County of Union, New JerseyUnion County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh and Freeholders Vernell Wright, Bette Jane Kowalski and Sergio Granados present U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker with a resolution in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Older Americans Act during an event marking the anniversary with senior citizens from across Union County at the Union Township Senior Center. (Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will sponsor a Household Special Waste Collection event on Saturday, August 1, so Union County residents can get rid of outdated or unwanted household chemicals, mercury thermostats, propane tanks, and automobile tires in an environmentally safe manner. The household hazardous waste collection will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Union County Vocational-Technical Schools campus, 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains, near the John H. Stamler Police Academy.
Residents of Union County are eligible to participate at no cost. Pre-registration is not required for this special Saturday collection.
“The special household waste recycling program for Union County residents is particularly important as we become more aware of the need for proper disposal of hazardous items that are found around the home,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “The result of our effort is safer homes and a cleaner environment for our families and our neighbors.”
All that residents need to do is drive to the site with their household special waste, propane tanks, automobile tires, and mercury thermostats. Workers at the site will unload the vehicles.
“Household special waste” includes oil-based paint and varnish, antifreeze, aerosol cans, pool chemicals, corrosives, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, thinners, fire extinguishers, motor oil and oil filters, gasoline, batteries, thermostats, fluorescent bulbs (unbroken), blood pressure devices, and mercury switches. Only materials in original or labeled containers will be accepted. No containers larger than five gallons will be accepted.
Latex (water-based) paint and empty cans will not be accepted. They should be disposed of in with the regular garbage. Leftover latex paint can be air-dried or, to hasten the drying process, kitty litter and/or newspaper can be added to hasten the drying.
“This is a great opportunity to recycle up to eight tires and dispose of old chemical containers that are cluttering up the basement or the garage, or taking up space under the kitchen sink,” said Chairman Jalloh. “Our homes become safer once they are rid of hazardous and combustible waste.”
There is a limit of eight automobile tires (without rims) per household. This is a household recycling event. No businesses, please.
A complete list of the materials that will be accepted on August 1 is available at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning web site: www.ucnj.org/recycle
The household hazardous waste collection will be held rain or shine, for Union County residents only and not for businesses. Proof
Freeholder Angel Estrada and Freeholder Sergio Granados joined the festivities in Elizabeth which featured Folkloric Dance, Music and more. The parade was sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
Union County Mosquito Control will be spraying for adult mosquitoes tonight between 7:30pm and 11:30pm. The spraying will be predicated on the weather conditions; rain and high winds will cancel the operation. The areas to be sprayed are as follows:
Union County, NJ — The Union County free Summer Arts Festival concert series continues on Wednesday evening, July 29, with Hey Bulldog at Oak Ridge Park in Clark. Family friendly pre-concert activities begin at 6:30 and the band hits the stage at 7:30.
“Come and enjoy a cool evening under the stars in the wide open spaces of Oak Ridge Park, yoga with the experts, and great music, all with no charge,” Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh, “And be sure to join us at Echo Lake Park next month, where Summer Arts will keep going through August.”
Summer Arts is a long running initiative of the Union County Freeholder Board, with the help of community sponsors. The Union County Education Association is the sponsor for the Hey Bulldog show.
Hey Bulldog is a diverse group of musicians from the New Brunswick area who got together in 1994 as part of an open “jam” to play Beatles songs on October 9, John Lennon’s birthday. That evening inspired yet another “Beatles night,” then another, and soon the informal jams became a steadily gigging act.
Pack a picnic basket, bring lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy the music under the stars. Refreshments and snacks are also available from vendors.
The July 29 pre-concert activities feature UC Get Fit Yoga in the Park, a Union County Freeholder initiative. Alluem Yoga of Cranford will present a free community yoga class from 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. Bring a mat or beach towel and participate in healthy activities for the entire family before the music begins.
The community yoga class is sponsored by Whole Foods Market of Clark, which will be on site with healthy drinks and snacks for the participants.
Starting in August, the Summer Arts Festival free outdoor concert series moves from Oak Ridge Park to Echo Lake Park in Mountainside. Concerts at Echo Lake take place in the field opposite the gazebo and water wheel, near the east end. For a map of Echo Lake Park visit ucnj.org.
