Author: Web Site Administrator

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that free public Wi-Fi access is available now in 6 new parks throughout the county. There are now a total of 11 county parks and facilities that offer free Wi-Fi.

“We are committed to ensuring that our recreation facilities are up to date and welcoming to a broad range of activities.” said Chairman Bruce Bergen. “Whether it is surfing the web, mapping out the day, setting alarms at home, or posting photos of their children in action, it now becomes a reality for our residents at more locations in our parks systems.”

The WIFI program was an initiative of Freeholder Christopher Hudak when he served as Chairman in 2014.

“In today’s interconnected world, it’s important that our residents have the opportunity to stay in touch throughout the day wherever they may be,” Hudak said. “We’re pleased to be able to continue to expand this important service.”

New sites include: 

• Ponderosa Park, Scotch Plains.
• Conant Park, Hillside.
• Warinanco Park Boat House/Spray Park Area.
• Mattano Park, Elizabeth.
• Rizzuto Park, Union.
• Watchung Stables, 1160 Summit Lane, Mountainside.

Previous WIFI-enabled sites include:

• The Union County Clerk’s Office at the Colleen Fraser Building in Westfield.
• Nomahegan Park playground, Cranford.
• Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside.
• Warinanco (Park) Skating facility area, Roselle.
• Walter Ulrich Memorial Pool, Rahway River Park.
• Wheeler Park Pool and Playground area, Linden.

Logging on to Union County’s service is easy for WIFI-enabled devices, such as Apple I-Phones and I-pads, Android-based phones and tablets and any other WIFI capable devices. Merely find the WIFI settings and make sure it is turned on. Select “Union County Wi-Fi” as the connection to join. Follow on screen agreements and enjoy.

Safety features are also in place, including having the users to re-login periodically to discourage downloading or streaming of large files which may cause the performance and bandwidth to decrease for other patrons who may be logged on at the same time.

To find a local outdoor area with free Wi-Fi, visit www.ucnj.org/wi-fi.

Lifeguards are needed at the Ulrich pool for the summer from mid-June through Labor Day. 

Current lifeguard certification required and weekends are mandatory.

Good starting salary.

If you are interested, please call 908-298-7849 Monday through Friday, 9am to 4pm.

Union County Freeholders Christopher Hudak and Bette Jane Kowalski presented a check from the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders to the 2017 Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade General Chairman Harry Capko, Grand Marshal Joe Nolan and Parade Adjutant Debbie Sully during the parade committee’s Celebrity Bartenders fundraiser at the Kenilworth Veterans Center. The 2017 Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 11 on Morris Avenue in Union.

For more information please visit www.unioncountystpatricksdayparade.com

The U.S Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) New York District (District), in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) announces the extension of the review period for the Draft Integrated Feasibility Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Rahway River Flood Risk Management Study for an additional 15 days. A notice of availability for the Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement was published in the December 9, 2016 issue of the Federal Register.

Comments on the Draft Integrated Feasibility Report/EIS are due 7 February 2017. Comments received by the due date will assist in the agency’s evaluation of the project changes and will be reflected in the project record.

The Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and EIS, and instructions for submitting written and email comments are available on the New York Districts website at:

www.nan.usace.army.mil/Rahway

General questions regarding the Rahway River Basin Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study can be directed to Ms. Rifat Salim, Project Manager, Rifat.Salim@usace.army.mil, 917-790-8215.

All written comments, including contact information, will be made a part of the administrative record, available to the public under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Administrative Record, or portions thereof, may also be posted on a Corps of Engineers’ Internet website. Due to resource limitations, this office generally cannot acknowledge receipt of comments or respond to individual letters of comments.

Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski (right) issues a proclamation honoring Cranford resident Catherine Felegi, the recipient of the Clergy Council of Cranford’s 2017 Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Award. Freeholder Kowalski is joined by (from left) Cranford Mayor Tom Hannen; Cindy Hannen, chairwoman of the Clergy Council and Catherine Felegi.

Ms Felegi created and organizes Operation Warm Heart at Cranford’s First Presbyterian Church. The program provides overnight shelter and a wide array of services to homeless Union County residents.

The award was presented at Cranford’s 30th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and Recognition, which was held at the First Baptist Church of Cranford. Leaders from Cranford’s many religious denominations participated in the event.

Emergency construction will require the closure of the Goethals Bridge westbound lanes from 10 p.m. Thursday, January 12 to 5 a.m. Friday, January 13. 

The emergency construction is required to repair drainage issues along part of the roadway along the westbound approach to the Goethals Bridge.

