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A proposal to install a speaker system in the Middlebush Park sports complex will likely be defeated on Sept. 9 when it is scheduled to be up for a vote by the Township Council. All six council members who attended the Aug. 12 meeting said they would not vote for a system which includes external speakers, with some expressing support for a so-called …

UPDATE: Work on the Steep Hill Bridge on Blackwells Mills Road is set to start about Aug. 7, according to an announcement from Somerset County. The work will take about three months, which will require road closures. A detour route will be posted, using Van Cleef, Amwell and South Middlebush roads, according to the statement. Blackwells Mills will not be …

John Calavano, the Board of Education’s business administrator and assistant schools Superintendent, has resigned. Calavano said in an email that he submitted his 60-day notice on July 29. Calavano, who has been with the district for 17 years, said he will become the business administrator for the West Orange school district. Calavano’s departure marks the fourth high-level district administrator to …

[wpgmappity id=”13″]   Canal Road between Blackwells Mills and Butler roads is scheduled to be closed for repaving starting July 28. The work is expected to take two weeks, according to an announcement from the township. The section will be closed 24/7 for the duration of the project, but will be open for area residents and emergency vehicles, according to …

The length of Baier Avenue from Hamilton Street to Franklin Boulevard will be paved starting about July 23, leading to sporadic closures over three days. Parking will be prohibited on the street during the work, which is scheduled daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to an announcement from the township. Detours around the construction site will be provided, according …

The federal Department of Homeland Security has awarded township Fire District No. 1 a $450,242 grant to replace members’ noncompliant breathing apparatus, according to a press release from U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-12). Fire District 1 includes Elizabeth Avenue, Millstone Valley, Somerset and Middlebush volunteer fire companies. The funding will provide for the replacement of the departments’ self-contained breathing apparatus, …

Every year before Memorial Day, much of DeMott Lane is decorated with American flags hanging from utility polls. The flags are put up by the township, using public works employees. The flags later disappear, only to be seen again for the township’s annual July 4th celebration. Some residents, using social media and other means, recently questioned why the flags are …

Contracts for more than $1 million worth of road improvements were awarded at the July 8 Township Council meeting. The funding for the projects is included in the current budget. Schifano Construction of Middlesex was awarded a $425,673 contract for the resurfacing of Smithowld, Layne, Tunnel and Tamarakc roads and Hadler Drive. Six bids were submitted for the contract, according to …

More than $200,000 in equipment purchases for the police department were approved at the July 8 Township Council meeting. The council voted to buy seven vehicles and six portable computers. Winner Ford Fleet of Cherry Hill was awarded a contract for one Ford F150 truck for $31,098. The council also voted to buy six Ford Interceptor police vehicles for $165,289. …

The Franklin Web site should be streaming Township Council meetings by the end of the year, according to the township’s Information Technology director. Once council meetings are streamed live, the effort will be turned to stream Planning Board and Zoning board meetings, he said. Also on tap: an interactive online directory of the township’s parks and trails. The updates were part of …