Taxes

A proposal to limit smoking in the township’s larger parks – and ban it outright in the smaller ones – is on its way to the Township Council. The township Open Space Advisory Committee at its Oct. 15 meeting endorsed a proposal brought by Alice Osipowitz, director of parks and recreation, to create the smoke free zones. The council would …

Canal Road from Elm Street to Blackwell Mills Road will be closed to all but local traffic from Oct. 15 to Nov. 1, 2013, due to reconstruction work. Detours (Blackwell Mills Road, Van Cleef Road, Amwell Road) will be posted. [wpgmappity id=”4″]

More than $130,000 in Community Development Block Grant sub-grants to area social service organizations helping township residents were approved at the Oct. 8 Township Council meeting. The money is targeted primarily to groups and organizations serving the township’s minority and low- and moderate-income residents. The money comes from a total $254,714 CDBG grant won by the township. The remaining funds …

Purchases worth nearly $380,000 were approved at the Oct. 8 Township Council meeting. The items the council voted to buy are two utility body trucks for $106,000 and two pickup trucks with snow plows for $78,500 from Beyer Brothers of Fairview, and a backhoe for $106,405 and an articulated wheel loader for $66,680 from Jesco of South Plainfield. The council also …

A pond dredging project at Colonial Park ended up costing about $300,000 less than anticipated. The Somerset County Freeholders at their Oct. 8 meeting are expected to authorize the final payment to Netcong-based Salmon Brothers for dredging and dam repair at Duck and Mettler’s ponds. The final cost will be $892,489.91, which is $307,470.09 less than what had been budgeted. …

The Hampton Chase Homeowners Association is putting itself out of business, but helping the Franklin Township Food Bank along the way. The association’s three-member board on Oct. 5 will donate more than $11,000 – in the form of liens on homes in the single-family development – to the Franklin Township Food Bank. The idea for the donation came from Township …

Worries about the effect of a low insurance rating for the township’s code inspectors, the Township Council has decided to partially reverse a ban on taking township-owned cars home. The township’s chief multi-purpose inspector will be allowed to take his official car home, the council decided at its Sept. 24 meeting. This is so any overnight inspections can be completed. …

The Bound Brook branch of the Somerset County Library will host a free program for young job seekers at 7 p.m. Oct. 3 at the library, 402 E. High St. The program will be given by Nancy Anderson of Blackbird Training Associates. Topics include personal presentation, communication skills and interviews. Participants will also review their skill sets and design a …

The county’s First Saturday drop-off of clean textiles, tires and usual curbside items is set for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 5 at the Somerset County Recycling Center, 40 Polhemus Lane, Bridgewater. County residents can drop off up to eight tires – with or without rims – scrap metal, used motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze and usual curbside materials, …

The school district is preparing to embark on an $8.4 million project predicted to save about 30 percent of the district’s energy costs. An “Energy Savings Improvement Program” was approved by the board at its Sept. 26 meeting. Through the program, the district is predicted to see cuts in energy as well as service and parts, Josh Costell, of Tozour …