County of Union, New Jersey

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce a free lecture of special interest for adults 18 years and older at the Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside. 

In honor of Trailside’s 75th anniversary, Trailside Museum Association is sponsoring a guest speaker on Saturday, May 14 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm.   The highly acclaimed author Douglas Tallamy, Professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, presents a seminal lecture on the subject of his book, “Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants.”  This lecture will offer critically important insights into the changes we are making to the environment and how we can make positive transformative changes on the small scale of our own backyards.  Tallamy challenges the audience with questions, such as why is it important to welcome insects to our yards and how can we make our landscapes living ecosystems.  Tallamy’s book was the recipient of The Garden Writers Association of America Silver Medal in 2008.  This lecture is free. The author will have books for sale and signing.

“This lecture will offer critically important insights into the changes we are making to the environment and how we can make positive transformative changes on a small scale in our own backyards,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.

For more information about this workshop, or other activities at Trailside, please call 908-789-3670 or visit www.ucnj.org/trailside,   Trailside Nature and Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a facility of the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Recreation have announced the rescheduled date for  year’s “Touch A Truck” event:   Sunday afternoon, November 6  from 12 P.M. until 5 P.M.,   in the Lower Loop Parking Lot of the Watchung Reservation. There will also be a quiet hour, from 11 A.M. until 12 P.M. where children sensitive to noise will be able to enjoy the vehicles on display.

Touch A Truck will coincide with Trailside’s Rock, Gem and Mineral Show.

Admission to the Touch A Truck event is $4 per person, with children 6 years old and under admitted free.

The Loop Area is located just off Tracy Drive in Mountainside, in between Glenside Avenue and Summit Road. It features a very popular playground area for the kids, and the concession stand will be open. Visitors may also visit the Watchung Stable and the Deserted Village of Feltville/Glenside Park. Also, Lake Surprise is just a short walk where residents can see the new damn.

For more information on Touch A Truck, or any event in the Union County Parks System, please visit our website at ucnj.org/parks.

Advocacy program aimed at connecting women with government services

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to announce the development of the new Office on Women. Established under the Department of Human Services, the Union County Office on Women is the first County government office of its kind in New Jersey.

“The Office on Women will provide a platform for leadership and advocacy on the needs of women of all ages, and serve as a catalyst for awareness and action on current and emerging issues that impact women’s lives,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.

The mission of the Office on Women is to help ensure that women connect with services and programs that enable them to reach their full potential at every stage of their lives: in education, in employment and business, health, and in the social fabric of Union County, and to raise awareness of the many contributions that women make to life in Union County.

The Office on Women, which is set up in the Department of Human Services, serves women in all walks of life throughout Union County. Through analysis, research and strategic collaboration the Office on Women will work to ensure that local programs and services support women’s leadership, equality and advancement in the home, at work and in the community.

For more information about the office,  and to learn more about resources that are available, contact Jennifer Erdos, who is coordinator of the Office on Women, at 908-527-4216 or visit ucnj.org/women.

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.

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Union County, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi invites County residents and visitors to view results of presidential elections dating back to 1920. A link to the data is available on the County Clerk’s website, ucnj.org/county-clerk.

“Making these election records open to all provides a window into the history of Union County – a county which has changed demographically, politically and geographically in the 92 years we have kept election records. I am excited to make these records available,” said Ms. Rajoppi.

“Interest in the electoral process runs high during presidential election years, and this historical data provides an opportunity to view past elections going back almost one hundred years. It’s fascinating to pick out patterns in the numbers, and to recall the many personalities who waged campaigns both within their party and against the opposing party,” she further explained.

The new page includes the names and party affiliations of all the Presidential candidates in both the primary and general elections beginning in 1920. Votes among the 21 towns are aggregated into countywide figures and arranged in categories including the total number of votes cast as well as the number of registered voters.

 

Connect with Union County on social media.

Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi is pleased to announce two updates for “Union County Votes,” a mobile app that provides voters and election watchers with on-the-go information.

