County of Union, New Jersey

Union County, NJ – The sights and sounds of the fall season are here, and so is the season for warming up the house with a home-cooked meal. Experts from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County recommend trying out new recipes that take advantage of all the nutrition – and tasty “comfort food” flavors — packed into the familiar winter squash.

“The Freeholder Board is very proud to partner with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension to bring reliable, science-based information to the community,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “This new information about the health benefits of winter squash may surprise you.”

In a new article titled “Why is Winter Squash so Healthy for You to Eat,” Extension head and nutrition expert Dr. Karen M. Ensle of Rutgers University details some of the findings.

Butternut squash, for example, has a high fiber content that helps to lower blood cholesterol and stabilize blood glucose levels.  It is rich in the antioxidant beta-carotene, which enhances skin and eye health.  Its high mineral content also helps the heart to beat normally, which can assist with exercise and fitness activities.

Modern winter squash is can trace its roots back to wild varieties found in an area between Mexico and Guatemala and used for food thousands of years ago. Now it is cultivated around the globe.

“From South America to Africa to India and Asia and even in some parts of the United States, no single food provides a greater percentage of certain carotenoids than winter squash,” said Dr. Ensle.

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County is supported in part by the Freeholder Board. For information on all Extension programs for Union County residents, including Master Gardeners, Master Tree Stewards and 4-H youth clubs, visit online at ucnj.org/rce or call the Extension offices in Westfield, 908-654-9854 (press “2” for assistance).

For recipe tips and more information about winter squash, and other news about nutrition and community health, visit the “Health Tips” link at ucnj.org/rce.

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Photo caption (photo attached): Roasted squash (by Vanessa Druckman via flickr.com, creative commons license).

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 Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholders Linda Carter, Bette Jane Kowalski, Alexander Mirabella and Vernell Wright and Union County Parks and Recreation Director Ron Zuber joined members of the Union County Spectrum All Stars at the official opening of the new all-accessible fishing pier in Warinanco Park in Roselle.  The maintenance-free pier is ADA accessible, goes out 50 feet from the shore line, and offers expansive views of the pond and park. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announce the final 2016 Household Special Waste Collection event on Saturday, October 15^th for Union County residents to dispose 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 Alcatel – Lucent Technologies located at 600 Mountain Avenue in New Providence.  Please note that latex (water-based) paint will not be accepted.

Saturday, October 15 will be the last household hazardous waste collection of 2016. Residents of Union County are eligible to participate at no cost. Pre-registration is not required for this special Saturday collection.

“It is our goal to make the household hazardous waste recycling program convenient and reliable for Union County residents,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “This is a great opportunity to recycle and properly dispose of unwanted household hazardous waste items that are cluttering up the basement or the garage, or taking up space under the kitchen sink. The result of our effort is safer homes and a cleaner environment for our families and our neighbors.”

Once residents arrive at Alcatel – Lucent Technologies with their household special waste, propane tanks, automobile tires, and mercury thermostats, they should remain in their vehicle while professional workers at the site unload the waste materials for disposal.

Household special waste items include 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. 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. Empty or dried out cans should be disposed of with the regular garbage.

There is a limit of eight automobile tires (without rims) per household. This is a household recycling event. No businesses, please.

A broader list of the materials that will be accepted on October 15 is available at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning web site: www.ucnj.org/recycle . This will be the last household hazardous waste collection of 2016.

The household hazardous waste collection will be held rain or shine, for Union County residents only and not for businesses. Proof of Union County residency is required. For more information, please call the Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that the next mobile paper-shredding program for personal, confidential documents will take place at Galloping Hill Golf Course, located at 3 Golf Drive in Kenilworth, on Thursday, October 13th. 

Also, the final document shredding event for 2016 will be held on Saturday, October 22nd at Alcatel-Lucent Technologies located at 600 Mountain Avenue in New Providence.  Both document shredding events run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. 

“Properly disposing of personal documents is one way for resident to protect themselves from identity theft,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen. “Union County’s mobile document-shredding program compliments the County’s recycling efforts and other green initiatives, while giving residents a convenient opportunity to dispose old documents and confidential files safely and securely.”

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. NEXCUT Shredding of Elizabeth will be shredding personal documents from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  The event will end before 1 p.m. if the shredding truck reaches capacity.

This is a garbage-free event so please bring your documents in paper bags if at all possible. Plastic bags and boxes will be returned. Please remove plastic binders and large paper clips.  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 then dumped onto a conveyor belt and shredded on site. Participants are welcome to view the shredding process via a closed-circuit television. The shredded documents are then recycled, shipped to paper mills and used as pulp.

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 Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889 or visit us online at www.ucnj.org/recycle.

 

Union County, NJ — Union County’s annual public heritage event, “Four Centuries in a Weekend: A Journey through Union County’s History,” will take place on Saturday, October 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 16 from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.

Sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders with the cooperation of staff and volunteers at 35 house museums and historic sites, the two-day free event opens the doors to more than 370 years of history throughout the county.

“See history come alive in Union County!  Four Centuries in a Weekend began in 1994, when historic sites and the county got together to tell an exciting story:  how Elizabethtown of 1664 became the 21 towns and cities of today’s Union County,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski. “This year, a beautifully restored mansion and church, Revolutionary War burial grounds, the county’s oldest railroad station, quaint house museums, special exhibitions and tours showcase our treasure trove of history.”

Among the historic sites on tour, all listed on the National and New Jersey State Registers of Historic Places, with special programs or events highlighting their rich heritage are:

• Miller-Cory House Museum in Westfield will have Open hearth cooking using 18^th century recipes and “Quilts-A work of Art” featuring quilts ranging from antique to modern.
• The Connecticut Farms Church in Union will offer tours of the Church and the Cemetery; as well as opportunities to purchase both desserts on Saturday and on Sunday a lunch, all based on recipes from the 1700’s.
• Deserted Village of Feltville-Glenside Park in Berkeley Heights will host a panel discussion about the murals painted in historic house #7 by Nicaraguan Artist Roberto de la Selva, circa 1927; on Sunday at 2 pm.
• Deacon Andrew Hetfield House in Mountainside, will exhibit a private photo collection celebrating Mountainside historic past.
• Oswald J. Nitschke House, will be highlighting “James Arthur: The Story of 100 Houses in 100 days”.
• Carter House of Summit will feature a 1927 Fire Engine.
• Nathaniel Drake House in Plainfield will present a lecture on both days at 2 pm, “Colonial African- Americans’ Contributions to America”
• First Presbyterian Church & Snyder Academy in Elizabeth will feature on Saturday; from 12-3pm a Revolutionary War re-enactment of the 1780 Battle of Elizabeth.

Journey on to Boxwood Hall in Elizabeth, the 1772 home of Elias Boudinot, President of the Continental Congress, where there will be an exhibit on the interior upgrade of the house, tour the grounds of the Nathaniel Bonnell Homestead and the Belcher-Ogden Mansion, and visit the Caldwell Parsonage at Connecticut Farms in Union, an American Revolutionary site that will feature a re-enactor portraying the “Fighting Parson” James Caldwell.

Then, continue on to the Liberty Hall Museum and check out the amazing home of New Jersey’s first elected Governor and signer of the United States Constitution, William Livingston.

A visit to Hillside will bring you to the Woodruff House/Eaton Store, built in 1735, with a mini-Apple festival; then continue on to the historic Evergreen Cemetery, a virtual museum of funerary art.

In Rahway you’ll be welcome at the Merchants and Drovers Tavern, a restored early 19^th century hotel, and you can tour the Union County Performing Arts Center, a beautifully restored classic Vaudeville theatre.

When you stop at the Dr. William Robinson Plantation in Clark, you’ll discover a post-medieval English-style house where Dr. Robinson practiced healing with plants and herbs. Civil War Re-enactors will be there as well throughout the weekend.

At the Fanwood Train Station Museum you’ll visit the oldest Victorian Gothic railroad station in the county and learn about Fanwood’s ties to the Central Railroad of New Jersey.

Visit the Reeve History and Cultural Resource Center in Westfield and tour the Victorian style house and its extensive collection.

While going to Cranford, stop by the Crane-Phillips House and look at their display “Cranford Chronicle: 120 years.”

At the Abraham Clark House, home to a signer of the Declaration of Independence, you’ll learn about Early American life and the history of Roselle. In the Roselle Park Museum, housed in the Charles E. Stone Store, you’ll be standing in the first electrically-lighted store in the world.

Authentic 18^th century farmhouses are open for touring. The Salt Box Museum in New Providence will feature pine needle basket coiling. The Osborn Cannonball House in Scotch Plains which will offer the exhibit, “Beautiful Blushing Brides” — bridal fashions, accessories and photographs from the19th, 20^th and 21^st centuries, and the Plainfield Meetinghouse in Plainfield will feature conversations on the history of the Quaker house.

Venturing into the Watchung Mountains, you’ll also visit the Littell-Lord Farmstead in Berkeley Heights, a reminder of the County’s agricultural past, and explore Summit, with its Twin Maples, a stately neoclassical mansion, the Carter House — the city’s oldest house, built in the 1740’s –and the Summit Playhouse, a Richardsonian Romanesque structure with a 120-seat auditorium.

Also in Summit, you will find the Reeves-Reed Arboretum with a great mix of history and horticulture.

Children can earn a Time Traveler’s Certificate and a Four Centuries Patch by visiting and obtaining a Time Traveler Passport at any of the sites, having it stamped and returning the completed form to the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs.

More details about Four Centuries in a Weekend are available online at ucnj.org/parks-recreation.

