County of Union, New Jersey

Union County Freeholder Bruce Bergen (L) present Springfield Mayor Richard Huber (C) and Deputy Mayor David Barnett with checks from the Kids’ Recreation Trust Fund and the “Greening Union County” grant programs at the October 16 Freeholder Board meeting in Elizabeth.

In 2014, almost $1 million in matching grants from the Kids’ Recreation Trust Fund will be distributed to municipalities across Union County that are looking to upgrade or build playing fields, including hockey rinks, soccer fields, baseball fields, swimming pools, and other recreational facilities for children and families.

The “Greening Union County” program helps local governments offset the cost of planting trees through matching grants.

Freeholder Bergen is the chairman of the Union County Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund which provides the matching grants for the program.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak (R) and Freeholder Bruce Bergen (L) present Linden Recreation Director Gary Luciano with a check from the “Greening Union County” grant program at the October 16 Freeholder Board meeting in Elizabeth.

The “Greening Union County” program helps local governments offset the cost of planting trees through matching grants.

Freeholder Bergen is the chairman of the Union County Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund which provides the matching grants for the program.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak (R) and Freeholder Bruce Bergen (L) present Summit Council President Robert J. Rubino (2^nd L) and Councilman Richard J. Madden with checks from the Kids’ Recreation Trust Fund and the “Greening Union County” grant programs at the October 16 Freeholder Board meeting in Elizabeth.

In 2014, almost $1 million in matching grants from the Kids’ Recreation Trust Fund will be distributed to municipalities across Union County that are looking to upgrade or build playing fields, including hockey rinks, soccer fields, baseball fields, swimming pools, and other recreational facilities for children and families.

The “Greening Union County” program helps local governments offset the cost of planting trees through matching grants.

Freeholder Bergen is the chairman of the Union County Open Space, Historic Preservation and Recreation Trust Fund which provides all the matching grants for the programs.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholders Bruce Bergen (L) and Alexander Mirabella (R) present Clark Mayor Sal Bonaccorso (2^nd L) and Recreation Director Ralph Bernardo with a check from the Kids’ Recreation Trust Fund grant program at the October 16 Freeholder Board meeting in Elizabeth.

In 2014, almost $1 million in matching grants from the Kids’ Recreation Trust Fund will be distributed to municipalities across Union County that are looking to upgrade or build playing fields, including hockey rinks, soccer fields, baseball fields, swimming pools, and other recreational facilities for children and families.

Freeholder Bergen is the chairman of the Union County Open Space, Historic Preservation and Recreation Trust Fund which provides the matching grants for the program.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

ROSELLE, NJ – Registration for the first session of Hockey Clinics and Ice Skating Lessons will begin Thursday, October 30, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Warinanco Ice Skating Center in Roselle and continue through Sunday, November 2, or when the classes fill. Registrations will resume on Friday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Saturday, Oct. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 2, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The first session of Group Ice Skating Lessons will begin Saturday, November 8. Ice skating lessons meet once a week for 30 minutes. The session is six weeks. The fee for youths 17 years of age and under (and senior citizens, 62-plus) is $105 (includes rink admission). The fee for adults 18 to 61 years is $116 (includes rink admission). Skate rentals are available for a fee of $4 at the time of the lesson.

Hockey Clinics will begin on Sunday, November 9. Hockey Clinics meet once a week for one hour. The session is six weeks. The fee for First Start (ages 4-6) and Youth (ages 7-12) is $135. Hockey equipment is required.

Please register for classes or clinics in person. Applications will not be accepted by mail. You can pick up a registration form at the Warinanco Ice Skating Center or download the registration form atwww.ucnj.org/skating.

The Warinanco Ice Skating Center is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and is operated by the Department of Parks and Recreation. The Skating Center is located in Warinanco Park off Thompson Avenue in Roselle. Entrances to Warinanco Park are located on St. George’s Avenue and Thompson Avenue.

For further information about the Warinanco Ice Skating Center or the times and dates of classes, call 908-298-7850 for a recorded message or visit the website www.ucnj.org/skating.

