Cranford more than once a year, much to the delight of everyone who participates.

“We do three events in Cranford,” she said. “We do pizza and cupcake runs. We’re hoping to bring some food to holiday events. Our next event in Cranford is the Cranford Pizza Run on May 21, 2023. And then we have the Vegan Cupcake Run on Aug. 27, 2023. Those two particularly go to breast cancer charities.”

Meanwhile, Malloy insisted she will keep running her races and raising money for charities.

“It’s kind of a family thing,” she said. “I like to be moving.”

Photos by David VanDeventer

First Presbyterian Church welcomes new senior pastor

The members of First Presbyterian Church of Cranford, 11 Springfield Ave., Cranford, got an early Christmas gift this year: a new pastor. After a twoyear period without a permanent minister, the church has announced its new pastor/head of staff, the Rev. Jin Bae.

Ordained in the Presbyterian Church in November 1998, Bae was previously at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Bloomfield.

He has a master’s degree in theology from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea; a master’s degree of divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif.; and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Bae has had a variety of senior leadership positions throughout his career and has led multiple mission trips, to the Philippines, Peru, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Mexico.

“Rev. Bae stood out from the more than 80 candidates’ resumes we reviewed,” said church member and search committee co-chairperson Laura Holcomb.

“We couldn’t be more excited for him to help us be the church we want to be for the Cranford community.”

Cranford United Methodist Church welcomes new pastor

Cranford United Methodist Church welcomes the Rev. HyunHui Kim as its new pastor. She is the first woman and person of color to serve as pastor in the church’s 150-year history. She uses her deep theological and philosophical understanding of race, gender, sexuality and social class, along with East-West comparative studies, to enrich ministries challenged by the complexity of a global world.

Kim is passionate about justice ministry and supporting the lives of the oppressed and marginalized by cultivating healing spaces for their wholeness and well-being. “What the justice ministry aims at,” she said, “is to expand the kin(g)dom of God that Jesus talked about over and over to his followers, seeking the radically inclusive community.”

is most exciting about being the pastor of Cranford UMC is that it is a reconciling congregation.” Reconciling ministries celebrate LGBTO+ persons.

Search committee member Fred Fitzgerald, a member of the congregation for more than 25 years, agreed.

“Listening to Rev. Bae preach during the search process blew me away,” said Fitzgerald.

“His sense of humor, genuine love of people and deep faith make him a wonderful choice for our next pastor.”

Kim was born, raised and educated in South Korea but came to New Jersey in 2006. She earned a master’s degree in divinity and a doctorate in theological and philosophical studies at Drew Theological School.

“It is my great pleasure to serve God as the new pastor of Cranford UMC,” said Kim. “I am confident in God’s grace and excited to be where God has led me. What

Under Kim’s leadership, Cranford UMC seeks to increase its efforts to support those who are racially and sexually marginalized, becoming a bridge to connect them with one another and standing for justice, equity, and dignity for each and every individual. “All are invited to experience the healing and liberating power of God,” said Kim.

Photo Courtesy of Laura Simone

Rev. Jin Bae

Photo Courtesy of Carolyn Milhiser

Rev. HyunHui Kim

Front & Center presents ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’

Front & Center for Performing Arts

staged “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” on Friday, Jan. 13, and Saturday, Jan. 14, at Saint Elizabeth University’s Dolan Performance Hall, 2 Convent Road in Morristown.

Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang sang and danced their way into everyone’s hearts in this musical production. The show featured a cast of talented young performers from local New Jersey towns.

The show, directed by Julie CelesteLira, with Wayne Hu and Jeff Ostermueller as musical advisers, featured the following Union County residents: Berkeley Heights’ Nala van den Berg; Cranford’s Lila Kramer; Garwood’s Caris ThomasGale; Springfield’s Lilliana Delapa, Ilana Fishman, Sylvie Fishman, Avery Gold, Olivia Keppler, Clover Kern, Camila Mahnken, Josefina Martinez, Thomas Palermo, Viviana Rinaldi, Grace Rivera, Jazmyn Rodriguez, Maya Rubin, Arjun Shah, Priya Shah, Travis Steirman, Willow Tarsi, Aria Vizcaya and Addison Westbay; Summit’s Quinn Kubeck and Riley Huckabee; and Union’s Analia Burgos.

