Drop by for coffee (and conversation)

I like coffee as well as the next person, but it has always been a private preference of mine. However now I’m going public with it, and I’m inviting my fellow Cranberry residents to join me for a cup or two. And it’s more than just a taste test; I’m thinking of coffee here as a social medium, as in traditional coffee house culture, where people can talk comfortably and at length about whatever they have on their minds.

So I’m planning a monthly series of gatherings we’re calling “Coffee and Conversation,” which will be held in different cafes around Cranberry starting next month. They’re intended to encourage residents to talk about the Township and the things they would like to share with me in person. We see these informal meetings as the latest extension of Cranberry’s ongoing communication outreach efforts.

Of course, there’s no way of telling ahead of time exactly what people will want to talk about. And no one should get the idea that these conversations will be the equivalent of a formal hearing or official action. But they will help me and our Township staff to make sure that the priorities we have are informed by the priorities our residents have.

Our first two coffees will be held on Tuesday mornings, from 9:30 to 10:30, on April 13 and May 11 in Panera’s meeting room, on the lower level of the Cranberry Mall. Our third will be on June 22 at Crazy Mocha in Freedom Square. If you’re available, stop by for as much or as little time as you can spare. The coffee’s on me.