News-pourri

PAYING RAPT ATTENTION – More than 200 people crowded into the Board of Education community room at its Route 27 administrative campus July 5 for the third hearing on the proposed B9 warehouses. Testimony on changes to a plan to build more than 200,000 square feet of warehouse space at Mettlers and Schoolhouse roads elicited sometimes aggressive questioning from members …

The Middlebush Volunteer Fire Company continued a nearly century old tradition with its annual July 4 parade. Kicking off at the fire house at 21 Olcott Street, the parade meandered to Smith Street, then South Middlebush Avenue and Amwell Road before returning to its starting point. In addition to Middlebush apparatus, departments from across the township showed up to participate …

The Township’s annual Independence Day celebration went off without a hitch on July 3 at the Municipal Complex on DeMott Lane. Kicking off the annual Franklin Day series of events, the day featured performances by the Villagers Theatre cast of TeensVill’s Carrie, the public debut of the Township Jazz Band and the main event, Total Soul. There were vendors, a …

As promised earlier in the year, an application to the state to use trailer classrooms at five township schools during the 2023-24 school year was approved by the Board of Education at its June 20 meeting. The trailers would be used at Pine Grove Manor, MacAfee Road, Hillcrest and the Franklin Park annex elementary schools and at Franklin Middle School …

YMCA ANNOUNCEMENT – Township Councilman Ram Anbarasan announced that a feasibility study concluded the township would support a YMCA branch. An idea that was first broached about 20 years ago, but never materialized, is coming back in focus. Officials at the Greater Somerset YMCA announced June 27 that a feasibility study recommended they move forward with placing a YMCA branch …

CONTRACTS APPROVED – The Board of Education on June 20 approved a number of contracts for goods and services. The Board of Education at its June 20 meeting approved purchases totaling $3,499,932.68. The Board approved an $85,000 purchase of a dump truck for the District’s Buildings & Grounds department. The truck will be provided by either Nielsen AutomotiveGroup or Pellegrino …

More than 250 newly minted Franklin High School graduates returned to the school late in the evening of June 23 to celebrate their new status. The event was Project Graduation, the annual party for graduates that always occurs the night of graduation. The evening begins at 9 p.m., and runs through 4 a.m. Participants can’t leave, and many bring sleeping …

ON THE HOT SEAT – Corey Chase, a traffic engineer for the developer of the proposed B9 Schoolhouse warehouse project, testifies during the June 21 Planning Board hearing. The traffic engineer for the proposed B9 warehouses at Schoolhouse and Mettlers roads came under prolonged questioning from the Planning Board and public during a continuation of the application’s hearing at the …

NEW PRINCIPAL – Jennifer Stein, the newly named principal at Franklin Park School, speaks after her appointment at the June 20 Board of Education meeting. The Board of Education named a new school principal and vice-principal at its June 20 meeting. Jennifer Stein was named the new principal at Franklin Park School, and Angela Pape was named the new vice-principal …

The school district’s retirees and volunteers were honored by the Board of Education at their June 20 meeting. The Board had special callouts for Franklin Middle School Sampson G. Smith campus principal Evelyn Rutledge, Early Childhood Education supervisor Kathleen Damore, Franklin High School Booster Club leader Marisa Gallagher and outgoing district Parents Organization Presidents’ Council president Nicolas DiMeglio. Those retirees …