For free copies of the Four Centuries in a Weekend tour booklet, map and further information, telephone 908-558-2550 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., NJ Relay Users dial 711, or e-mail: culturalinfo@ucnj.org.

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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 Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholder Alexander Mirabella present a resolution to Mike Guarino of the Columbus Parade Association of Union County in honor of Columbus Day at the group’s 28th annual anniversary celebration in Linden. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that the Academy for Performing Arts high school has been named a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.

APA is one of the five full time, award-winning public high schools that are part of the Union County Vocational-Technical School District. The Vo-Tech campus is located at 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains.

“The Blue Ribbon designation is a significant mark of distinction for APA,” said Freeholder Linda Carter, who is a liaison to the Vocational-Technical School Board of Education. “On behalf of the Freeholder Board I would like to recognize the entire Vo-Tech community – students, families, faculty and staff – for creating an environment that fosters an outstanding experience for all.” 

APA is one of only 10 New Jersey high schools to receive Blue Ribbon designation in 2016. Nationwide, 329 schools were selected for the recognition.

“For all of our schools, the emphasis is on teamwork, mutual respect, and the development of the whole person as a member of the community,” said Peter Capodice, Superintendent of Schools for the Union County Vocational-Technical School District. “We are honored to be part of the Blue Ribbon program, and we look forward to sharing our experiences with other school districts nationwide.”

The U.S. Department of Education developed the National Blue Ribbon program in 1982 as a way to recognize academic excellence among public and private schools, and to identify core elements that are most effective at enabling students to succeed. The program is designed to improve education nationwide by providing schools with an opportunity to learn and share best practices from each other.

The Department of Education nominates schools that meet Blue Ribbon standards. Nominated schools must then send in an application to be considered for the award.

This year is the fifth time a Union County Vocational-Technical School has been named a Blue Ribbon School. Magnet High School was honored twice, and the Academy for Information Technology and the Union County Technical High School were each honored once.

APA has an enrollment of about 200 students who dedicate their time to learning various aspects of the performing arts community. Students can major in dance, theatre, or technical theatre. They enroll in college-level courses at Kean University for their senior year.

The school has a 100% graduation rate, with all students attending a four-year college or university after graduation.

Among other recognitions, in 2013 Newsweek ranked APA as one of top schools nationwide. U.S. News & World Report also named APA as a one of the Best High Schools in 2015.

For more information about all Union County Vocational-Technical Schools visit ucvts.org.

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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 that the County’s Workforce Innovation Business Center will provide support services to the company Airserv, for recruiting qualified applicants to fill 50 positions at Newark-Liberty International Airport. The 50 new positions are part of an Airserv hiring wave that will eventually total 230 jobs.

“Airserv has previously worked with the WIB Center to place scores of Union County residents in good quality jobs, and the Freeholder Board is very proud to continue this productive relationship to the benefit of job seekers in our community,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.

Airserv supports passenger and freight airlines with a variety of ground services at more than 50 airports throughout the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

Successful applicants will receive “soft skills” training” before they begin work.

“The training period provides an opportunity to learn valuable skills that can help the new employees begin work with confidence, and assist them in progressing in their new careers,” said Vice Chairman Sergio Granados, who is Freeholder liaison to the Union County Workforce Development Board. “As liaison to the Workforce Development Board I make it a top priority to create new and retain our public-private partnerships so we create the most opportunities of employment for our residents.”

The 50 new positions at Liberty-Newark Airport are for Vendor Behind the Counter positions and CSA Security Checkpoint agents.

Vendor Behind the Counter positions involve greeting airline passengers, verifying their government identification and assisting them with baggage check. CSA agents are responsible for a variety of activities related to site access and proper identification.

County residents who are interested in applying for one of the 50 new positions must pre-register to attend an Airserv recruitment event that will be held on Tuesday, October 18 at the Union County WIB Center, located in The Mills at Jersey Gardens shopping mall, 651 Kapkowski Road in Elizabeth.

Persons residing outside of Union County are also welcome to attend.

Before pre-registering, prospective attendees should ensure that they are prepared for the recruitment process. The requirements are:

• Bring several copies of your resume
• Be prepared to provide date of birth, place of residence and other basic information
• Must be available to work on weekends and holidays
• Must have reliable transportation to Newark-Liberty Airport
• Must agree to a background check and drug screening as required by the employer
• Must have Social Security Card and matching ID

At the recruitment event, staff from Union County’s One-Stop Career Centers will review the applicants’ materials and work history.

Applicants who are certified as qualified to move on to the next step will then be interviewed by Airserv at the WIB Center on Wednesday, October 19.

To pre-register online for the recruitment event and get more details, visit  ucnj.org/wdb/job-fairs-and-opportunities.

The WIB Center is a partnership between the Freeholder Board, the Workforce Development Board and Union County College. More information is available online at ucnj.org/wdb.

For questions about the requirements for the October 18 recruitment event, call Susan Gomez at Union County College, 908-355-4444.

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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.