“Charles M. Schulz once said, ‘All children are peanuts. They’re delightful, funny, irresistible and wonderfully unpredictable.’ He was absolutely right. I am so excited for the audience both new to Charlie Brown and his friends, and those who have loved him for years, to jump into this nostalgic comic strip with the Front &

Center Peanuts gang,” said Celeste-Lira, Front & Center’s creative director.

Celebrating its 21st year, Front & Cen-

ter offers individuals of all ages and skill levels the opportunity to grow and develop artistically and personally in a nurtur-

ing environment. Front & Center is located in Springfield; for more information, visit front-n-center.com.

Photo Courtesy of Rachel Fishman The Front & Center for Performing Arts’ recent production of ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’ featured Union County performers, above.

Legislation signed makes Rahway River flood mitigation a priority

By Yael Katzwer Editor

President Joe Biden signed federal legislation on Dec. 28 that includes provisions to make the Rahway River flood mitigation study a national priority. Through the efforts of Sens. Cory Booker and Bob Menendez, and U.S. Reps. Donald M. Payne Jr. and Tom Malinowski — as well as through the consistent work of the Mayors Council Rahway River Watershed Flood Control — language was inserted into the 2022 Federal Water Resources Development Act to move the Rahway River flood mitigation plan forward. Section 203 states that the study should be “expedited and proceed to preconstruction” for flood risk management in Section 336 of the Water Resources Development Act.

The 2022 Water Resources Development Act was included in the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2023. The WRDA, signed biennially, authorizes federal flood control, navigation and ecosystem improvements.

The state of New Jersey is now required to sign on to be a co-sponsor of the next phase of the study to move the project ahead. Leaders and residents in Union and Essex counties have long been urging officials to finalize the Rahway River floodmitigation plan and pass U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funding for construction of Rahway River flood mitigation.

The Mayors Council Rahway River Watershed Flood Control, which was organized after Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, consists of mayors, township committee members, engineers and township administrators serving communities along the Rahway River and has been working with the USACE and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to come to a solution to protect residents.

In January 2022, the USACE announced its allocation of funds of $1.5 million to complete the flood protection feasibility study it had started after Tropical Storm Irene. The USACE previously evaluated 21 alternatives and even sent the entire evaluation to the New England Army Corps office, which is known for its expertise on dams.

“Over the past few years, over $6.5 million of federal and state funds have been used on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers evaluation of a regional flood mitigation plan for the upper portion of the Rahway River,” former Cranford Mayor Dan Aschenbach, who serves as spokesperson for the Mayors Council Rahway River Watershed Flood Control, said in a press statement. “Hydraulic and hydrologic engineers, environmental analysts, and economists have scoured the possibilities with 18 different alternatives weighed and assessed for their costs and benefits. Politics had nothing to do with the lack of construction progress. The studies undertaken by the nation’s experts have taken time because the solutions are challenging.

“While criticism about how long this has taken is understandable, if it was easy, the work would have been done,” Aschenbach continued.

Since 2013, 19 different alternatives to mitigate flooding have been evaluated, and several additional options are now under consideration, all in an attempt to stem the flooding from the Rahway River during severe weather conditions.

The Rahway River flows through Union, Essex and Middlesex counties. Surrounding communities, especially Cranford and Springfield, have suffered severe, widespread flooding on numerous occasions in recent decades — including during Tropical Storm Floyd in 1999 and Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 — displacing residents and causing more than $100 million in property damage.

The favored flood mitigation plan is Alternative 4A. In this plan, several days before the peak of a storm, operators of the Orange Reservoir in the South Mountain Reservation would begin to release flow downstream with the expectation that the flow would be out of the Rahway River system when the peak of the storm comes. This would lower the river elevation downstream and permit Cranford in particular to deepen the riverbed and at points widen the river providing significant increase in river capacity, ultimately keeping more of the river in its banks.

“All eight communities involved in the Mayors Council Rahway River Watershed Flood Control effort along the river supported what was known as Alternative 4A,” Aschenbach said. “A

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recommendation was about to be made to the U.S. Congress in 2019 to fund construction, only to have that plan sent back for review because the U.S. chief engineer was concerned about using weather forecasts to release storm water from the Orange Reservoir prior to peak storm conditions. The rejection was made without a local study but was based on a conservative national perspective about using forecasts. Subsequent to the rejection, several U.S. Army Corps plans in other parts of the United States have been approved using storm forecasts. Other federal water control agencies and

reservoir operators also use forecasting.

