General News

It was a week late, but residents came out anyway on July 11 to celebrate Independence Day with music, food, games and, of course, fireworks. The event was held in the municipal complex off DeMott Lane. Along with the vendors, various township organizations set up tables and distributed literature and give-aways. The celebration was delayed a week because of inclement …

It was delayed by a few hours, but the 79th annual Middlebush Volunteer Fire Department July 4 parade went off without a hitch. The parade route started at the firehouse on Olcott Street, wound around Railroad Avenue and up South Middlebush Road to Amwell Road, where a left turn brought it back to Olcott. Besides the host company, participating were units from …

“Tripod” is a three-legged cat who had been missing since May 23. He’s mainly white, but has dark spots on his tail and face, and two round dark spots on one side. He’s been found, and is happy at home with his family.

Florine Magee, a resident at Parkside Senior Housing, got a shock one recent morning when she went to ride the elevator. “It was about 5:20 in the morning, and I was going to the gym to work out,” she said. “The elevator door opened, and there was a young man in the elevator. I said, ‘Do you live here?’ and he …

Dogs of all sizes and shapes gathered May 4 at Colonial Park for the 7th Annual “Paws for a Cause” fundraiser for Second Chance for Animals. The organization supplies volunteers for and funds the Franklin Township Animal Shelter on DeMott Lane. Event organizer Tom Young said he was happy with the turnout, even though the numbers might have been suppressed by …

As it has for the past several years, the Township Council has declared April 27 as “Sierra Leone Day” in Franklin. The proclamation designating the day was approved at the council’s April 22 meeting. April 27 is the African nation’s independence day. Mayor Brian Levine (R) noted that the township has one of the largest Sierra Leonean communities in the …

A township military couple wed by Mayor Brian Levine in 2011 surprised the Mayor at the April 22 Township Council meeting with a commemorative plaque from Afghanistan. Army Sgt. Santos Avilez and his wife, Air Force Sgt. Grisselle Avilez, presented Levine with the plaque during the meeting’s public portion. The plaque includes a flag flown in a combat mission over …

Gov. Chris Christie called for an end to realty transfer fees and limits on campaign spending in a town hall meeting held April 15 at the N.J. National Guard Armory on Hamilton Street. This was the third time Christie has visited the township during his two terms as governor. Christie spoke to the several hundred people gathered at the armory …

The township will be flushing fire hydrants from now until April 25, according to a notice from the Department of Public Works. The flushing will occur between 8 p.m. and midnight. Residents may notice that their tap water is discolored the morning after a flush, but that will soon dissipate, the department said. Residents with questions can call (732) 249-7800.

James E. Fair, the first black member of the Millstone Valley Fire Department, was remembered April 5 as a man of great integrity and love for his community. Fair eventually rose to become chief of the department which refused him when he first applied in the 1970s. Fair, 67, died Christmas Day 2013 at The Villages Hospital in The Villages, …