GRANT RECIPIENT – Schools Superintendent John Ravally said the grant money will be used to develop ready made lesson plans. (File photo). District teachers will be able to spend more time teaching and less time planning curricula with the help of a $200,000 state grant. Franklin was one of 18 school districts across the state sharing in nearly $2 million …

Nine township middle and high school students were recently honored with Paul Robeson Youth Achievement Awards, given by the Raritan Valley Community College’s Paul Robeson Institute for Ethics, Leadership and Social Justice. In addition to heavy Franklin representation among the current student honorees, the April 11 awards ceremony’s keynote speaker was Tiana Joy Jackson, a member of the 2019 state …

By Bill Connell. There is an evolving story regarding signage policy that has caught my interest. 

04/07/2024 A 34-year-old New Brunswick woman was arrested for an outstanding warrant out of Long Beach Twp., NJ during a motor vehicle stop. She was processed and released on her own recognizance.

A food drive to benefit the Franklin Food Bank is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 5 at Stop & Shop, 3333 Route 27, In Franklin Park. The drive is sponsored by the Central Jersey Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. This event underscores the Sorority’s commitment to public service and its mission to foster the …

GRAND OPENING – Christine Aboyoun cuts the ribbon April 20 at the Grand Opening of The Dispensary of Somerset, 920 Hamilton Street. Another April 20 – 4/20 – and another grand opening for a cannabis adult recreational store in the township. This time around it was The Dispensary of Somerset, 920 Hamilton Street, doing the honors.

AD HOC COMMITTEE MEETS – The Township Council’s ad hoc committee on retail signage chose to hold its first public meeting virtually on April 29. Changes to the Township’s retail signage regulations that take into account a businesses’ location rather then set broad-brush standards may be in the offing. That was the upshot from the first open meeting of the …

BUDGET EXPLAINER – Board of Education Business Administrator Stephen Fried explains the tax implications of the Board’s FY 2025 budget, approved at the April 25 meeting. The Board of Education on April 25 approved its $194.1 million FY 2025 general fund budget, which carries a small school portion tax increase. The newly minted budget is roughly $7 million more than …

JOYFUL DAY – Canal Walk HOA Board of Directors member Bruce Blum and Erick Kasner, commander of the Canal Walk Veterans Club (left to right) cut the ribbon at the dedication of the development’s refurbished Veterans Park. Canal Walk’s military veterans gathered April 24 to dedicate a refurbished Veterans’ Park and celebrate the baker’s dozen among them who received awards …

RATE HIKE EXPLAINED – Mayor Phil Kramer explained the necessity of a water rate hike at the April 23 Township Council meeting. Water rates would increase nearly 17 percent under an ordinance amendment introduced at the Township Council’s April 23 meeting. The Township would also charge a water meter fee ranging from $4 to $257.25 per quarter, depending on the …