News-pourri

Video courtesy of Chris Ziobro from the Franklin Township Office of Fire Prevention. A deer that had fallen into an unused well on Canal Road was rescued by township emergency responders on June 17. The deer fell into the 6-foot-deep well at about 3 p.m., according to a press release on the incident from township police. Police officers, animal control officers from …

Mayor Chris Kelly is fighting Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, a blood-borne cancer that attacks a body’s immune system. Kelly announced his condition at the June 9 Township Council meeting, stunning fellow council members.

Thousands of law enforcement personnel from around the country converged on St. Matthias R.C. Church June 4 to pay their respects to a New Jersey State Trooper killed last week in an auto accident. The funeral service for Trooper Anthony Raspa, 24, drew comrades from as far away as California, and dignitaries such as Gov. Chris Christie, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno …

Township Councilman Phil Kramer (D-Ward 3) easily held off a challenge June 2 to win the Democratic mayoral primary. Kramer, who is serving his second term as a councilman, handily defeated a challenge by a political newcomer, Michael Williams.

East Millstone resident Nat Clymer has a message for those caught up in the hustle and bustle of life: Slow down and look at things. “They’re missing some wonderful stuff,” Clymer said.

Township Democrats head to the polls June 2 to choose whether a party loyalist or a young upstart will represent their party in November’s mayoral race. This is the third time in township history that residents will be able to directly elect a mayor, but the first time the position has been primaried.

The township’s Memorial Day observance featured the usual parade and ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Park, but this year the commemoration was led by students at the Franklin High School Junior ROTC. Inaddition to the JROTC, participants included the FHS Marching Band and Color Guard, various Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, local political organizations and the township’s first responders.

About 30 bicyclists participated May 20 in the annual “Ride of Silence,” a slow bike tour to honor those cyclists killed or injured  while riding on public roads. Organized by Mayor Chris Kelly – himself an avid cyclist – this was the first time the worldwide event has been held in the township.

Update: The township Planning Board on May 20 approved the plan, which now goes before the Township Council for its approval. A developer wishing to build a 600-unit housing development off Bunker Hill Road has objected to the plan, saying the township erred in its calculation of its affordable housing obligation.

They were a few months early, but the annual softball match ups between the township’s Over 50 softball league and members of Franklin Township PBA Local 154 raised more than $500 for the Franklin Township Food Bank May 17. The games ere played on the softball fields in Inman Park, off John F. Kennedy Boulevard.