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Union County, NJ – Registration is still open for “Think Globally, Act Locally,” a free breakfast networking session designed to explore opportunities for business growth through electronic media. The event, open to all business owners and managers in Union County, is scheduled for Tuesday, October 21, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at Hamilton Stage, 360 Hamilton Street, Rahway.

Think Globally, Act Locally will feature U.S. Senator Cory Booker, Kristina Hahn, head of Consumer Packaged Goods at Google and SHR Marketing CEO Stan Robinson in a roundtable discussion moderated by Tara Dowdell, Founder and Principal of the Tara Dowdell Group.

“Our three guests bring a wide variety of experience and insights to the table, so this promises to be an exciting and informative event” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak.

Think Globally, Act Locally is part of the Freeholder Board’s Union County Means Business (UCMB) initiative, which provides free networking sessions and other services for the local business community.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required by visiting the UCMB website, ucnj2.org/ucmb, or call 908-527-4802.

Please join the County of Union online at ucnj.org, on Facebook at ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter attwitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Union County, NJ – Union County’s annual Red Ribbon Drug Prevention Walk features a full slate of free children’s activities, all in the cause of raising awareness about preventing drug and alcohol abuse. This year’s Red Ribbon Drug Prevention Walk will be held on Saturday, October 18 at Nomahegan Park in Cranford, including free family activities and a family fun walk. The rain date for the event will be Saturday, October 25 at the same time and location.

“Red Ribbon Day helps you talk to your children about positive, healthy choices while they are still very young,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “It helps you lay a good foundation for family communication, which will become all the more important as your children grow older and encounter new challenges.”

The Red Ribbon Drug Prevention Walk is held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will include free activities such as a petting zoo, field games, face painting, and a helicopter landing.

The Walk portion of the event will begin at approximately 10:30 with the Formal Ceremony taking place immediately after.

Individuals, families, and organizations can register for the walk to support the Raymond J. Lesniak Experience-Strength-Hope Recovery High School, the first public recovery high school in the state of New Jersey. Recovery High School is the newest addition to the award-winning, nationally recognized Union County Vocational-Technical Schools District. Administration of the school comes under the non-profit organization Prevention Links, a Red Ribbon sponsor.

The national Red Ribbon Drug Awareness Campaign commemorates the life of Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who died at the hands of drug traffickers in Mexico while conducting an undercover investigation of a major drug cartel. Camarena worked his way through college, served in the Marines and became a police officer before joining the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The Red Ribbon Drug Prevention Walk is supported by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Prevention Links and the Union County D.A.R.E. Officers Association.

For more information about the Red Ribbon Campaign, Recovery High School, and all Red Ribbon activities, contact Prevention Links at info@preventionlinks.org or 732-381-4100.

For information about Union County parks visit ucnj.org or call 908-527-4900.

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Please join the County of Union online at ucnj.org, on Facebook atucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter at twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ – The County of Union will sponsor a recycling event for electronic equipment on Saturday, October 25, so Union County residents can get rid of unwanted computers, televisions and other electronic equipment in an environmentally proper manner.

The special E-cycling event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Alcatel-Lucent Technologies facility, 600 Mountain Avenue, New Providence 07974.

All residents of Union County are eligible to participate at no cost. There is a limit of six electronic items per car.

“Computer monitors, old televisions and other electronic devices are the source of a considerable amount of dangerous material, including lead, mercury, cadmium and PCBs – and it is unlawful to dispose of them with the regular garbage,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak, liaison to the Union County Solid Waste Advisory Board. “Up to 95 percent of most electronic appliances can be recycled. This is a responsible way to keep hazardous heavy metals out of our environment.”

Electronic equipment that will be accepted on Oct. 25 includes computer monitors, hard drives, modems, keyboards, CPU’s, mice, printers, scanners, speakers, televisions, tablets and e-readers, VCR’s, fax machines, telephones, circuit boards, CD’s, DVD’s and video cassettes.

All that residents need to do is drive to the site with their unwanted electronic equipment. Workers at the site will unload the vehicles.

Pre-registration is not required for this special Saturday collection.

Refrigerators, washers and dryers, microwaves, and air conditioners will not be accepted, but they are accepted at Union County’s Scrap Metal Recycling Program.

