Community Building

It’s a sign of the times that an event honoring the late civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would of necessity include thinly veiled references to the current president of the United States. That was the case Jan. 15 during the 21st annual Franklin Township Community Breakfast honoring King. Pres. Donald Trump’s latest incendiary comments – in which …

Some people move into a new town and are happy to fade into the background and live their lives in relative anonymity. Others choose to become a little more involved, joining a civic organization or two, but nothing that will raise their public profile too much. Then there are the immersers, the folks who run full-throttle into their new town’s …

Nearly a dozen members of a local women’s group brought some Christmas Eve cheer to residents at the Willow Creek Rehab & Care Center on Easton Avenue, even though the women don’t celebrate Christmas. The visitors were from the Somerset-Highland Park chapter of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, a national organization comprised of Jewish and Muslim women. The group visited …

Nearly 170 boxes of food were donated by Stop & Shop in Rutgers Plaza to the Franklin Food Bank Dec. 22, courtesy of the store’s customers. The food was donated through Stop & Shop’s “Food for Friends” program, through which customers donated $10 for each box, which was in turn donated to the food bank. The boxes contained a package …

The Franklin Reporter & Advocate hit the streets again on Dec. 20 to live stream the final installment of our 2017 Holiday Homes of Light Tour. We hope you enjoyed watching it as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you. Plans for next year include a contest! Stay tuned … https://www.facebook.com/franklinreporter/videos/1364441653667543/   https://www.facebook.com/franklinreporter/videos/1364464326998609/   https://www.facebook.com/franklinreporter/videos/1364491006995941/    

The East Franklin Fire Department is looking to the public to help one of their own. Fire fighter Jhon Lopez, a Highland Avenue resident, lost all of the tools he uses in his contracting business during a Dec. 12 fire at his home. Lopez tried to beat back the fire on his own until fire fighters arrived, but his garage …

We took our live stream camera out and about the township on Dec. 16. Our first stop was at Tompson Park in Middlebush, across from the Middlebush Reformed Church. There, we met up with members of the Middlebush Volunteer Fire Company, who presented Santa Claus to village families. After that visit, we traveled around Franklin for a tour of the …

Organizers of the effort to raise money for a proposed township gazebo took some time Dec. 14 to thank their donors, including one who got the ball rolling in a big way. It was also announced at the event that the group’s goal is to have the gazebo ready for next year’s July 4th celebration. More than $18,000 in donations …

The Millstone Valley Fire Co. held its annual Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 3. The tree is located on the triangle at Market Street and Amwell Road, adjacent to the East Millstone First Aid Squad building. Several dozen people gathered at the tree to hear the traditional reading of “The Night Before Christmas” and a prayer prior to the …

The first weekend of December in the township is usually quite busy, holiday-wise, and this one was no exception. Events held on Dec. 2 included the annual Greens and Goodies craft sale, held by the Griggstown Historical Society; the St. Matthias Crafts Sale, and the Second Chance for Animals’ Santa Paws fundraiser. It was all barks and meows at Sampson …