The Franklin High School pep rally and bonfire went off without a hitch Nov. 22, and there was no one happier than school principal Cheryl Clark. The event was originally scheduled for the week of homecoming, but bad weather forced its postponement. Clark brought the idea for the pep rally and bonfire from her hometown of Easton, Pa., she said, …

Six area families that were “adopted” by a township church will be sure to have a hearty Thanksgiving dinner this year. That’s because the families – two each in the township, South Bound Brook and Somerville – received holiday baskets complete with turkey and all of the fixings. Members of True-2-Life Ministries on Victor Street “adopted” the families for Thanksgiving, …

Members of several Franklin High School championship teams from the mid-1990s gathered at the school Nov. 22 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their achievements. Organizers also used the event to debut a documentary on the winning seasons and to announce the reformation of the FHS Hal of Fame committee. Honored were members of the 1995-96 boys’ basketball team, whose …

MaryAnn Schumacher passed away Nov. 21 at St. Peter’s Hospital in New Brunswick. She was 72 years old. Born in Jersey City to Adam and Jennie Lawdanski, she’d been a Somerset resident for over 40 years. She graduated from St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, and later received her Masters from Kean University. A teacher for more than 35 years, Mrs. …

Franklin High School basketball alumni beat their counterparts from Piscataway High School Nov. 21 in the second annual watch between the two teams. After being tied at 52 point each after the third quarter, the Warriors found themselves down by as much as 7 points to the Superchiefs. But they fought back and closed the gap, after which both teams traded …

A high school-age division has been added for the upcoming spring season by the Franklin Township Soccer Club. Open to boys and girls born between 1999 and 2002, the division is open to township youth in public, private, charter or home schools. The division is mainly meant for township residents, but age-appropriate youth from outside the township are also eligible. …

The bridge replacement project on Route 518 between the township and Rocky Hill is set to resume on Nov. 21, a state spokesman said. Work on the $2.75 million project was halted on July 8, when Gov. Chris Christie signed Executive Order 210, which froze funding for all Transportation Trust Fund -funded road projects not deemed as essential. Christie signed …

Somerset Family Physical Therapy is once again serving as a donation center for the U.S. Marine Corps reserves “Toys for Tots” program. The office’s goal is to collect 200 toys, according to a press release about the event. last year, 100 toys were collected in two weeks. Practice employee Megan Gonzalez, whose husband is a deployed Marine, heads the program …

John Livak, of Somerset, passed away to be with God on Nov. 15. He was born in Fords to the late Anna and James Livak on February 28, 1922. John was devoted to his family and faith and will be sadly missed by his children; Joan Dunn of Las Vegas, Nv. and John C. Livak (Carol) of Somerset; grandchildren; Peggy …

A bill that will create an unpaid “state oceanographer” position, sponsored by state Assemblyman Joe Danielsen (D-17), was recently signed into law. “Science ought to be at the forefront of public policy decisions regarding the oceans,” Danielsen said in a press release about the new law. “In addition to safeguarding the wellbeing of marine ecosystems – a worthy goal in …