A complete list of the materials that will be accepted on Oct. 25 is available at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning website: www.ucnj.org/recycle.

The electronics collection will be held rain or shine, for Union County residents only and not for businesses. Proof of Union County residency is required.

In addition to the special Oct. 25 recycling event sponsored by the County of Union, there are local businesses as well as 14 municipalities that provide E-cycling opportunities for residents. Visit the website www.ucnj.org/recycle or call your municipal recycling coordinator for more computer and electronics recycling options.

Goodwill and Dell have teamed up to recycle computers. Goodwill in Union County is located at 126 Route 22 West, Springfield 07081, next to Macy’s Furniture. Call Goodwill at 973-912-0156 for more details or visit their web site: www.reconnectpartnership.com.

Best Buy stores now offer electronics recycling, including TVs, computer monitors, DVD players and other consumer electronics. Visit their website (www.bestbuy.com/) for store locations, or call toll-free for information about electronics recycling: 1-888-237-8289.

Staples also offers a computer recycling program seven days a week. For more information, visit the Staples web site for store locations: www.staples.com.

An alternative drop-off program for recycling electronics equipment is available Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Newtech Recycling, located at 600-A Apgar Drive, Somerset NJ 08873; 732-564-3110. Visit www.newtechrecycling.com .

For more information about recycling events, please call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908- 654-9889.

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ELIZABETH, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi reminds registered voters that sample ballots for the General Election on Tuesday, November 4, may be reviewed on-line by visiting the County Clerk’s website and on the new mobile app, Union County Votes.

The names of candidates running for the U.S. Senate, Congressional seats, County Sheriff, County Surrogate, County Freeholders, Municipal offices, and Board of Education seats in the Nov. 4 General Election are posted atwww.ucnj.org/sample-ballots. Sample ballots also are available on the new mobile app, Union County Votes, which is available for download for free on Apple or Android devices through the app store. Public Questions are included on the sample ballots.

“As a former school board member, Mayor and Freeholder myself, I know the importance of an informed electorate,” Ms. Rajoppi said. “My website and new election app are designed to help voters familiarize themselves with their local candidates in all 21 Union County municipalities before General Election Day.”

The County Clerk’s responsibilities include administering election laws within and for the County of Union and its 21 municipalities for primary, general, school board and special elections including acceptance of nominating petitions, designing ballots, mailing “Vote By Mail” ballots and tabulating voting results for the public record.

More information about sample ballots for the General Election can be obtained by calling the County Clerk’s Office at 908-527-4996 or by visiting the office at 2 Broad Street, Room 113, Elizabeth NJ 07207. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, email:ucvote@ucnj.org .

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Some fresh detective work on a fugitive cold case by the Union County Sheriff’s Fugitive Unit led to the arrest of a suspect wanted for more than 15 years, acting Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan announced today.

Esmelyn Bronfield, formerly of Plainfield, had been wanted since being charged in Union County with first degree aggravated sexual assault in May 1999. Based on new information from Sgt. Darryl Warner of the Sheriff’s Fugitive Unit he was arrested last week by local police in Manchester, New Hampshire, according to the acting Sheriff.

“Thanks to the outstanding detective work by Sgt. Darryl Warner and the Fugitive Unit a very dangerous individual has been captured,” acting Sheriff Cryan said. “This arrest once again proves that our office doesn’t stop looking for fugitives.”

While revisiting the case, Sgt. Warner conducted a wide online search for the whereabouts of Bronfield. Several new leads suggested the suspect was in Manchester, NH.

Working with the Union County Prosecutor’s Office and the Manchester Police Department, Sgt. Warner was able to confirm Bronfield’s identity and location.

Bronfield, 45, was taken into custody without incident by Manchester police in the early morning of Thursday, October 9.

He was booked into the local jail as a fugitive of justice and is awaiting extradition back to New Jersey.

“This arrest also highlights the importance of law enforcement agencies working together,” acting Sheriff Cryan said. “We truly appreciate the assistance of the Prosecutor’s Office and the Manchester Police Department in finding and arresting this suspect.”