Anita and Obiora Okagbue outside their new home. (Photo: Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity.) Submitted by Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity. On a crisp, sunny Saturday morning – the day after Valentine’s Day – a large group gathered on the front lawn of Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity’s 53rd home, to celebrate and congratulate their newest partner-homeowner family, the Okagbues.

The Township Council on February 25 approved salary hikes for commissioners in two of the township’s Fire Districts. Salary hikes for Fire Commissioners in Fire Districts 1 and 2 were approved February 25 by the Township Council. The salary for commissioners in Fire District 1 – except the chairman – was increased from $7,000 to 8,000 annually, a 14 percent …

An artist’s rendering of the proposed “Shirdi in America” temple planned for a 25-acre tract on South Middlebush Road. A hearing on an application to build a nearly 29,000-square-foot Hindu temple on South Middlebush Road is set to be heard by the Zoning Board of Adjustment on March 5. The project, called “Shirdi in America,” is targeted for a 25-acre …

Edward “Bob” Hoffman Jr., 71, passed away on February 22 at Doylestown Hospital in Doylestown, PA.   Mr. Hoffman was born March 14, 1948 in New Orleans, Louisiana to the late Edward and Elizabeth (Pattison) Hoffman. He resided most of his life in Somerset before settling in Kendall Park.  Bob honorably served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War Era. …

Lady Warrior Onoseta Ufuah goes up for two of her nine points in the February 22 game against Morristown. The Franklin High School Lady Warriors didn’t just outscore the Morristown Colonials in their 59-28 win February 22, they out-hustled and out-thought them, too. Whether it was fighting for an offensive rebound, forcing a turnover or finding an open player in …

Doris Lysenko passed away on February 20 in Hillsborough. She was 89 years old. Mrs. Lysenko was born in Griggstown and was a long-time resident of Franklin Township. She was a graduate of the Katherine Gibbs School, and worked as a legal secretary before joining Barrood Real Estate where she was an agent for over 25 years. Her life revolved …

Architect Dan Simon points out features of the proposed townhouse development to Zoning Board members. A 50-unit townhouse development targeted for a Cedar Grove Lane tract received final site plan approval February 20 from the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The project, known as Promenade at Somerset, received a use variance from the board last year.

By Bill Connell, Somerset.At a Township Council meeting a while ago, resident John McConville said something to the effect, “People don’t come out to budget meetings that decide their taxes, but they fill the chambers if you want to put a license on a cat.” Again, this year the chamber was mostly empty. The last two weeks Council has had …

Developer Paul Brown talks about his proposed self-storage facility and fast-food restaurant targeted for the Frank’s Building Supply site on Route 27. A four-story self-storage facility targeted for the Route 27 location of Frank’s Building Supply was approved February 19 by the township Planning Board. The board also gave preliminary approval for a proposed fast-food restaurant on the site. The …

Bridgewater, NJ – Following the lead of Major League Baseball and its ballparks, the Somerset Patriots have announced that the team will extend the protective netting at TD Bank Ballpark for the upcoming 2020 season. “In listening to our fans, and following the excellent example set by Major League Baseball, we have decided it is the right time to extend …