General News

COUNTY TAKES OVER – Somerset County will renovate Guglielmo Marconi Memorial Park after officials stopped unauthorized work being done by the Franklin Township Marconi Foundation. Plans by a private organization to refurbish the Guglielmo Marconi Memorial Park at Easton Avenue and JFK Boulevard have been scuttled by Somerset County officials, about two months after the Township ordered that work on …

MAKING THE CASE – Township Manager Robert Vornlocker told the Open Space Advisory Committee on February 20 that the Meadows Foundation needs help in paying some of its bills. The Open Space Committee on February 20 voted to recommend that some of its money be used to help the cash-strapped Meadows Foundation pay some of its bills. The recommendation will …

Tips on staying safe in the wake of an uptick statewide of car thefts and home burglaries were given during a virtual town hall meeting February 15. The town hall was hosted by Mayor Phil Kramer and Public Safety Director Quovella Maeweather. During the roughly 50-minute session, Maeweather reviewed a number of steps residents can take to keep their properties …

TIRED OF THE FIGHT – Planning Board member Robert Thomas said he just didn’t care any longer about a house of worship’s plans to construct an arch on their driveway on Cedar Grove Lane without realigning the driveway with one across the street. It took about eight months, but the Jain Center on Cedar Grove Lane won approval for a …

THE MAYOR SPEAKS – Newark Mayor Ras Baraka speaks during the Somerset County Democratic Committee’s Black Caucus’ celebration of Black History Month on February 3. Speaking to a cheering audience in the Township Senior/Community Center, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka on February 3 delivered a fiery speech honoring “champions of justice” in the African-American community and extolling those in attendance to …

KEYNOTE SPEAKER – Dr. Francine Conway, Chancellor of Rutgers University – New Brunswick, speaks at the annual Community Breakfast. Transformation through psychological health was the keynote theme of the 26th Dr. Martin Luther King Community Foundation’s annual community breakfast at the DoubleTree Hotel on January 15. That theme, tied to the teachings of Dr. King, was delivered by the event’s …

WHIRLING DERVISH – A Sufi whirling dancer performs during the inaugural Muslim Heritage Month celebration at the Senior/Community Center. The inaugural Muslim Heritage Month celebration in the township – called Noor Night – attracted hundreds of people to the Senior/Community Center in the Municipal Complex on January 14. Gov. Phil Murphy signed the legislation designating January as Muslim Heritage Month in …

GEARING UP – Riders get ready to embark on the 34th annual Tour de Franklin charity ride in April, 2023. (File Photo.) The 35th Annual Tour de Franklin Charity Bike Ride benefiting the Franklin Food Bank is set for April 28 at the Franklin High School. The Tour de Franklin is the Franklin Food Bank’s largest annual fundraising event and …

INSISTED ON REALIGNMENT – Planning Board member Robert Thomas told Jain Center representatives that they agreed to move their driveway alignment years ago, but had yet to do it. Representatives of a township temple were once again unsuccessful January 3 in getting Planning Board approvals for a decorative archway planned for the temple’s driveway on Cedar Grove Lane. The difficulty …

MLK BREAKFAST – The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Community Breakfast is always well-attended. (File Photo.) The 2024 Annual Franklin Township Dr. Martin Luther King Community Breakfast is set for 8:30 a.m. January 15, 2024 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Somerset. Francine Conway, Chancellor of Rutgers University – New Brunswick, will be the event’s keynote speaker. Rutgers has …