News-pourri

Franklin Township Chief of Police Richard Grammar was formally sworn in to the position on Jan. 9 before an audience comprised of fellow officers, his family and visiting la enforcement dignitaries. Grammar, a 30-year FTPD veteran, is the township’s seventh police chief.

A 30-year veteran of the Franklin Township Police Department has been picked to head the agency. Richard Grammar, who for the past six years has served as Deputy Police Chief, will be formally sworn in to the position at the Jan. 9 Township Council meeting. Grammar was officially sworn in on Jan. 5.

Winners of the November 2018 Township Council election were sworn in Jan. 1 at the annual reorganization meeting. Newest council member William Galtieri (D-Ward 2) was sworn in, as were returning council members Ted Chase (D-Ward 1), Charles Onyejiaka (D-Ward 3), Carl R.A. Wright (D-Ward 4) and James Vassanella (D-Ward 5).

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.

Some recycling pickups scheduled for the week of Jan. 1 will be delayed, according to a release from the Somerset County Recycling Division. The Christmas and New Years’ holiday result in a high volume of recyclables, leading to the delays, the release said.

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.

SOMERVILLE –Two township residents are among the 21 members of the Leadership Somerset Class of 2017. Terrene Collins and Tanya Kaplan were among those participating in the Dec. 5 graduation ceremony held at the Somerset County Administration Building on Grove Street, here.

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 final Board of Education meeting of 2017 was also the last meeting for members Pat Stanley and Ed Potosnak. Neither Stanley nor Potosnak were re-elected in their November bids.

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.