CRANFORD, NJ — More than 50 families were lined up to register for a pool membership.
Recently in the Centennial Avenue Pool parking lot, a pool registration event took place with food trucks and a DJ. Food trucks included Urban Dogs, Mexi-Boys and Its Delicious Ice Cream. There were crafts for children and games to keep them occupied while their parents stood in line. There were also membership giveaways.
Lisa Williams, of Friends of Cranford Pools, said, “It’s really a great turn out.”
Rachida Arteaga, head of marketing, agreed. She was very excited about the attendance. She said, “We have good momentum.”
Joe Friedman was with his daughter, Claire, 3. He said, “Going to the pool is a nice way to spend the day in the summer. It’s very family friendly.”
Camille St. Leger was with her son, Cruz, 3. She said, “It’s the perfect summer day (being at the pool) when you have kids.”
Diana Hynes-Merrill said her son, Noah, 3, loves the Splash Pad at the Orange Avenue pool. “He loves the pool, the park,” she said. “It’s a half mile from my house.”
Michael Bell was there with his three girls. “How convenient; the pool is three blocks away from where I live. I’m grateful they chose not to close the pool.” He especially likes that there are three separate pools – not combined – for various age groups.
Bell moved to Cranford in 2020. “It’s a small town,” he said. “You can walk downtown easily. We live within walking distance from the school.”
Tashana Martin lives in Roselle and does most of her social outings in Cranford. She said that when you have babies, it’s hard to get to the beach by yourself. Her daughter, Kayla, is just 7 months old. Martin said, “I remember coming to the pool as a child, growing up in Union.”
Darcy Reardon, of Cranford, said, “I love Centennial Pool. It’s so great for the kids. It’s never too crowded. We order pizza during summer nights with the kids. Our son learned to swim in this pool.”
Rachel Chester, of Cranford, said, “It’s safe for kids.”
Celeste Tsiolas has been coming to the Centennial Pool since she was her son’s age. “It’s multi-generational,” she said. “I learned to swim here. It’s something to do in the summer.”
Michael Tsiolas said, “It’s a great community.”
To learn more about Cranford Township Recreation, visit: https://www.cranfordrecreation.org/.
By Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta