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News-pourri

Top stories from the Franklin Reporter & Advocate

Children Experience Ramadan At Library

A pre-Ramadan celebration was held March 9 at the township library by a local organization whose mission is to “shine a light on Islam in the Franklin Township community through acts of charity and service,” according to its founder. The Quidma organization – Quidma is the Arabic word for “to serve – hosted the event, held in the library’s main …

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School District’s State Aid Cut For FY 2025

School district officials are looking into ways to compensate for the approximately 2 percent cut in state aid for Fiscal Year 2025. The district will receive $21,119,162 in state K-12 aid, a reduction of $386,982 from last year’s figure. A district spokeswoman said the amount cut represents about 6 percent of the equalization aid given to Franklin by the state. …

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Township Council Approves Grant For Health Clinic

HEALTH CLINIC COMING – Township Manager Robert Vornlocker said the proposed Zufall health clinic on the campus of Franklin Middle School – Hamilton Street campus will eventually be expanded to all residents. A partnership between the Township and Board of Education that will result in a health clinic on a school campus came one step closer to fruition at the …

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Township Residents Honored At Council Meeting

FIREFIGHTER HONORED – Senior Fire Marshal Charles Maria holds his commendation at the February 27 Township Council meeting. Two township residents received commendations for their volunteer work at the February 27 Township Council meeting. Charles Maria, the Township’s Senior Fire Marshal, was honored for his volunteer work in fire service, and Sara Malone was honored by the township Environmental Advisory …

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‘Operation Great Expectations’ Mentoring Program Gets Kudos From School Board

WARRIOR MENTOR – Marco Collazo, a mentor with Operation Great Expectation, talks about the program at the February 22 Board of Education meeting. A high school mentoring program with claims of reducing the number of “behavior infractions” in schools was given a pat on the back by the Board of Education at its February 22 meeting. The program – operation …

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First Step Taken By BOE To Use Middlebush School As Pre-School Center

John Ravally

EXPLAINING THE PLAN – Schools Superintendent John Ravally explains the plan to use the former Middlebush School as a pre-school center to offer universal, free, pre-school to District children. The Board of Education on February 22 took the first step in reclaiming the former Middlebush School building as a school. The Board agreed to give district administrators the authority to …

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Foundation’s Unauthorized Plan For Marconi Park Renovation Scuttled By Somerset County

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 …

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Open Space Committee Votes To Help Meadows Foundation Pay Some Bills

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 …

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Safety Tips Offered In Virtual Town Hall

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 …

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Township Council Creates Committee To Study Business Signage

ASKING FOR HELP – Shani Madaminova, co-owner of the Leaf Haus cannabis dispensary on Easton Avenue, told the Township Council on February 13 that her business is suffering because of the Township’s current signage regulations. A plea from a local small business owner at the February 13 Township Council meeting spurred the governing body to create an ad hoc committee …

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