“With the U.S. Army Corps rejection, they insisted that any flood storage absent the use of forecasts would have to include either lowering the Orange reservoir by dredging or heightening the dam,” he continued. “The Mayors Council Rahway River Watershed Flood Control still supports the Alternative 4A plan, which is now called the Orange Bypass. The Orange Bypass plan is being reviewed as a possible state and local project. The other alternatives, such as reservoir dredging and channelization, have not yet been fully evaluated and are expected to be evaluated next.”

Editor: Yael Katzwer

Managing Editor: David Jablonski

Advertising Manager: Joseph Farina

File Photo

Following Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, huge sections of downtown Cranford were under water.

St. Michael School in Cranford to host open house

Established in 1929, St. Michael School is a faithbased school where children become independent thinkers and grow into responsible young adults grounded in Catholic values.

St. Michael School is a member of the National Catholic Education Association and accredited by the Middle States Association Commission on Elementary Schools.

Primary, elementary and middle school curricula are

based on guidelines set forth by the Archdiocese of Newark to prepare students for high school and beyond.

Controlled class sizes and an average 16:1 studentteacher ratio foster individualized attention and offer students the ability to engage in classroom inquiry, discovery and learning.

The early childhood education program offers full- and half-day prekindergarten, and full-day, academically based kindergarten. Before- and aftercare are also available.

St. Michael School has two upcoming open house sessions:

• Thursday, Jan. 26, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

• Sunday, Jan. 29, from noon to 3 p.m.

To learn more about St. Michael School, contact the school at 908-276-9425 or saint.michael@verizon.net.

For a brochure, virtual tours and more information about the school, visit smscranford.com.

Membership campaign underway for historical society

The 2023 membership campaign for the Cranford Historical Society is underway.

The historical society is a nonprofit educational organization whose mission since 1927 has been to preserve and perpetuate the history of Cranford.

It maintains the Crane-Phillips House Museum, open to the public every second and fourth Sunday of the month, and its beautiful gardens.

It hosts free community outreach programs and events for visitors of all ages.

It also maintains the Hanson House, where its office is located, and assists a steady stream of people researching

the history of their homes or looking for information about local history.

It publishes five newsletters each year for its members.

“The Mill Wheel” contains historical society news and articles on local history. Membership supports the continuation of its archives, costume department, building maintenance, programming and history scholarship, which is awarded to a Cranford High School graduate every year.

A 2023 membership form can be found on the historical society’s website at cranfordhistoricalsociety.org.

For more information, call 908-276-0082 or email cranfordhistoricalsociety@verizon.net.

Hudak sworn in as new Union County surrogate

Christopher Hudak of Clark has been sworn in as the 16th Union County surrogate. Hudak assumes the position of surrogate after serving 12 years on the Union County Board of County Commissioners; he served as commissioner vice chairperson this past year.

“I thank the residents of Union County for their confidence in first electing me in 2010, and now it is an honor to have been elected Union County surrogate. Serving our constituents has been one of the greatest privileges of my professional life, and I look forward to serving all of our residents in a different capacity,” said Hudak.

“As I begin the work of the surrogate, I remember my predecessor, James S. LaCorte, who held this position for 20 years and was a man of grace. My staff and I are committed to extending that same poise to anyone who walks through our doors.”

Hudak was nominated by Gov. Phil Murphy in October to complete the unexpired term of LaCorte and was confirmed by the New Jersey Senate. He began a new five-year term on Sunday, Jan. 1.

The county surrogate is an elected position, established by the New Jersey Consti-

tution, that oversees the probating of wills, qualification of will executors, appointment of administrators for those estates without wills, and qualification of guardians for incapacitated persons and minors, as well as certain matters related to adoption. The office also operates the Surrogate’s Intermingled Trust Fund for minors and incapacitated persons. Elections for county surrogate are held every five years.

While on the commissioner board,

Hudak led the creation of the Union County Infrastructure Grant program, which to date has distributed more than $12 million in matching grants for road resurfacing and other municipal infrastructure priorities. He sponsored the county’s initiative to combat heroin addiction by supporting Operation Helping Hand, which connects residents with rehab services, and created a grants program to support STEM opportunities in elementary and middle schools countywide. During his tenure, Union

County became the first county nationwide to ask gun vendors for their positions on gun safety.

