News-pourri

LEADING THE DISCUSSION – Mark Healey, the Township’s Principal Planner, at the March 26 Planning Board meeting,where a proposed Master Plan reexamination and BI Zone ordinance amendments were discussed. The Township cannot legally outright ban future warehouse development in Franklin, but officials hope actions that are planned for the next few months will give planners more control over where they …

Four candidates for Township Council ward seats have been endorsed by the Franklin Township Republican Municipal Committee. The candidates are Ward 1: Chris Lezny, Ward 2: Jan Brant, Ward 3: Sophia Georges, and Ward 4: Benjamin Guy III. The Committee is not fielding a candidate for Ward 5. “These four candidates represent the best of Franklin Township — experienced professionals, …

ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO! – Runners take off in the Garden State Track Club’s 10-Miler March 23 in Colonial Park. An estimated 700 runners took part in the race. Close to 900 runners from New Jersey and elsewhere were estimated to toe the line on March 23 at the annual Garden State Track Club’s 10-Miler and Cookie chase …

The 5th annual “March Madness” Tricky Tray to benefit the Franklin High School Athletic Boosters was held March 22 at the high school. More than 300 people showed up to vie for more than 300 baskets and other prizes. A Booster Club officer estimated that at least $20,000 was raised. Baskets included gift certificates for dinners, Caribbean vacations, and gym …

Township officials have a rough idea of how much money they would ideally need to keep Franklin running in 2025 – more than $72.4 million – and now they have to work out how that amount will be raised, or if it will be reduced. The Township Council wrapped up the second of two virtual budget hearings on March 18, …

Contracts for goods and services totaling $3,185,776 were approved by the Board of Education at its March 18 meeting. The contracts approved were: An agreement between Franklin Township Police Department, Jobs4Blue and Franklin Township Board of Education, for the period of September 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025, not to exceed the amount of $1,119,448 for all Franklin Township Public …

FRANKLIN CONTINGENT – Sudhir Shah, Mahesh Muchhala, Deputy Mayor Shepa Uddin, state Assemblyman Joe Danielsen,Mayor Phil Kramer, Jan Brant, Eleanor Ogin, and Roz Sherman (left to right) after the Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee hearing on warehouse proliferation in the state. A contingent of Franklin residents – including Township officials – converged in Trenton on March 20 to offer …

BEAUTY QUEEN AVIATOR – Jabili Kandula, Miss New Jersey USA 2024, speaks to members of the Franklin High School aviation club on March 19. It’s not often that a beauty queen visits Franklin High School. well, it never happens. Until march 19, when Jabili Kandula, Miss New Jersey USA 2024, spent about an hour with members of the FHS aviation …

EXPLAINING THE NUMBER – District Business Administrator Stephen Fried explains the preliminary Fiscal Year 2026 budget calculations at the March 18 Board of Education meeting. About $6 million in necessary reductions included in the preliminary Fiscal Year 2026 budget will impact school district programs and, to a lesser extent, staff, schools Superintendent John Ravally told the Board of Education at …

INTERIM ONCE AGAIN – Kelley Guerrero speaks at the March 18 Board of Education meeting after she was named interim Principal at Pine Grove Manor Elementary School. As she did just three months earlier, Kelley Guerrero found herself in front of the Board of Education on March 18, thanking them for naming her the interim principal of a district school. …