County of Union, New Jersey

TRENTON – In an effort to bring the thousands of victims of Superstorm Sandy the answers, assistance and results they deserve, Senate President Steve Sweeney will continue his “Sandy Bill of Rights” tour Thursday, March 6, with a stop in Linden.

The Senate President will stop at the 7th Ward Recreation Center, located at 2907 Tremley Point Road in Linden at 1 p.m., where he will be joined by officials, including State Senator Nicholas Scutari (D-22), Assemblyman Jerry Green (D-22) and Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-22), Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak, municipal representatives, advocates and victims of the storm. The center served as a community shelter after the storm. The Tremley Point area around the center was especially hard hit, with dozens of homes lost. More than $900 million in damages occurred in Linden as a result of Sandy.

Last month, Senate President Sweeney introduced legislation that would establish a “Sandy Bill of Rights.” The bill of rights would do several things, including requiring a plain language explanation of what is needed to be eligible and to apply for Sandy recovery programs; the right to know where your relief application stands and what additional information is needed; the right to know why your application was rejected or why you were placed on a waiting list and the right to appeal a denial of funding.

Recent media accounts and advocacy groups have reported various problems in the Sandy aid process. For example, some families were being told they would lose their aid for failure to provide certain documents, while others were given no such ultimatum. In other instances, numbers show that funding has been denied at higher rates for African American and Latino residents despite being equally hard hit by the storm. Only 4% of available funding has been distributed.

A line of victims told a legislative committee that a state contractor responsible for getting people back in their homes had repeatedly lost their applications and often couldn’t answer the most basic of questions. The Christie administration quietly cancelled the contract with this firm, and state officials have said little about how they will proceed with this critical task. In addition, they paid the company $10 million simply to be able to fire them.

This will be the fourth stop on the tour. Previously, the Senate President met with victims and advocates in Perth Amboy, Toms River and Moonachie.

Union County – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that the Union County Means Business Networking Breakfast series will launch its third season on Tuesday, March 18th with “Outlook 2014; Legislative Update.” The event will take place at Kean University’s STEM Building in Union from 8a.m. to 10a.m.

“The UCMB Series continues to grow and connect the community with resources to promote economic development throughout the County,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak, “we’re excited to continue this program for another year.”

“Outlook 2014; Legislative Update,” will feature a dialogue with State and Local legislators about their outlook for business in 2014. Other sessions for the season include “The Business of Staying in Business,” “Think Globally Act Locally,” and the acclaimed “Union County Women Mean Business Summit.”

The Union County Mean Business series, an initiative of Alexander Mirabella during his 2012 Chairmanship, is designed to bring local business owners, prospective owners and managers in contact with information about grants, loans, social media, employee recruitment, and other resources to help their businesses grow and thrive.

The series is open to all persons who own or manage a business in Union County, or who are planning to start a business in Union County.

All sessions are free but pre-registration is required by visiting the Union County website atwww.ucnj2.org/ucmb.

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MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce a program, “Learning the Basics of Gardening,” a two-part workshop for adults, ages 18 and older, at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside. The sessions will be held on two Saturdays, March 15 and March 22, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with park naturalist and gardener Ruth Yablonsky. The fee for this two-part program is $20 for Union County residents and $24 for out-of-county participants.

 

“This workshop offers a respite from the cold winter, with a focus on learning the basics for starting your garden,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “It is in the perfect place – Union County’s beautiful Trailside Nature and Science Center in the Watchung Reservation.”

 

On March 15, participants will learn about the different types of gardens, choosing a location in your yard and the diverse kinds of plants to consider. You’ll also enjoy a tour of the Master Gardeners’ Demonstration Garden.

 

In the second session on March 22, participants will explore planting and placement, maintaining and critter-proofing their gardens. Find out the definition of a weed, learn weeding techniques, and visit Trailside’s new native plant garden.

 

Pre-registration for “Learning the Basics Gardening” is required. Space is limited. Walk-ins are welcomed as space permits. This two-part series offers teachers and master gardeners a chance to earn five Continuing Professional Education Credits. Participants should bring lunch.

