County of Union, New Jersey

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders reminds do-it-yourselfers that free motor oil recycling is available at 16 locations through Union County’s Bureau of Recycling.

“We offer free motor oil recycling as a convenience to the many Union County residents who work on their own cars, lawn mowers and other motorized equipment,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “It is one of many free Union County programs that help our residents conserve resources and protect the environment, too.”

“The Freeholder Board is proud to support programs that empower Union County residents with resources and information on discarding materials like motor oil in a responsible way. We will continue to seek new opportunities for expanding our recycling programs and attracting more participants,” said Freeholder Sergio Granados, who visited a new motor oil recycling station at the Rahway Fire House on Wednesday.

Union County’s motor oil recycling program began in 1999. The County is currently replacing older recycling igloos with new models. The new igloo at the Rahway Fire House is painted red in honor of its location at a fire station.

For a list of all 16 locations visit online at ucnj.org/recycling/used-motor-oil-spent-filter-disposal. Any Union County resident may use any of these locations.

For more details on all Union County recycling programs call the Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889 or visit online at ucnj.org/recycle.

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

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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 Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski and Freeholders Sergio Granados and Christopher Hudak, Acting Union County Prosecutor Michael A. Monahan and Executive Director of the YWCA of Union County Janice C. Lilien joined Dr. Jacquelyn C. Campbell, Union County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of Investigations Vincent G. Gagliardi, Jr, Kean University Public Safety Director Mark Farsi and Nathan Weiss Graduate College Dean Dr. Christine W. Thorpe at the 6th annual Union County C.A.R.E.S. (Community, Action, Response, Education, Safety) Domestic Violence Symposium at Kean University in Union. Dr. Campbell was the keynote speaker.

The Symposium is jointly presented by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office and YWCA Union County, and co-sponsored by Kean University, the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Elizabeth-based Family and Children’s Services, and the Elizabethtown Healthcare Foundation. The agenda featured more than a dozen speakers focusing on this year’s topic: “A Lethal Reality: When Domestic Violence Turns Deadly.” 

The Symposium again has been timed to coincide with the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Crimes Victims’ Rights Week, being held this year from April 7-13 (for more information, go online tohttps://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw).
(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

No date set, however burn is planned within next month, pending weather conditions

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS), a unit of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry will conduct a prescribed burn of approximately 3 acres in what is known as the “Red Hill” section of Union County’s Ash Brook Reservation in Scotch Plains. The area is located between Raritan Road and Martine Avenue.

The fire will last approximately two hours. While no date or time has yet been set for the burn since it is weather dependent, once a date is known, it will be posted on the County’s webpage and social media, sent to media, and sent through the County’s First Alert email system to residents.

Prescribed burns are commonly done throughout the state by the Forest Fire Service.  Last summer Governor Phil Murphy signed into law “The Prescribed Burn Act,” which preserved landowners’ rights to prescribed burns, strengthened protections for practitioners, and expanded acceptable uses of prescribed fire from reducing traditional hazard fuels to recognizing the benefits of habitat management as well as other forestry and ecological needs.

The area in the Ash Brook Reservation that will be burned is not immediately near any homes or private property, and the purpose of the burn is to eliminate possible fuel for a potential future forest fire, manage encroaching invasive plants, and to prevent the area from succeeding from a native meadow into a forest. 

The site is considered by naturalists  to be an ecologically important one.  Doing a burn in this manner with professional fire fighters will benefit the ecology of this area in the reservation, which includes valuable plant species, some, found nowhere else in Union County due to the unique soils and formation of the site.   

If in doubt about the source of smoke or fire, residents are call 911 or Union County Police at 908-654-9800. 

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites visitors of all ages to meet live animals, celebrate wildlife, learn about environmental conservation and try their hand at outdoor skills at the annual Wild Earth Fest, hosted by the Trailside Nature and Science Center at the Watchung Reservation in Mountainside on Sunday, April 28 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., rain or shine.

“Wild Earth Fest raises awareness about the importance of conservation and environment stewardship here in the Union County community and globally, too,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “It is a unique event that combines fun activities with new opportunities to learn and interact with our natural surroundings.”

This year’s hands-on activities include the Atlantic City Aquarium, which returns with a spectacular traveling touch tank exhibit featuring starfish, sea urchins, stingrays, horseshoe crabs. The Swift Farms Petting Zoo will also bring a miniature pony, lambs, goats, baby chickens, rabbits and more. 

Wild Earth Fest also includes three live animal presentations, beginning with Travis Gale of Eyes of the Wild, who will present Mammal Mania. Travis will share the life stories of each animal in an entertaining presentation at noon and 1:00 p.m.