To provide an alternate route for drivers, the Bayonne Bridge will cancel its scheduled Thursday night closure, and will remain open from 3 p.m. Thursday through 9 a.m. Friday.  The Outerbridge Crossing will also be open.  

The overnight Goethals Bridge closure is not expected to result in significant delays.

To receive real time traffic updates, travelers should register for the Port Authority’s Bridge and Tunnel Alerts at http://www.paalerts.com/, call 511 or visit www.511NY.org or www.511NJ.org.

Freeholders Carter, Kowalski and Granados Begin New Terms

UNION COUNTY COURTHOUSE, ELIZABETH—Freeholder Bruce H. Bergen has been selected as Chairman of the Board for the second year in a row and announced a series of initiatives for 2017, entitled “Connecting our Community”  that includes new announcements for  youth, seniors, veterans, social services, parks, the environment and the arts. 

Bergen, a lifelong native of Union County who is a resident of Springfield, announced his initiatives at the 160th annual reorganization meeting held in the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth on Sunday.  

Freeholders Linda Carter, Bette Jane Kowalski and Sergio Granados, were sworn in to new terms. Freeholder Granados was appointed as Freeholder Vice Chairman for the second year in a row. Freeholders also voted to fill numerous positions on County advisory boards and to adopt the Board’s 2017 schedule and procedural rules.

In announcing his “Connecting our Community” initiatives, Bergen noted that while “there has been improvement, these continue to be challenging times” for many in Union County.

Bergen added that the Board would continue to deliver “the services our residents want and deserve in a fiscally prudent manner,” despite pressure from the State to pay for mandated services without adequate funding.

Bergen also added Union County is now entering “uncharted territory” as well at the Federal level with many critical government services across the board facing an uncertain future with new national leadership.

“Here in Union County, we are prepared to stand for our core governing values and to protect the most vulnerable among us, as well as all those who could be impacted in an unfair manner,” Bergen said.  “Union County’s residents—and our immigrants—have the right to be treated with the dignity and respect that all citizens of the planet deserve, regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation.”

With this in mind, Bergen announced his “Connecting our Community” initiatives for 2017:

• UC LEAP: Learning, Employment and Arts Programs (for youth):
• In the centerpiece program, the County will partner with the Simon Youth Foundation, the Union County Vo-Tech,  the Workforce Development Board and the State Department of Labor to create an Alternative High School for at-risk-youth that will open at the Mills at Jersey Gardens this year. 
• In Summit, the County will partner with Overlook Hospital to co-sponsor the Project Search program, which provides employment and training for youth with disabilities. The hospital is one of only four employers state-wide that was selected to host this program. 
• In Scotch Plains, the Union County Vocational Technical Schools will offer programs designed to train students for the arts, and high-paying legal and technology careers.  This includes the new full time Academy for Law and Justice, opening in September; a Hack-A-thon event, which is a twenty-four hour computer science and engineering competition open to all students of high school age; and a student play at the Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) in Rahway.
• The Freeholder Board will once again sponsor the American Theater Group’s second Annual Group Drama Festival at the Hamilton Stage in April, and the third annual Union County Advancing Community Theatre (UCACT) program at UC PAC.  Through UCACT, the Freeholder Board sponsors local theatrical groups to bring their productions to the big stage at UCPAC in Rahway.

UC MEANS GREEN II:

• The Freeholders will offer increased funding for another round of grants for local governments, community organizations and non-profits serving hundreds of residents, through the UC Community Gardens grant program which was so successful last year.
• The Department of Public Works will “turn a new leaf” with its composting operations at the Houdaille Quarry, while providing a much needed service to the County’s municipalities.  The leaf and grass collected countywide will be sold as high-end compost to private companies, producing as much as $500,000 a year in revenues.

UCHERO II:

• The Board will partner with local veterans groups, including Operation Rebound and the New Jersey Vets Commission in efforts to strengthen the mental and physical well-being of veterans. 
• The County will establish the first Veterans Success Center, through the Department of Economic Development. Relying on existing resources, the Center will assist veterans with job placement and training, career advisement, and referrals to health resources. 
• The Parks Department will work to refurbish and re-dedicate the existing veterans Memorial Grove in Rahway Park. The Parks Department will replace missing trees, create a new online map, refurbish the area around the memorial marker, and re-dedicate this historic tree grove and marker.

