County of Union, New JerseyUnion County Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Vernell Wright joined Whole Foods Store Team Leader Leigh Siegel at the grand opening of the new Whole Foods Market at the Clark Commons in Clark.
Whole Foods used Union County’s Workforce Innovation Center in Elizabeth, funded in part through the County of Union and the Board of Chosen Freeholders, to hire and train 187 new employees—mostly at their Clark store. (Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
(Trenton) – New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced the Route 22 westbound Rosemont Avenue exit in Union will be closed.
There will be a detour for Rosemont Avenue starting on Friday, August 7.
The $2 million project will be replacing the existing bridge deck, sidewalk, parapets and fencing. The project will be constructed in stages beginning with the new deck and parapets. Each stage will re-construct approximately one third of the bridge deck at a time. For most of the project the Rosemont Ave exit from Route 22 westbound will be closed and the entrance to Route 22 westbound will limited to Emergency Vehicles only. Two lanes of traffic will be maintained during daytime hours for the entirety of the project.
The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org for real-time travel information.
Horrific Turnpike Accident on Tuesday highlights need
for proposed connector road to NJ Turnpike Interchange 12
UNION COUNTY, NJ— In light of Tuesday’s NJ Turnpike accident that snarled the region’s traffic flow and stranded workers and truckers for hours at an industrial area in Linden, the Union County Freeholder Board has renewed its call for the construction of a connector road from New Jersey Turnpike Interchange 12 to Linden’s Tremley Point area.
The Freeholder Board is supporting a resolution up for adoption next Thursday calling upon the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to restore more than $80 million in funding to construct the long-awaited Tremley Point connector road, and immediately add it to their capital program.
The proposed connector road would provide access from the New Jersey Turnpike Interchange 12 through Carteret, over the Rahway River, and into Tremley Point in Linden. It would provide a direct link between the two neighboring counties at a location where none currently exist, garnering support from Middlesex County as well.
“The construction of the Tremley Point Connector Road is vital to the economic and public safety interests to the region as a whole and to the residents of the City of Linden, especially those who are impacted by the current truck and industrial traffic to this area,” said Freeholder Christopher Hudak, who is a sponsor of the resolution.
Tuesday’s horrific crash on the New Jersey Turnpike temporarily knocked out the Wood Avenue Bridge which is the main road of access to this industrial section of Tremley Point, and egregiously magnifies the importance of the proposed connector road.
As a result of the accident, workers and trucks were stranded in the Tremley Point area for hours.
“The construction of a connector road would have helped emergency management workers better access the site of the accident and ease traffic pressures,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “It is of paramount importance to move forward with the construction of the Tremley Point connector road. The Turnpike Authority would also greatly benefit from it, as Tuesday’s accident unfortunately demonstrates.”
Freeholder Angel Estrada, a Second Vice Chairman of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, is also a supporter of the proposed roadway.
“In terms of economic benefit, the roadway would ensure the smooth flow of commerce to existing business and industry in the location, and free up the development of nearly 400 acres of brownfields that could create as many as 2,000 new jobs,” Estrada said.
The connector road would also encourage the potential development of Tremley Point as a multimodal freight village that involves rail, barging and value-added warehouses and distribution centers.
Estrada noted the urgency to move forward immediately as approvals for the project are set to expire in 2016, and would jeopardize its construction.
Through the efforts of United States Senator Bob Menendez (NJ), $10 million in Federal funds were set aside toward this project, while the Turnpike had agreed to provide more than $80 million necessary for completion, and had once included the project in its capital program before removing it a few years back.
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Mountainside, NJ –The Union County Summer Arts Festival concert series continues Wednesday evening, August 12, with American Rapture taking the stage at 7:30 p.m. The free concert series, presented by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholder, and sponsored by ConnectOne Bank will take place at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside.
American Rapture is a 17-member Rock and Soul Revue that comes with marvelous singers and plenty of brass. Formed in 1999, American Rapture started as an annual musical theatre production for Mystic Vision Players in Linden, New Jersey, and transformed into a concert band after a ten year run. They now play popular music from the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s.
Pack a picnic basket, bring lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy the music under the stars. Refreshments and snacks will also be available from vendors.
Once again, UC Get Fit Yoga in the Park, a Union County Freeholder initiative will be part of the Wednesday night pre-concert schedule, with Hapi Yoga of Westfield presenting a free community class from 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. Bring a mat or beach towel and participate in healthy activities for the entire family before the music begins.
“With the summer winding down this is a great opportunity to come out and enjoy some great entertainment in one of our outstanding parks,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh.”
The Summer Arts Festival concerts will continue at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside for two Wednesdays with the schedule below:
For rain information you can call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at (908) 558-4079 after 3:30 p.m. on the day of the concert or you can visit the Union County web site: www.ucnj.org.
Learn more about the Desered Village at www.ucnj.org/dv
First of all, there is no endless summer, unless you live somewhere like Hawaii or Bora-Bora.
But that doesn’t mean your Jersey summer has to be an endless litany of traffic jams, heat waves, balky air-conditioning and other warm-weather headaches.
And with summer 2015 starting to wind down, it’s seemed the perfect time to put together our Jersey Summer Bucket list — a list of the defining summertime Jersey experiences that you should tackle before time runs out.
