Author: Web Site Administrator

Union County, NJ – The Annual Rutgers Master Gardeners of Union County Wesley Philo Award for Volunteer Excellence has been awarded to Caryl Hannemann of Berkeley Heights, in recognition of her outstanding dedication to community service. As a certified Master Gardener since 1990, Ms. Hannemann has performed more than 10,000 hours of volunteer work for the Master Gardeners of Union County, a new record for the organization.

“With more than 10,000 volunteer hours to her credit, Caryl Hannemann exemplifies the spirit of community service at the heart of the Master Gardeners program,” said Freeholder Angel Estrada. “Caryl has shown that by doing something that you love, you can have a positive impact throughout your community.”

The Master Gardeners program is run by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County, supported in part by the Freeholder Board. The all-volunteer organization is headquartered at the County’s Colleen Frasier Building in Westfield. It maintains an extensive Demonstration Garden on the grounds of the Union County Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside.

“Caryl is an inspiration,” said Freeholder Vernell Wright. “With the help of her guidance, the Master Gardeners are a strong force for good in Union County, through their charitable and educational activities, and by working to make our neighborhoods more healthy and attractive.”

The Wesley Philo Award was named in honor of the group’s first president. It is presented annually to a Master Gardener who exemplifies excellence in volunteerism.

Ms. Hannemann was presented with the award at the Master Gardeners 26^th annual Pin Party recognition ceremony earlier this month, where she was joined by Freeholder Estrada, Freeholder Wright, and Master Gardener Coordinator Madeline DiNardo.

She also received a commemorative pillow featuring a hand embroidered replica of the award certificate, made for her by fellow Master Gardener Joan Horn.

Along with their many community improvement projects throughout Union County, the members of the Master Gardeners run a free, year-round garden Helpline. They have donated thousands of pounds of fresh vegetables to local food pantries from the Sharing Garden beds at the Demonstration Garden, they raise funds for horticulture scholarships and other special projects, and they donate bouquets of fresh flowers for cancer patients and their families at Overlook Hospital and the Wellness Community of Central Jersey.

The Demonstration Garden also serves as a platform for community education programs and youth summer camps.

For more information on all Master Gardeners programs and activities, or to find out how to become certified as a Master Gardener, call 908-654-9854 (press “4) or visit the Master Gardeners link atucnj.org/rce.

To contact the Master Gardeners Helpline, email mastergardeners@ucnj.org or call 908-654-9852.

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ELIZABETH, NJ – 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 winter travel plans. Holiday travelers to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and countries in the Caribbean must have a valid passport to enter or depart from the United States.

“Because of the approaching holidays, there’s an increased demand for new documents from the federal passport agency. 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.”

It can take up to 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.

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 https://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 or visitwww.ucnj.org/passports.

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Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders reminds residents to have dogs, cats and other pets vaccinated against rabies.

The vaccine is important even for pets that are normally leashed or kept indoors, because it provides protection in case of accidental contact with a rabies carrier.

Rabies vaccination is especially important for cats, which are more likely to roam outdoors.

Union County residents are advised to check with their veterinarian to get a rabies shot for their pet, or to get more information about the vaccine.

For a current list of municipalities offering public rabies clinics, visit the County website at ucnj.org.

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NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will sponsor a Household Special Waste Collection event on Saturday, October 18, so Union County residents can get rid of outdated or unwanted household chemicals, mercury thermostats, propane tanks, and automobile tires in an environmentally safe manner. The household hazardous waste collection will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Alcatel-Lucent Technologies facility located at 600 Mountain Avenue in New Providence.

The Oct. 18 event will be the final county-sponsored household hazardous waste collection for this year. Residents of Union County are eligible to participate at no cost. Pre-registration is not required for this special Saturday collection.

“The special household waste recycling program for Union County residents is particularly important as we become more aware of the need for proper disposal of hazardous items that are found around the home,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak, liaison to the Union County Solid Waste Advisory Council. “The result of our effort is safer homes and a cleaner environment for our families and our neighbors.”

All that residents need to do is drive to the site with their household special waste, propane tanks, automobile tires, and mercury thermostats. Workers at the site will unload the vehicles.

“Household special waste” includes oil-based paint and varnish, antifreeze, aerosol cans, pool chemicals, corrosives, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, thinners, fire extinguishers, motor oil and oil filters, gasoline, batteries, thermostats, fluorescent bulbs (unbroken), blood pressure devices, and mercury switches. Only materials in original or labeled containers will be accepted. No containers larger than five gallons will be accepted.

Latex (water-based) paint and empty cans will NOT be accepted. They should be disposed of in with the regular garbage. Leftover latex paint can be air-dried or, to hasten the drying process, kitty litter and/or newspaper can be added to hasten the drying.

“This is a great opportunity to recycle up to eight tires and dispose of old chemical containers that are cluttering up the basement or the garage, or taking up space under the kitchen sink,” Freeholder Hudak added. “Our homes become safer once they are rid of hazardous and combustible waste.”

There is a limit of eight automobile tires (without rims) per household. This is a household recycling event. No businesses, please.

