County of Union, New Jersey

Free concert sponsored by the Commissioner Board in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month 2021

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of County Commissioners informs residents that the “Concert in the Park,” scheduled for October 16^th has been rescheduled due to impending inclement weather. The new date for the “Concert in the Park” is Saturday, October 23 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. outdoors at Union County’s Warinanco Sports Center, located at 1 Park Drive in Warinanco Park, in Roselle. This free musical celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month will feature the Hector Morales Salsa Band.

The first 150 participants will receive a free food voucher for use at the concert.

The free concert caps a month of Hispanic Heritage Month activities sponsored by the Commissioner Board, including the raising of the County’s first ever Hispanic Heritage flag at the County Courthouse in Elizabeth, a family movie night double feature at Plainfield High School in Plainfield, a family fun day at Rahway River Park in Rahway, and a countywide virtual art exhibit.

“The Commissioner Board is proud to support Hispanic Heritage Month and encourage people from all walks of life to unite in the enjoyment of cultural events, in recognition of the leading role of the Hispanic community throughout Union County,” said Commissioner Board Chairman Alexander Mirabella.

“It is fitting to conclude our series of Hispanic Heritage Month in Union County with music, the great uniter of people all over the world,” said Commissioner Sergio Granados. “I am proud to be one of almost 200,000 Hispanic residents that make Union County a wonderful place to live, and I welcome this opportunity to share Hispanic culture throughout the community.”

“As a Cuban-American woman, I am proud to work with my colleagues on the Commissioner Board to help foster appreciation for the diverse cultures that contribute so much to the Union County community,” said Commissioner Lourdes Leon. “We are all looking forward to a wonderful event.”

In addition to showcasing the Hector Morales Salsa Band, Concert in the Park will feature an awards ceremony recognizing the contributions of three outstanding members of the Hispanic community in Union County: George A. Castro II, owner of the Premier Homes real estate firm in Roselle Park; Juanita Vargas, Vice President of Programs and Operations at United Way of Greater Union County; and Union County Undersheriff Amilcar “Mickey” Colon.

Food trucks will be on site and residents are welcome to bring their own picnic.

Union County residents seeking to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus can use Union County’s free vaccination service, available at the site from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. COVID-19 tests will also be available free of charge to Union County residents.

More information about Union County’s free COVID-19 vaccination service is available at ucnj.org/vax.

For more information regarding the Hispanic Heritage month and related events, please contact Nathalie Alcaide-Hernandez by email at nahernandez@ucnj.org or by phone at 908-527-4880.

For information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including free vaccination, free testing, emergency food distribution and other support services, visit ucnj.org/covid19. General information about COVID-19 is available through the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

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The General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 2.

Union County, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi reminds voters that their Vote-by-Mail ballot comes in a bright yellow mailing envelope, which contains their ballot, an instructional brochure, a certificate envelope, and a postage-paid envelope for returning their ballot. The certificate envelope is designed to ensure privacy for Vote-by-Mail users.

Voters can choose to return their Vote-by-Mail ballot by U.S. Post. Voters can also deposit their Vote-by-Mail ballot in a designated drop-off box, or hand deliver it to the County Clerk’s offices or the Board of Elections.

“I would also like to advise voters that they may see a party affiliation box to check on their certificate envelope,” explained Ms. Rajoppi. “It is only necessary to fill out that section for Primary elections. As we are now in the General Election phase of the 2021 cycle, voters can leave their party affiliation blank.”

Ms. Rajoppi also advises Vote-by-Mail users to return their ballots as soon as possible, in order to avoid last minute delays.

For more elections information, including drop box and office locations, visit the County Clerk’s unioncountyvotes.com elections website, download the Union County Votes app, or contact the Elections Division at 908-527-4996 or ucvote@ucnj.org.

For more information about all County Clerk programs and services, visit ucnj.org/county-clerk or call 908-527-4787.

For information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including the Union County COVID-19 Test Center at Kean University, the Mobile Test Unit, vaccination information, emergency food distribution and other support services, visit ucnj.org/covid19. General information about COVID-19 is available through the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.

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Enjoy seasonal and historical activities for all ages at the Deserted Village of Feltville in Union County.

Union County, NU —  The Deserted Village of Feltville will once again host an annual open house featuring colonial games, cider pressing, an archaeological activity and guided tours as part of Union County’s Four Centuries in a Weekend event this Saturday and Sunday, October 16 and 17, from noon to 5:00 p.m. each day.

All activities for the Four Centuries weekend are rain or shine, and most are free of charge. Enter the Deserted Village from Cataract Hollow Road, off of Glenside Avenue (use GPS address 1 Cataract Hollow Road, Berkeley Heights). Free parking is available at the entrance to the site.

Visitors can pick up a free self-tour guidebook at the parking lot, or use their cell phones to take an audio tour. A list of activities will be available at the reception table.

