County of Union, New Jersey

Union County, NJ – Members of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will be on hand to assist the Salvation Army of Plainfield with its third annual “Christmas in July” Bicycle Give-Away for children on Wednesday July 23, at the Salvation Army in Plainfield, 615 Watchung Avenue. The event starts at 10:15 a.m.

“I would like to thank The Salvation Army of Plainfield, the Plainfield Dairy Queen, and Children’s Specialized Hospital for building this exemplary community partnership,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “This program helps to ensure that more youngsters have the opportunity to enjoy healthy outdoor activities.”

The “Christmas in July” Bicycle Give-Away event includes bike safety tips, refreshments, and live entertainment.

Staff from the Union County Police Traffic Safety Education Program will distribute bicycle helmets and help ensure that children are properly fitted. The helmets are being donated by Children’s Specialized Hospital.

Pre-registration is required in order to be eligible for a donated bicycle. To register, come to the Salvation Army of Plainfield at 615 Watchung Avenue between 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. any day from now until July 22, and complete an application form.

Eligible recipients will be notified by staff of the Salvation Army of Plainfield.

The bicycles are being provided by Rich and Donna Albanese-DeMair, owners of the Dairy Queen in Plainfield, who donate scores of refurbished bikes to youths each year. In addition to recreation, the bikes are used for school and work commutes.

Mr. Albanese-DeMair has refurbished more than 775 bikes for local children in the past five years.

To support the bicycle give-away events, donated bicycles can be dropped off any time at the Plainfield Dairy Queen, located at 1367 South Avenue. To arrange for a donation to be picked up contact Donna Albanese-DeMair at 908-755-5994.

##

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 – To promote sun safety and the early detection of skin cancer, this summer the Chronic Disease Coalition of Middlesex and Union Counties is providing free skin cancer analyses along with their “Choose Your Cover” message of prevention.

In Union County, the Choose Your Cover event will take place at the Clark Community Pool, 201 Oak Ridge Road in Clark, on Saturday, July 19 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.  The first 20 attendees will receive a special gift bag with skin cancer promotional materials. All attendees will also qualify to enter a drawing for a gift basket courtesy of Clark Township Health Department.

“I’d like to thank the Chronic Disease Coalition and the Township of Clark for raising public awareness about reducing skin cancer risks,” said Christopher Hudak, Chairman of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. “You can still enjoy all of your summertime activities while limiting your exposure to the sun.”

Before you head outdoors this summer, representatives from the Chronic Disease Coalition of Middlesex and Union Counties urge you to take sun safe precautions to protect your skin from the damaging rays of the sun.

People who work or play outdoors, fair skinned people who sunburn easily, and those with a family history of melanoma are at an increased risk of developing skin cancer – the most common form of cancer in the United States.

Overexposure to the sun’s UV rays is one of the most preventable risk factors for melanoma and all types of skin cancer. This is why it is so important to ‘choose your cover’ and reduce your risk accordingly.

Covering up your skin with long sleeve shirts and long pants in tightly woven fabrics can offer a great means of protection for your skin. Opt for a wide-brimmed hat over a baseball cap for better protection of your head, ears and neck, and wear sunglasses with 100 percent UVA and UVB absorption to protect the eyes from sun damage.

Look for shady areas or avoid the sun, if possible, during the middle of the day when UV rays are the strongest. Remember to liberally apply a broad spectrum sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher and reapply frequently, and steer clear of indoor tanning beds which are proven to increase your risk for skin cancer.

For more information about Choose Your Cover 2014, please call the Union County Office of Health Management at 908-518-5620.

##

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

 

Union County Freeholders Bruce Bergen (2nd L) and Bette Jane Kowalski joined Joe DiBello (L), Superintendent of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail of the National Parks Service, and Mark Hurwitz of the 3rd New Jersey Regiment “Jersey Blues” in unveiling the new sign officially marking the historic Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route in Echo Lake Park in Mountainside. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Dedication of Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route

Union County – On Bastille Day, Monday, July 14, Union County became the first county in New Jersey to officially mark the march that won the American Revolution, when the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders dedicated the Union County portion of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route.

The dedication ceremony took place on Mountain Avenue near the west end of the County’s Echo Lake Park in Mountainside.

“The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is committed to identifying and preserving our historic roots,” said Freeholder Chairman, Christopher Hudak. “We take great pride in raising awareness of the Washington-Rochambeau march, and its role in winning our nation’s independence as the first modern democracy.”

The scene of one of the most storied collaborations in U.S. military history, the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route was designated an official National Historic Trail by Congress in 2009.

While there is no trail in the literal sense, the route can be traced along important County arteries in five municipalities including Raritan Road in Scotch Plains; Lamberts Mill Road in Scotch Plains; West Broad Street in Westfield; Mountain Avenue in Westfield, Mountainside and Springfield; Morris Avenue in Springfield; and Morris Turnpike in Summit.

In all, more than a dozen markers will be placed in Union County to mark the historic route

In 1781, with support from the French navy and ground troops commanded by General Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur (comte de Rochambeau), General George Washington marched the Continental Army from New York through New Jersey including Union County, and onwards to victory at Yorktown.

The inland route enabled the combined American and French armies to evade British troops as they traveled south.

The significance of the French support for Washington is noted on the National Parks Service website explaining how the Revolutionary War had reached a stalemate:

“In the fall of 1780, the Continental Army was running on faith, hope, and promises, and that there was still an army in the field at all was due in large part to Washington’s charisma and leadership.