A complete list of the materials that will be accepted on October 18 is available at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning web site: www.ucnj.org/recycle

The household hazardous waste collection will be held rain or shine, for Union County residents only and not for businesses. Proof of Union County residency is required. For more information, please call the Recycling Hotline at (908) 654-9889.

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How about a hike through history this fall?

What would it be like to retrace the steps of the American revolutionary war soldiers who engaged the British in Metuchen on June 26, 1777, and then fought a running battle across what is now Edison and Scotch Plains before retreating to the safety of the Watchung Mountains—through a pass by Seeley’s Pond that would become known as Bloody Gap?

On Saturday, October 18, find out.

The NJ Freewalkers, in cooperation with Union County Parks, is sponsoring the Battle of the Short Hills Historic Trail hike.  The hike, part of the County’s Four Centuries In A Weekend celebration, ends at the Deserted Village in the Watchung Reservation, where there will be a host of activities and historic tours that Saturday, and Sunday.

“I have fond memories of all the hiking I used to do as a Boy Scout,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Chris Hudak. “So it’s kind of fun to see such a healthy exercise combined with some very local and fascinating history.”

To sign up for the hike and learn more details, go to: ucnj.org/hike4C orhttp://freewalkers.org/events/battle-of-short-hills-march

“For those who do not feel they are up to do the full 13 miles, they are welcome to join the hikers at any point along the route,” said Paul Kiczek, who is coordinating the NJ Freewalkers hike, one of many held throughout the year in New York and the region

For those who hike up to the Deserted Village, they will have the option of riding vans supplied by Mountainside, Westfield, and the County, to the Westfield train station to make their way home.  And for those who want to hit their 20-mile mark, a 7-mile route will take hikers through the Reservation and along the cross-county and East Coast Greenways to the Cranford train station.

In addition to several historic sites in Metuchen and Edison, hikers will pass the Frazee House, and then a special exhibit set up for this year, at the edge of the Ash Brook Reservation, perhaps the only location in the entire battle that has not been developed since that time. Local historians will be on hand to explain how the Battle progressed, and how the colonial forces sought to slow the British by having their cannons bogged down in the Ash Swamp.

The British hoped that if they feigned a departure from New Jersey, they would lure the Continental Forces down from the Watchung Mountains, crush them, and finally end the Revolutionary War. The plan didn’t go so well, even though Washington’s troops of less than 6,000 were vastly outnumbered by a combined British and Hessian force numbering about 12,000.

There is also a nature trail leading into the swamp for those who would like to see first-hand the conditions troops faced.

Hikers will also pass the historic Fanwood Train Station, where the historical society will have free refreshments for hikers.  The route continues past the Osborn Cannonball House in Scotch Plains and ends at the Deserted Village.

For more information about Four Centuries In A Weekend visit the County website at ucnj.org, email the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at culturalinfo@ucnj.org or call 908-558-2550

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INTO THE WOODS…One of the few places in Union County untouched since Colonial times is the Ash Brook Reservation, which played an important role in the Battle of the Short Hills in 1777. The American forces sought to lure the British and Hessian troops through the Ash Swamp in order to buy more time for General Washington to get his soldiers back up to safety in the Watchung Mountains.  On Four Centuries In A Weekend, a special exhibit will be set up on Raritan Road in Scotch Plains, near the Vo-Tech Schools campus, with volunteers on hand to explain the battle and provide tours of the preserve.

For more information about Four Centuries In A Weekend visit the County website at ucnj.org, email the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at culturalinfo@ucnj.org or call 908-558-2550.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announced today that it will hold a public meeting for Union County Seniors for input on the “2015 Area Plan.” Each year, the Area Plan provides a blueprint for coordinating senior services and keeping them up to date.

The public meeting will be held Monday, October 6 at 9:30 a.m. at the Union Township Community Action Organization located at 2410 Springfield Avenue in Union.

“This public meeting offers seniors from all of Union County’s 21 municipalities an opportunity to express their views about what service needs and issues the plan should address,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “We encourage the public to attend the meeting to offer input on this effort.”

The meeting will be conducted by the Union County Department of Human Services, Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC).

Staff from ADRC will present an overview of the plan, including the impact of existing conditions on seniors and their families, caregiver needs, service strategies, demographics, and policy trends.

Local social services agencies and their programs for seniors that are funded by ADRC will also be reviewed.

For more information about the 2015 Area Plan meeting, call the ADRC at 908-527-4870 or 1-800-820-8226.

For information about services for senior adults in Union County, call ADRC toll-free at 888-280-8226 or visit the County’s website ucnj.org.

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The Raritan Valley Rail Coalition is hosting a special evening meeting on Monday October 27th at the Cranford Community Center. The meeting will be an update on the one seat ride service on the Raritan Valley line and allow commuters to ask questions or identify other issues related to service and stations on the Raritan Valley Line. Further information related to the time of the meeting and meeting agenda will be announced shortly. The agenda will include an update from the coalitions Oct 8th one seat ride briefing with NJ Transit.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak welcomed municipal representatives to the first of what is hoped to be many Union County Mayors’ Roundtable meetings on September 29 at the Clubhouse at the Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth. Representatives from seventeen of the County’s 21 municipalities joined Freeholder Board members to learn about Economic Development opportunities in Union County. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about State and County programs designed to help build a stronger and economically healthier Union County.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)