Speak Out!

By Jim Johnston. I am writing about the request of Tawheed Dawah Center, 630 South Middlebush Rd, to amend the prior site-plan approval and obtain relief from an existing condition. My understanding is that the applicant is seeking permission for prayer gatherings five times each day, seven days a week, along with parking-related relief associated with the revised plan. I …

By Bill Connell.

Submitted by the Franklin Township Environmental Commission. Fall leaves are more than yard waste. They are an important part of the local ecosystem, helping protect soil, support wildlife, and improve water management. This fall, consider leaving the leaves and skipping the gas-powered leaf blower.

By Bill Connell. I am angry and annoyed that I have to write this letter.  I hope my speaking voice does not leak out in the process. 

At the Sept. 22 Township Council meeting, Mayor Phil Kramer told residents where the Township stands on the more than two dozen Flock Safety license plate readers mounted on poles around Franklin. “We deeply care about this issue,” he said. “We are looking at all information before there are any decisions. We have received a lot of information, and we …

By Bill Connell. The Township just approved, rounding up, $9 million for Catalpa Park.  Roughly half of that money is for two legitimate cricket pitches, not like our other flat pieces of land or baseball fields repurposed. That means each pitch is $2 million or so.  

By Bill Connell. As a citizen member of the Open Space committee, it is truly interesting the breadth of topics with which we are presented and are asked to give an opinion on.  My favorite was discussing salamanders.  Their presence is an indicator of the health of water.  I had not thought about salamanders since I was a feral child wandering Sealy’s Brook …

By Bill Connell. I have gone down this road before in this space but I feel I need to repeat myself. 

The 27 Flock Safety automatic license plate readers now mounted on poles around Franklin Township were bought with good intentions. A $339,000 state technology grant was available. A four-year contract was signed in October 2025. The Township Council did what more than 6,000 communities across the country have done, and accepted a public safety tool that appeared to cost taxpayers …

By Bill Connell. This missive is a going to be a little more spiritual than usual. It’s the start of the school year and there are many young parents freaking out sending their kids to school for the first time or to a new building.  You want your kids to have a positive experience, but I don’t think many of you …