County of Union

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – Did you know that your group or organization can reserve a trail ride on horseback in the Watchung Reservation? Union County’s Watchung Stable invites birthday parties, scout groups, youth groups, block associations and all other groups to consider trying this unique recreational opportunity.

“Horseback riding in the Watchung Reservation is a real treat,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter. “What better way to experience nature as well as get a little exercise than on a horse in Union County’s own beautiful forest? Bishop, Brutus and Happy are some of the horses just waiting to take you for a leisurely walk.”

You can call now to book a special private ride for groups of up to 15 people who are nine years of age and older. These rides need to be set up in advance at a mutually convenient time, on weekdays and weekends. The cost of a one-hour ride is the horse rental fee (Union County residents $32; out-of- county riders $45 per person) and an additional single fee of $32 for one of the Stable’s riding instructors to accompany you. Public trail rides are also offered on Saturdays at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 and 3:00 p.m., first-come first-served.

For younger riders under nine years old, Watchung Stable also offers lead lines on Sundays from 9:00 to 10:45 a.m. Lead lines are also available on Saturday afternoons and during the week (weather permitting) and are accommodated on a first-come first-served basis. The cost for a half-hour lead line is $18 for Union County residents and $26 for out-of-county riders.

Trail rides and lead lines are held at Watchung Stable, located at 1160 Summit Lane in Mountainside. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. – noon and 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

For further information, call (908) 789-3665 during the normal office hours or email questions tostablequestions@ucnj.org.

“TROOPER OF THE YEAR” –  Courtney Maier, 14, of Mountainside, was awarded the “Trooper of the Year” trophy and medal for accumulating the most points during the 2012 Troop season at Watchung Stable in Mountainside. Courtney has been riding horses for five years. She received her trophy from stable manager Rachel Bechtold during Watchung Stable’s 80th Anniversary Spring Troop Horse Show on May 24-26. Watchung Stable, a facility of the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal, is administered by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. For more information regarding equestrian programs, group trail rides, tours or birthday parties at Watchung Stable, call (908) 789-3665, or e-mail questions tostablequestions@ucnj.org.

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – Summer is just around the corner and Union County’s Watchung Stable in Mountainside is busy preparing for the start of Summer Camp for young equestrians.

“Horseback riding in the Watchung Reservation has been a local treat for generations,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter. “Our Summer Camp program at Watchung Stable is a great way to learn how to ride. It has been in existence since 1935, and I am proud to say that more than 40,000 boys and girls have participated in this wonderful program.”

All applicants must be nine years of age or older. Classes are based upon riding ability as determined by the Watchung Stable management. Applicants with previous experience may be asked to demonstrate their riding ability in order to be placed in the appropriate class. Classes are held Tuesdays through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There are nine weeks to choose from starting June 18th and ending the week of August 13th. Summer Camp will culminate with the Summer Camp Horse Show on August 17 in which all campers are eligible to participate.

During the camp, participants will have a chance to feel what it is like to own their own horse for a week. Grooming, tacking up, ring riding, trail riding and general care of horses will all be taught to each rider. A camp T-shirt will be given to every participant.

The cost to participate for Union County residents is $385 per week. Helmets and heeled boots are required and must be provided at the rider’s expense. Registration forms and fees must be submitted in-person at the Watchung Stable office, 1160 Summit Lane in Mountainside. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

Watchung Stable is a facility of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. For further information, and to obtain registration materials, call 908-789-3665 or email: stablequestions@ucnj.org

Union County Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski (2nd L) and Alexander Mirabella (3rd L) present resolutions to Casleny Augustin of Rahway, Katie Lennon of New Providence and Petra Semelova of Maplewood, members of the Union County College Men’s and Women’s Track Team, congratulating them on their achievements at the National Junior College Athletic Association (Division III) championship games. They are joined by UCC President Margaret McMenamin (L) and Tammy Smith, Dean of College Life (R). (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Westfield – Elected officials, transportation professionals and the public are invited to the third Raritan Valley Rail Coalition meeting of 2013 on Monday, June 10, 2013 at 8:30 a.m. in the Town of Westfield Council Chambers located at 425 East Broad Street.

Mr. Mr. William Nierstedt, AICP/PP, Director of Planning/Zoning Officer, City of Plainfield will discuss Plainfield’s Transit Oriented Development Ordinances that encompass the Downtown and Neitherwood Train Stations and their implications for redevelopment and economic revitalization in areas adjacent to the Train Stations.

