Cranbury looking ahead to 2007

   Many Cranbury groups are expecting big things over the next 12 months.

By: Lacey Korevec
   With 2007 just days away, it’s time for township groups and organizations to say goodbye to 2006, and hello to a whole new year.
   Many of these groups are expecting big things over the next 12 months.
   Arts Council
   For the Cranbury Arts Council, 2007 will be one big celebration.
   The organization will celebrate its 10th anniversary and honor founders, Sue Leson and Marty Hayden, at a gala on March 24 at the Crown Plaza in Jamesburg.
   "We’re going to have a silent auction, an art auction featuring local artists, and a seven-piece orchestra," Arts Council President Joanne Hanson said.
   The council will also work to continue providing its services in the community, including programs at the Middlesex County Youth Center, summer camp programs and Art in the Park, Ms. Hanson said.
   "We’d like to increase our membership, especially in our 10-year anniversary year," Ms. Hanson said, adding that January marks the Arts Council’s annual membership drive.
Education Foundation
   For the first few months of the new year, the Cranbury Education Foundation will work on preparing for its annual Craft Show, which will be held in March.
   The show will help the organization raise money to put new lighting in the Cranbury School auditorium and to increase funds to further develop its Teacher Grant Program, which provides money for teachers looking to increase supplies in their classrooms or further their education, Education Foundation President Deanna Anderson said.
   The group also hopes to make more community members aware of its mission.
   "One of our big focuses this year will be to raise community awareness of the foundation and try to get more involvement with local businesses and members of the community who don’t have kids in the school," she said. "We could certainly use their expertise in terms of marketing and fundraising and things like that."
   After having just become part of the Central New Jersey Education Partnership, a group comprised of approximately 18 education foundations in the Central Jersey area, 2007 will bring a number of conferences on fundraising.
   "There’s just so much to learn by sharing information and they have so many conferences that we can go to," Ms. Anderson said. "It’s really interesting if nothing else."
   To learn more about Cranbury’s Education Foundation, contact Ms. Anderson at (609) 395-6769.
Library Board
of Trustees
   For the Cranbury Library Board of Trustees, the main focus in 2007 will be assessing library services and determining how they, along with the facility, can best meet the needs of the community, board President Frank Brennan said.
   Examining the results of a 25-question phone survey that was conducted in August by Zogby International is the first part of the board’s goal, Mr. Brennan said.
   "The next step is to determine what the current services are doing for Cranbury and what might be needed in the future in all of the areas, in print, in computers, and all the other services that we offer," he said. "So, the survey was the first step and the second step is we’re going to proceed in 2007 to try and assess what we have in relation to what we should have."
   Decisions made based on the survey results, which were reported in November, will be implemented over the next two to three years, he said.
   In the short term, the board plans to improve library technology in 2007, especially through expanding computer programs, and also plans to offer more services to local seniors, Mr. Brennan said.
   "We have some plans to further assist the senior citizens and perhaps set up a facility for the senior citizens with books with large print books and things of that sort," he said.
Cranbury Lions
   The New Year marks the 75th anniversary for the Cranbury Lions Club, an event it will celebrate at a gala in June.
   "The Cranbury Lions are working hard at making this one of the best celebrations ever," Vice President Bob Virgadamo said. "We have and are soliciting donations for goods and services from everywhere to create a pool of items for a silent auction at the event. A complete history of the Lions will be published and will be a part of the printed program that will be handed out with each paid admission. And, of course, there’s the wine which we have produced at Grape Escape, which will be at each place-setting."
   The club, which is now comprised of 69 members, would like to have 75 members in time for the gala, Lions Club President Rick Burke said. He said the group especially wants to increase its number of female members, as well as recruit students who are interested in volunteering time to the organization.
   "I intend to meet with the guidance departments at Cranbury School and Princeton High School, and encourage the students to consider helping their local club with events such as the Memorial Day parade, Cranbury Day and the Special Olympics held at The College of New Jersey," Mr. Burke said.
   Another goal the club is committed to accomplishing in 2007 is the restoration of the 18th century barns located on Cranbury Neck Road, which the group is still in the process of seeking township approval for.
   For information about the Cranbury Lions Club, contact Mr. Burke at (609) 529-3371 or e-mail him at [email protected].
Mother’s Club
   Supporting autism funding and research is the main initiative on the Cranbury Mother’s Club’s agenda for 2007.
   The club chooses a different issue to support each year and raise money for at its annual Pound Auction, which will be held in the spring. For 2007, the group chose autism, a condition Mother’s Club Co-President Karen Callahan called "the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the U.S."
   "It is estimated that one out of every 166 children in the U.S. will be diagnosed with autism," Ms. Callahan said, adding that she found the information on autismspeaks.org. "The statistics are staggering, especially if you consider our club has 150 members and continues to grow."
   Ms. Callahan said there are approximately 325 children between the members of the Mother’s Club, which means at least two of the children may have the disorder. Though none have been officially diagnosed with autism, Ms. Callahan said there are children of members who have varying degrees of the disorder, which isn’t typically diagnosed until the child is three years old.
   For more information about the Cranbury Mother’s Club, visit the club’s Web site at www.edusite.com/camcOr e-mail Ms. Callahan at [email protected] or Co-President Jill Gabriello at [email protected].