Community Building

Yoga devotees being led through some positions at the International Day of Yoga observance June 23. Yoga enthusiasts from across the country and around the world came together June 23 at the Fairbridge Hotel on Davidson Avenue to participate in a kind of yogapalooza. The occasion was the 5th annual International Day of Yoga, an event created by a United …

Township resident Kaitlyn Timari was among 12 Somerset County high school students recently awarded 2019 PeopleCare Center for Nonprofits Scholarships. The recipients were chosen from among the 75 applicants. For more than 30 years the PeopleCare Center has provided affordable rental space for nonprofit agencies to use in facilitating their programs. The Center has been a presence in the community …

Pres. Abraham Lincoln impersonator Robert Costello recites the Gettysburg Address during the township’s Memorial Day commemoration. A parade that stretched for nearly a mile and a ceremony capped by the playing of “Taps” highlighted the May 27 observance of Memorial Day in the township. Along the way was a flyover by a Coast Guard rescue helicopter and a rendition of …

Hundreds of law enforcement officers from around the country met in front of township police headquarters May 10 to start their annual bicycle tour to Washington D.C. The event is the Police Unity Tour challenge ride to the Law Enforcement Memorial in the nation’s capitol. When they arrive Sunday, they will join thousands of their brothers and sisters at the …

About 600 cyclists helped raised more than $78,000 April 28 in the 30th annual Tour de Franklin bicycle tour, benefiting the Franklin Food Bank. The riders participated in tours of the township ranging from 10 miles to 62.5 miles, as well as walks along the D&R Canal. Frank Hasner, the food bank’s executive director, said community contributions are especially needed …

West Africa was front and center at the April 23 Township Council meeting, with proclamations and a welcome for a visiting mayor. In separate proclamations, the Council recognized the township’s Sierra Leone population – said to be the most dense outside of Sierra Leone – and the Republic of Sierra Leone, both for the country’s 58th independence anniversary. The Council …

The 30th annual Tour de Franklin charity bike ride is set to take off April 28 from Franklin High School, 500 Elizabeth Ave. The event is the largest fundraiser for the Franklin Food Bank. This year the day will consist of seven different events, including the 62-mile, 40-mile, 25-mile, 10-mile rides, 1-to-5-mile walk or ride, and a 5-mile and 10-mile …

A proclamation acknowledging the Sikh religion during one of its most significant celebrations was given April 9 by the Township Council. The proclamation, read by Mayor Phil Kramer, was for Vaisakhi, “one of the most religiously significant days in Sikh history, commemorating the creation of the Khalsa, a fellowship of devout Sikhs, by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699,” according to …

The Center for Great Expectations hopes to raise $7,500 over the next month through a fundraiser at Brunswick Square Mall on Route 18 in East Brunswick. Called the “Baby Bottle Brigade” and running from April 13 through May 11, the fundraiser entails shoppers filling up baby bottles with the change they receive after shopping at the mall’s stores. Shoppers can …

Submitted by Youth Leadership Somerset. Youth Leadership Somerset, a leadership development program for Somerset County youth entering grades 9-12, is accepting applications for the 2019-2020 program year, which runs September through May. Classes are held one Saturday per month for approximately four to six hours. The application deadline is Wednesday, May 15. “Youth Leadership Somerset gives youth an opportunity to …