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MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is looking for artisans and crafts people to demonstrate Early American work and craft skills and to sell their hand-crafted wares at Union County’s 33^rd Annual Harvest Festival.  The event is a celebration of Early American life featuring music, children’s crafts, games, demonstrations and displays, a petting zoo and much more. The Harvest Festival will take place, rain or shine, at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside on Sunday, September 28, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

“Walking through the festival grounds in the picturesque Watchung Reservation will give everyone a chance to see early American culture and history come to life,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak.  “It is a fascinating, fun-filled event for visitors of all ages.”

The Union County Harvest Festival is a popular event that attracts nearly 4,000 visitors each year. By participating, demonstrators and venders of hand-crafted goods will receive excellent exposure and have the opportunity to educate others about their craft or work skill and the Early American period in general. Examples of the handicrafts and work skills being sought are: blacksmithing, candle making, paper making, broom making, shoe making, hat making, jewelry making, quilting and other colonial or native American crafts or skills.

For details about how to participate, please call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at (908) 527- 4096.

For more information on Trailside Nature and Science Center please visit www.ucnj.org/trailside.

Union County Surrogate James LaCorte and Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi (R) present a donation to Pam Myers of the Friends of Linden Animal Shelter on behalf of the Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey in memory of former Union County Sheriff Ralph Froehlich who recently passed away. The Sheriff was a supporter of the shelter and former President of the Association. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholders Vernell Wright and Bruce Bergen congratulate newly sworn-in Undersheriff Michael Frank of the Union County Sheriff’s Office during a ceremony in Elizabeth. Undersheriff Frank is a 27-year veteran of the UCSO who most recently served as a captain in the Administrative Division. As Undersheriff, he will oversee the Courts Division, the Complex Division, UCSO Security Guards and the Identification Bureau/Crime Scene Unit. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

More than 100 teens recently graduated from the Union County Sheriff’s Youth Academy, a program designed to familiarize young people with the role of a police officer. Also, it operates similar to an actual police academy for teens interested in law enforcement.

“The Youth Academy aims to teach our kids about law enforcement and it is a great first step for those interested in the field,” Acting Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan said. “And from what I heard from these fine young women and men, we succeeded in all of our goals in this program.”

Acting Sheriff Cryan also thanked the officers from the various law enforcement agencies that participated in the program including, but not limited to, the Elizabeth Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, the Union County Police Department and the Union County Corrections.

“Along with all the effort from our Sheriff’s Officers, I’m grateful to all in law enforcement who supported this effort,” said Acting Sheriff Cryan.

Participants in the Youth Academy received hands-on experience in a wide variety of emergency services and law enforcement functions and training.  In addition, youths have the opportunity to learn respect for law enforcement through positive interaction during their time in the program.

“Showing them the human element of law enforcement helps our young people connect with officers in a way they never thought they could,” the Acting Sheriff added.

The Sheriff’s Youth Academy is not a ‘boot camp’ for troubled youth. In order to enroll in the program, the youngsters must have a minimum GPA of 2.70 (B- average), letters of reference and write an essay explaining why the student would like to attend the Youth Academy.

During the two-week program, the teens engaged in a physical training regime twice a day while attending lectures on subjects such as crime scene investigations, K-9 and motor vehicle stops. They also received visits from representatives from the U.S. Army, New Jersey State Police and the F.B.I, the Kenilworth Police Department and the Kean University Police Department.

The Youth Academy also involved class trips to the Union County SWAT Range, the Union County Jail, the Elizabeth Police Department and the Union County Police Department.

As summer vacations come to an end and students return to school throughout the county, Acting Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan would like to remind residents to take extra care when driving as the roads become busier.

Drivers will again be sharing the streets with school buses and children walking and bicycling to and from school.

“Driving safely requires a person’s constant attention to the road and to everyone and everything outside of the car,” Acting Sheriff Cryan said. “A lack of attention or a distraction could be deadly.”

School buses will again be part of the morning commute and on the streets each afternoon. It is important to obey the law for the safety of children when buses are picking up or dropping off students.

School buses use yellow flashing lights to alert motorists that they are preparing to stop. Red flashing lights and an extended stop sign arm are signals to motorists that the bus is stopped and children are getting on or off the bus. Traffic in both directions is required to stop when the red lights are flashing on the bus.

Also, drivers should never pass a school bus. It is illegal and could have tragic consequences.

Children are unpredictable and often take risks, ignore hazards or fail to look both ways when crossing the street.

“Drivers need to be alert at all times. Don’t talk on a cell phone while driving and, more importantly, never text while behind the wheel,” the Acting Sheriff said. “Red lights are not a time to check emails or texts. A distracted driver can lead to accidents at any time, even coming out of a stop.”

Parents of teenagers who drive to school need to reinforce the rules of the road with the young drivers, especially about never texting while driving. They should set a good example with their own good driving habits. Teens learn to drive by watching their parents.

Texting while driving is not the only hazard when it comes to digital devices. Distracted walking can also be dangerous. Students should not text and walk, especially when crossing or walking in the street. Parents with children who walk to school need to remind their kids about the basics of pedestrian safety.

“If everyone, drivers and students, keep aware of their surroundings and pay attention, the new school year can be a safer one,” Acting Sheriff Cryan added.

