Community Building

About 200 people gathered in the St. Matthias School cafeteria February 7 for the annual “Night of Winners” tricky tray fundraiser. The theme for this year was Mardi Gras, and attendees came decked out in masks, beads and headware. “It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year for the community of St. Matthias,” said Mellissa Garlatti, the event’s chairperson. “it’s a …

The history, achievements, and cultural contributions of Black residents in Franklin Township, will be the focus for the Township’s annual Black History Month commemoration. The free event is set for 1 p.m. February 21 at Franklin Middle School – Hamilton Street Campus, 415 Francis Street, and is sponsored by the Franklin Township Cultural Arts Council, in collaboration with Franklin 250, …

FURTHERING THE LEGACY – Somerset County Commission Director Shanel Robinson talks about the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King during the annual Franklin Township Community Breakfast on January 19. The dream of the late Dr. Martin Luther King is not a “relic to be remembered,” but a “living legacy to be realized,” hundreds of attendees at the annual Franklin Township …

GAZEBO VIGIL – Michael Steinbrück, left, leads crowd in song during the January 11 “Ice Out For Good” vigil in the Cultural Gazebo. Dozens of people gathered in the township Cultural Arts Gazebo on January 11 to hold a vigil for those who lost their lives in interactions with agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The “Ice Out For Good” …

MAKING ART – Attendees at the Muslim Heritage Month event in the Township Library January 10 make Turkish mosaics. The art and culture of Turkey was on display January 10 at the Township Library’s Muslim Heritage Month observance. The event was co-sponsored by the library and the Muslim Heritage Month Coalition. Ayeshah Ali, a library Trustee and member of the coalition, …

RE-ENACTING HISTORY – Re-enactors portraying General George Washington and Generals Nathanael Greene and John Sullivan at the “Conference on Horseback” January 4 in Kingston. Several hundred people gathered along Church Street in Kingston on January 4 to witness an event that has not been seen in 249 years. It was on January 3, 1777, on a hill in Kingston in …

The Franklin Township Police Department’s Community Relations Bureau on December 20 held its 5th Annual Holiday Toy and Clothing distribution at the CRB headquarters on Hamilton Street. The fifth year of the event is a “milestone that reflects the continued generosity and community spirit of Franklin Township residents and local partners,” FTPD spokesman Capt. Vincent Wilson said in a release …

By Phyllis Beals. Persons in long-term recovery from substance use disorders and/or family members who have been impacted by the opiate crisis are asked to serve in a volunteer capacity on the newly forming Municipal Alliance Opiate Funds Advisory Subcommittee. Involving people with lived experience and their family members in decisions about opioid settlement funds is crucial because they provide invaluable …

WORDS OF WISDOM – Rod Brundidge, a Franklin High School vice-principal, speaks to Road to Success students at their annual Thanksgiving celebration. Thanksgiving came two days early for students enrolled in the school district’s Road To Success program. Road To Success is an alternative high school program, the mission of which is “prepare enrolled students to graduate high school and …

WINNERS! – The Franklin High School GoldN’Blues Choir – also known as The Madrigals – will perform in the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting ceremony, broadcast on NBC. (Photo NBC 4 New York.) Franklin High School’s GoldN’Blues Choir – also known as the Madrigal Choir – on November 25 was selected to sing for NBC’s broadcast of “Christmas in Rockefeller Center,” …