Author: Web Site Administrator

On Dec. 2, 2015, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced that federal disaster loans are again available as a result of Hurricane Sandy.  These low-interest loans are available to small businesses, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters located in New Jersey, regardless if they applied during the initial Hurricane Sandy disaster declaration or not.  To date, SBA has approved 131 loans totaling $5,099,500.

“We are seeing an increase in the number of applications, which tells us there are still  businesses and residents that have Hurricane Sandy related needs and who could use our disaster loan program,” said SBA’s Region II Regional Administrator Kellie LeDet.

LeDet, who oversees SBA’s programs and services for New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, added “The reopening of the SBA disaster declaration for Sandy provides a great opportunity for victims of Superstorm Sandy to get much needed funding at a low interest rate.”

According to LeDet, SBA’s customer service representatives are at Disaster Loan Outreach Centers to provide one-on-one assistance and answer questions. There is no cost to apply and no appointment is necessary. The Union County Center is open until further notice, with location and hours of operation below:

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to present an exhibit of photographs by Michael Endy in the gallery space at the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, located in the historic St. John’s Parsonage at 633 Pearl Street in Elizabeth. A selection of his work entitled “Lost Highway, a photographic hymn to New Jersey” is on display at the Pearl Street Gallery through March 25. The public is invited to enjoy the exhibit during regular gallery hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

“Michael Endy is a talented, experienced photographer and a devoted supporter of local arts,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, liaison to the Union County Cultural and Heritage Advisory Board. “It’s a great pleasure to display his fine work.”

Mr. Endy began his artistic training as a child at Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute in Utica, New York. He continued his studies in photography and graphic design at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, receiving his BFA, cum laude, in 1988. Working in New York design agencies for over 20 years, Michael held the title of Creative Director at both Interbrand and Ogilvy CommonHealth before launching his own design consultancy in 2010. He has won more than 30 international design awards and is published in many graphic design books.

Michael and his family live in Westfield, NJ, where he is highly involved in the local art scene as President of the Westfield Art Association. He also is on the exhibition committee of the New Jersey Photography Forum, the publicity committee of the Contemporary Art Group, and a member of the Jersey Art Registry and Pro Arts Jersey City. As a fine art photographer, Michael exhibits extensively. Recent international exhibits include MoNA, the Museum of New Art, in Detroit; Arterie Fine Arts in Chicago; and the Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster, NJ. Recent national exhibits include Photography Now, at the University Place Gallery in Cambridge, MA; the National Juried Photography Exhibit at Gallery 14 in Hopewell, NJ; and the RAW NJ exhibit at the Noyes Museum in Hammonton, NJ.

His self-published book, “Lost Highway, a photographic hymn to New Jersey,” has been selected for inclusion in Photobook 2015, and will soon be exhibited at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, MA. Visit his website www.michaelendyphotography.com.

Union County artists (whose works can be hung on a wall) interested in exhibiting in the gallery space are welcome to apply. For more information about the Pearl Street Gallery or other programs, please contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth NJ 07202. Free on-site parking is available. Telephone 908-558-2550. NJ Relay users can dial 711. Send E-mail to: culturalinfo@ucnj.org.

The Union County Freeholder Board today announced the Division of Social Services would be opening their offices in Elizabeth and Plainfield this Saturday from 9 a.m.-noon in an effort to assist residents wishing to enroll in ObamaCare before the deadline on Sunday, January 31^st.

The office addresses are: in Elizabeth at 342 Westminster Avenue; in Plainfield at 200 W. Second Street.

“Thanks in large part to the Affordable Care Act, more than 90 percent of Americans now have healthcare insurance,” said Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados. “Anyone who needs health insurance should make every attempt to enroll, and we are happy to offer this important assistance to our residents. One of the main reasons why we are providing this free service is also to avoid the penalties that residents could face by not being registered for health insurance.”

ObamaCare’s individual mandate requires that most Americans obtain and maintain health insurance, or an exemption, each month or pay a tax penalty. For more information on this penalty, please go to http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-individual-mandate/

The opening of both County offices on Saturday is strictly and solely to assist anyone who may be eligible for health coverage with meeting the requirements of the Affordable Care Act’s deadline which is this Sunday. The offices will not be accepting applications for any of their other services.

