County of Union, New Jersey

The following press release is from Groundwork Elizabeth (groundworkelizabeth.org):

PUBLIC INVITED TO HELP CELEBRATE EARTH DAY AT PHIL RIZZUTO PARK ON APRIL 22ND

“Boots Not Suits”: Get Ready to Work!

Union County, City of Elizabeth, Union Township, NJ—April 15, 2021–In 1962, Rachel Carson wrote “Silent Spring,” a book which raised public awareness and concern for living organisms, the environment and the inextricable links between pollution and public health. Not long after, in 1970, Earth Day was established as a formal way of recognizing the value of a clean and healthy environment and since then it has been celebrated globally every year on April 22nd

This year, on Thursday, April 22nd, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Groundwork Elizabeth’s“Green Team” youth program will host a 2021 Earth Day hands-on community activity at Union County’s Phil Rizzuto Park at the corner of North Avenue and Morris Avenue, where the City of Elizabeth and Union Township meet.

The activities will include planting trees and cleaning a tributary riverbank in the park, as a way to raise local awareness about the importance of healthy open spaces in one of the most densely populated counties in the entire nation.

“Groundwork Elizabeth has been an invaluable partner in our efforts to engage the Union County community in sustainability and environmental conservation, and they have done a great job of transforming Phil Rizzuto Park into an outdoor learning center for all to enjoy,” said Union County Board of Commissioners Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “We are looking forward to an enriching afternoon of Earth Day activities, and we encourage everyone to come.”

The local “Boots not Suits” Earth Day 2021 event will also help showcase the issue of environmental justice. It provides an opportunity for a diversity of participants of all ages, who are not customarily included in environmental programming, to get outdoors, get their hands dirty, and dig in to improving local open spaces.

“Earth Day is a great opportunity for us to increase awareness about the importance of keeping our neighborhoods and environment clean,” said Mayor J. Christian Bollwage. “I would like to thank Groundwork Elizabeth for coordinating this event, the County of Union and all of the volunteers, who dedicated their time and effort in being here today. Whether you are planting a tree, picking up litter or garbage or encouraging others to do the same, you are all making a lasting impression for future generations.”

Groundwork USA’s Director of Youth Programming, Curt Collier, will be attending along with public officials from Elizabeth, the County of Union, Trailside Museum, and the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, located in nearby Morris County.

Informational tables at the event will showcase Groundwork Elizabeth, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Friends of the Great Swamp, the NAACP and others.

The public is invited, as social distancing guidelines will be followed. Bring a mask, ditch your suits, and bring your boots. Pre-registration is requested by contacting Lucy Crespo, Groundwork Elizabeth’s Director of Youth Initiatives at lucy@groundworkelizabeth.org, or call Groundwork Elizabeth’s main office number at 908-289-0262.

The Earth Day event is supported by the Union County Board of County Commissioners, the Mayor and City of Elizabeth, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Township of Union, Groundwork USA, and the NJ Conservation Foundation, along with private sector partners Phillips 66 Bayway Refinery, United Airlines, the Elizabeth NAACP, and other local community groups.

For more information on Groundwork programs, please visit their social media sites at Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and their website at www.groundworkelizabeth.org.

For quick links to all environmental programs and activities supported by the Union County Commissioner Board, visit ucnj.org/green-connection.

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Free community events in celebration of Autism Acceptance Month.

Union County, NJ – In recognition of April as Autism Acceptance Month, the Union County Board of Commissioners presents a new edition of free online programming for persons with disabilities and special needs, featuring interactive fun for the whole family. The series is hosted by the Union County Office for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs.

“We introduced the new virtual series last fall, to help special needs families continue to access entertaining and enriching programs during the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Board of Commissioners Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “We are very happy to bring it back by popular demand, and we encourage everyone to join in the fun.”

The two upcoming events are:

• Virtual Dance Party — Friday, April 23, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., for ages 13 and up.

• Bubble Trouble with Jeff Boyer – Sunday, April 25, 11:00 a.m. – noon and 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., for all ages.

Participation in the live, interactive series is free but pre-registration is required through Union County’s activity registration page at www.ucnj.org/opdsn-reg. Space is limited to 100 participants in each event.

Those who are registered will receive their online event link a few days in advance of each event.

The Office for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs also hosts free virtual yoga, karate, and craft programs through GoToMeeting. To register visit ucnj.org/opdsn-reg. Please note that space is limited and programs fill up quickly.

The Office for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs is a unit of the Division of Individual & Family Support Services in the Union County Department of Human Services. For more information on all programs and services of the Office, visit online at ucnj.org/departments/human-services/opdsn or call 908-527-4807.

For more information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including the Drive-Through Test Center at Kean University, the Mobile Test Unit walk-up sites, 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.

Connect with Union County on social media.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of County Commissioners will cut the ribbon on new playground facilities at Nomahegan Park in Cranford this Sunday, April 18^th at 11:00 a.m. Nomahegan Park is located at 995 Springfield Avenue.

“As the weather gets warmer, families look to our local parks to safely have fun while staying active,” said County Commissioner Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “The Board of Commissioners is proud to give the County’s youngest residents another modern and safe place to play.”

The playground renovations replaced existing equipment and now there are two separate areas, one geared towards children ages 2-5 and another for children from ages 5-10. Both areas are fully-accessible, with play space for children of all abilities.

“Nomahegan Park has long been a special place for families in Cranford,” said Commissioner Bette Jane Kowalski. “As a Cranford resident, I am happy we have these new facilities and I invite all our families with children to come out and enjoy them.”