For more back-to-school safety information, visit the National Safety Council website atwww.nsc.org/safety_home/SafetyObservances/Pages/BackToSchoolSafety.

As summer vacations come to an end and students return to school throughout the county, Acting Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan would like to remind residents to take extra care when driving as the roads become busier.

Drivers will again be sharing the streets with school buses and children walking and bicycling to and from school.

“Driving safely requires a person’s constant attention to the road and to everyone and everything outside of the car,” Acting Sheriff Cryan said. “A lack of attention or a distraction could be deadly.”

School buses will again be part of the morning commute and on the streets each afternoon. It is important to obey the law for the safety of children when buses are picking up or dropping off students.

School buses use yellow flashing lights to alert motorists that they are preparing to stop. Red flashing lights and an extended stop sign arm are signals to motorists that the bus is stopped and children are getting on or off the bus. Traffic in both directions is required to stop when the red lights are flashing on the bus.

Also, drivers should never pass a school bus. It is illegal and could have tragic consequences.

Children are unpredictable and often take risks, ignore hazards or fail to look both ways when crossing the street.

“Drivers need to be alert at all times. Don’t talk on a cell phone while driving and, more importantly, never text while behind the wheel,” the Acting Sheriff said. “Red lights are not a time to check emails or texts. A distracted driver can lead to accidents at any time, even coming out of a stop.”

Parents of teenagers who drive to school need to reinforce the rules of the road with the young drivers, especially about never texting while driving. They should set a good example with their own good driving habits. Teens learn to drive by watching their parents.

Texting while driving is not the only hazard when it comes to digital devices. Distracted walking can also be dangerous. Students should not text and walk, especially when crossing or walking in the street. Parents with children who walk to school need to remind their kids about the basics of pedestrian safety.

“If everyone, drivers and students, keep aware of their surroundings and pay attention, the new school year can be a safer one,” Acting Sheriff Cryan added.

For more back-to-school safety information, visit the National Safety Council website atwww.nsc.org/safety_home/SafetyObservances/Pages/BackToSchoolSafety.

Union County Surrogate James LaCorte and Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi (R) present a donation to Pam Myers of the Friends of Linden Animal Shelter on behalf of the Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey in memory of former Union County Sheriff Ralph Froehlich who recently passed away. The Sheriff was a supporter of the shelter and former President of the Association. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholders Vernell Wright and Bruce Bergen congratulate newly sworn-in Undersheriff Michael Frank of the Union County Sheriff’s Office during a ceremony in Elizabeth. Undersheriff Frank is a 27-year veteran of the UCSO who most recently served as a captain in the Administrative Division. As Undersheriff, he will oversee the Courts Division, the Complex Division, UCSO Security Guards and the Identification Bureau/Crime Scene Unit. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

More than 100 teens recently graduated from the Union County Sheriff’s Youth Academy, a program designed to familiarize young people with the role of a police officer. Also, it operates similar to an actual police academy for teens interested in law enforcement.

“The Youth Academy aims to teach our kids about law enforcement and it is a great first step for those interested in the field,” Acting Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan said. “And from what I heard from these fine young women and men, we succeeded in all of our goals in this program.”

Acting Sheriff Cryan also thanked the officers from the various law enforcement agencies that participated in the program including, but not limited to, the Elizabeth Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, the Union County Police Department and the Union County Corrections.

“Along with all the effort from our Sheriff’s Officers, I’m grateful to all in law enforcement who supported this effort,” said Acting Sheriff Cryan.

Participants in the Youth Academy received hands-on experience in a wide variety of emergency services and law enforcement functions and training.  In addition, youths have the opportunity to learn respect for law enforcement through positive interaction during their time in the program.

“Showing them the human element of law enforcement helps our young people connect with officers in a way they never thought they could,” the Acting Sheriff added.

The Sheriff’s Youth Academy is not a ‘boot camp’ for troubled youth. In order to enroll in the program, the youngsters must have a minimum GPA of 2.70 (B- average), letters of reference and write an essay explaining why the student would like to attend the Youth Academy.

During the two-week program, the teens engaged in a physical training regime twice a day while attending lectures on subjects such as crime scene investigations, K-9 and motor vehicle stops. They also received visits from representatives from the U.S. Army, New Jersey State Police and the F.B.I, the Kenilworth Police Department and the Kean University Police Department.

The Youth Academy also involved class trips to the Union County SWAT Range, the Union County Jail, the Elizabeth Police Department and the Union County Police Department.

Union County, NJ – At a press conference yesterday, representatives from the interfaith organization Faith in New Jersey joined with other civil rights advocates to recognize the Freeholder Board for supporting a recent change to Union County Department of Corrections procedures relating to detainer requests from the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. The new procedures promote a more effective use of public safety resources while ensuring that constitutional protections are observed. Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak (4^th R), Vice Chairman Mohamed Jalloh (5^th L), and Freeholders Sergio Granados (4^th L), Vernell Wright (2^nd R) and Bruce Bergen (R) are pictured here with (from left) Hoover Rodriguez, a Union County resident who was detained under the former procedures, Carlos Rojas of Faith in New Jersey, Pastor Ramon Collazo of St. Elizabeth Lutheran Church, Assemblywoman Annette Quijano and Brian Riordan, Director of the Union County Department of Corrections.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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