Mayor Francis ‘Mac’ Womack and the Township Council honored Scholar/Athlete/Artist, Youth Advocate, Young Adult Peer and Youth Service Award recipients, along with Sewa Diwali, at the December 18 Council Meeting.

North Brunswick Township High School senior Naiya Bogert is the recipient for the Scholar/Athlete/Artist of the Month for December.

The Youth Advocate Award is presented in recognition of distinguished leadership efforts and volunteer activities in serving the youth of the Township of North Brunswick.

This year’s Award recipients are James Armstrong and Tanya Hughes.

The Young Adult Peer Advocate Award is presented in recognition of distinguished examples of strong character, leadership, abilities and a positive role model to their peers in their community.

This year’s Award recipient is Chinmayi Chittamuri, a senior at Central Jersey College Prep Charter School.

The Youth Service Award is presented to a student(s) serving the community of North Brunswick through acts of volunteering, demonstrating leadership skills and positive attitudes toward their peers and community.

This year’s Award recipients are Nishi Patel, a junior at North Brunswick Township High School and Aabir Banerjee, a student at Central Jersey College Prep Charter School.

Sewa Diwali is an initiative by the Hindu American community to serve people in need through food drives and other endeavors.

This year, while celebrating Diwali, the Hindu American community collected and donated 630,000 pounds of food for 200 food pantries, soup kitchens and food banks around 225 townships in 32 states.

Congratulations to our Scholar/Athlete/Artist of Month, Youth Advocate, Young Adult Peer Advocate and Youth Service Award recipients!

We thank the Hindu American volunteers for their community efforts to fight hunger!

The holiday season kicked off on Monday, December 4 at the North Brunswick Township Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony before a capacity crowd at the Senior Center. From the excellent musical performances to the tree lighting and Santa and Mrs. Claus’ arrival in North Brunswick, it was a wonderful evening filled with festive joy!

A special thank you to our performers:

Amanda Azar

Harp Soloist Patricia Turse

Nick Moccio

North Brunswick Township High School Choir

North Brunswick Township High School Jazz Band

North Brunswick Woman’s Club

Special thanks also to Boy Scout Troop 18, Girl Scouts of New/North Brunswick, North Brunswick Municipal Youth Alliance, AARP Chapter #3885, Parks Division staff, Senior Center staff and the CERT team!

North Brunswick Township High School senior Saloni Agshiker was honored last night by Mayor Francis ‘Mac’ Womack and the Township Council as recipient of the Scholar/Athlete/Artist of the Month Award!

Congratulations Saloni!

Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for more than 71 million Americans will increase 3.2 percent in 2024, the Social Security Administration announced today.  On average, Social Security retirement benefits will increase by more than $50 per month starting in January.

More than 66 million Social Security beneficiaries will see the 3.2 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) beginning in January 2024.  Increased payments to approximately 7.5 million people receiving SSI will begin on December 29, 2023.  (Note: some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits).  

Some other adjustments that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages.  Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $168,600 from $160,200.

Social Security begins notifying people about their new benefit amount by mail starting in early December.  Individuals who have a personal my Social Security account can view their COLA notice online, which is secure, easy, and faster than receiving a letter in the mail.  People can set up text or email alerts when there is a new message–such as their COLA notice–waiting for them in my Social Security.

People will need to have a my Social Security account by November 14 to see their COLA notice online.  To get started, visit www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

Information about Medicare changes for 2024 will be available at www.medicare.gov.  For Social Security beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare, their new 2024 benefit amount will be available in December through the mailed COLA notice and my Social Security’s Message Center.

The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated.  The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

North Brunswick honored United States Army veteran Frederick F. Battaglia by dedicating Oakwood Place and Glenridge Avenue as Battaglia Way on Monday, October 2.

Frederick was born in Glenwood, New Jersey in 1920 to Italian immigrants, and later moved to the Bronx, New York. Fred was the youngest of six children, four sisters and one brother.

 Frederick enlisted in the US Army during World War II in 1942, along with his cousins. Fred attended service training at the school of Mechanic Aviation. Fred received medals for Good Conduct, the World War II Victory Medal and the American Theatre.  During his service, Fred was a Maintenance and Crew chief on P-51, P-38, P-39, P- 63, P- 40 and AT. – 6 and AT. – 61. After being honorably discharged from the Army, Fred began working for the Boy Scouts of America which was located in New York City.

The Boy Scouts of America relocated to North Brunswick, New Jersey in 1956, Fred followed and relocated his family. Fred lived in North Brunswick until his passing in 1995 where he and his wife Mary raised their seven children. Fred worked for the Boy Scouts as a data processing manager until 1978 when the Boy Scouts again relocated to Fort Worth, Texas. After the Boy Scouts moved, Fidelity Bank purchased the property and moved their headquarters to this location. Fred was hired by Fidelity and worked there as a computer operator until he retired in 1990.

Fred’s hobbies included wood working and making clocks. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Senior Center. Fred was kind and caring, a religious family man who was always the first to help someone in need.

Fred was extremely proud of his seven children, Mary Boyer,(daughter) Frederick Battaglia, (son) Laura Hansen, (daughter) deceased, Palma Rask, (daughter) Carolyn Battaglia, (daughter) Guy Battaglia, and Joseph Battaglia, (son) who all went on to have successful and productive lives. Fred was blessed to see twelve of his thirteen grandchildren born and sadly he would not see any of the nine great grandchildren born.

We thank and honor Frederick F. Battaglia for his service to our country and community!

For more information on the North Brunswick Veteran Street Sign Program, please visit https://northbrunswicknj.gov/programs_and_service/veteran-street-sign-program-information/.

North Brunswick honored United States Navy veteran Matthew T. Rodakis by dedicating Cherokee Road and Cherokee Place as Rodakis Way and United States Army veteran Charles Piparo and United States Marine Corps veteran Harry J. Rossmann by dedicating Oak Road as Piparo Way and Rossmann Way on Monday, July 24.

Please click on the links below for photo galleries and proclamations.

Rodakis Way

Piparo Way

Rossmann Way

For more information on the North Brunswick Veteran Street Sign Program, please visit https://northbrunswicknj.gov/programs_and_service/veteran-street-sign-program-information/.

Mayor Francis ‘Mac’ Womack, First Lady Carol Womack, Council President Rajesh Mehta, former Mayor Paul Matacera, colleagues and friends gathered at Boyd Ponds on Sunday, June 18 in memory of Bob Hermes, known to all as “Mr. Bob”.

The Annual Township Fishing Derby had an official resolution read by Mayor Womack to rename the Fishing Derby as the Bob Hermes Father’s Day Fishing Derby. Director of Parks, Recreation & Community Services Lou Ann Benson shared Bob’s initiative of creating the event decades ago, his love for fishing and sharing his passion with participants.

Bob’s wife, Cathy and sons Robbie and Darren Hermes were in attendance.

Please click on the link below for the event photo gallery.