Michael Marinaro passed away suddenly on Feb. 11 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. He was 69 years old. Michael was born in Manhattan and lived in Hoboken and Bradley Gardens before moving to Somerset 35 years ago. He was a graduate of Bridgewater Raritan High school. Michael was co-owner of La Biga Restaurant in South Amboy …

The third annual “BeerFest” fundraiser for the Franklin Food Bank is set for noon to 5 p.m. April 1 at Suydam Farms, Route 27 and Skillmans Lane. Formerly known as “Going for the Green,” the fundraiser’s name was changed because of the misconception that it was connected with St. Patrick’s Day, according to the food bank’s web site. What it …

Bridgewater, NJ – The Somerset Patriots have announced the signing of infielder Tyler Bortnick for the 2017 season.   “Baseball has always been my passion, so going into this season it is ‘business as usual,’” said Bortnick. “This game is everything to me; it is all I think about. I am ready to come in [to Somerset] and get things …

Update: The budget presentation meeting has been rescheduled for 7:45 p.m. March 21 in the FHS media center.   Flat state school aid and more than $2 million in other aid cuts and charter school cost increases is making preparing the 2017-18 school district budget a challenging proposition for district officials. But that’s the reality that schools Superintendent John Ravally …

Franklin High School football coach Anthony Racciopi has resigned his position to take a coaching job at another school. Racciopi, who is also a track coach, will become the quarterback coach for The Hun School’s football program in Princeton, Warriors athletic director Ken Margolin confirmed. Margolin said that Racciopi will continue to be a physical education teacher and rack coach …

Members of Franklin High School’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps took home four trophies March 4 in a league competition. The competition drew more than 400 Junior ROTC cadets from 11 high schools to the school, where they demonstrated thair color guards drill teams and stood for a graded inspection. Franklin’s Warrior Battalion took second place in the “armed platoon” …

There must be something in the Miller family’s genes engineered to make them deadly from downtown on a basketball court. Reminiscent of her older sister, Diamond Miller conducted a clinic from the 3-point zone March 3 as the Franklin High School Lady Warriors cruised past the Westfield Blue Devils, 67-46, in the Group IV, Section II, semi-finals at the high …

Bridgewater, NJ- The Somerset Patriots and manager Brett Jodie have announced the return of Third Base/Hitting Coach Glen Barker, Pitching Coach Cory Domel, coach Fox Beyer, and the signing of the team’s first ever player/coach Adam Donachie for the 2017 season.   Barker enters his second season as the Third Base/Hitting Coach in Somerset. Under his tutelage last year, the …

The final piece of what the property owner calls an “event center” on Cedar Grove Lane received approval March 2 from the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Rukh Cedar Grove Lane Properties received an amended site plan approval for a stand-alone restaurant on the property shared by the recently opened Springhill Suites and The Imperia catering hall. The developer received approval …

No one was injured in a fire March 2 that destroyed a Somerset Run home. The unidentified occupant of the home escaped and will be staying with family members, according to a press release from township police. Police arrived at the Windfall Lane home to find it fully engulfed in flames after receiving a 9-1-1 call about the fire at …