THE JOY OF MUSIC – SCVTHS Band Club members recently brought a little joy to Bridgeway Senior Healthcare in Bridgewater. Pictured are (l-r) club advisor Sr. Guillermo Reina, club President Vaanya Salwan of Bridgewater, Srishti Kishore of Hillsborough, Bhumija Grandhe of Bridgewater, Aarika Patel of Skillman, and club Vice President Margaret Kim of Somerset. (Photo: SCVTHS.) A township woman was among the …

NJ HOMELAND SECURITY CHIEF – Laurie Doran, director of the state Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, speaks during the Masjid-e-Ali Interfaith Iftar March 22. Representatives of multiple faith traditions gathered at Masjid-e-Ali on Cedar Grove Lane March 22 for the mosque’s annual Intra- and Interfaith Iftar. The event is held during Ramadan, a month-long Muslim observance of fasting and …

PLANS OUTLINED – Sylvester Elliott, lead pastor at ECG New Jersey, tells the Zoning Board of the church’s plans for the space. A 1,600-square-foot retail space at Veronica Plaza will become a house of worship following a March 21 approval by the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The approval for ECG New Jersey came with conditions, including no more than 49 …

By Bill Connell. In fairness to Joe Danielsen I need to write one more letter regarding the Open Public Records Act, since he is moving in a direction I was hoping to see. Last night he spoke in front of a group of local Democrats and tried to explain what issues he is trying to fix by modifying, not destroying …

TALKING NUMBERS – Schools Superintendent John Ravally reviews the preliminary 2024-25 school district budget at the March 20 Board of Education meeting. A steep cut in state aid and a multi-million dollar increase in charter school tuition presented stiff challenges, but school district officials said the proposed 2024-25 budget should only result in a minor increase in the school portion …

GRAND OPENING – Leaf Haus co-owner Shani Madaminova, assisted by Township Councilman Ram Anbarasan, cuts the ribbon at the Leaf Haus grand opening in August, 2023. (File photo). Sales taxes paid by the township’s four operating cannabis dispensaries totaled to more than $200,000 in 2023, a Township official said. Township Manager Robert Vornlocker said the Township received $201,076 from the …

BUDGET TALKS – The Township Council held its second budget hearing of the year, a three-hour affair – on March 19. A hike in township water utility rates may be in the offing. If it comes to pass, the rate hike would be the second such increase in two years. A discussion about the water utility budget during the March …

A LOT TO SMILE ABOUT – Franklin Food Bank Executive Director Derek Smith said he was “humbled” when notified that the organization was awarded a $1 million grant (File photo.) A $1 million grant to the Franklin Food Bank from a foundation founded by MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of billionaire Jeff Bezos, will be put toward a new, larger facility, …

A township resident was scammed out of more than $600,000 earlier this month, police said. The resident, who was not named, told police on March 6 that he received a phone call, ostensibly from the Franklin Township Police Department, from a person who described himself as a U.S. Customs Agent. The person on the phone told the resident that his …

02/25/2024 A Somerset resident was the victim of fraudulent activity on 02/23/24. The victim received a scam phone call from an alleged chief of police. The unknown suspect advised the victim to go to Walmart and have a barcode he provided scanned by an employee to transfer money. The victim suffered a loss of $3,960.00 before realizing he was the …