Hudak, an attorney, has experience in public and nonprofit service, including with Kean University, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, the Partnership for a DrugFree New Jersey, and as a staff member in the New Jersey Assembly and state Senate. Hudak graduated from Roselle Catholic High School, has a master’s degree in public administration from Kean University and received his juris doctorate, as well as his bachelor’s degree, from Rutgers University. He was born and raised in Linden, and now resides in Clark with his wife, Terri, their daughter, Catherine, and son, Jackson.

The Union County Surrogate’s Office is located in the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad St., Elizabeth.

For more information about the programs and services of the Union County surrogate, visit ucnj.org/surrogate, email ucsurrogate@ucnj.org or call 908-527-4280. Questions and concerns may also be faxed to the surrogate’s office at 908-351-9212.

Photo Courtesy of Katherine Soares

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RWJBarnabas Health continues appeal for blood donations

RWJBarnabas Health continues its urgent appeal for blood and platelet donations, especially Type O blood, this January during National Blood Donor Month in response to a severe blood and platelet shortage among hospitals throughout the state. The surge in respiratory illnesses and recent winter weather has exacerbated the already acute nationwide shortage, and blood suppliers are in critical need of blood products in order to meet the demands throughout this winter.

According to America’s Blood Centers, a blood transfusion occurs every two seconds in the United States. Lifesaving blood is given to patients in extensive and varied situations, as in cancer therapies; traumas such as motor-vehicle, industrial and home accidents; childbirth; openheart surgery; organ transplants; and mass-casualty events. Despite this, only 3 percent of Americans donate blood.

Blood drives across the RWJBarnabas

Health system in late November and December yielded approximately 500 units of blood and 150 units of platelets. All blood and platelet donations at an RWJBH blood drive or donor room stay within the system and have a direct impact on local blood supply availability within a few days of being donated.

“This National Blood Donor Month, we’d like to thank our donors who have already selflessly rolled up their sleeves in response to the call for donations and our sponsors who make local blood drives possible. Their support has already made a difference in the availability of Type O blood, the universal blood type, and platelets during this difficult time of year,” said Sally Wells, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s blood services business development liaison. “We continue to urge New Jersey residents to donate blood and help us avoid disruptions to routine and emergency medical care.”

RWJBarnabas Health is calling on

W A N T E D ANTED

blood donors of all types, especially Type O and platelet donors, to help bolster the blood supply.

RWJBarnabas Health has two fixed donor locations: one at RWJUH in New Brunswick, located on the fourth floor of the Rutgers RWJ Medical School Clinical

Academic Building at 125 Paterson St. in New Brunswick, and the other at RWJUH Somerset, located at 110 Rehill Ave. in Somerville. Both are open Mondays through Fridays and select Saturdays. For hours of operations and to schedule an appointment, visit rwjuhdonorclub.org.

IN MEMORIAM

• CILIOTTA – Lawrence J., of Bevidere, formerly of Cranford; Oct. 19. U.S. Army Vietnam War veteran. Retired from Exxon. Husband, father, grandfather, 86.

• DOOLEY – Margaret K., of Cranford; Nov. 6. Widow, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, 95.

• DOOLEY – Sarah Louise, of Cranford; Nov. 13. Elementary school teacher. Widow, mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, 88.

• JONES – Lorraine, of Cranford; Dec. 16. Head media specialist, Sayreville Middle School. Wife, mother, sister, grandmother, 85.

• KISS – Marilou R., of Ortley Beach, formerly of Cranford; Dec. 9. Was 86.

• MANKOWSKI – Calvin S., of Cranford; Dec. 31. Financial news editor. Husband, father, brother, grandfather, 81.

• MATOSIAN – Michael Moses, of Cranford; Oct. 8. Retired textiles foreman. Blackbelt in karate, a master at Uechi Ryu. Father, brother, grandfather, 93.

• SHERRIER – Thomas Edward Sr., formerly of Cranford; Sept. 22. Air Force vet, mechanic, Husband, father, brother, grandfather, great-grandfather, 75.

• WEISS – Elizabeth, of Tunkhannock, Pa., formerly of Cranford; Sept. 25. Deacon, widow, mother, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, 102.

In Memoriam is a monthly feature compiled by the news staff from various sources. We also provide the opportunity for families and funeral directors to publish a more extensive, special notice about their loved one called an obituary. These notices are published on our website immediately and then in the next edition of this newspaper. To place a paid obituary send an email to obits@thelocalsource.com or fax to 908-688-0401. Family and friends’ submissions must include sender’s name, address, phone and the name of the funeral home. Call 908-686-7850 for assistance.