Anyone interested in applying for health insurance, should feel free to come to either of the offices at the specified time and bring the following documents: Photo ID for anyone above the age of 18, income verification, proof of address, proof of citizenship or legal residency.

More than 18 million Americans have enrolled in Obamacare since 2010. For more information on Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act, please go to: http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-open-enrollment/

Due to access and staffing issues in the wake of Saturday’s snow storm, the Union County Deer Management Program scheduled for Monday, January 25 is postponed to Wednesday, January 27.

Learn more about this program at www.ucnj.org/deer

The Union County Baseball Association will honor local student athletes for their achievements in 2015 and induct five new members into the Union County Baseball Hall of Fame during award ceremonies on Sunday afternoon, February 21, in Clark.

The 80^th annual Hot Stove League Baseball Dinner on Feb. 21^st begins at 1:00 p.m. at the Gran Centurions banquet hall, 440 Madison Hill Road, Clark NJ 07066. The dinner is sponsored by the Union County Baseball Association, in cooperation with the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation.

Among the honorees at this year’s “Hot Stove” event will be student athletes from local high schools, including: P.J. Walker and Jahad Thomas, graduates of Elizabeth High School who are now teammates at Temple University; Jackie Lima, a graduate of Linden High School who led the Ramapo College Roadrunners to their first NJAC Tournament Championship; Kathleen Walsh, another Linden graduate, who was named to the All Union County First Team and now plays for Walsh University in Ohio; Gianna Randazza, a junior at Arthur L. Johnson Regional High School in Clark, who was named Union County Player of the Year with the Crusaders; and Zack Lipshitz, named Union County Hitter of the Year with the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School Raiders, who now plays for Drew University.

During the afternoon awards ceremonies, the UCBA will induct five new members into the Union County Baseball Hall of Fame: Joe Alvarez of Elizabeth, Ray Crepeau of Linden, Wally “Sam” Engelhardt of Elizabeth, Bruce Henderson of Rahway, and Damien Kane of Roselle.

Sparky Lyle, the 1977 Cy Young Award winner and a two-time World Series champion relief pitcher for the New York Yankees, will be the special guest speaker. The celebrated southpaw will always be remembered for his clutch pitching for the Yankees and his book about those days in pinstripes, “The Bronx Zoo.” Sparky Lyle also was the original manager par excellence of the Somerset Patriots during the ballclub’s first 15 years in Bridgewater (1998-2012).

Tickets for the dinner are $50 each. Proceeds will help fund the Union County Summer Youth Baseball League for youngsters 8 to 15 years, and the Fall Wood Bat League for teens.

Since 1937, the Hot Stove League Dinner has been the primary fund-raising effort for the Union County Baseball Association’s summer and fall programs. Over the years, the awards dinner has honored many local and national baseball luminaries – including Phil Rizzuto of Hillside, Don Newcombe of Elizabeth, Joe Collins of Union, Jeff Torborg of Mountainside, Willie Wilson of Summit, and Elliott Maddox of Union.

Tickets for the 80th Annual Union County Baseball Association Hot Stove League Dinner on Feb. 21st are available from the UCBA by visiting www.UCBA-NJ.org or by mailing a check to the Union County Baseball Association, PO Box 176, Fanwood NJ 07023. For more information, please call Jim Iozzi at 908-917-2523.

Union County Freeholder Alexander Mirabella (R) presents a resolution to Nelson “Rocky” Carle (2nd L) of Roselle Park congratulating him on celebrating 50 years of active service with the Roselle Park Fire Department. Firefighter Carle was joined by his wife Lillian. Roselle Park Fire Chief Joseph Signorello also presented Carle with awards. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholders Linda Carter and Alexander Mirabella presented resolutions to members of Team Red from the Union County Student Training and Enrichment Program (UC STEP) congratulating them on winning the Civic Engagement Challenge of 2016 UC STEP.

UC STEP was created to provide high school students the opportunity to develop a countywide community service around a topic they feel is important, while teaching them leadership and personal growth skills and responsibility within their communities.

A total of 195 sophomores and junior high school students from 27 high schools throughout Union County participated in the annual program, which took place in December 2015 at Kean University in Union.

