They lobbied, wrote letters, and trekked to Trenton to make their case to lawmakers to make cranberry juice a symbol for New Jersey.

And it worked. The state Senate unanimously approved a bill Monday designating cranberry as the state juice. With the Assembly having previously approved the measure, it now heads to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk.

It was a long time coming for the fourth graders in Erin Zarzycki’s class at Eleanor Rush Intermediate School in Cinnaminson, a project started in 2020 with now-sixth graders during a lesson on state symbols.

» READ MORE: South Jersey fourth graders pick up charge to make cranberry juice a state symbol

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Last week, the class made a final push during a trip to the statehouse to testify at a hearing on the bill. They waited anxiously Monday for the vote, Zarzycki said.

Zarzycki flashed a picture of the 36-0 vote sent by the office of State Sen. Troy Singleton (D., Burlington), one of the bill’s sponsors. Her students jumped to their feet and cheered, she said.

“They were so proud of themselves,” Zarzycki said. “This is awesome.”

Zarzycki said the students, who learned how a bill becomes a law during their civics lesson, raised a concern that Murphy could veto it, blocking the measure from becoming a law.

“Is the governor going to say no?” they asked Zarzycki. Murphy has 45 days to take action.

Zarzycki said she reassured the class that the bill had bipartisan support and has a good chance of becoming a law.

And Singleton said Monday: “I anticipate the governor signing it. I don’t know why he wouldn’t.”

Singleton said the students were passionate advocates for the bill, which was reintroduced this year for a second time. The pandemic and delays put the bill on hold when it was first proposed in 2020.

After learning that New Jersey didn’t have a state beverage, students began brainstorming. They rejected tomato juice — because they didn’t think that would be popular. They turned down blueberry juice, too.

They selected cranberry juice to celebrate the state’s cranberry-growing heritage. New Jersey’s cranberry production ranks third in the country with an annual harvest valued at $15.8 million.

This year’s fourth graders said they wanted to make the class that started the process proud by getting the bill signed. Some changes were made to the bill, such as making cranberry juice the state juice, not the state “beverage.”

During their statehouse visit, the students teamed up to make their pitches. They cited statistics and gave a historical overview of cranberries, grown in the Pinelands.

“Many kids before us have created New Jersey state symbols, like the state insect and the state fruit,” said Gabriella Fennel, “and so when we learned about the cranberry, we knew this was a powerful fruit and a delicious juice worthy of a state symbol.”

Said classmate Robbie Minniti: “Our history is ripe with the love of cranberries. For this reason, we think that cranberry juice is the right juice to be the state juice!”

Besides the civics lesson, Zarzycki offered her students a life lesson: “Hard work pays off,” she said. “If you work hard enough, you’ll go places.”

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MyCentralJersey.com

For more than 270 years, the Cranbury Inn has grown with one of the oldest towns in New Jersey.

The restaurant has hosted weddings, overnight guests and fine dining customers, including everyone from Albert Einstein to a young Brooke Shields. It was used in the movie “I.Q.” and was part of the backdrop of the encampment of General Washington's troops days before the Battle of Monmouth.

And now, it’s evolving once again.

The Cranbury Inn was sold in May for $2.7 million by the owners for the past 30 years to Cranbury Inn R & P Management, co-owned by William Arnold.

After months of extensive renovations and repairs, the 14,000-square-foot inn will fully reopen at the end of October, followed in November by an attached liquor store located in the inn’s former banquet area.

“It needed some updating, so we tried to keep the charm and respect the history while creating an environment where people would want to come and enjoy great food, wine and beer,” said Arnold.

Structural issues were repaired. Dining rooms were outfitted with new lighting and laminate flooring, replacing the former wall-to-wall carpeting. The ceiling and beams were repainted. An all-day dining and bar menu will be added, as well as some additions to the dinner menu — including vegan and vegetarian options — and a children’s menu.

Some of the additions will include branzino, ahi tuna and veal Milanese. Favorites like the turkey dinner, rack of lamb and prime ribremain.

Items on the new bar menu will include homemade pizza, fried calamari, empanadas, wings, and chicken and waffles, and items on the new brunch menu will include Belgian waffles, burgers, French toast and omelettes.

As the restaurant has not closed since the purchase — the open dining rooms simply rotated as renovations were completed — past patrons were already aware of the changes. But at the end of October, the lounge (which was formerly an office) and the bar area, which have been closed since July,will be unveiled.

But as the bar and lounge will demonstrate — as does the still-intact wall wood paneling and moulding in the dining rooms — today’s Cranbury Inn is a mix of the old and the new.