Stunning photographs are displayed at Commissioners Gallery

The Union County Board of County Commissioners presented “Scenic Union County,” a selection of works by photographer Jacki Dickert. Dickert’s photographs were on display through Friday, Jan. 27, at the Commissioners Gallery, on the sixth floor of the Union County Administration Building, 10 Elizabethtown Plaza, midtown Elizabeth.

“Ms. Dickert provides us with a whole new way of seeing the beauty that surrounds us, and she renews our appreciation for the natural heritage that is ours to protect and preserve,” Union County Commissioner Chairperson Rebecca L. Williams said. “As stewards of Union County’s public parks, we encourage everyone to stop by and enjoy this enriching exhibit.”

Dickert’s photographs have been showcased in both solo and group shows at galleries throughout New Jersey, and her work has been published in magazines, book covers and numerous online blogs.

She taught at Winfield Elementary School for 18 years before retiring in 2019 to devote herself to art full time. She teaches photography classes to people of all ages; is an active member of the Camera Naturalist Photo Club; and is a speaker and judge throughout the New Jersey Federation of Camera Clubs and other arts organizations, including the annual Union County Teen Arts Festival. She was recently honored with the first-place

award in the Ansel Adams contest at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., and her work has been selected for display at the new Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport.

In a volunteer capacity with environmental organizations, Dickert also offers her art and skills for conservation purposes and self-publishes the annual “World of Wonder” photography calendar.

To see more of Dickert’s work, visit her website at lightdance.org.

— Photos Courtesy of Tina Casey

Terror comes to Cranford in anthology series

(Continued from Page 1)

ment and production of the sequel anthology, “Return to the Theatre of Terror.”

Ryan said he is hopeful for himself and for the future of filmmaking in the Garden State.

“I work in sales,” he said. “The goal is that this (making movies) will be paying the bills soon. We have wonderful actors in our films. These guys do network television. They give us 110 percent. We're putting together a good product. I’m seeing an abundance of films coming to New Jersey. I’m originally from Jersey City, but I’ve been living in Bloomfield for more than 16 years.”

Ryan has worked as a director and actor on other productions, as well. He helmed the 2015 short film “Rapt” and the 2021 feature film “Ramsey: The Vandy Case.”

Not surprisingly, when he makes his own movies, Ryan tries to keep everything local.

“Our films were shot (almost) entirely in New Jersey,” he said. “We shot all over New Jersey. We shot in Belvidere; Suffern, N.Y.; Jersey City; Bloomfield; Bloomfield College; and Verona.”

Before embarking on the sequel to “The Theatre of Terror,” Ryan found some other projects that involved both him and his family.

In 2020, he launched T.O.T Videography, a subsidiary of Theatre of Terror LLC, to support local small businesses with engaging commercial advertisements. He also created the YouTube series “The Chilling Childhood Adventures of Jack & Cody,” to distract his children from the COVID-19 pandemic while still making movies. The series has

proved to be a favorite among parents wanting to introduce their children to the horror genre.

“Both of these kids were just naturals,” said Ryan. “If people are horror fans and they want to figure out a way to get their kids into horror, they can watch that. My son was a natural. He took direction when we rehearsed the material at home, and he was great.”

When it was time to create the sequel to “Theatre of Terror,” Ryan went right back to the creative minds that helped him with the first anthology. The four short films were safely shot over the course of a two-year period during the earlier days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Jason Cicalese, an executive producer and actor, produced ‘Return to the Theatre of Terror,’” said Ryan.

“Soothsayer,” starring Anthony Robert Grasso, Samantha Lacey Johnson and Denis Ooi, filmed by Louis Libitz, tells the tale of Dr. Robert Serling, a scientist who invents a time machine that travels into the future, only to show devastating results. Completed in March 2020, “Soothsayer” is the flagship story of the anthology sequel.

“‘Soothsayer’ came from an author, C.M. Eddy Jr.,” said Ryan. “He wrote these science fiction shorts. Some were good; some were great. I was so inspired by the dialogue. I’d always been a fan of Universal monsters, ‘The Twilight Zone.’ I’d just finished reading him and I wrote ‘Soothsayer.’ I kind of wanted to do a time travel movie. I wanted to keep it character driven, about people rather than about time travel. It’s about 22 minutes.”