“We are always looking for ways to expand and improve Union County Votes, and this election cycle is especially important because it is a Presidential year,” said Ms. Rajoppi. “The new updates will help voters find their correct polling places and get accurate information about the candidates, from the convenience of their mobile devices.”

One update is a new button labeled “Presidential Candidates.” It provides direct links to the official campaign website of each candidate.

“Even though some candidates have suspended their campaigns before the end of Primary season, they will still appear on the Primary Ballot as they have been certified by the New Jersey Department of State. So, we have included the links to their websites as well,” explained Ms. Rajoppi.

The existing “Where do I vote?” button has also been updated to reflect any new changes in polling places.

Ms. Rajoppi created Union County Votes in 2014, to help connect the public with critical information about voting and elections.

Eligible Union County residents have until May 17 to register to vote in the June 7 Primary Election. Persons who are currently age 17 can also register in advance, if they turn 18 on or before Election Day.

The “Are you 17?” button on the Union County Votes app provides more information.

Registered voters also have time to request a Vote-By-Mail ballot before the June 7 Primary, and the app has a button for that.

 “In New Jersey, any registered voter can use a Vote-By-Mail ballot for any reason,” said Ms. Rajoppi. “It’s convenient and secure, and it will ensure that your voice is heard if you can’t make it to the polls on Election Day.”

For all election information, including complete details and deadlines for registration and Vote-By-Mail, visit the County Clerk online at ucnj.org/county-clerk or call the Election Division at 908-527-4996.

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Resident artists of Union County who are 60 years of age or older are invited to exhibit an original work of art completed in the last three years in the annual Union County Senior Citizens Art Exhibit. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, May 18. The exhibit will be held in the Atrium of the Elizabethtown Gas Company, Liberty Hall Center, 1085 Morris Ave., in Union, from May 31 to July 12. All participating artists are invited to attend a reception in the Atrium on Wednesday, June 8, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., including live music and refreshments. The reception is an ideal opportunity to meet other artists.

Artwork will be judged by artists Joan Pamboukes, Julie Harris and Peter Lester. Awards will go to first, second, third place and honorable mention winners in each category. First Place winners in all categories will go on to compete in September at the New Jersey State Senior Citizens Art Show in East Windsor. Entrants may be either amateur/non-professional or professional artists. Any person who meets at least two of the following criteria is considered professional:

1. Sold the type of art entered in the exhibition through commercial channels;
2. Exhibited in a professional gallery;
3. Held professional membership in a guild or association.

Categories of eligible work are: oil; acrylic; watercolor (including gouache); pastel (including chalk, charcoal and oil pastel); drawing and prints (including pencil, pen, ink, graphite, and prints such as etching, engraving, lithograph, woodcut, monoprint, monotype, silkscreen, etc.); mixed media (combines two or more media, no one of which predominates; including collage and assemblage); sculpture (three dimensional, carved, or constructed in any medium, abstract or figurative, painted or unpainted); craft (one-of-a-kind creations only; no kits or molds); digital/computer art (art generated or altered digitally using software); and photography.

Hanging artwork, crafts and photos may not exceed 36 inches nor be less than 10” in any dimension, including matte and frame. Sculpture or 3-D crafts may not exceed 20” in any dimension (measurements include any base for the sculpture). All work must be properly labeled and delivered “show-ready” with screw eyes and wiring ready for hanging. Where necessary, pictures must be protected with glass, Mylar, Plexiglas or other clear material. Plexiglas is strongly recommended on pieces exceeding 24 inches.

To receive an application, call Martha Sturm, Senior Arts Coordinator, at the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 908-558-2550, or email culturalinfo@ucnj.org. Relay users dial 711. Completed applications may be: mailed to Senior Art Show, Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl St., Elizabeth, NJ 07202; or faxed to 908-558-2652; or scanned and emailed to msturm@ucnj.org.

Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan, Undersheriffs Michael Frank and Amilcar Colon and Captain Dennis Burke congratulate newly promoted Sergeant Anastasio Anastasatos of Clark during a ceremony in the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. Sergeant Anastasatos, a 13-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, is assigned to the Crime Scene Unit and also instructs at the John H. Stamler Police Academy. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County offers one of only two live web links in New Jersey for peregrine falcon nests

Union County, NJ – Visitors to the Union County website can now access a free link to the County’s first ever “Falcon Cam,” which provides a live stream of all the action in and around the peregrine falcon nest located on the roof of the County Courthouse in midtown Elizabeth.

The mother falcon laid four eggs earlier this spring, and they are expected to hatch within days.

“The new Falcon Cam is a wonderful opportunity to observe and study one of nature’s most fierce and fascinating creatures,” said Union County Freeholder Bruce H. Bergen. “It will provide an enriching experience for County residents of all ages, and for online visitors from all over the world.”

Peregrine falcons are known for their rapid dives, which can approach an astounding 200 miles an hour as they move in on their prey.

A pair first attempted to build a nest on the roof of the County Courthouse in 2005, but windy conditions were an obstacle. In 2006 County workers installed a repurposed dog house to provide a wind shield, acting on the guidance of wildlife experts with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. A nesting pair has raised chicks in the doghouse every year since then.

“Peregrine falcons are listed as an endangered species in New Jersey, and Union County has been part of ongoing efforts to ensure the survival of these remarkable birds statewide,” said Freeholder Sergio Granados, who is a member of the Parks and Recreation advisory board. “The new live feed will help build an appreciation for the role that we can all play in preserving our natural heritage, both in our parks and in the urban environment.”

In 2015 only 24 nesting pairs of peregrine falcons were reported in all of New Jersey. Of that total, only 16 are known to have made their homes in buildings like the County Courthouse.

Union County participates in a banding program with wildlife experts from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Thanks to the partnership, offspring from the County Courthouse pair have been observed around the tri-state region, where they have raised chicks of their own.

The same pair occupied the County Courthouse nest from 2006 to 2015. Last year they had four eggs, beating the statewide average of 2.25 young per active nest. They also hatched all four to achieve a 100 percent success rate, well above the average rate of 71 percent.

Earlier this year a new female took up residence in the nest. Leg bands indicate that she was born in a nest located at Throgs Neck Bridge in New York City in 2010.

The new Falcon Cam live stream includes two cameras. One provides a view of the nest interior. This camera also provides an infrared video image at night.

A second camera enables observers to track the falcons’ behavior while perched outside of the nest. An audio feed will also be available later this year.

With the Falcon Cam, Union County becomes one of only two places in New Jersey with a live peregrine falcon web link. The other web cam is located at a nest in Jersey City.

Until recent years, the peregrine falcon population was in steep decline along with other birds of prey due to habitat loss and the pesticide DDT. By 1964, peregrine falcons disappeared completely from New Jersey and all other states east of the Mississippi River.

Peregrine falcons were one of the first birds to be the focus of conservation efforts after the 1960’s. In the 1980’s an intensive re-introduction effort began in the tri-state region.

Since 2000 the New Jersey population has stabilized at approximately two dozen nesting pairs annually.

For more information about peregrine falcons, visit the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Fish & Wildlife.

A link for the new Falcon Cam is located on the County website at ucnj.org/falcon.

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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.

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Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados joined U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, Elizabeth Mayor. J. Christian Bollwage, Autism Speaks New Jersey Executive Director Heather Hayes and other officials at the Family Services Town Hall meeting in Elizabeth Saturday to bring together young adults with autism, families, adult service providers and state resources in a positive and collaborative atmosphere.

The town hall focused on the transition of young adults on the autism spectrum from adolescence into adulthood. The panel included advocates, experts and service providers, all of whom are educated and knowledgeable about adult autism services in New Jersey.

The event was co-sponsored by Autism Speaks and Senator Menendez, and hosted in partnership with Union County, City of Elizabeth, Elizabeth Public School District, Elizabeth Board of Education, and Moving New Jersey Forward Foundation.

For more information, visit www.autismspeaks.org.