There are a few Shore-related activities on my list (if you’ve never been to Wildwood, what are you waiting for?), but most of these are scattered around the state, from High Point to Bivalve. (Yes, Bivalve. Just down the road from Shellpile.)
I could have suggested you go Nature Boy or Girl and visit the state’s only legal nude beach, but these are all wholesome, g-rated activities, like exploring New Jersey’s most scenic back roads, or wandering through the state’s best food neighborhood, or getting lost in the Pine Barrens.
My list takes you indoors and outdoors, will keep you high and dry and get you totally wet, encourages you to explore the swamps of North Jersey and a secret garden; go to a drive-in movie or professional rodeo (wait, in New Jersey?); and visit museums where you can admire a hand-cranked submarine and see (but not sample) a 125-plus-year-old slice of wedding cake.
There are 25 must-do things on my Jersey summer bucket list, and while you probably won’t be able to do them all before summer’s over, so you can file the rest away for next summer.
We’ve also included a convenient check-list, which you can download and keep in your wallet or on your phone — to mark your progress through this tour of summertime wonders.
And if you have a favorite summer activity that didn’t make my list (staying home and avoiding traffic and the rest of the human race doesn’t count), let me know below.
Peter Genovese may be reached at pgenovese@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PeteGenovese or via The Munchmobile @NJ_Munchmobile.
Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Vernell Wright and Linda Carter joined Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan, Union County Police Captain Robert McGuire, Sheriff’s Detective Brian Dustin, Detective Robert McLaughlin, Officer Bryan Frew and McGruff the Crime Dog at the National Night Out event hosted by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders on August 4 in Meisel Park in Springfield. National Night Out is a campaign geared toward generating drug and crime awareness and prevention throughout the country. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
Photos of Freeholder Chairman Mohamed Jalloh and Freeholders Linda Carter and Vernell Wright attending the Elizabeth, Union Township, Plainfield and the Union County/Springfield National Night Out events.
Press Release from the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency
The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) recently announced the launch of the New Jersey HomeSaver Program (HomeSaver), a foreclosure prevention initiative that offers eligible New Jersey homeowners up to $50,000 in financial assistance to bring their monthly household payment to an affordable level.
The program has been allocated over $17 million in federal Hardest Hit Funds to help an anticipated that 345 households in the form of a 0% interest rate, non-amortizing (no monthly payments), forgivable, 10-year loan. After the fifth year of the closing date of the HomeSaver loan, the amount will be forgiven at a rate of 20% per year, to be forgiven in full at the end of the tenth year.
Program eligibility requires that a homeowner be at risk of foreclosure due to financial hardship such as recent unemployment or a reduction in income, as well as meeting other criteria.
Unlike other foreclosure prevention efforts, homeowners do not have to be delinquent on their mortgage payments to qualify for the program. However, they must meet their mortgage servicer or investor’s guidelines for a modification, recast, refinance or principal reduction in order to participate.
To apply for the New Jersey HomeSaver Program, a homeowner must first contact their mortgage servicer directly to find out if they are participating in the program, as servicer participation is voluntary.
Get more HomeSaver program information here: https://www.newjerseyhomesaver.com
Family Fun & Flix, a free summer entertainment and film series presented by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, continues Tuesday, August 11 with the presentation of “Annie” at Warinanco Park, on the border of Elizabeth and Roselle. This showing of “Annie” is sponsored by Investors Bank. Free popcorn will be distributed for children in the attendance.
As part of the evening’s events, UC Fit Kids, a health initiative of the Union County Freeholder Board, will offer fitness fun for children before the movie, beginning at 7:30 p.m. UC Fit Kids’ Yoga is presented by the Elizabeth Branch of the Gateway Family YMCA Kid’s Boot Camp.
Academy Award nominee Quvenzhane Wallis stars as Annie, a young, happy foster kid who’s also tough enough to make her way on the streets of New York in 2014.
“This event gives families an opportunity to enjoy an entertaining evening in our parks while picking up some healthy living tips,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh.
All movies will begin at dusk, with everyone encouraged to bring a blanket or beach chair to claim your spot on the lawn. There will also be bleacher seats available.
Following “Annie” there will be just one more opportunity to enjoy a movie in the park, with the rescheduled “Dolphin Tales 2” on Tuesday, August 18.
All movies will be shown, weather permitting. For more information, call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4900 or visit the Union County website; www.ucnj.org. In the event of weather-related matters, you can call 908-558-4079 after 3:30 p.m. on the day of the show.
On the evening of Wednesday, July 22nd, the County of Union with the NJ Clean Communities Council held a “Litter-free” event at the Summer Arts Festival, Oak Ridge Park in Clark. It is a “green event” because it promotes the concept of leaving the grounds free of litter after the concert with announcements from the stage and the appropriate receptacles in place.
Learn more about the County’s many free recycling events at www.ucnj.org/recycling.
Union County Freeholders Sergio Granados, Christopher Hudak and Bette Jane Kowalski congratulate (from 3rd left) Omar Nunez of Elizabeth, Jonathan DeDomenico of Westfield and Matt Scalise of Kenilworth on being named outstanding players in the Union County Baseball Association’s 2015 summer youth leagues during the end-of-season picnic in Warinanco Park in Roselle. They each received the John “Butch” Henry Award for their respective leagues.
(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)