The next film in the series is “Splinter,” starring Jim Thalman, Kristin Muri

and Quincy Saadeh, and filmed by Louis Libitz. This short finds Scott Willis in a race against time, following an infection he received from stepping on a splinter during the renovation of his childhood home. Completed in November 2020, “Splinter” has enjoyed a rousing festival run, netting several award nominations and a Best Actor win for Thalman at the Northeast Film Festival Horror Fest.

“‘Splinter’ was a short story originally written by Todd Staruch, one of our producers,” Ryan said. “At first, it was just a short story with no intention of making it part of our anthology. But I read it and really liked it, so I asked him if I could flesh it out. It turns into 55 minutes long. There’s a lot of themes that we touch on with family and with political situations. We don’t preach, but I think our films reflect contemporary issues. ‘Splinter’ is probably a heavy dose of that. It revolves around our main character and the LeniLenape Indians.”

“Haunted,” starring Brett Eidman, Jenn Plotzke, Gareth Tidball and introducing Emma Waldron, filmed by Rigo Diaz, pits ghost hunter Carl McGavin against a very real evil. Completed in August 2022, “Haunted” was the last film to be finished in the series.

“‘Haunted’ was inspired by the old series ‘Kolchak: The Night Stalker.’ I love Darren McGavin (who played Kolchak). I think he’s a great actor,” said Ryan. “In ‘The Night Stalker,’ (the protagonist is) a ghost hunter, a paranormal investigator. As kind of an homage, the character’s name in ‘Haunted’ is Carl McGavin. But unlike Kolchak, this guy just investigates ghosts. We follow his investigation and see how it affects his clients and comes

back to haunt him. It’s about 20 to 25 minutes long.”

“Robot,” starring Jason John Cicalese, Jeanine Bartel and introducing Jack Ryan, filmed by Christian Santiago, tells the story of a boy who faces lingering troubles after the discovery of a meteor in the woods. Completed in July 2021, “Robot” will close out the series.

“‘Robot’ stars my son, Jack, and the film revolves around a little boy that lives in an abusive home and, one night, a meteor crashes and he finds a robot and the robot is sentient and recognizes the boy’s plight.”

“The anthology is two and a half hours in total and there’s a wraparound story.”

The only question then was where to premiere this horror anthology, though, for Ryan, there was never really any doubt.

“The Cranford Theater is very welcoming to independent filmmakers, and our film ‘Splinter’ premiered there as part of the Garden State Film Festival,” he said. “At the festival, ‘Splinter’ won the Kevin Smith Best Homegrown Feature Award.

“I contacted Doreen Sayegh, who owns and runs the Cranford Theater, and she facilitated the whole thing for us. We’ve been doing this for about 10 years. This is really just for the promotion of the work. If we can have a wider theater run, we would be willing to do that.”

Although the showing of “Return to the Theatre of Terror Anthology” at the Cranford Theater, 25 North Ave. W., in downtown Cranford, on Saturday, Jan. 28, is sold out, Ryan said that if enough people visit his website, info@theatreofterror.net, and ask for it, he will have a second showing.

Above left, in ‘Splinter,’ Jim Thalman’s character is screaming because splinters hurt. Well, it’s more than that as he battles an infection in this award-winning short. Above right, director Tom Ryan’s

son, Jack, plays a character inspecting the damage on the robot he has found inside the meteor that recently crashed into Earth in ‘Robot’ in the ‘Return to the Theatre of Terror’ anthology.

Photos Courtesy of Tom Ryan

Carl McGavin, played by Brett Eidman, chases away spirits as another character, played by Rebecka Ray, looks on from the banister in ‘Haunted.’

Photo Courtesy of Tom Ryan

Souperhero Stroll: A tasty downtown Cranford tradition

Photos by David VanDeventer Souperhero Stroll, sponsored by Downtown Cranford, returned the weekend of Saturday, Jan. 14, and Sunday, Jan. 15, to the delight of hundreds of hungry eventgoers. Participating restaurants provided samples of their finest soups and other items to ticketholders while dozens of large, inflatable superheroes provided by Dream Factory Balloons transformed the shopping district into a colorful crimefighter’s paradise. Funds raised benefited the Cranford High School Class of 2023 Project Graduation and many cans of soup were collected and donated to local food banks.

