Positive coronavirus test results were reported for another 238 Franklin residents, the Township Office of Emergency Management said on December 29. That brings to 8,689 the number of Franklin residents who have tested positive for the virus since mid-March 2020, the township Office of Emergency Management reported. The deaths of 219 Franklin residents have been attributed to the virus, OEM …

By Rob Petersen. Dear Mayor Kramer,

By Bill Connell. Some of the negative comments regarding the local township mask mandate got me thinking about other unlawful mandates in my life.  Putting the toilet seat down is not a law. I have just as much right to leave it up, as the female of the species has a right to have it down. I am starting today.

The Council’s decision was not unanimous. Masks must be worn in indoor public places in the township if a 6-foot distance cannot be maintained, according to a resolution passed by the Township Council in a December 28 special meeting. The mandate applies to those aged 2 years and older, and exempts those with medical issues precluding them from wearing a …

Patricia Rantkowski of Somerset passed away on December 26 after a 9-month battle with cancer. Pat was born on Staten Island, NY to Joseph and Nancy Malta Rantkowski. She graduated from St Mary of the Assumption High School in Elizabeth, and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Pat‘s chosen profession was Human Resources, which …

Positive coronavirus test results were reported for another 62 Franklin residents, the Township Office of Emergency Management said on December 28. That brings to 8,451 the number of Franklin residents who have tested positive for the virus since mid-March 2020, the township Office of Emergency Management reported. The deaths of 219 Franklin residents have been attributed to the virus, OEM …

The Franklin Township Library Board of Trustees awarded the library’s southern branch construction contract to a Garfield-based company. A Garfield-based construction company on December 27 was awarded the contract to construct the Franklin Township Public Library’s southern branch building. Pal-Pro Builders was given the $2.6 million contract during a special meeting of the library Board of Trustees.

Margareta E. “Gretel” Hill, of Somerset passed away on December 23 at the Bridgeway Care and Rehabilitation Center in Hillsborough. She was 91. Born and raised in Selbitz, Germany, she moved to the United States after her marriage to Buford Hill in 1949, eventually to Browns Mills in 1955 and then to Somerset in 2000. She and her husband, Buford …

Ms. Ann Marie Bokaine passed away on December 21. She was 80 years old. Ms. Bokaine was born in New Brunswick and was a lifetime resident of Somerset. She was a lifelong parishioner of St. Ladislaus Church and happily volunteered much of her free time to the parish. She was an avid reader and enjoyed quiet evenings at home doing …

Positive coronavirus test results were reported for another 423 Franklin residents from December 24-27, the Township Office of Emergency Management said on December 27. Additionally, the death of another township resident has been attributed to the virus, OEM reported. On December 24, 157 new cases were reported, 60 new cases reported on December 25, 148 new cases reported on December …