The Echo Lake Park shows are all sponsored by ConnectOne Bank. The shows are:
In case of inclement weather call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at (908) 558-4079 after 3:30 p.m. on the day of the concert, or visit Union County online at ucnj.org.
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Photos from Day 2 of the National Junior Disability Championships in Union County. Events are being held in three County parks through July 24th and the public is invited to come down and cheer the athletes on!
For more information about the 2015 NJDC, including the games event schedule, sponsorship opportunities, and information on volunteering, visit NJDC2015NJ.com or email info@NJDC2015NJ.com.
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that its next mobile paper-shredding program for confidential personal documents will be available on Saturday, August 8, at Kean University in Union.
“Union County’s mobile document-shredding service helps residents fight identity theft and eliminate clutter in their homes,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “It is a cost-effective way to assist our recycling efforts and it ties in with Union County’s other Go Green Initiatives.”
The August 8th shredding event will take place in the parking lot near Green Lane, on the campus of Kean University, located at 1000 Morris Avenue in Union. NEXCUT Shredding of Elizabeth will be shredding documents at the site from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. The shredding event will end before 1 p.m. if the shredding truck reaches capacity.
All Union County residents are eligible to use the paper-shredding service. In an effort to accommodate everyone, there is a limit of four, 10-pound bags or boxes per person. Documents should not be bound. Please remove plastic binders and paperclips. Paper that is wet/damp will not be accepted. Residents should continue to recycle non-confidential papers and magazines with their municipal recycling program.
Documents are put into 96-gallon containers provided by the shredding company. The items are dumped onto a conveyor belt and shredded on site. Participants are welcome to view the shredding process via a closed-circuit television. Shredded documents are then recycled, shipped to paper mills and used as pulp. The next shredding event will take place Thursday, September 17, in Linden.
The mobile shredding program is paid for through New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Recycling Enhancement Act Grant Funds. For more information about future events or directions please call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889 or visit us online at www.ucnj.org/recycle .
Union County Mosquito Control will be spraying for adult mosquitoes tonight between 7:30pm and 11:30pm. The spraying will be predicated on the weather conditions; rain and high winds will cancel the operation. The areas to be sprayed are as follows:
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders last night were among the many welcoming participants from the National Junior Disability Championships to Union County during opening night ceremonies held at Warinanco Park in Roselle. Events are being held in three different County parks between now and July 24th,and the public is welcome to attend.
For more information about the 2015 NJDC, including the games event schedule, sponsorship opportunities, and information on volunteering, visit NJDC2015NJ.com or email info@NJDC2015NJ.com.
Project will begin with a traffic shift for westbound Route 22
(Trenton) – New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced a project to replace the bridge deck of Route 22 over Burke Parkway in Union.
The project will begin with a traffic shift this weekend to remove the curb and construct temporary pavement on both the left and right side of Route 22 westbound.
Beginning at 11:00 p.m. Friday, July 24, until 6:00 p.m. Sunday, July 26, traffic will be shifted along the right side of Route 22 westbound near the crossroad of Rosemont Avenue.
As the project progresses there will be lane closures and a detour for Rosemont Avenue. NJDOT will provide traffic advisories before any closures or detours are implemented.
The existing bridge located on Route 22 westbound is supported on reinforced concrete abutments and spans the Burke Parkway. The bridge was built in 1940 and carries two lanes of westbound traffic with a right shoulder and a sidewalk. The bridge is classified as structurally deficient due to the poor condition of the deck slab.
The $2 million project will be replacing the existing bridge deck, sidewalk, parapets and fencing. Minor modifications to the substructure will be performed to accommodate the new parapet located along the sidewalk. The guide rail, sidewalk and the curb also will be reconstructed. The bridge approaches will be milled and resurfaced. The footprint of the existing bridge will not be modified.
The project will be constructed in stages beginning with the new deck and parapets. Each stage will re-construct approximately one third of the bridge deck at a time. For most of the project the Rosemont Avenue exit from Route 22 westbound will be closed and the entrance to Route 22 westbound will limited to emergency vehicles only. Two lanes of traffic will be maintained during daytime hours for the entirety of the project, which is expected to be completed in the spring of 2016.
The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org for real-time travel information.