News-pourri

Contracts worth more than $430,000 were approved October 11 by the Township Council. The largest of the two, for $363,746.70, was for lighting for a Franklin Township Little League field at the DeKalb Avenue baseball complex. The baseball contract was awarded to Helias Construction of Cedar Park, Texas. The contract was issued through the Educational Services Commission of New Jersey …

Ordinances creating a mid-block crosswalk and banning parking on one side of a township road saw Township Council action at the October 11 meeting. The Council approved on second reading an ordinance that creates a mid-block crosswalk on Rutgers Boulevard, near Schoolhouse Road. The Council also introduced on first reading an ordinance banning parking on the south side of Memorial …

Levin vice president Sidney Singer talks to the Planning Board at. the special October 12 meeting. Township residents packed the Council chambers on October 12 for the chance to give the Levin Management Company their thoughts on the plan to turn the former Kmart building in Rutgers Plaza into a four-story apartment building. Those thoughts were not positive. Levin wants …

Dorothy Reed, right, president of Sister 2 Sister, was at the October 11 Township Council meeting to receive the Council’s proclamation on Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Township Council on October 11 formally declared October as Breast Cancer Awareness month in the township, and gave a nod to a local organization helping women going through the disease. Dorothy Reed, president …

Map showing where retail applications for cannabis business would be located. Another six applications for cannabis businesses were voted on by the Township Council at its October 11 meeting. The applicants – five of which were for retail business licenses and one of which was for a cultivator, manufacturer, wholesaler and distributor license – needed the Council’s certification that they …

The first weekend in October saw a number of events occur in Franklin. On October 7, the Franklin High School senior field hockey players were celebrated with their senior night. Those honored were Tabatha Alegria, team co-captain Rebecca Russo, team co-captain Molly Smith, team co-captain Samantha Gordon, Taylor Hoyte, Amanda Gutierrez, Thara Muhammad, and Noelia Abreu. Watch a video of …

Submitted by the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office. Somerset County Sheriff Darrin J. Russo announced a contest to name the agency’s newest K-9 officer, a male yellow Labrador retriever whose job will be to sniff out illegal drugs with his partner, Sheriff’s Officer David Daneker. The contest winner will take home some cool Somerset County Sheriff swag and be invited to …

Sewerage Authority Executive Director Joe Danielsen said a number of factors went into his recommendation that sewer service charges be increased over the next two years. The costs of planned capital projects will force a 13 percent hike in the annual fees for customers of the Franklin Township Sewerage Authority over the next two years, with the bulk of that …

McDonald’s has its eye on the former Burger King site in Rutgers Plaza. The former Burger King in Rutgers Plaza may soon become a McDonald’s. McDonald’s USA has made an application with the Planning Board to build a 4,456 square foot restaurant on the site of the former Burger King. The current building would be demolished to make way for …

Township Councilman James Vassanella makes a point September 28 during a discussion about a private meeting among Council members, the owner of Rutgers Plaza and their attorneys. The idea of a private meeting involving some Township Council members and the owner of the Rutgers Plaza to discuss the latter’s plans for the former K-Mart building were nixed by the Council …