 

For additional information about this lecture or other adult programs and upcoming events at Trailside, 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 service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

 

 

 

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Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak (C) and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Bruce Bergen were at the Cranford Station when the first NJ TRANSIT train offering “one-seat” direct rail service to Penn Station in New York City arrived Monday morning. The service on the Raritan Valley Line includes stops in the Union County municipalities of Plainfield, Fanwood, Westfield, Garwood, Cranford, Roselle Park and Union. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

An Elizabeth man who was arrested for possession of crack cocaine on the eve of his sentencing date for an armed robbery late last year received a combined term of eight years in state prison on Friday, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park said.

Laquan Shirley, 29, must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole under the parameters of New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, according to the terms imposed by state Superior Court Judge Joseph P. Donohue. Shirley was sentenced to eight years for the robbery with a concurrent three-year sentence for the drug charge.

The date was September 30, 2012 when a white Ford Taurus approached the robbery victim, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutors Robert Rosenthal and Jill O’Malley, who prosecuted the case. Shirley got out of the vehicle, walked up to the man, and demanded he turn over all of his possessions, Rosenthal and O’Malley said.

An iPhone and an accompanying charger were taken from the victim, who spotted the barrel of what appeared to be a handgun in Shirley’s hand, according to the investigation. Shirley then got into his car and drove away, but a witness immediately approached the victim and handed him a slip of paper with the license plate of the Taurus.

About an hour later, Elizabeth police officers spotted Shirley’s vehicle on Bond Street, and when they peered inside, they spotted the stolen iPhone in the center console and the firearm – which turned out to be an Airsoft pellet gun – in the backseat.

Shirley pleaded guilty to the robbery in September 2013. He was expected to receive six years in prison for the robbery when he was sentenced on October 25, 2013, but the night before, while he remained free on bail, police officers spotted him loitering in the area of 3rd Street in Elizabeth. When the officers approached him to address the matter of an outstanding traffic warrant out of Hillside, Shirley was found to be in possession of 13 vials of crack cocaine.

Shirley pleaded guilty to the drug charge in January. He had four prior indictable convictions on an unrelated drug charge, resisting arrest, and two counts of receiving stolen property.

Union County Freeholder Sergio Granados (2nd R) and Union County Manager Alfred Faella (C) congratulate Maryann Anderson of Plainfield on her retirement and thank her for her many years of service as the Union County One Stop Director in Workforce Development Operations. They are joined by (from left) Union County Department of Human Services Director Frank Guzzo, Union County Deputy Count Manager William Reyes and Workforce Investment Board Chair Glenn Nacion. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak (R), Vice Chairman Mohamed Jalloh (L) and Freeholder Alexander Mirabella (2nd L) present a resolution to Union County Vocational-Technical Schools Superintendent Peter Capodice and UCVTS students and Future Farmers of America members Leonela Vega (C) of Elizabeth and Moenika Chowdhury of Fanwood in honor of February 2014 being named as National Career and Technical Education Month in Union County. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak (R), Vice Chairman Mohamed Jalloh (back center) and Freeholder Alexander Mirabella (L) present a resolution to Union County Vocational-Technical Schools Superintendent Peter Capodice (2nd L) and UCVTS students designating February 2014 as National Career and Technical Education Month in Union County. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak and Freeholders Linda Carter (R) and Vernell Wright (C) present resolutions to Robin Jackson (L) of the North Jersey Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and Central Jersey Alumnae Chapter President La Rhetta Bradley in honor of “Delta Day” in Union County. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak (L) and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski (2nd R) and Angel G. Estrada (R) present resolutions to the 2014 Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal Robert E. Jeans, General Chairwoman Kathryn Noonan (3rd L) and Adjutant Bernadette Sullivan congratulating them on the 18th annual parade. The 2014 Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 15 on Morris Avenue in Union. For more information please visit www.unioncountystpatricksdayparade.com. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)