Dominic Rizzo, of Rizzo’s Reptile Discovery will entertain and inform as he presents a host of live reptiles at 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Back by popular demand, Vinnie Reo and his wolves from Wolf Visions will dispel the myth of the “Big Bad Wolf” and explain their role in keeping a balanced ecosystem, at 3:30 p.m. 

Visitors can also learn about outdoor skills including camping, canoeing, hiking, archery, birding and nature photography.

Ongoing activities include Eco-Art for a nominal fee, a rock wall, free face-painting and the Recycling Olympics. Green-themed art and gifts will also be available for purchase as well as food and snacks.

Music will be performed by Glen “Wreckin’ Ball” Waldeck.  Glen and his Daughter, Holly, bring to the stage a musical journey in an array of topics. Glenn’s songs have been heard on NBC, PBS, CNN and the Discovery Channel.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Trailside Museum Association will recognize and honor the environmental heroes in our community during the Environmental Hero Awards at 2:00 p.m.

Vendors and exhibitors include the NJ Audubon Society, Rizzo’s Wildlife World, USDA Wildlife Services, Union County Archery, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Toadshade Wildflower Farm, NJ State Park Service, Friends of the Great Swamp, NJ Mycological Association, NJ Forest Fire Service, Union County Master Gardeners, 4-H Master Tree Stewards, and much more.

Admission to Wild Earth Fest is $5.00 per person. Children six years old and younger are free.

Admission includes entrance to the “Touch a Truck” event being held concurrently in the Watchung Reservation lower loop parking lot. No pets are permitted at these events.

The Wild Earth Fest is supported in part by funding from the Union County Clean Communities Program, in cooperation with the New Jersey Clean Communities Council.

For more information about “Wild Earth Fest” or other upcoming programs or events at Trailside, call 908-789-3670 or visit ucnj.org/trailside.

The Trailside Nature and Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

 

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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:

                  

Update May 29, 2019: The falcon eggs have hatched. Watch the parents raise their young on the free Falcon Cam livestream.

Union County, NJ – Two peregrine falcons are watching over four new eggs in their nest, high atop the roof of the historic Union County Courthouse Tower in bustling midtown Elizabeth.

Students, researchers, and falcon fans can keep watch, too, by tuning into the free Union County Falcon Cam livestream.

“We are very proud that Union County is part of the efforts to preserve and protect peregrine falcons in our region,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “The Falcon Cam provides a unique opportunity to observe a falcon nest, especially at this time of year when the female has laid her eggs.”

Hatching occurs between 29 and 33 days after the last egg appears. The female laid her final egg on Friday, April 5.

The Union County website provides a free livestream of the Falcon Cam at ucnj.org/falcon.

Peregrine falcons are one of the fastest animals in the world, reaching speeds of up to 220 miles per hour when diving for prey. Their main source of prey includes pigeons and other birds.

They build their nests in cliffs, ledges, and other high points. As the tallest building in Elizabeth, the Union County Courthouse is a desirable location for a falcon nest.

Union County’s falcon preservation efforts have been undertaken with the generous assistance of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife and the nonprofit organization Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.

For more details about educational programs related to the Union County Falcon Cam, and for information on corporate sponsorships, call Conserve Wildlife Foundation at 609-984-6012 or use the contact form.

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

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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 Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce a series of Trailside Talks of interest to adults, and high school students. Lectures are held at the Trailside Nature & Science Center in the Watchung Reservation, at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside. Attendance is free of charge.

“The popular Trailside Talks Series offers the opportunity to participate in educational lectures on a wide variety of topics while also experiencing the natural beauty of the Watchung Reservation,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “The Freeholder Board is proud to support community education and environmental conservation.”

On Saturday, May 4 at 2:00 p.m., NASA Solar System Ambassador Paul Cirillo will present From Apollo to Tomorrow — What’s Next for Human Space Travel. This informative and fascinating program celebrates the 50 years since the Apollo missions led the way for human space exploration.

Mr. Cirillo will also share information about the human space programs planned by the United States, China, Russia and four American commercial companies. Space gateways, moon bases, a journey to Mars and even space tourism are included.  

Celebrating Union County Women’s History will be presented on Wednesday, May 8 at 7:00 p.m.   John Prescott, History Programs Coordinator for the County of Union’s Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, will discuss inventors, writers, educators, activists, athletes and other notable women in Union County history. This program is supported in part by the New Jersey Historical Commission.

In addition, residents can save the date of Sunday, September 15 for Trailside’s Hawk Migration program. Participants will gather at 10:00 a.m. at Maskers Barn in the Deserted Village, located in the Berkeley Heights section of the Watchung Reservation. The program includes a hawk watch walk led by Pete Axelrod, Education and Community Outreach Coordinator of Wild Birds Unlimited in Scotch Plains.

