Community Building

Zach Lichtmann, left, stares into the heavens with three township residents as they look for the International Space Station, which was flying 300 miles overhead during the National Night Out celebration. Hundreds of township residents came out to the Municipal Complex on August 2 for Franklin’s first observance of the National Night Out celebration. The residents were greeted by about …

Mayor Phil Kramer, Assemblyman Joe Danielsen, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Center for Great Expectations CEO Peg Wright, left to right, talk during the lawmakers’ tour of the Center. Leaders at the Center for Great Expectations – the group that provides services for expectant women at risk and women recovering from substance use, and their young children – thought they …

The 2022 class of the Franklin Township Police Department Youth Academy. A week of physical training, classroom learning and once-in-a-lifetime experiences was capped off at the July 22 Franklin Township Police Department Youth Academy Cadet graduation. The 15 cadets – down from 22 when the program started – were led into the Franklin Middle School – Sampson G. Smith campus …

Canal Walk’s 18-game winning streak was snapped July 22 in a 3-2 loos to the A Team in the Senior Softball League’s opening championship game. The A Team is the defending champion, having won the ultimate series each of the last three years. The next game in the best two out of three series is set for 9:30 a.m. July …

The Township Council handed out a variety of commendations and proclamations at its June 14 meeting. Four Franklin youth who recently medaled in a national Tae Kwon Do tournament were recognized, as well as St. Matthias Church on the occasion of its 60th anniversary. The Council also recognized LGBTQ+ Pride Month and Juneteenth, which is now a federal holiday. Students …

Floats, speeches and music were on tap for the Juneteenth parade and festival held in the township on June 18. Sponsored by the Somerset County Democratic Black Caucus and Week of the People, the parade featured marchers and floats making their way up Highland Avenue and down a stretch of Hamilton Street before turning on to Matilda Avenue and into …

The recipients of the 2022 Warrior4Life Foundation scholarships were honored at a special ceremony June 12 at the Cultural Arts Gazebo in the Municipal Complex. The Warrior4Life Foundation on June 12 held a special ceremony at the township Cultural Arts Gazebo on DeMott Lane to award its latest round of college scholarships. A total of $9,500 was awarded to 10 …

Celebrate the summer season and revel in the beauty of roses at the Rose Day Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 11 at Colonial Park’s Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden, 156 Mettlers Road, Parking Lot A. The festival, hosted by the Somerset County Park Commission and Park Foundation, is free.  More than 325 varieties of roses …

The township’s Memorial Day Parade and observance returned on May 30 after a two-year Covid-19 hiatus. Marchers paraded up DeMott Lane from New Brunswick Road to the Veterans Memorial Park at the Municipal Complex. The Franklin Reporter & Advocate live streamed the parade and the observance at Veterans Memorial Park: Here are some scenes from the day: The event was …

Township Councilwoman Kimberly Francois, far right, presents a special plaque to Saffie Kallon, second from right, for her work on the township Youth Center. The celebration of the new Franklin Township Youth Center continued at the May 24 Township Council meeting, with a special presentation to one of the Center’s guiding forces. Township Councilwoman Kimberly Francois (D-At Large) credited with …