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(From left) Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak, Freeholder Vernell Wright, Union County Vocational Technical Schools Superintendent Peter Capodice and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Alexander Mirabella congratulate Austin Mathew of Union (3^rdL) on being a recipient of a New Jersey Association of Counties and PSE&G Foundation 2014 Scholarship Award. Mathew graduated from Union County Magnet High School and now attends the New Jersey Institute of Technology. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites all residents and visitors to join in the commemoration of POW/MIA Remembrance Day, in front of the Union County Courthouse at 2 Broad Street in Elizabeth on Friday, September 19. The ceremony will start promptly at 11:15 a.m.

“This annual public ceremony pays tribute to our service men and women who were prisoners of war, and those missing in action,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “Please join us as we pause to recognize the sacrifices of our military, and their families and loved ones. With this public ceremony we honor those who are absent, and reaffirm our government’s commitment to ensure that all are accounted for.”

In the event of rain, the ceremony will take place inside the Courthouse, in the first floor Rotunda.

For more information call the Freeholder Board at 908-527-4219.

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

WESTFIELD, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that its next mobile paper-shredding program for personal documents will be available on Saturday, September 27, at the Westfield Memorial Pool in Westfield.

“Union County’s mobile document-shredding service helps residents fight identity theft and eliminate clutter in their homes,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak, liaison to the Solid Waste Advisory Council. “It is a cost-effective way to assist our recycling efforts and it ties in with Union County’s other Go Green Initiatives.”

The Sept. 27^th shredding event will take place at the Westfield Memorial Pool, located at 713 Cumberland Street in Westfield. NEXCUT Shredding of Elizabeth will be shredding documents at the site from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. The shredding event will end before 1 p.m. if the shredding truck reaches capacity.

All Union County residents are eligible to use the paper-shredding service. In an effort to accommodate everyone, there is a limit of four 10-pound bags or boxes per person. Documents should not be bound. Please remove plastic binders and paperclips. Paper that is wet/damp will not be accepted. Residents should continue to recycle non-confidential papers and magazines with their municipal recycling program.

Documents are put into 96-gallon containers provided by the shredding company. The items are then dumped onto a conveyor belt and shredded on site. Participants are welcome to view the shredding process via a closed-circuit television. The shredded documents are then recycled, shipped to paper mills and used as pulp. The next shredding event will take place Saturday, Nov. 1, at Union County College in Cranford.

The mobile shredding program is paid for through New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Recycling Enhancement Act Grant Funds. For more information about future events or directions please call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889 or visit us online atwww.ucnj.org/recycle.

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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 – Union County 4-H is offering a new Engineering Club this year, designed for students in grades 4 and 5 who show an early interest in engineering and related technology fields.

“If your child enjoys building toy ramps, tracks, and other structures, the 4-H Engineering Club offers a fun, supportive program to help develop advanced skills and get a firm grasp on the basic concepts,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak.

Union County 4-H is a program of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County, supported in part by the Freeholder Board. Part of the nation’s largest youth development network, 4-H helps youngsters develop leadership and organizational skills while exploring topics of their choice.

The Engineering Club explores basic engineering principles through hands-on activities using simple materials. The activities include building bridges out of paper, rockets out of straws, and ski jumps from foam noodles. It meets on the second Sunday of each month, October to June, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the County’s Colleen Frasier Building, 300 North Avenue East in Westfield.

Parents and students can learn more about the Engineering Club and other 4-H clubs at the annual Open House on Friday September 19 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Colleen Fraser Building, or by contacting Union County 4-H Agent James Nichnadowicz at jnichnadowicz@ucnj.org or 908-654-9854.

More information about 4-H and all other Extension programs is also available at ucnj.org/rce.

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

(From left) Union County Freeholder Bruce Bergen, Acting Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan, Freeholder Vernell Wright, Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak spoke with Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Gordon Haas at the Union County Means Business session titled “The Business of Staying in Business” at the Holiday Inn in Clark. For information about Union County Means Business events visit www.ucnj2.org/ucmb.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak speaks about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP, previously known as food stamps) and about taking the SNAP Challenge during a press conference in Elizabeth sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ and Jewish Family Service of Central NJ.

Chairman Hudak and Freeholder Sergio Granados (left) have joined more than a dozen state legislators in taking the SNAP Challenge to live on $4.20 a day the week of September 8-14 to raise awareness about hunger in New Jersey.