The pumpkin pine floors that were hidden under carpeting in the lounge have been restored, as was the oak flooring in the bar area. The rotting, nine-person bar was restored into a center island for beer taps and high-top tables, and it was replaced with a 22-seat bar. The wallpaper in the lounge was replaced and the trim was repainted.

The efforts to preserve what was possible in the inn was the result of hours Arnold spent researching the inn and working with the Cranbury Historical Society, poring over every article that had ever been written about the local fixture.

“I realized how important it was not only to me, but to the people who have parents and grandparents that have lived in this town, that there are artifacts here and a certain charm and history about it,” Arnold said. “I wrestled with keeping that and providing the right atmosphere and amenities for today.”

Fittingly, that atmosphere includes a happening bar area as more people opt for casual dining, lighter meals and small plates — which is of particular importance in a town that has few bar options.

“Many people asked me, ‘Please give me a bar I can sit at when we come with friends,’ “ Arnold said. “They want a place to have lunch or a lighter meal, watch a ball game, or sit with a group and talk to each other or compare notes about a craft beer. I think people are excited to have a place closer to home that they can frequent more often.”

Two dozen beers and two dozen wines will be on tap, the latter thanks to a wine dispenser system that keeps wine refrigerated at each variety’s unique, optimal temperature and also allows it to stay consumable, once opened, for up to 60 days. A total of 34 wines will be available by the glass.

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“Most bars can’t sell high-priced wines because if you open a bottle and pour a glass, it goes bad if you don’t use it within the next two days,” Arnold said. “We’ll be able to have a selection of wines by the glass up-and-down the spectrum, from $6 to $25."

The list of wines available by the bottle has expanded, too. At the old bar, the 15-wine list went up to $46. Now, the 70-wine list includes varieties of every type, from every region and at every price point, from $15to $400 per bottle. Plus, being that a liquor store will be attached to the restaurant, if a customer wants a particular wine that’s not on the wine list, it can still be sold to them.

Arnold’s dedication to a good glass isn’t an accident. He also owns NJWineSeller, a liquor and gourmet gift store in Green Brook. Another store location, equipped with 6,000 square feet, will be attached to the Cranbury Inn and sell more than 3,000types of beer, wine and liquor.

It was also NJWineSeller that led Arnold to the Cranbury Inn in the first place.

With a type of liquor license that is rare for Central Jersey, the liquor stores offer both shopping and a bar/restaurant atmosphere where people can sit down and enjoy a drink and an appetizer. But soon, the concept outgrew itself, as customers frequently asked Arnold if they could rent the space or host private events there. So, in 2020,he started the search for a third, larger location — and stumbled upon the for-sale Cranbury Inn.

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“I saw that we could create that concept that we have in Green Brook on a much larger scale, while enabling us to create a great, cozy environment for people to shop and have private events,” Arnold said. “The historic building just added to the charm and excitement of it all. I thought if we created the right concept, people would come.”

Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA Today Network New Jersey since 2014, after becoming a blogger-turned-reporter following the creation of her award-winning travel blog. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Before he signed the bill Thursday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said his signature would settle an ongoing Garden State debate once and for all.

“Central Jersey exists, period.”

The new law defines the region as Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset counties. It also requires the Division of Travel and Tourism to re-draw the state’s tourism map and include Central Jersey in all regional marketing campaigns, including on the state’s tourism website VisitNJ.org.

State Sen. Andrew Zwicker, who proposed the bill last year, said the new law giving respect to the often-debated region is important. Central Jersey tourism is still down by about 20% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

“This is really about economic development in our area,” he said. “The legislation that Gov. Murphy [signed] into law will help promote travel to our quaint river towns, canal villages, scenic walking sites, harvest festivals, breweries, and more revolutionary sites than you’ll find anywhere else.”

Zwicker’s point was punctuated by the fact that the bill signing took place at the Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Site in Somerville, Somerset County.

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Murphy said Central Jersey is “a bedrock of innovation, ingenuity, and intellectual discovery,” adding there is a “direct line” between the nation’s founder and the founder of Rutgers University.

“That is a slice of American history you can only find in Central Jersey,” the governor said.

The debate on whether Central Jersey exists received more attention after Murphy appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2018. A year later, the governor tweeted his declaration that “CENTRAL JERSEY DOES EXIST” and included a map of its borders.

That was not enough to persuade people.

“At first people will say…do we really need to declare that Central Jersey exists? The answer, of course, is yes,” said Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, who celebrated the new law.

“It’s a pleasure to be in a place that finally formally exists, and you knew it existed all of your life,” he said.