Team Red’s campaign “Garments & Gear – Greatness for Years” won the Civic Engagement Challenge and will be the county-wide community service project undertaken by participating Union County high schools in 2016.

“Garments & Gear – Greatness for Years” will focus on giving less fortunate athletes equipment needed to excel in sports. By collecting items and fundraising to purchase additional supplies, the goal of this program is to give under-privileged athletes the opportunity to play a sport by providing the necessary gear.

Team Red consisted of 15 students from 12 high schools; Anandah Gomez (Barack Obama High School), Erin Readie (Cranford High School), Lindsay Lathrop (David Brearley High School), Ja’Quan Mial (John E. Dwyer Academy), Brendon Joseph Birch (Linden High School), Jasmin Finney-Tillman (Linden High School), Hannah Caminiti (New Providence High School), Jake Canavan (Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School), Taylor Diggs (Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School), Ian MacPherson (Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School), Sheydline Moise (St. Mary’s High School), Shawn Ferreira (UC Vo-Tech High School), Hannah Criollo (Union High School), Marissa Berriios (Roselle Catholic), Jacob Franklin Fopossi Nyemdom (Plainfield High School)

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

With an oncoming storm expected to blanket the area this weekend, the Board of Chosen Freeholders reminds residents that five Union County parks are designated for sledding:

“We urge all our residents who wish to sled to follow these guidelines and have a safe enjoyable time in our County Parks,” Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen said.

To avoid tree hazards, sledders in Union County parks are strongly advised to avoid sledding devices that cannot be steered. Downhill skiing is strictly prohibited in all County parks, but cross-country skiing is permitted in the following parks:

Skating on natural waterways in County parks is contingent on the availability of at least four inches of clear ice as measured by Parks officials in accordance with widely accepted safety standards. No waterways have met that standard so far this winter.

For a complete list of activities in Union County parks visit https://ucnj.org/parks-activities/

Weather forecasters are warning residents of the possibility for a massive storm this weekend. It is predicted the storm could dump enough snow on the Garden State to disrupt vital travel and functions.  Dangerous driving/traveling conditions may lay ahead – low visibility, slippery/icy roads, frigid temperatures, high wind, and snow accumulation. In addition to driving hazards, a winter storm also brings with it the possibility of unintentional poisoning exposures. 

“Major storms like the one that may hit us this weekend are known to result in illness and even deaths from hypothermia, exposures to chemical used in de-icing and prevention of freezing, and the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning.” said Steven Marcus, MD, medical and executive director of the NJ Poison Center. “Exposures to carbon monoxide often happen when people attempt to heat their homes using improperly vented space heaters and stoves or other sources of heat inside.    The use of generators that run on gasoline, propane, or natural gas without proper ventilation has produced tragedies during past storms. The danger occurs when too much carbon monoxide gets trapped inside an area that is poorly ventilated.” 

Since high winds can result in power outages, the poison experts encourage all residents to program the Poison Help Line (800-222-1222) into all phones (home, cell, and office) in preparation. If power is lost it may be lost for an extensive period of time and your cell phone may become your lifeline!  “Remember, the experts are hard at work weathering the storm alongside you, responding to calls for help, 24/7/365,” said Dr. Marcus. Poison experts can be reached in the following ways: call 800-222-1222, chat via www.njpies.org, or text 8002221222@njpies.org; the hearing impaired may also use their TTY and call 973-926-8008.

Being prepared is half the battle when dealing with severe weather. Through education, the NJ Poison Experts hope to increase awareness about the potential dangers residents may face during such events. Although unintentional poisonings can cause serious injury and even death, they are preventable.

Below you will find key safety tips that may potentially save your life or the life of a loved one.