Chairperson Granados unveils ‘Building a Stronger Union County’ plan

By Javon Ross Staff Writer

Union County Board of County Commissioners Chairperson Sergio Granados announced a series of initiatives at the 166th annual reorganization meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 3, at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. With a focus on enhancing local communities and private and public sectors, Granados said he is looking to develop better training and job opportunities, implement mental health programs and improve park and housing assistance programs throughout the county.

“As chairman, I want to build a path of resilience and togetherness,” Granados said at the meeting. “I am announcing a series of initiatives called ‘Building a Stronger Union County.’ Our residents make Union County strong, and we continue to ensure that they are at the forefront of all of our decisions.”

Granados’ proposals will reportedly assist veterans, senior citizens, those with medical diagnoses and unemployed residents. “These are just some of the things we will do together in 2023,” Granados said. “We will be announcing more as the year goes on.”

Additionally, former Commissioner Christopher Hudak was sworn into his first term as Union County surrogate, and Commissioners Jane Kowalski, Granados and Rebecca Williams were sworn into their terms. Commissioner Joseph Bodek was appointed to fill Hudak’s former seat, and Commissioner Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded was appointed vice chairperson.

Palmieri-Mouded is serving as vice chairperson for the first time this year. She oversaw the Open Space, Recreation & Historic Preservation Trust board in 2021; it was awarded $1.45 million in grants for children’s recreation during her term.

Williams will serve as liaison to the Union County LGBTQ Ad Hoc Committee, the Motion Picture and TV Advisory Board, the Green Brook Flood Control Commission and the Union County VocationalTechnical School board of estimates.

“We are breaking down barriers, opening doors and building the county that our residents want and deserve,” Granados said.

Above left, County Commissioner Bette Jane Kowalski is sworn in by Gov. Phil Murphy at the reorganization meeting for the Union County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday, Jan. 3. Above right, Commissioner Chairperson Sergio Granados is sworn in by Murphy at the reorganization meeting. Below left, Commissioner Vice Chairperson Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded is with her daughter at the reorganization meeting . Below right, County Commissioner Joseph Bodek is joined by his wife and children as he is sworn in at the reorganization meeting.

Photos Courtesy of Union County Clerk’s Office

Union County arts organizations to receive NJACRF grants

The New Jersey Arts & Culture Renewal Fund is awarding $2.2 million in grants to 96 nonprofit organizations across the state. Since its founding in 2020, the fund has awarded a total of more than $6.7 million in grants to more than 180 nonprofit arts, culture and history organizations statewide.

The fund recently received a $1.5 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to support the fund’s grants to organizations that contribute to cultural equity and community well-being. The fund has also received significant support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

In Union County, grants are being awarded to the following organizations:

• In Berkeley Heights, Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts.

• In Elizabeth, Institute of Music for Children.

• In New Providence, Keys 2 Success.

• In Rahway, People Helping People Inc.

• In Summit, Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre and Visual Arts Center of New Jersey.

• In Union, Carolyn Dorfman Dance and The Theater Project.

The fund, hosted by the Princeton Area Community Foundation, is a collaboration between private and public donors. Established at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been a lifesaving initiative for many of the state’s nonprofit organizations in the arts, culture and historical sectors. NJACRF has prioritized support to small and midsized organizations led by and/or serving African Americans, indigenous people and people of color, which were found to be disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

“The New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund started as a recovery fund two years ago to help arts, cultural and historical organizations survive the COVID pandemic. We have now transformed into a renewal fund, focusing on the resilience and future of the sector as its needs change and evolve,” said Jeremy Grunin, cochairperson of the fund’s steering committee. “This sector is essential to our social and emotional well-being — keeping us connected, fostering unity and improving

mental health. Through equitable grantmaking, the New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund is helping smaller arts, cultural and historical organizations continue to thrive during challenging times, which, in turn, positively impacts the entire New Jersey community.”

“In this round of our grantmaking, the New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund received $5.8 million in requests, indicating the great need that still exists among arts and culture organizations across the state,” said Sharnita C. Johnson, vice president of strategy, impact and communications at Victoria Foundation. “The New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund directly addresses inequity and historical disparities in funding and intentionally fills the resource gap.”

The pandemic brought to light the arts sector’s vulnerabilities and amplified the inequities facing those organizations serving marginalized communities that are still struggling to stay afloat.

In the most recent round of awards, grants ranged in size from $1,500 to $50,000, with an average grant size of $23,000. All grants are pending a final review.