The law will take effect in 90 days.

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READING, Pa. , May 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Penske Truck Leasing has recently opened a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility in Cranbury, New Jersey. Located at 2682 US 130 North, near exit 8 and 8A of the N.J. Turnpike and U.S. Route 1, it is the first-ever, ground-up build in its South Plainfield District.

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At this location, Penske offers consumer and commercial truck rental, full-service truck leasing and contract truck fleet maintenance. It is also outfitted with the company's proprietary fully digital and voice-directed preventive maintenance process and Penske digital experience solutions, which help customers leverage Penske technology as well as options related to onboard technology systems (ELDs, telematics, onboard cameras, etc.).

"We've outgrown the South Brunswick facility by 10-fold in the past 30-years," said Mike Duquette, New York Metro area vice president for Penske Truck Leasing. "When we first opened, the location serviced nearly 200 vehicles out of two truck bays – now, three decades later, we service over 2,000 vehicles out of three truck bays; this new state-of-the-art facility was eminent. The expansion of business occurred due to significant market growth in the region and the unparalleled service provided by Penske technicians and the district team to retain and grow the business."

The location is 22,995-square-feet and sits on 9.62 acres. It features five drive-thru bays with 10 service areas and is complimented by an additional 10 covered service areas hugging the facility. It also has an automated wash bay, and a full-service three lane fuel island.

Penske currently employs over 40 associates at the new facility, and is hiring truck technicians, fueler and wash bay attendants, customer service representatives, and drivers locally and nationwide. For a list of open positions in the Cranbury area and at other Penske locations across North America visit penske.jobs for more information.

Penske Truck Leasing is a Penske Transportation Solutions company headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania. A leading global transportation services provider, Penske Truck Leasing operates approximately 373,000 vehicles and serves customers from more than 1,300 locations in North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Product lines include full-service truck leasing, contract maintenance, commercial and consumer truck rentals, used truck sales, transportation and warehousing management and supply chain management solutions. Visit www.pensketruckleasing.com to learn more.

SOURCE Penske Truck Leasing

CRANBURY – Jennifer K. Diszler is the new chief school administrator and principal of Cranbury School.

Diszler, who starts Sept. 1, follows Susan L. Genco, who is retiring from the post after 11 years with the district. Assistant Principal Michele Waldron also is retiring after 14 years.

Diszler, who was the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Administration for the South Brunswick school district, was chosen from among dozens of qualified applicants during a comprehensive and extensive search, said Board of Education President Pramod Chivate. The board said it was Diszler's "demonstrated strength in curriculum and technology development and her passionate vision for advancing learning" which made her the strongest candidate.

"I am both honored and humbled by this opportunity and I am looking forward to dedicating myself to the Cranbury School District," Diszler said. "I am truly excited to be joining such a highly regarded district where students are at the forefront of every decision."

Diszler began her education career as a middle school math teacher in Somerset County and taught for 10 years at both the elementary and middle school levels. While teaching, she earned her master’s degree in Educational Leadership at Rider University in 2006 and soon after began her administrative career as an instructional strategies specialist for Innovative Designs for Education, an education consulting group in Ramsey. There she worked with teacher cohorts in various school districts to develop learner-active, technology-infused classrooms at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

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Diszler transitioned back into the school setting in 2010, joining the South Brunswick school district as the middle school supervisor for Math and Science. In 2012, she was named the director of professional development and oversaw coordination of all professional learning for the district, including evaluation system, mandated policy, technology infusion, character education and content-specific training.

From 2015 to 2017, Diszler served in the North Brunswick school district as director of curriculum, instruction, and technology before returning to South Brunswick in 2017. During her tenure as assistant superintendent in South Brunswick, Diszler worked collaboratively with her team to assure fidelity, high-quality, and transparency to all content and curricular components. Additionally, she was instrumental in bringing the most current instructional technologies to the district, launching the first Career Academy for the high school, and implementing a reflective practice alternative to the evaluation model for tenured teachers.

In 2021, Diszler earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership at Rider University where her research was in the area of teacher reflection.

"We were looking for a school leader who would build upon our successes and inspire a culture of high expectations for all students and staff, and we found that and more," school board president Chivate said. "In addition to her vast experience in curriculum, technology and meaningful professional development, Dr. Diszler has a positive energy and collaborative nature that we believe will resonate with our community. We are thrilled she will be joining us."

Cranbury School has approximately 500 students in grades K-8. Students in grades 9 and up attend Princeton High School.

email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter forMyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or@CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.