Also Coalition Trustees will update the members on the Coalitions One Seat Ride Campaign including: supporting municipal resolutions, the results from recent meetings in Westfield and Cranford and ongoing outreach activities.

The meeting will be held in the Town of Westfield Council Chambers in the Town of Westfield Municipal Building located at 425 East Broad Street Westfield. Free parking is available in the parking lot adjacent to the municipal building.

NJ Transit rail and bus service is a short walk from NJ Transit’s Westfield Train Station and various NJ Transit bus routes. For NJ Transit bus and rail schedule and fare information, call (973) 275-5555 or visitwww.njtransit.com

For questions, directions or more information about the meeting, contact the Raritan Valley Rail Coalition at (908) 231-7021, by fax at (908) 707-1749 or by e-mail at rvrc@co.somerset.nj.us

If inclement weather is predicted for June 10th call (908) 281-9569 the day before the meeting to determine if the meeting has been postponed.

Union County Sheriff Ralph Froehlich (center) announced today Union County Sheriff and Corrections vehicles will now feature NJ Cop Shot bumper stickers which offer a $20,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of those responsible for killing or seriously wounding a law enforcement officer. He is joined by (from left) Policemen’s Benevolent Association officials Ken Burkert, Joe Krech, Robert McLaughlin and Mike Heller. For more information, visit www.njcopshot.com.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

CRANFORD – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholder has approved a project to improve three intersections and a busy, quarter-mile section of Centennial Avenue this year, to ease congestion and make a safer turning area for parents dropping off their children at a school.

“This project was a long time coming, in part because it is so complicated,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski. “It required a great deal of cooperation between the Cranford Board of Education, the Township, the county and utilities. But in the end we will make this busy intersection safer.”

The County will widen Centennial Avenue from the Lehigh Valley Railroad Trestle to Wall Street, a 1,100 foot stretch, by up to 10 feet. This will allow for a left turn-only lane for Hillside Avenue in the northbound lane and a new left turn-only lane for Myrtle Avenue on the southbound side.

A new traffic signal will go up at the T-intersection of Hillside and Centennial Avenues and the county will replace the traffic light at Myrtle Avenue. The lights will be timed together to improve the flow of traffic there. The traffic light at Wall Street and Centennial Avenue will also be replaced.

Sidewalks and curbing would be rebuilt along the school’s side of the property. All of the land used for the project will come from the Board of Education’s property on the western side of Centennial Avenue.

“Making a left turn onto Centennial Avenue during rush hour is no picnic,” said Mayor Tom Hannen. “Parents take their chances or depend on the courtesy of other drivers to get onto Centennial Avenue. Hundreds of children walk to school or are dropped off here, so this was really a public safety issue for us. We’re glad the county was able to move this project forward.”

This summer, Union County will also be resurfacing a 1.17 mile section of Centennial Avenue from North Avenue to Raritan Avenue, part of the county’s annual resurfacing program.

The new traffic lights will utilize LED lighting, which is brighter and 90% more efficient than old incandescent bulbs. This allows them to be operated by batteries (located in the base of the post) in a power loss. Cameras mounted above the lights measure traffic flow and help set the timing.

Construction will cost $821,705 and Fai-Gon Electric of Piscataway was awarded the contract for the project. Construction is expected to begin in late summer after school has let out. This project is funded by state highway grants.

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Discussing Centennial Avenue intersection improvements are (from left): Dr. Gail Carrick, Cranford Superintendent of Schools; Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski; Cranford Commissioner Kevin Campbell, the Township’s Public Safety Commissioner; and Mayor Tom Hannen (photo by James Lowney)

Vo-Tech receives grant for community garden project

Union County, NJ – A group of high school students at Union County Vo-Tech Schools has been hard at work transforming a corner of their Scotch Plains campus into a vegetable garden, with the aim of growing fresh produce for use within the school and for donation to local food banks.

Called a Sustainability Community Outreach Garden, the project is part of a national youth service learning program under The National FFA Organization, which provided $2,500 for garden supplies and materials.

“The Sustainability Garden project is a valuable addition to the education and career development resources available to our residents through the Vo-Tech schools,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter. “The urban agriculture movement is a diverse, growing economic sector that offers unique learning experiences and rewarding new career pathways in densely developed areas like Union County.”