For more information about these programs or other activities at Trailside, please call 908-789-3670 or visit ucnj.org/trailside.

The Trailside Nature and Science Center is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.                                                              

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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 Chosen Freeholders is proud to host a Foster Parent and Adoption Recruitment Information Session on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. the at Warinanco Sports Center at Warinanco Park, 1 Park Drive in Roselle, organized by the Union County Office of LGBTQ Affairs and the Office of Community Engagement and Diversity, in collaboration with the NJ Department of Children and Families.

“The Freeholder Board is proud to partner with the state Department of Children and Families to support LGBTQ youth in our community,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “Right now there are thousands of New Jersey children who need the warmth and guidance of a family. “Adults in Union County can make a lasting difference in a child’s life by becoming a foster or adoptive parent.”

LGBTQ youth are in need of affirming homes. Research has shown that LGBTQ youth are over-represented in foster care. LGBTQ youth enter the foster care system for many of the same reasons as non-LGBTQ youth in care, such as abuse, neglect, and parental substance abuse.

Many LGBTQ youth have the added layer of trauma that comes with being rejected or mistreated because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

“Like all young people, LGBTQ youth in foster care need the support of a nurturing family to help them navigate adolescence and grow into healthy adults,” said Freeholder Rebecca Williams, liaison to the Union County LGBTQ Ad Hoc Committee. “Adults in Union County are invited to attend this information session and learn how they can help our LGBTQ youth thrive.”

Being a foster parent is a big responsibility that brings with it great rewards. The requirements for becoming a foster parent are not complicated. Join us for this information session presented by the NJ Department of Children and Families and learn how you can provide an affirming home for LGBTQ youth in foster care in our community.

All adults who can offer a safe, stable and supportive home – regardless of culture, religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, affectional orientation, or marital/civil union or domestic partnership status – are invited to attend this information session to learn more.

During this two-hour information session you’ll hear from current foster parents and youth formerly in foster care.

Youth resource organizations will be present with additional support materials. Child care activities are available during the session. Light refreshments will be provided.

Registration is required to attend at ucnj.org/lgbtq or by calling Kimberly Geller (DCF) at 973-634-7737.

Union County’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, under the Department of Economic Development, was established by the Freeholder Board in 2018 and is the first and only county government office of its kind in the State of New Jersey.

The Office of LGBTQ Affairs provides a platform for leadership and collaboration to support equality, and serves as a catalyst for advocacy, awareness and action on current and emerging issues that impact the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals.

For more information about the Office of LGBTQ Affairss, contact Danni Newbury, Coordinator, at 908-527-4742 or dnewbury@ucnj.org or visit ucnj.org/LGBTQ.

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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 – Union County Sheriff Peter Corvelli reminds residents that identification programs, including Project Life Saver and Fingerprint on File, are available to help protect family members who may wander away without supervision.

“These programs help our residents protect family members who may be at risk of being lost,” said Union County Sheriff Peter Corvelli. “They can make the difference between the safe return of a loved one or an unfortunate tragedy.”

The Union County Sheriff has worked in cooperation with Project Lifesaver International since 2003. The initiative was created as a safety aid for persons diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, dementia, autism, Down’s syndrome, and other conditions that make verbal communication difficult.

Participants in Project Lifesaver wear a tracking device on their wrist, in the form of a bracelet. If the participant is reported lost or missing, a signal from the device enables law enforcement officers to pinpoint their location.

Family members and caregivers receive in-person training from the Sheriff’s Office. The training includes guidance on how to prevent at-risk family members from wandering, how to care for the tracking device, and how to report a lost or missing person. There is a nominal fee for the equipment.

Fingerprint on File enables parents and caregivers to obtain a professional record of their child’s fingerprints, for safekeeping at home. In case of emergency, parents can provide their child’s fingerprint card to law enforcement officers.

A video recording is also part of the program. The video provides parents with professional documentation of their child’s speech patterns as well as visual identification.

There is no charge to participate in the Fingerprint on File program. Two additional child safety programs are also available at no charge to County residents:

• The Child Safety ID Kit enables parents and caregivers to create a record of their child’s physical characteristics, including a mitochondrial DNA sample.

 

• The EPIC child ID card contains vital information including a photo and thumb print, physical characteristics, important medical information, and contact information for parents and caregivers.

For more information or to sign a loved one up for Project Life Saver please contact the Union County Sheriff’s Office at 908-527-4450.

For more information about Fingerprint on File, including the Child Safety ID Kit and the EPIC child ID card, contact the Sheriff’s Identification Bureau at 908-527-4950.

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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: