Cranberry's corporate growth fosters multicultural outlook, officials say
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Cranberry is becoming increasingly multicultural in terms of both residents and visitors. It's an evolving dynamic that's being embraced by township officials in ways both symbolic and substantive.
From installing multilingual welcome signs to establishing a "cultural diversity" task force, township Manager Jerry Andree believes that putting out the welcome mat for multiculturalism is a top priority.
That attitude is appreciated by the business community, said Vaughn Gilbert, spokesman for the township's biggest employer, Westinghouse Electric Co. "It shows openness and warmth and that's what we want for our visitors and employees," Mr. Gilbert said.
It's about more than being nice, said strategic planner John Trant Jr. "This is about being a sustainable community," he said.
"Sustainability" refers to the planning concept that being good today isn't good enough. Sustaining the goodness for many tomorrows is the goal. Toward that end, forward-thinking planners muse about green space and connectivity between neighborhoods and creating an environment that's welcoming so that "enclaves" -- segregated small groups -- are avoided, Mr. Trant said.
Establishing Cranberry as a welcoming community is an identified goal in the township's long-range comprehensive plan, adopted last year. The months-long planning process involved resident input that strung together what Mr. Trant called anecdotal evidence that the township is becoming more multicultural.
Anecdotal information is important; there's not a lot to be gleaned in terms of hard statistics until the 2010 U.S. Census Report is finished, said township statistician Eric Kaunert.
Ten years ago, the U.S. Census figures showed 746 foreign-born people lived in Cranberry, which had a population of 23,625 in 2000.
According to the answers to the question asking residents to identify their race, Cranberry residents were 96.3 percent white/non-Hispanic; 0.8 percent black; 0.1 percent American Indian; 1.4 percent Asian; 0.7 percen Hispanic or Latino; 0.6 percent two or more races; and 0.1 percent was identified as "other." The Census Report doesn't distinguish between those who are foreign-born and those born in America or whether the residents are U.S. citizens.
Mr. Trant said he expects the 2010 U.S. Census Report to show the township is becoming increasingly multicultural. The observations of local school officials appear to back that up.
First Published March 4, 2010 5:40 am
