FRANKLIN, NJ—A loaded handgun was among the array of items littering the banks of Mile Run Brook, a stream that separates the City of New Brunswick from Somerset County’s Franklin Township.

A Highland Park resident volunteering at the clean-up was the first to stumble upon the handgun, which was loaded and cocked.  Both Franklin and New Brunswick police responded to the peaceful situation to take reports.

By the day’s end, volunteers with the new group Friends of Mile Run Brook hauled more than fifty bags of garbage from both sides of the stream near the overpass at Hamilton Street.  Through the city’s Clean City Block Captain program, workers with the Department of Public Works removed the refuse Monday morning.

Amy Braunstein, who organized the cleanup said she was glad that potential hazards were removed from the stream, emphasizing that the area could be an asset to the surrounding community.

Litter accumulating further down the brook has been alleged to contribute to flooding issues near the intersection of Joyce Kilmer Avenue and Charles Street.

As we reported in May, the city is considering diverting flow from the Georges Road area to resolve the frequent flooding.

Editor’s Note: Amy Braunstein is a reporter for New Brunswick Today.

Editor at New Brunswick Today | 732-993-9697 | editor@newbrunswicktoday.com | Website

Charlie is the founder and editor of New Brunswick Today, and the winner of the Awbrey Award for Community-Oriented Local Journalism. He is a proud Rutgers University journalism graduate, a community organizer, and a former independent candidate for mayor of New Brunswick.

Charlie is the founder and editor of New Brunswick Today, and the winner of the Awbrey Award for Community-Oriented Local Journalism. He is a proud Rutgers University journalism graduate, a community organizer, and a former independent candidate for mayor of New Brunswick.