The new playground now has approximately six slides, ADA ramps and decks featuring spiral stairs, chamber archways, suspension bridges, swings, plastic bongo drums, climbing stations and ropes. The surface is soft and rubber bonded.

Suburban Consulting Engineers designed the new playground facilities and the GameTime Playground Equipment was provided by Marturano Recreation Company. Installation of the Equipment of equipment was done by Whirl Construction. The rubberized safety surface was installed by Rubbercycle.

The ribbon cutting and subsequent use of the playground facilities will run in compliance with state COVID-19 orders, regarding social distancing and other protocols.

For more information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including the Drive-Through Test Center at Kean University, the Mobile Test Unit walk-up sites, 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.

Connect with Union County on social media.

COVID-19 safety rules apply; event is open to all Union County residents.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of County Commissioners reminds residents that the next mobile paper shredding event of 2021 will be held in Plainfield on Friday, April 23, for free, secure shredding of personal and confidential documents.

“Union County’s mobile document shredding service helps residents fight identity theft by providing a convenient way to shred confidential documents,” said Board of Commissioners Chairman Al Mirabella “It also promotes our County recycling efforts and ties in with other green initiatives in Union County.”

At Union County’s paper shredding events, documents are put into 96-gallon containers provided by the shredding company, lifted into the truck and shredded on site. The shredded documents are then taken to a licensed recycling facility.

The April 23 shredding event will take place at Cedar Brook Park, located on Park Avenue in Plainfield. The event will run from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. rain or shine. The event will close prior to 1:00 p.m. if the trucks reach capacity.

For everyone’s safety, residents must wear face coverings, keep their windows closed and remain in their vehicles at all times.  Materials should be placed in trunk, cargo area or truck bed, easily accessible to staff, for safe no-contact removal from vehicle.

All Union County residents are eligible to use the free paper-shredding service. In an effort to accommodate everyone, there is a limit of four, 10-pound bags or boxes per vehicle. Preferably, documents should be brought in paper bags.

Documents should be removed from any bindings. Plastic or metal clips and other non-paper items should also be removed.

Participants are reminded that pre-shredded paper will not be accepted. Wet or damp paper is also not accepted.

Union County’s free shedding events are intended for personal, sensitive documents only. Residents should recycle magazines, junk mail and other waste paper with their municipal recycling program.

For more information on recycling programs hosted by Union County, visit ucnj.org/recycle or call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889.

For the latest news and updates on all municipal and countywide recycling programs in Union County, download the free Recycle Coach app. More information is available at ucnj.org/recycling/recycle-coach-app.

Quick links to all Union County environmental programs and activities are available at ucnj.org/green-connection.

The mobile paper shredding program is paid for through Recycling Enhancement Act Grant funds, which are applied for by Union County and received from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

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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.

By Alexander Mirabella

Chairman, Union County Board of Commissioners

As Earth Day approaches, many Union County residents and visitors look for ways in which to commemorate the event.

Picking up litter, planting trees, and producing educational programs are among the many traditional Earth Day activities supported by the Board of Commissioners.

We also recognize that our everyday habits can have an impact on the environment, and we encourage the whole Union County community to learn new ways in which we can all make a difference, every day.

One good place to start is the statewide Choose to Reuse NJ campaign. The campaign aims to encourage shoppers to bring reusable bags when shopping, to help cut down on single-use bag.

In particular, single-use plastic bags have become notorious symbols of environmental damage. When disposed improperly, plastic bags easily become windblown litter that can harm wildlife in our County parks. They can also blow into local waterways and travel to the ocean, where they impact marine life.

To help prevent this damage, a new state law will ban single-use paper and plastic grocery bags effective in May of 2022. Visitors to Union County parks can help prepare for the change by using sturdy tote bags or backpacks to carry picnic items and other gear, instead of relying on single-use bags.

Used or broken fishing line is another form of plastic waste that can harm wildlife. Visitors to County parks can help prevent birds, turtles and other local wildlife from getting tangled up, by depositing used or broken fishing line in the “Reel in and Recycle” bins now located at several popular fishing spots throughout the County parks system.

Visitors to our parks can also pitch in this year by keeping an eye out for the spotted lanternfly. This invasive pest threatens our native trees and other plants, and they should be destroyed on site.

We also continue our free countywide recycling events, and we recently introduced the Recycle Coach mobile app to help our residents keep up-to-date on news and schedules for their local recycling programs as well as countywide events.

More information about Recycle Coach and all Union County recycling programs is available online at ucnj.org/recycle.

This year we are also continuing our traditional Arbor Day activities, aimed encouraging the public to plant and care for trees. Earlier this month, we provided free trees for tree-planting activities at local schools and we are now reviewing submissions to our annual Arbor Day poetry contest for students.

Another ongoing program supported by the Board of Commissioners is the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County. The Extension continues to run environmental programs for adults and students, and they have introduced new online activities, too. More information is available at ucnj.org/rce.

And finally, I am very happy to report that Union County will host a special Earth Day celebration this year, on Saturday, April 24, on the grounds of our Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside.

We are delighted to bring back this annual event. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet live animals, celebrate wildlife, and embrace environmental conservation in our community. Visitors can stroll the grounds or sign up in advance for scheduled activities. For more information, visit ucnj.org/trailside.

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

Let us all celebrate this Earth Day, every day.

For more information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including the Drive-Through Test Center at Kean University, the Mobile Test Unit walk-up sites, 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.

Connect with Union County on social media.