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Franklin names Winston Drive in memory of Earl C. Williams Jr.
Summary
The township unanimously approved Resolution 26-271 to designate Winston Drive as Honorary Earl C. Williams Junior Drive, honoring the former Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year and longtime Somerset resident; a family member accepted the recognition and the council directed signage to be installed.
The Franklin Township Council unanimously adopted a resolution to designate Winston Drive as Honorary Earl C. Williams Junior Drive in memory of Earl C. Williams Jr., the council announced June 23.
Councilwoman Francois moved the resolution and read its text into the record, citing Williams'Major League Baseball career (including the 1971 National League Rookie of the Year season), his 138 career home runs and 457 runs batted in, and his longtime community role as a mentor to local youth while residing on Winston Drive in Somerset.
Linda Montgomery Williams, identified by the council as a county election-board commissioner and longtime community volunteer, accepted the council's invitation to speak for the family and called the honorary designation a "tearjerker," thanking the council "from the bottom of my heart." The resolution directs the township clerk to arrange appropriate honorary signage on Winston Drive and to provide a certified copy of the resolution to the family; the resolution takes immediate effect upon passage.
Council members voted "yes" on the roll call to adopt Resolution 26-271, and the manager said signs would be installed near the honoree's home and at nearby corners within a few days. A block party was announced for Aug. 1 as part of the family's plans to mark the designation.
Because the honorary designation does not change official addressing or emergency-service labeling, the resolution notes it is ceremonial but intended to preserve the honoree's legacy in the community.
