Community Building

More than three dozen crafters and makers will showcase their wares at the annual Holiday Craft Market, set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November 22 at the Franklin Township Community/Senior Center in the Municipal Complex. The event is sponsored by the Township Department of Parks and Recreation. This free event is open to the public and will feature 38 …

The Franklin Food Bank is one of 14 local feeding organizations receiving a total of $1 million in grants from West Orange-based RWJ Barnabas Health. The grants are meant to help organizations serving vulnerable communities across the state, according to a press release. “As both an anchor institution and a partner in our communities, we recognize that food and health …

A number of township restaurants are taking part in Franklin Township Restaurant Week, which runs now through November 8. The purpose of the week, which is observed nationally, is to allow township restaurants to showcase “the rich, diverse, and delicious dining scene right here in Franklin Township,” according to a press release. “Local restaurants will feature exclusive specials, prix-fixe menus, …

SURPRISE DONATION – Franklin Food Bank executive director Derek Smith, left, hugs Township Councilman Alex Kharazi after Kharazi announced a $5,000 donation to the food bank from the Masjid-e-Ali on Cedar Grove Avenue. Franklin Food Bank executive director Derek Smith walked into the October 28 Township Council meeting prepared to tell members about the dire situation many township residents face …

HERITAGE MONTH HONOREE – Vimal Sodhani thanks the Township Council for recognizing Hindu Heritage Month at the October 28 meeting. A local Hindu community leader was feted at the October 28 Township Council meeting. Vimal Sodhani, of the Sodhani Foundation, was featured during the Council’s annual recognition of Hindu Heritage Month. Sodhani’s foundation has made numerous charitable donations to a …

SQUAD LEADERSHIP – East Millstone First Aid Squad Deputy Chief Christine Van Deursen and President Marylyn Kampo (left to right) at the Jeni Fund fundraiser on October 25. More than $7,000 was raised for two organizations – including the East Millstone First Aid Squad – at a fundraiser held at Twenty/20 Taphouse on Cedar Grove Lane on October 25. The …

A variety of items is being collected now through December 13 under the “Help Our Troops” collection drive. Items such as canned meals, feminine hygiene products, pain relievers in tablet form, and powdered electrolyte packs are sought. Click here for the general needs list. Contributions will be accepted at the Township Senior/Community Center and the main branch of the Franklin …

NO KINGS – Some of the estimated 1,500 people who came to the township to participate in the No Kings 2 rally at the Cultural Arts Gazebo. An estimated 1,500 people from the township and elsewhere packed the green at the Franklin Township Cultural Gazebo October 18 for the “No Kings Day 2” rally. The rally was one of reportedly …

Groups on opposite ends of the political spectrum will share the same space on October 18, and both are promising the coexistence will be peaceful. Franklin Township Indivisible, Somerset County Indivisible, and other groups are planning to participate in the nationwide No Kings series of rallies by holding one from noon to 2 p.m. at the Franklin Township Cultural Arts …

NEW CENTER OPENING – Somerset County Commissioners Director Shanel Robinson, CIC Director of Recovery Support Ken Musgrove, and Andi Williams, CIC Executive Director, left to right, speak with the FR&A’s PJ Parker at the center’s grand opening on September 18. People struggling with substance abuse who need help connecting with services, or who just need to talk, have a new …