The Sustainability Garden consists of raised beds for fruits, vegetables and herbs along with space for plants that attract pollinators.

“One key mission at Vo-Tech is to form a campus-wide community of responsible citizens, and this project is an outstanding demonstration of the service learning model,” said Vo-Tech Superintendent of Schools Peter Capodice. “It is designed to dovetail with the National FFA theme of acting locally to help prevent hunger.”

In addition to providing direct hands-on learning for students involved in Vo-Tech’s Agricultural Science curriculum, the garden will help raise awareness about interrelated agriculture, nutrition and food scarcity issues among students throughout the Vo-Tech campus.

As part of that goal, the entire Vo-Tech campus will be involved in projects related to sustainable gardening practices, such as composting and rainwater harvesting.

The garden project also aims to recruit student ambassadors at Vo-Tech from all 21 municipalities, who can share news and information about sustainable gardening and related issues with their home communities.

“Urban and suburban agriculturists of the future will play a vital role in the health and welfare of their communities, and the Freeholder Board is very proud that Union County students at Vo-Tech are helping to lead the way,” said Carter.

National FFA is a national youth career development organization that operates under Congressional charter through the U.S. Department of Education.

Originally founded in 1928 as Future Farmers of America, in 1988 it changed its name to The National FFA Organization, to signify the embrace of 300 diverse careers identified with contemporary agricultural practices.

At Union County Vo-Tech, the Union County FFA Chapter of the National FFA serves as the Career and Technical Student Organization for students enrolled in agricultural education.

Union County high school sophomores who are interested in applying to Vo-Tech’s share time Agricultural Science Program for the fall can find out more about the curriculum at case4learning.org.

For more information about the award-winning, nationally recognized Union County Vo-Tech Schools visitucvts.tec.nj.us.

 

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MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that three dusk walks will be conducted in June at the Deserted Village of Feltville as part of the Spring Adult Programs at Trailside Nature and Science Center. The walks, for adults ages 18 and older, will take place on Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. The fee for each hike is $10 for Union County residents and $12 for out-of-county participants. The walks begin at the Deserted Village parking lot on Cataract Hollow Road, off Glenside Avenue.

“This is a perfect opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the season on a guided walk in the scenic Watchung Reservation with a Park Naturalist from Trailside Nature and Science Center,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter. “And while you’re at it, you’ll learn about the early inhabitants of Union County and the environment in which they lived.”

The twilight hikes begin on Thursday, June 6, when walkers will enjoy a PowerPoint presentation in the comfort of the recently renovated Masker’s Barn to discover the History of the Deserted Village of Feltville. Find out about the early inhabitants of the area and how it became deserted. Then take a walking tour of this local treasure.

On June 13, take pleasure in a Late Spring Stroll and learn about the sights and sounds of the natural world around us. Find out how to identify late blooming flowers, common trees and local wildlife signs on a walk through the village.

On June 20, you’ll explore the topic of the Lenape Native Americans. Discover who the Lenape Native Americans were and how they lived off the land. Search outdoors for plants, trees and animals used by the Lenape to survive. Refreshments will be served at Masker’s Barn while participants enjoy a brief PowerPoint presentation and see some Native American artifacts.

Pre-registration is recommended, but walk-ins will be accommodated as space permits. Appropriate outdoor attire is recommended. For more information about these programs or upcoming programs and events at Trailside, call 908-789-3670 or visit www.ucnj.org/trailside.  Trailside Nature & 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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Freeholder Bruce H. Bergen presented ribbons to winners of the “First Class Troopers – All Ages – Over Low Fences,” at Union County’s 80th Annual Spring Troop Horse Show, held May 24-26 at the Watchung Stable.  Winners of this event, from left to right are, 1st place – Courtney Maier of Mountainside, 2nd place – Phoebe Weiman of Cranford, 3rd place – Miranda Jakubek of Westfield, 4th place – Janine Puhak of Cranford, 5th place – Alicia Fung-A-Fat of Scotch Plains, and 6th Place – Brianne Zelko of Westfield.  Throughout the weekend 242 riders, ages 9 through adult, took part in 100 events.  For information on riding lessons, trail rides, birthday parties, summer camp and more, call the Watchung Stables at (908) 789-3665.