Nonprofits Partner On Web Site To Combat Underage Drinking, More
An online portal designed to prevent underage drinking, drug use, and teen dating violence was recently launched by two non-profit organizations. EmPoWER Somerset and Safe Communities Coalition of Somerset / Hunterdon Counties have partnered to create the web site, SoberTruth4Youth.org. The portal features eight short videos developed by the Safe Communities Coalition and other community […]
Déjà Vu: In-Person Township Meetings Could Resume In April
Maybe the third time is the charm. The Township Council on March 8 decided to allow for the resumption of in-person township meetings starting in April. Masks will still have to be worn in township buildings, and senior citizens participating in clubs and other senior-oriented activities will have to be vaccinated and wear masks, according […]
Hundreds Gather At Prayer Vigil For People Of Ukraine
Several hundred people gathered February 28 outside the St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Memorial Church the evening of February 28 to participate in a candlelight vigil for the people of Ukraine. Hosted by Archbishop Daniel, President of the Consistory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, participants were led in prayer and song for the […]
Township Residents Honored On InsiderNJ ‘Power List’
Five Franklin residents have been named to the 2022 InsiderNJ African-American Power List. The list includes more than 100 Black leaders in the state, representing politicians, community activists, and religious leaders, among others. Topping the list for Franklin, and charted at No. 48 overall, is Somerset County Commission Director Shanell Robinson. “The former Franklin Twp. […]
Township Students To Continue Wearing Masks Indoors For Time Being
Township students “are expected” to continue wearing masks when indoors, at least until the county’s Covid-19 activity level drops to its lowest possible level. The school district administration is also recommending that students continue wearing masks on school buses, schools Superintendent John Ravally said at the February 24 Board of Education meeting. Gov. Phil Murphy […]
SomCo Commission Director Robinson Wants To Meet With Families Over Bridgewater Mall Incident
Township resident and Somerset County Commission Director Shanel Robinson said February 16 that she plans on meeting with both families of teens involved in an altercation in the Bridgewater Commons Mall that has garnered national attention. What has caught the attention of Robinson – as well as civil rights activists across the country – is a […]
Response To Mask Mandate End Varies In Township Schools
At least one school in the township will not immediately embrace Gov. Phil Murphy’s lifting of the Covid-19-inspired mask mandate. Cedar Hill Prep School, on Cedar Grove Lane, is taking a cautious approach to the end of the mask mandate, said school founder Nandini Menon. “We are still being cautious,” she said in an email. […]
Councilman Awards FTPD Officer First ‘Workforce Diversity Scholarship’
Township Councilman Ram Anbarasan often talks about promoting diversity in the township workforce, and on February 8, he let his money do the talking for him. Anbarasan awarded his first $2,000 Workforce Diversity Scholarship to Michael Stallings, one of the newer Franklin Township Police Department hires. Stallings paid his own way through the police academy, […]
Burst Pipe Temporarily Closes Senior/Community Center
The township Community/Senior Center off DeMott Lane remains closed as cleanup continues following a sprinkler pipe burst. Township Manager Robert Vornlocker said on February 8 that the pipe has been repaired, but “the carpeting throughout the offices and in several rooms will have to be replaced.” A carpet installer was expected to be at the […]
Griggstown Canoe & Kayak Rental Building May Be Razed, Rebuilt For Flood Protection
The township Historical Preservation Advisory Commission got a sneak peek February 1 at what the owner of Griggstown Canoe and Kayak Rental on Canal Road wants to do to flood-proof his business. Owner Steve Androsko appeared before the Commission for an informal discussion about his plans to tear down the current building, move it further […]
