Politicians and business leaders will gather Sept. 21 for the 41st running of the Robert G. Ransone Golf Classic at Raritan Valley Country Club, Route 28, Raritan. What began in 1972 as a way to open up channels of communication between government and the business community has grown into the longest continually running golf event in the county, according to …

Tickets are still available for the limited weekend engagement of “Greater Tuna,” the two-man play set in the fictional town of Tuna, Texas, at the Villagers Barn Theatre, DeMott Lane. “Greater Tuna” is actually the first in a series of four comedies set in that fictional burb, with the others being “A Tuna Christmas,” “Red, White and Tuna” and “Tuna …

Teachers are busy getting their classrooms ready in the 12 new portable units in place throughout the school district. The portables, which have been leased for five years at a cost of about $3 million, are needed to handle overcrowding in the schools, said schools Superintendent Edward Seto. Sampson G. Smith School received its first two portables, and the Elizabeth …

County parks officials are reviewing four bids for a new, 40-foot pavilion, slated for Colonial Park. The structure, which has been budgeted at $225,000, is designed to be placed near the baseball diamond along Mettlers Road. The bidders in the running for the project are Louis Barbato Landscaping of Holbrook, NY, which bid $208,333; Whirl Construction of Port Monmouth, which …

If you’re planning on driving into Hillsborough next week, after the Labor Day holiday, you’ll need to know that the state is planning some road work in the area of the Route 206 bypass that may affect your travel time. According to Somerset County officials: Amwell Road (CR 514): On Wednesday September 4, 2013, Local police will control the traffic …

Programs in Water Pilates, hydro, deep water exercises and aqua boot camp are being offered to people aged 60 and older by the Somerset Valley YMCA in the Bridgewater Aquatic Center, 601 Garretson Rd. Registration for the courses ends Sept. 6. The cost is $35 for each 10-week session. No registrations will be accepted after the deadline, and no refunds …

U.S. Rep. Rush Holt, D-12, joined 98 Republican House members in signing a letter urging President Obama to involve Congress in any decisions on U.S. military action in Syria. Other members of the New Jersey delegation who joined Holt in signing the letter were Rep. Scott Garrett, R-5 and Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2. Holt was one of 18 House Democrats …

Franklin residents can have an impact on the type of cultural events presented by Somerset County. The Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission is asking for responses to its cultural assessment survey. The survey will help guide the county in future cultural offerings, said Freeholder Patricia Walsh, the Freeholder liaison to the commission. “Your responses will provide us with insights …

So you’ve heard of Twitter, but you’re not quite sure how you can use it to build your business? The Somerset County Business Partnership is holding a “Business Builder” breakfast workshop to address that question, as well as the overall issue of using social media as a business-building tool. The breakfast is set for 8-9:30 a.m. Sept. 10 at the …

Welcome to the Franklin Reporter & Advocate, your online news source for Franklin Township. I’m Bill Bowman, the Franklin Reporter publisher and editor and a township resident for more than 25 years. My first instinct was to write “inaugural edition,” because that’s what this would be had this been a “traditional” paper publication. But times have changed since I started …