By Bill Connell, Somerset. A confluence of things has me in a thoughtful mood.   Let me share. 

Mr. Daniel Marx passed away on February 23, 2023 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. He was 78 years old.  Dan was born and raised in Irvington NJ, where he met his future wife, Esta Roth. He graduated from Irvington High School and furthered his education at Rutgers University, earning an MBA in Accounting. He was employed …

ON POWER LIST – Former Township Councilwoman Shanel Robinson is included in the 2023 edition of InsiderNJ’s African-American Power List. Nine people who either live in Franklin Township or are connected to the Eight Villages are included in InsiderNJ’s 2023 African-American Power List. InsiderNJ is “a nonpartisan website dedicated to political news in the state of New Jersey,” according to …

GETTING TOUGH – Schools Superintendent John Ravally said at the February 23 school board meeting that Franklin High School officials would get tougher with fighting students. Students who fight in Franklin High School face more stringent punishment than has been doled out in the past, the schools Superintendent said on February 23. Superintendent John Ravally said at the monthly Board …

Elaine Green, formerly of Franklin but most recently of Hillsborough, passed away on February 22 at home. She was 86. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, she lived in Somerset, East Brunswick and Aventura, Florida for 20 years before moving to Hillsborough five years ago. She worked as the Director of Financial Aid at Rutgers University in New Brunswick …

FIGHT MEME – A screen shot from an FHS fight video turned into a meme. Faces have been blurred. School district officials are scrambling to respond to and quell an uptick in fights at Franklin High School this school year. According to data supplied to parents by the high school administration, there were 22 fights in October alone., and fights …

WORK UNDERWAY – This was the scene on February 21 in the Township Council chamber. Chairs were removed and existing carpeting taken up in preparation for the installation of new carpet. The replacement of the carpeting in the Township Council Chamber in the Municipal Building should be completed by the Council’s February 28 meeting, the Township Manager said. The $16,972.16 …

Franklin High School’s basketball teams had mixed results in their February 21 NJSIAA Tournament opening games. The boys’ moved on to the quarterfinal round of the Sectional championships with a 74-65 win over Irvington, but the girls’ season ended with a 52-46 loss to Watchung Hills.

Submitted by Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School The Thomas Edison EnergySmart charter school elementary, middle and high school robotics teams are headed to their respective state tournaments.

A number of catalytic converters were stolen from township residents’ cars during mid-February, Franklin Township Police said. The bulk of the thefts were reported on February 14, according to police.