This year, the Deserted Village will feature new attractions including special presentations by a historian and an archaeologist, and a new display of historical photos.

“Preserving the Deserted Village has been a rewarding experience, and it is very gratifying to see tens of thousands of Union County residents come to enjoy and appreciate this unique historical site each year with family and friends,” said Union County Commissioner Board Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “This year, visitors will also have a chance to view restoration work in progress.”

The Deserted Village of Feltville is located in Union County’s Watchung Reservation. It was established in 1845 by the entrepreneur David Felt, who built a paper mill, housing for workers, and other buildings for communal use.

As part of the weekend’s festivities, the “ghost” of David Felt will stroll the grounds of the Deserted Village and converse with visitors, telling tales of the factory town he built and recounting memories of the people who worked in his mill, on his farm, and in his store and school.

At 1:00 p.m. each day, Mr. Felt will also offer a 20-minute long armchair tour from the porch of his general store.

Activities for children will include old-fashioned games on the Deserted Village’s grass tennis court, pumpkin painting, using a quill pen and ink to write, and searching for artifacts at the site of the Felt house.

A small apple orchard has been recreated along Cataract Hollow Road to recall the 600-acre farm established by Mr. Felt to provide food for the villagers. A hands-on demonstration of apples being pressed into cider will be ongoing throughout the Four Centuries weekend.

Visitors of all ages can also bring their “Passport to Your National Parks” to the General Store and get it stamped, in recognition of Union County as one of 14 counties included in the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area.

While at the General Store, visitors are invited to view exhibits of artifacts, photographs and maps depicting the history of the Deserted Village across four centuries.

Nostalgic candy, snacks, toys and games will be on sale at the store. Families are also invited to pack a picnic and use one of the nearby picnic tables.

The beautifully restored circa-1882 Masker’s Barn carriage house will be open for the weekend. Visitors can tour the premises and view a photo display celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the Union County Parks System.

Visitors are also welcome to linger outside Masker’s Barn and roast marshmallows around a campfire with the ghost of the original caretaker.

Moving even farther back in time, visitors can take a short walk to a small family graveyard on a hillside just beyond the General Store. John Willcocks, a New Jersey militia soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War along with General George Washington’s regular army, will be there writing his will and telling stories of relatives buried at the site.

The Deserted Village has seen many changes since its origin as David Felt’s business enterprise. Over the years it has been used as a resort, an artists’ retreat, and relief housing during the Great Depression.

By the 1970’s the Deserted Village was all but forgotten. Fortunately, restoration work has been ongoing during the 21^st century. Among other recent projects, a $450,000 grant from the NJ Historic Trust has gone to the stabilization, restoration and rehabilitation of Cottage 7 and Cottage 4.

Several researchers, both self-taught and professional, have also uncovered tantalizing details about the fascinating story of people who have lived, worked and even died at the site.

Special programming on October 16 and 17 will provide visitors with an up-close look at some of their work, through the eyes of historian Priscilla Hayes and archaeologist Carissa Scarpa.

On Saturday, October 16 at 2:00 p.m., Ms. Scarpa will discuss archaeological investigations at the homestead of the Raddin-Badgley, family and Ms. Hayes will add three mysteries from Village history to the presentation.

On Sunday, October 17 at 2:00 p.m., Ms. Hayes will describe life in the late 1800’s when the Deserted Village served as a summer resort called Glenside Park, with Ms. Scarpa providing additional details from the archaeological record.

Priscilla Hayes inherited her lifelong love of this area from her grandfather, historian and genealogist Edwin Baldwin of Summit, who took her and her siblings there as children.  She has been using her skills as a freelance writer and retired attorney to author a book describing how this one small village illuminates nearly all of New Jersey history.

Carissa Scarpa started her archaeological work at Feltville in 2000 as part of an undergraduate field school with Montclair State University.  She completed her Master’s thesis on the Raddin-Badgley House site at Feltville in 2017.  A Cultural Resource Management professional for more than 20 years, she currently oversees National Historic Preservation Act compliance for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District.

For more information about the Deserted Village of Feltville, visit the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation online at ucnj.org/dv.

Details about programs and activities at 30 other historical sites participating in the Four Centuries in a Weekend event are available at ucnj.org/4c.

For locations, hours, special events and other details about more than 30 other historical sites participating in Four Centuries in a Weekend this year, visit the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs ucnj.org/parks-recreation/cultural-heritage-affairs or call  (908) 558-2550.

For information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including free vaccination, free testing, emergency food distribution and other support services, visit ucnj.org/covid19. General information about COVID-19 is available through the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

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Union County received Watts Foundation grant to add new water element.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of County Commissioners is pleased to announce that a new water element has been added to the Sensory Friendly Trail, through a grant awarded by the Blanche M. and George L. Watts Mountainside Community Foundation to the Trailside Museum Association.