Safety Tips to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning:

• Check the batteries in your carbon monoxide detector and smoke detector. If you don’t have either detector, install them now, before the storm hits.
• Clear any snow accumulation from all outside dryer and heating vents.
• Remove snow from car exhaust pipe(s) before sitting in car and letting it warm up. Failure to remove snow can result in carbon monoxide poisoning. Be sure there is ample room for air to circulate in front and behind your car to allow any exhaust to dissipate and not build up around your car.
• Do not bring a portable gas powered generator into the home or garage –
  • Do not place them outside near any open windows/doors
  • They should be at least 25 feet from any house
  • Use only weather certified electrical cords outdoors
• Do not bring other gas powered equipment, propane stoves, propane lights, or kerosene camping stoves into the house or garage.
• Do not heat your home with your stove.
• DO not cook with or use charcoal grills to heat indoors or inside your house or garage.
• DO NOT idle a car in a closed garage. Once you pull in, immediately turn off the engine.
• Keep your home well ventilated. If need be, keep a window slightly cracked to allow air flow.
• During storm cleanup, keep all gas powered cleaning equipment outside away from the house when in use. Bringing and using them indoors could result in serious injury.
• Never siphon gasoline from your car by sucking on a tubing.
• Do not start your snow blower inside your home or garage. 

If you suspect Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Take Immediate Action:  

1. If a loved one is unconscious or unresponsive, get out them out of the house and call 911 immediately.
2. Exit the house/building immediately. Do not waste time opening windows to “air” it out; this will delay your escape and cause you to breathe in more dangerous fumes.
3. Contact your local fire department/energy provider.
4. Call the NJ Poison Experts, 800-222-1222, for immediate treatment advice. Do not waste time looking for information on the internet about carbon monoxide poisoning. Call us for fast, free and accurate information.

General Safety Tips:

• Have a flashlight with fresh batteries ready to use (you may have used the flashlight during previous storms so, replace the batteries if you did).
  • Make sure to use a flashlight when giving or taking medication. Read all labels carefully and put on your glasses to insure proper ability to read the directions.
• Have a battery-operated radio available and be sure the batteries are fresh.
• Keep cell phones charged as much as possible. Be sure to have the appropriate charger to use in your car should you house’s power fail and you have access to a car.
• Keep rock salt locked up and out of sight and reach of children and pets.
• Risk for hypothermia increases with frigid temperatures. Infants, children, and the elderly are at greatest risk for hypothermia.
  • Signs and symptoms include headaches, sleepiness, fatigue, confusion and irritability, nausea, vomiting, irregular heartbeat, impaired vision and coordination, and death
  • Stay warm and dress appropriately! For prolonged exposure to cold, wear insulated or layered clothing that does not retain moisture.  Wear a head cover!
  • Avoid over-exertion and excessive sweating in the cold. Snow shoveling is a very intense exercise.  If you are not in top physical shape, don’t attempt it yourself.
  • Warm beverages can help increase the body temperature.
  • Avoid drinking alcohol, especially in cold temperatures.
  • Some medications may increase your risk. Check with your doctor, pharmacist or call the Poison Control Center

Safety Tips to Prevent Food Spoilage during a Power Outage:

• With the threat of power outages, it is important to be careful about food stored in refrigerators and freezers. Food-borne illness, also known as food poisoning, results from the eating of food that is contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses or other foreign material. Contamination is caused by improper food handling and preparation practices. The symptoms of food-borne illness are flu-like and may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and fever.
• In preparing for a power outage, make the temperature colder than usual on both freezers and refrigerators.  This will prolong the cold after a power outage.
• During a power outage, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed and open them only when necessary.
• Place a refrigerator thermometer in the center of the middle shelf and check the temperature. If it has risen to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, discard any potentially spoiled foods. Such foods include meat, poultry, fish, dairy and egg products, soft cheese, cooked beans, cooked rice, cooked potatoes, cooked pasta, potato salad, custard and pudding.
• Fill freezers to capacity, but not refrigerators. Refrigerators need room for the air to circulate to properly chill the stored food.
• When power is restored, allow time for the refrigerator to reach below 40 degrees Fahrenheit before restocking.
• If it looks funny, smells funny or if you are just unsure, “When in doubt, throw it out!”

In the event of an exposure, don’t waste valuable time looking up information on the Internet when every minute counts. If someone is unconscious, not breathing, seizing/convulsing, bleeding profusely, difficult to arouse/wake up, etc. call 911 immediately, otherwise call the NJ Poison Experts at (1-800-222-1222).

Time is of the essence in many situations since poisons and medicines may act very quickly. Having a poison expert give you exact instructions for your specific situation can help significantly during those critical first few minutes.

Help is Just a Phone Call Away!