FLORA NON GRATA – The Township Council has introduced an ordinance that would limit future bamboo plantings to those in above-ground bins. (Photo: Shutterstock.) Spurred by resident complaints at the June 13 meeting, the Township Council on July 11 introduced an ordinance that would limit how running bamboo can be planted in Franklin. Under the ordinance, all new plantings of …

07/02/2023 A 34-year-old Newark man was arrested by the New Jersey State Police for an outstanding warrant out of our jurisdiction. The FTPD took custody of the defendant and transported him to Somerset County Jail after processing.

Ailipati Delixiati of Somerset has earned a Master of Science in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. Delixiati was among more than 5,300 undergraduate and graduate students to be presented Georgia Tech degrees during the Institute’s 264th Commencement exercises May 5 – 6, 2023, at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Harshika Gelivi of Somerset made the Dean’s List …

PAYING RAPT ATTENTION – More than 200 people crowded into the Board of Education community room at its Route 27 administrative campus July 5 for the third hearing on the proposed B9 warehouses. Testimony on changes to a plan to build more than 200,000 square feet of warehouse space at Mettlers and Schoolhouse roads elicited sometimes aggressive questioning from members …

The Middlebush Volunteer Fire Company continued a nearly century old tradition with its annual July 4 parade. Kicking off at the fire house at 21 Olcott Street, the parade meandered to Smith Street, then South Middlebush Avenue and Amwell Road before returning to its starting point.

The Township’s annual Independence Day celebration went off without a hitch on July 3 at the Municipal Complex on DeMott Lane. Kicking off the annual Franklin Day series of events, the day featured performances by the Villagers Theatre cast of TeensVill’s Carrie, the public debut of the Township Jazz Band and the main event, Total Soul.

Richard H. Kaiser, Jr. of Somerset passed away on June 30 at home, surrounded by his loving family. He was 78. Born in Jersey City and raised in Secaucus and Piscataway, he had lived in Somerset for most of his life. He enjoyed spending any time possible on Long Beach Island and always had a copy of the Sandpaper with …

As promised earlier in the year, an application to the state to use trailer classrooms at five township schools during the 2023-24 school year was approved by the Board of Education at its June 20 meeting. The trailers would be used at Pine Grove Manor, MacAfee Road, Hillcrest and the Franklin Park annex elementary schools and at Franklin Middle School …

QUAIL BROOK SENIOR CENTER 625 New Brunswick Road

Ava DeLauro of Franklin Park 08823 was named to the Dean’s List at Lehigh University in the Spring 2023 semester.  List status, which is awarded to students who earned a scholastic average of 3.6 or better while carrying at least 12 hours of regularly graded courses, has been granted to Ava DeLauro in the Spring 2023 semester. Centenary University recognized 18 students, …