News-pourri

Submitted By Jenny Kafas, Franklin Township Environmental Commission Volunteer We can’t wait for The Franklin Township Environmental Commission’s screening of “Common Ground,” a documentary all about the power of regenerative agriculture, followed by a panel discussion with Jason DeSalvo of Cold Brook Farm, Michele Logan of Maranatha Farm, and Ron Weiss, M.D, of Ethos Farm.  It all takes place on …

TACKLING FOOD INSECURITY – Sami Shaban, head of the Food Insecurity and Safety Coalition, speaks at the January 29 meeting in the Community/Senior Center. Work by the Franklin Township Food Insecurity and Safety Coalition begun in 2024 resumed on January 29, with representatives from various walks of township life meeting at the Community/Senior center to lay out strategies to end …

The Franklin Township school district will not share students’ immigration status with federal officials, nor will it immediately allow immigration officials immediate access to students, families, or faculty, according to guidelines published on the District’s web site. The web pages, which went live on January 29, are meant to provide information and resources to the District’s immigrant population. “Franklin Township …

Township Estimate Is 91 Units Smaller Than The State’s Non-Binding Recommendation EXPLAINING THE NEW SYSTEM – Township Manager Robert Vornlocker explains the new state affordable housing program during the January 28 Township Council meeting. The Township should accommodate 623 new affordable housing units in the next 10 years, according to a resolution approved by the Township Council at its January …

RUNNING AGAIN – State Assemblyman Joe Danielsen recently announced that he is running for re-election. (File photo.) State Assemblyman and township resident Joe Danielsen and his running mate recently announced their re-election campaign. Danielsen, a Democrat, represents the 17th Legislative District in the lower House, along with Assemblyman Kevin Egan. The 17th Legislative District is comprised of Franklin, New Brunswick, …

VET HELPING VETS – State Assemblyman Joe Damielsen (D-17) welcomes attendees at his veterans’ information program on Jan. 22. Representatives from a host of social service organizations were on hand January 22 as part of an information program for military veterans sponsored by state Assemblyman Joe Danielsen. The event, held in the Municipal Building on DeMott Lane, was the first …

KEYNOTE SPEAKER – U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman speaks to attendees at the 28th annual Franklin Township Community Breakfast, sponsored by the Franklin Township Dr. Martin Luther King Community Foundation. Efforts to erase Black history, to ban books and to stifle discussions of racism must be resisted, in the spirit of the teachings of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, …

MAKING HIS CASE – Keith Cahill, the project engineer for Onyx 789, makes a point during the January 15 Planning Board hearing. A revised plan to build a 91,000-square-foot warehouse on a tract of land between New Brunswick and Old New Brunswick roads received a chilly reception January 15 from the Planning Board. The new plan represents an attempt by …

SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT – Ardaman Singh was unanimously re-elected as president at the January 7 Board of Education reorganization meeting. Board of Education member Ardaman Singh was returned as Board president, and Dr. Dennis Hopkins was elected vice-president at the January 7 Board of Education reorganization meeting. Newcomer Nicolas DiMeglio was sworn into the seat he won in the November …

U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman will be the keynote speaker at the 2025 Martin Luther King Foundation Community Breakfast. The breakfast is set for 8:30 a.m. January 20 at DoubleTree by Hilton, 200 Atrium Drive. The event is a fundraiser for scholarships awarded by the Foundation to Franklin Township graduating seniors. Early bird tickets, available until December 31, are $50. …