TIMEOFF
NEWS
For the trees
What’s Going On A calendar of what’s happening in and around Cranbury. Page 3A
Visions of nature at the D&R Greenway. ALSO INSIDE: ‘Motown the Musical’ featured at the State Theatre.
VOL. 130, NO. 11
Published every Friday
Friday, March 16, 2018
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Town bans retail sale of recreational marijuana By Philip Sean Curran Staff Writer
Cranbury on Monday sought to stay a step ahead of possible changes to state drug law by banning the retail sales of recreational marijuana in town. By a 4-0 vote, the governing body prohibited something that is already against the law in New Jersey, but perhaps not for much longer. There is a push to legalize the drug, with Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, among the supporters. Advocates of legalization have pointed to the potential tax windfall it would bring the state and remedy what critics say is a flaw in the criminal justice system that sees more blacks than whites arrested for marijuana offenses despite similar rates of use. One question mark, though, is whether towns will have the ability to opt out of having retail shops in their communities. “So by our putting in this ordinance, my belief is that it gives us, at least, some defensibility when the state goes and does this if we don’t like how they implement it,” Township Committeeman Daniel P. Mulligan III said in citing the strategic importance for having the measure on the books.
He noted that state law would trump a municipal ordinance. “But if we have nothing in place,” he said, “we have no defensibility if they do a really bad job at it.” Township Committeeman James Taylor, who researched the experience of Colorado, where recreational marijuana is legal, found that 70 percent of the 272 towns in that state ban the recreational sale of the drug. He also said that 60 percent of sales “are in poor neighborhoods that already had experienced drug issues.” “I do think that this gives us the control,” he said of the ordinance. Mayor Glenn R. Johnson recently had shared the town’s position directly with Gov. Murphy, and testified at an Assembly committee hearing on marijuana. “At this point, I don’t think anybody can really predict what’s going to happen in the Legislature with the legalization of recreational marijuana,” he said. The town is home to a medical marijuana facility, the Breakwater Alternative Treatment Center, that would not be impacted by the ordinance. Mulligan called Breakwater “a good neighbor” that does “good work.” “So I have no problem with medical marijuana,” he said.
Township clerk to retire By Philip Sean Curran Staff Writer
Township Clerk Kathleen R. Cunningham is retiring at the end of May after nearly 21 years, with an assistant to Police Chief Rickey A. Varga named Monday to replace her. Cunningham will end a public sector career that saw her serve as the executive assistant to six state Senate presidents, in Trenton, for 17 years beginning in 1975, and then work for the secretary of state for two years after that. She worked for a few years in the private sector afterward. She has been with Cranbury since November 1997 so she will leave May 31 just shy of 21 years with the town. “It has been a very rewarding and educational career,” she said Monday after the Township Committee meeting. Asked what she would miss, she replied, “my interactions with the residents of Cranbury.” From her seat to the left of where the mayor normally seats on the dais for Township Commit-
tee meetings, she has been a fixture in town hall for parts of three decades. She started as the deputy clerk and, in 2000, climbed the ladder to become the clerk. “Kathy has been a crucial asset to Cranbury and Town Hall,” said Township Committeeman David Cook on Tuesday. “Without her help and knowledge, the Township Committee couldn’t have done half as well as we have. Her energy (and) enthusiasm will be missed.” She is scheduled to work her final Township Committee meeting May 29 and then retire a few days later. At 69, she said she has not decided what she plans to do next with herself. As for her replacement, Debra Rubin, a Cranbury employee since March 2015, serves as the administrative assistant to the police chief. Due to earn annual salary of $77,000, she is scheduled to begin her job June 1. The Township Committee voted Monday to give her a threeyear-appointment. She attended part of the meeting but could not be reached for comment.
Photo by Scott Jacobs
The village of Cranbury hosted its 21st Annual Cranbury Craft Show March 11 at the Cranbury School. Jane and Breanne Fenton, of Cranbury, viewed copper decor at the Shrewsbury River Copper Works booth.
Crowds flock to annual craft show By Philip Sean Curran Staff Writer
More than 3,000 customers attended the annual Cranbury craft show over the weekend for a twoday- event that supports the local public school. The show raises money for the Cranbury Education Foundation, which did not have a total available for how much money it had raised. Attendance, though, was up from last year. An estimated 3,100 people came during the two days combined, compared to about 2,500 in 2017, according to Foundation officials. “We are beyond pleased with the turnout,” said Foundation member Lia Mazzoni by phone Wednesday. Some rough winter weather hit the state in the days leading up to show, but it was not enough to keep the crowds away. “We thought the snow might slow people down,” she said, “but I think people were very excited with the sun and the melting and they all came out for the show.” There were some added wrinkles this year compared to last. “We had great feedback from the vendors and the customers regarding some of the changes this year in the show,” Mazzoni said Those changes included extra signage around Cranbury School, where the event took place, to direct people where to go. Also, there was a third admissions entrance, which cut down on the
Photo by Scott Jacobs
Top, Mikayla Marschner, 3, of Cranbury, overlooks the koi pond at
the aquaponics section. Bottom, Edison, 11, and Rebecca Yang, of East Brunswick, overlook some of the variety of dips at the Gourmet Creations booth. wait to get in. This was the 21st year of the show, which this year was organized by Susan Kasziba, Melanie Joseph and Colleen Raymond. Students from Cranbury School and Princeton High School also got involved as well by volunteering.
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In all, 120 vendors took part, Mazzoni said. The Foundation, she said, is working with Cranbury Chief School Administrator and Principal Susan L. Genco “to determine how to put the proceeds to best use for the students and the teachers.”
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