Franklin Township Redevelopment Agency commissioners seemed less than impressed Dec. 16 with an update on progress in the Churchill-Millstone Redevelopment Area. The redevelopment area is roughly 43 acres bordered by Route 27, Berry Street, Millstone Road and an area extending south of Churchill Avenue. Some commissioners were skeptical of plans to build single-family housing on a portion of the area …

Powered by Senior Sergey Eccles total pin count of 803, the Franklin High School boys’ bowling team rolled over the South Amboy High School squad Dec. 16 at Brunswick Zone/Carolier Lanes, North Brunswick. Eccles rolled a 268, 258 and 277 to bring his season average to 231. Eccles was followed by Sophomore Dylan Coker’s 591 (200, 201, 190); Senior Nicholas …

A 25-year-old Somerset woman was arrested Dec. 12 after police said she accepted delivery of a package containing more than $72,000 worth of marijuana. Police said Latoya Drew of Hamilton Street accepted the package, delivered by a United States Postal Service Inspector, at about 11:30 a.m. Authorities had established surveillance on Drew’s home after receiving a tip that an unknown …

Thomas Tien of Manville told police that he was driving down Weston Canal Road when his car hit an icy patch, causing it to cross lanes and hit a guardrail. Police said the road was slushy. § Cars driven by Jeanette Nunez of Franklin Park and Eduardo Fernandez-Pilart of Somerset collided at Ambrose Street and Pearl Place. Nunez said Fernandez-Pilart’s …

The Middlebush Reformed Church held its 10th annual Living Nativity the weekend of Dec. 13, 2013 in the park across the street from the church on Amwell Road. Luminarias lighted a path through the park, at which various reading stations were set up and readings from the Christmas story were presented. At the end was the living Nativity scene, complete …

Ask Sue Degrassi of Somerset what she looks for in a Christmas tree, and she’s quick to answer. “I like one that’s full,” she said, as she and her husband, Giuliano, picked out a tree in a lot in Rutgers Plaza, Easton Avenue. The lot – operated by former township Mayor and radio host Bruce Williams, is one of two …

A 58-year-old Somerset man was indicted Dec. 13 by a Somerset County Grand Jury on a charge that he stole more than $85,000 from the Federation of Gujarati Associations in North America. Girishcha Patel was arrested on Sept. 21 and charged with 2nd-Degree theft, according to an October 22 release from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. Police said Patel was …

It’s looking as though the school district’s planned $85 million referendum won’t be held until at least September. Board member Richard Seamon told his colleagues at the Dec. 12 meeting that the district had not yet heard back from the state Department of Education on grant requests that would help offset the project’s largest costs, and there’s no definite date …

For the third time in three years, schools Superintendent Edward Seto has suggested privatizing the district’s paraprofessionals. Seto made his latest suggestion at the Board of Education’s Dec. 12 meeting. The board will discuss the proposal at its Dec. 19 meeting, board president Julia Presley said in an email. The district’s roughly 125 paraprofessionals – teacher’s aides – serve mainly …

By Bill Connell, Somerset. As a parent and active member of the community, I often get into conversations about the type of people we want as leaders.  The common themes are kind, honest, and straight speaking.  Mr. Seamon is all of these things. We had him as a school board member and we let him go. Mr. Seamon was a …