September is New Jersey Hunger Action Month.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Acting Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan would like to remind residents that September is National Preparedness Month, a time to make sure everyone is ready in the event of an emergency or weather-related disaster.

Sponsored by FEMA, National Preparedness Month aims to educate and encourage Americans to prepare for and be able to respond to all types of emergencies.

“This is a time to prepare yourself and your family for events like Hurricanes Irene and Sandy,” Acting Sheriff Cryan said. “Emergencies can happen unexpectedly and we all need to be ready for them.”

Everyone should have an emergency plan addressing all types of potential disaster scenarios. Discuss with family, friends and neighbors in advance about how you will contact each other, where you will meet and what you will do in different situations.

Make sure that you and your family are prepared for an a disaster by making an emergency kit to ensure you can go for at least three days without electricity, water service, access to a supermarket or other local services.

Emergency kits should include at least a three to five day supply of non-perishable food and water, prescription medications, baby supplies and any additional items for special medical needs. Your kit should also include important phone numbers for doctors as well as car cell-phone chargers.

A battery-operated radio, flash lights, extra batteries as well as non-electric items likes can openers should also be included in the kit.

The needs of pets should also be taken into consideration when planning and making an emergency kit.

Staying informed and being aware of news updates is vital during a crisis.

“It is incredibly important to know what is happening before, during and after an emergency,” said Acting Sheriff Cryan. “Awareness can save lives.”

In the event of an emergency, everyone is urged to tune in, log-on, ‘like’ or ‘follow’ state, county, local and federal agencies on social media for credible disaster-relation information such as alerts and warnings, situational updates and where to find help. Emergency management officials suggest everyone should sign up for phone, e-mail and text alerts.

In New Jersey, hurricane season runs through November so following the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center regarding storm predictions and forecasts is essential.

Residents interested in volunteering to help their community in the event of an emergency should consider attending Community Emergency Response Team training.  Information about CERT training can be found on the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management website atwww.state.nj.us/njoem/citizen/cert or call 1-877-237-8411.

For more information about being prepared for an emergency visit www.ready.nj.gov.

Acting Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan announced today the capture of a longtime fugitive wanted by the Sheriff’s Office since 2008.

Sheriff’s Officers arrested Charles Riccio in the early hours Thursday morning in East Rutherford.

Riccio, 37, had been on the run since failing to appear for an arraignment 6 years ago after he was charged with computer theft by access in Elizabeth. He is accused of manipulating purchase receipts while he was the store manage at Value Furniture Mattress Warehouse during 2007 and 2008 and pocketing $36,000 in cash payments.

Sheriff’s Officers located Riccio by acting on a tip he had recently returned to New Jersey from Las Vegas. He was taken into custody without incident.

Acting Sheriff Cryan noted that Riccio has other New Jersey warrants in Hudson and Ocean Counties. He was booked into the Union County Jail without bail.

The Acting Sheriff credited Officers Richard Hugelmeyer and George Gyure and Sgt. Carlo Caparruva with making the arrest.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders would like to invite members of the community to honor the memory of the 60 Union County residents who perished in the 9/11 attacks by visiting the Union County September 11th Memorial next Thursday, Sept. 11th from the morning hours until 9 p.m. at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside.

Members of the Union County Prosecutor’s Office and Union County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with other law enforcement members throughout the County will provide a uniformed Honor Guard standing watch at the memorial and the public will be able to light candles in memory of those lost in the attacks.

“The Union County September 11th Memorial serves as a place of reverence for those who tragically perished and where we can bring the community together in a reflective setting to mark this day,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak.

The Union County memorial honors those lost in the attacks using design elements that include two girders from the World Trade Center arranged within a five sided area representing the Pentagon, and an Eternal Flame representing those who died in Pennsylvania. The Flame also honors members of the Armed Services and emergency responders.

In addition to these elements, the names of the 60 deceased Union County residents are etched into the memorial.

Dedicated on Sept. 13, 2003 the memorial was constructed through private donations including in-kind work by labor unions and materials at cost.

The Freeholder Board worked with residents of Cranford, Elizabeth, Kenilworth, Linden, Mountainside, Rahway, Scotch Plains, Summit, Union and Westfield in planning and building the Memorial.

It is located near the Springfield Avenue entrance of Echo Lake Park on the border of Mountainside and Springfield.

For additional information on the Union County September 11th Memorial, or information on visitation hours, contact the Union County Office of Public Information at 877-424-1234 or visit online atucnj.org/9-11-memorial