By PJ Parker. March 23 was a milestone birthday for Petey the Pillar Panther, mascot for Pillar College, and the college, both of whom celebrated birthday number 18 with a big cake and much pride. Pillar College, on Apgar Drive in Somerset, is an independent, faith-based, four-year degree-granting private college, and is a member of the Association of Biblical Higher …

The township school district celebrated itself March 23 at the sixth annual Curriculum Expo and District Showcase. In addition to presentations of various educational initiatives and programs, the day featured dance and music performances and an art display by township students. This year’s event was held at the new Claremont Road Elementary School, rather than Franklin High School, its host …

Update: This program has been cancelled. Children in grades 2 through 5 will be offered high-tech education in a low-tech environment this summer. Snyder’s Farm, 586 South Middlebush Rd., is planning a series of week-long summer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Camps, from the end of June through mid-August. The traditional science curriculum will be paired with agricultural issues, …

An estimated several hundred people trekked to the Franklin Township Library’s community room March 23 for the fifth annual New Jersey Maker Day. The day, celebrated primarily in libraries across the Garden State, is “a way to show off making and technology, let kids show off what they know,” said Joan Serpico, the library’s outreach and reference librarian. “Kids come …

A decade of success in a smaller, food-court setting has spurred a local restaurateur to open a second location in the township. Amatul Roohi has taken her recipes of Hyderabad dum biryani from her location at the Desi Food Bazaar just about a mile away on Route 27 to the new location, called R Biryani Adda. The dum biryani “is …

By PJ Parker. Arts are alive and more than well as evidenced March 20 at Franklin High School’s Youth Arts Show, celebrating Youth Arts Month. Accompanied by a student string quartet, visual, fine and performing arts were represented by 9th through 12th Grade students in areas of painting, drawing, ceramics, graphic design, printmaking, photography, 3-D, set design, animation and cartoons …

The Planning Board on March 20 got an advance look at what the Board of Education plans to do with buildings it has acquired on the former Consolata property along Route 27. The school district and township are swapping properties; in the deal, the township gets the current BOE administration building on Amwell Road, and the school district gets three …

​Bridgewater, NJ- The Somerset Patriots today announced the signing of Major League right-handed pitcher Mike Broadway for the 2019 season. “I’m excited to get to work,” said Broadway. “I’ve heard good things about the Patriots and the Atlantic League. I’m looking forward to it. I’m ready to get started.”  Broadway enters his first season with the Somerset Patriots and first in …

A new library branch, a fitness center and music and video studios are just some of the amenities that will be included in the Franklin Township Youth Center when it opens on Lewis Street. The 24,000-square-foot center is slated to open in September of 2020. Under discussion for decades, and championed the last several years by Township Councilwoman Kimberly Francois …

By a fortuitous quirk of fate, everyone who applied for Central Jersey College Prep Charter School’s 6th Grade for the 2019-20 school year will be admitted. The same can’t be said for any of the other upper grades, however. The Mettlers Road charter school held its annual upper school lottery on March 20, which is when parents of rising 6th …