The Sensory Friendly Trail is located on the grounds of the Trailside Nature and Science Center in Union County’s Watchung Reservation, at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside. Admission to Trailside and its ground is free, and free parking is located on site.

“This grant will enable the Sensory Friendly Trail to provide additional sensory experiences and new opportunities to explore the beautiful natural surroundings at the Trailside Nature and Science Center,” said Union County Commissioner Board Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “On behalf of the Board, I thank the Watts Foundation for their generous contribution, and the Trailside Museum Association for their dedication to nature education and conservation.”

The Watts Foundation grant provided for the installation of a rock water fountain powered by solar panels. The Union County Department of Parks and Recreation provided new plantings of evergreen trees, native shrubs and plants, and flowers to compliment the sights and sounds of the water fountain.

The trees have created a natural barrier from the nearby road and traffic. The new solar panels provide a teaching opportunity, and the additional, shrubs and flowers add color and provide shelter and food for wildlife.

“With these new additions to the Sensory Friendly Trail, we continue to build inclusion into Union County’s public recreation resources, and foster an environment that reflects our diverse population,” said Union County Commissioner Sergio Granados. “Using solar energy instead of fossil fuels also helps to reinforce Trailside’s mission of conservation and sustainability education.”

The new water element and solar panels were installed by company The Pond Builders, which also created a stream on the Trailside grounds.

The Sensory Friendly Trail opened in 2018 as a way to provide equal access and inclusion to Union County residents. It is designed to meet the physical, social, and cognitive needs of different age groups, including kiosks highlighting the area’s natural and human history, guide ropes with braille signage for visually impaired visitors, musical components, and a sensory play area in the central gazebo with musical instruments to encourage exploration.

Visitors can walk the 0.3 mile Sensory Friendly Trail from dawn to dusk at no cost. The Trailside Nature and Science Center is also open free of charge. Visit ucnj.org/trailside for hours. Please be aware that masks are requested indoors.

For more information about the Watchung Reservation Sensory Trail and the Trailside Museum Association, visit ucnj.org/parks-recreation or call Patricia Bertsch, Director at 908-789-3670.

For information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including the Union County COVID-19 Test Center at Kean University, the Mobile Test Unit, vaccination information, emergency food distribution and other support services, visit ucnj.org/covid19. General information about COVID-19 is available through the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

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Residents can safely dispose of common household chemicals and other special wastes at this event.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Commissioners reminds residents that the next free Household Hazardous Waste event of 2021 will be held on Saturday, October 23, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Union County Vo-Tech Schools campus, located at 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains. This event will be the last for 2021. The series will resume again in 2022.

Any Union County resident may participate, regardless of their home town.

“Union County’s Household Hazardous Waste events provide a free, convenient opportunity for residents to remove unwanted chemicals and other potentially hazardous items from their homes and yards, and dispose of them safely,” said Commissioner Board Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “It’s an easy way to make a real difference and help keep harmful substances out of the environment.”

Accepted items include outdated or unwanted household cleansers and other chemicals, mercury thermostats and thermometers, propane tanks, fire extinguishers, automobile tires (limit of eight per household), oil-based paint and varnish (no latex paint), antifreeze, aerosol cans, pool chemicals, corrosives, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, thinners, motor oil and oil filters, gasoline, batteries, thermostats, fluorescent bulbs (unbroken), mercury switches, and more.

Only materials in original or labeled containers will be accepted. No containers larger than five gallons will be accepted.

For a complete list of accepted materials, visit ucnj.org/recycling/household-special-waste.

Please note that latex paint (water-based) wall paint is NOT accepted. Unwanted latex paint should be used, donated, or dried in the can and discarded in regular household garbage, with the lid off. To help dry out paint, add kitty litter, newspaper or a commercial paint hardener.

The Household Hazardous Waste collection event will be held rain or shine, for Union County residents only, not for businesses. Proof of Union County residency is required.

Union County’s Household Hazardous Waste events are contact-free. Participants must observe the following rules for avoiding accidents and preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus:

• Arrive by vehicle only. No walk-ins accepted.
• Driver and all passengers must wear face coverings at all times.
• Driver and all passengers must stay in vehicle at all times.
• Car windows must be kept closed at all times.
• Materials should be placed in trunk, cargo area or truck bed where they can be easily identified and accessed by staff, who will remove them.

For more information about all recycling programs in Union County, download the free Recycle Coach app, visit Union County online at ucnj.org/recycling, or call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889.

For quick links to all environmental programs and activities in Union County visit The Green Connection, ucnj.org/green-connection.

For information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including free vaccination, free testing, emergency food distribution and other support services, visit ucnj.org/covid19. General information about COVID-19 is available through the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

Connect with Union County on social media.