News-pourri

One could still hear the anger in the voice of U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, more than one year after an angry mob breached the U.S. Capitol building in a failed attempt to stop the certification of Electoral College votes in the 2020 presidential election. You could see it in her eyes, in the way she softly banged on the …

Schools Superintendent John Ravally explained the meeting resolution during the Board’s reorganization session. The remainder of Board of Education meetings for the 2021-22 school year will be held both virtually and in-person, the Board decided at its reorganization meeting. The Board held the hybrid meetings last year, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Meetings were switched back to in-person …

Governor Phil Murphy swears in Somerset County Commissioners’ Director Shanel Robinson during the Commission’s January 7 reorganization meeting. (Screenshot courtesy of Somerset County Commissioners.) Fresh off a November victory returning her to her Somerset County Commissioner’s seat, Shanel Robinson on January 7 was once again voted in as Commissioner Director. Robinson won re-election to the Commission in November, along with …

The Board of Education held its annual reorganization meeting on January 6. Nancy LaCorte and Ardaman Singh retained their positions on the Board of Education at the January 6 Board reorganization meeting. LaCorte was re-elected president, and Singh was re-elected vice president. Newly elected Board members Dennis Hopkins and Sami Shaban, as well as re-elected member Laurie Merris, were also …

Discarded Christmas trees will be picked up by the township Public Works Department on January 10 and January 18. All lights, wires, decorations and tinsel should be removed from trees. All trees should be out on curbs by 7 a.m. Jan. 10. Trees can also be brought to the Convenience Center on Berry Street on any date the center is …

Township residents whose employment was adversely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic may qualify for a free job training program. The training program is sponsored by the township, the Somerset Community Action Program and Raritan Valley Community College. Under the program, the township will pay for attendees’ tuition, supplies for training, transportation and child-care services. To qualify, residents must show that …

Township Councilman Ed Potosnak, right, is sworn in by state Sen. Vin Gopal during the Council’s January 4 reorganization meeting. Newly minted Township Councilman Ed Potosnak made history January 4 when he took his Oath of Office, becoming the first openly LGBTQ person to hold the office. Council members also chose Crystal Pruitt (D-At Large) to serve as this year’s …

One of the three entities from which the township buys water has asked its customers to conserve water as much as they can. NJ American Water put a notice out on January 3 asking its 45 customer towns in Somerset, Mercer, Hunterdon, Middlesex and Union counties to hold back on water usage. The reason, the company said, was because of …

Township officials hope that the new Franklin Township Youth Center will soon be bustling with activity. There are still some final touches to be applied, equipment to be mounted and other last-minute details to be attended to, but the new Franklin Township Youth Center is nearly ready for its close-up. The 24,000-square-foot, $9.8 million youth center on Lewis Street will …

Artist’s rendering of a proposed self-storage facility that ran into stiff opposition at the December 16 Zoning Board meeting. Sensing his client’s application was going to be denied by the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the attorney representing the developer of a proposed self-storage facility on Route 27 withdrew it in favor of some “re-envisioning.” Arizona-based 1784 Capital Holdings wants to …