“Short of men, weapons, food, clothing, and money, they were not strong enough to take the offensive against British strongholds such as Savannah, Charleston, or New York,” according to the parks service.

“The army nonetheless could contain the British and fend off attacks as long as it remained in its positions in the Hudson Highlands and the hills of New Jersey. The contest had degenerated into a stalemate, a war of attrition, with no end, much less victory, in sight.

“The arrival of 55-year-old General Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, with an army of 450 officers and 5,300 men in Narragansett Bay off Newport, Rhode Island, on July 11, 1780, marked the beginning of a most successful military cooperation that culminated 15 months later in the victory at Yorktown.”

In total, the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route encompasses over 680 miles of land and water routes through Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C.

To see a map showing all of the roadways along the route through Union County and New Jersey, visit Google Maps.

Additional information and historic maps are available from the Nation Park Service online at nps.gov. including links to roadway maps in other states along the route.

##

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 – Seasonal road resurfacing projects are returning to parts of Union County this summer and fall, but with a twist: much of the work will take place at night.

“Economic activity is up in Union County, and that means an uptick in daytime traffic,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “By scheduling most of the work at night we can minimize disruptions to local businesses, commuters, and first responders while continuing to ensure that our vital County arteries are kept in good condition.”

The projects all involve street closings needed to mill out the old surface and apply the new surface.

For the night-time projects, the milling and resurfacing will take place between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

For all of the projects, other incidental work, such as the installation of new curb ramps and the resetting of manholes and catch basins, will be done during the day.

The night work was scheduled based on input from local officials, with the result that one project in Summit and two projects in Plainfield will be conducted during daytime hours only.

A total of approximately 14 miles of road will be resurfaced this summer and into the fall, in order to take advantage of favorable weather before the cold weather storm season begins.

The work will be rolled out in two phases. A contract totaling just over $2,953,000 for Phase I has been awarded to Black Rock Enterprises, LLC, of Old Bridge. Work on those roads will start on or around the end of July.

Additional roads will be resurfaced under Phase II. Phase II will be bid out in August, with work expected to begin in the fall.

In addition to resurfacing County roads, the Black Rock contract also covers a municipal section of Plainfield Avenue in Plainfield, from 5th Street to Front Street. Plainfield will pay for the cost of that work through a shared services agreement with the County.

“By joining in the County contract, Plainfield was able to get a better price for its project,” explained Hudak. “The County offers many such shared service opportunities, and we look forward to working with other municipalities on shared road resurfacing contracts in the future.”

For updates on the resurfacing projects and other road construction activity in Union County visit the “Road Construction Update” interactive map at the County website, ucnj.org.

Following are the roads included in the 2014 resurfacing projects:

Phase I (starting on or around July 28)

• West Hazelwood Avenue in Rahway, from St. Georges Avenue/Rt. 27 to Fulton Street.
• East Third Avenue in Roselle, from Chestnut Street to Jersey Avenue (East).
• Plainfield Avenue in Plainfield, between 5th Street and Front Street.
• Locust Street in Roselle Park, from Grant Street to W. Sumner Avenue.
• South Avenue in Cranford, from the Garwood line to Centennial Avenue.
• South Avenue in Garwood, from the Westfield line to Center Street.
• South Avenue in Westfield, from Westfield Circle to the Garwood line.
• East Broad Street in Westfield, from Elmer Street to South Chestnut Street.
• Meisel Avenue in Springfield, from Maple Avenue to S. Springfield Avenue.

 

Phase II (to start this fall)

• Ashland Road in Summit, from Division Avenue to Mountain Avenue
• Diamond Hill Road in Berkeley Heights, from Mountain Avenue to Valley Road.
• Front Street in Plainfield, from Watchung Avenue to Terrill Road
• Mountain Avenue in Berkeley Heights, from Horseshoe Road to the Somerset County line.
• New Providence Road in Berkeley Heights, from Valley Road to the Green Brook
• Springfield Avenue in Cranford, from Kenilworth Boulevard to North Avenue.

##

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

Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi reminds county residents to apply for their passports as soon as possible to avoid any complications that may disrupt their upcoming travel plans. Travelers to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, countries in the Caribbean or anywhere overseas must have a valid passport to enter or depart from the United States.

Due to a current backlog of applications at the National Passport Center, it can take six weeks for a regular passport application to be processed and returned to the customer. Even the more expensive expedited delivery option can take three weeks for delivery.

“If you’re planning a trip out of the country within the next three months, now is the time to make sure your passport is valid. Don’t wait until the last minute to get your passport,” Rajoppi said. “Additionally, if your passport expires within six months of your planned visit, many countries will not permit you to enter. You will need to renew your passport.”

Passport application forms may be obtained at the County Clerk’s main office in the Union County Courthouse at 2 Broad Street in Elizabeth or at the County Clerk’s office annex in the Colleen Fraser Building at 300 North Avenue East in Westfield. Applications for passports and related information also can be found online at ucnj.org/Passports.

“No appointment is necessary. Our Elizabeth office opens at 7:30 a.m. and it has experienced, helpful, English and Spanish-speaking staff ready to assist you in any way we can,” Rajoppi said. “Our Westfield office has convenient evening and Saturday hours and also is fully staffed.”

The Westfield Annex is the only County Clerk’s office in the state that is open during evening hours. The Westfield Annex is open from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays; from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The phone number at the Westfield Annex is 908-654-9859.

The Elizabeth office is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number in Elizabeth is 908-527-4966. Clients are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to closing time to allow for staff assistance with the passport process.

For more information about obtaining a U.S. passport, please call (908) 527-4966.