The “Continuum of Care”—a series of social service announcements for 2017:

• The County will fund beds for a minimum of 25 additional residents who require heroin or other opioid addiction treatment in 2017. The treatment will include up to seven days of DeTox treatment, and up to 28 days of inpatient rehabilitation, per person. 
• The Human Services Department will work to create the Union County Nonprofit Consortium Leadership Development program, and fund of a series of management leadership trainings, geared toward top nonprofit management staff.
• The County will explore of the creation of an Office on Volunteer Services.
• The County will continue the “Senior Focus” and “Seniors in Motion” programs. “Senior Focus” funding is being used for equipment for or repairs and rehabilitation of senior center facilities.  The vans awarded by the County to the municipalities for the transport of seniors in the “Seniors in Motion” program have begun to roll out, and will be continuing throughout the year.

PUBLIC SAFETY:

• The county will be purchasing a Fire Fighting Water Tanker that will bring 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of water to a scene for municipal fire fighters, providing an effective means to suppress an active fire in remote areas.
• In an effort to keep first responders in constant communication during a crisis, the County will  expand  upon last year’s “Mutual Aide Radio project,” and assist the 17 agencies who use the Union County Dispatch service with compatible radios to ease communication.
• The Bureau of GIS is working with the UC Prosecutor’s Office to develop an online Crisis Mitigation Plan including the introduction of a Homeland Security program to scan floor plans of key public facilities into the County GIS, to speed emergency response. 

Working with local law enforcement, floor plans for the County’s 230 public and private schools have been added.  The County plans on extending this program to capture as many important public facilities as possible.

Other announcements included:

• A second annual performance by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra— this time at Oak Ridge Park in Clark, with a re-enactment battle of Short Hills which occurred 240 years ago;
• The County will roll out historic signage marking the Crossroads of the Revolution National Heritage Area at revolutionary era sites to raise the public’s awareness of history;
• The County will host the first-ever Family Pride CommUNITY Picnic event at Rahway Park in the summer, celebrating marriage equality;
• Updates throughout the Parks system: developing a new spray park for Wheeler Park in Linden; a new multi-use Astroturf field for Cedar Brook Park in Plainfield; and the opening of the new skating facility at Warinanco Park. The public will also be able to access programs and online tickets to popular parks events including the Pumpkin Sail and Harvest Fest.

Bergen, in closing, thanked all for their support.

“Finally, though it sounds like a cliché, I honestly am humbled and honored by the support of my Freeholder colleagues,” Bergen said.  “I look forward to continuing to work with all of them in the coming year to build on the progress this Board has made over many years, moving Union County forward for all of our residents.  I also want to acknowledge and thank our County Manager, our department heads and the 2,500 or so county employees who work hard every day on behalf of our residents.”

Union County Police today discovered the body of a 52-year-old Cranford man in the shallow waters of the Rahway River off South and Centennial Avenues around 9 a.m. this morning.

The man has been identified as Joseph Dugandzic, 52, of Cranford. Mr., Dugandzic is a popular teacher in the township’s high school and has been described as an active member of the community. An investigation is ongoing into the cause of death. The County Police were assisted by Cranford Police and Fire Departments.

The family of Mr. Dugandzic released the following statement:

“With heartfelt sadness, we announce the untimely passing of our beloved family member, husband, father, teacher, coach, and friend Joseph Dugandzic. Whether you were touched by Joe as a student at Cranford High School, on one of his many youth sports teams, at a charitable event, or as a friend, our community celebrates Joe’s legacy. Everyone has graciously asked our family what they can do during this time. As Joe frequently said, ‘the best thing we can do for our kids is give them the gift of our time.’ While there has been an overwhelming outpouring of support and love from the community, our family respectfully requests privacy at this time.”

Jeff Boyer takes bubbles to the max in this one-man bubble extravaganza.

Union County’s Sensory Friendly Theatre series explores the wonders of science in the dynamic and uniquely funny live performance of Bubble Trouble on stage at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway on Sunday, February 19 at 2:00 p.m.

Available now, all tickets are $8 per person and can be purchased through the Union County Performing Arts Center at ucpac.org or by calling the Box Office at 732-499-8226.

“The Freeholder Board is proud to present the sensory-friendly performance series, designed to increase access to the arts for children and adults with sensory sensitivities,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “Bring the entire family to experience this uniquely interactive sensory-friendly performance where the audience participates in the creation of art.”

A bubble volcano. Bubble roller coaster. A kid in a bubble? Jeff Boyer takes bubbles to the max in this one-man bubble extravaganza. It’s the craziest, most creative bubble show around. Jeff juggles bubbles, sculpts and builds with bubbles, makes fog-filled bubbles and more. Mixing comedy, music and interactive bubble-magic, he engages and delights audiences of all ages. A hit at performing arts centers, festivals…anywhere there’s air.

For each of the performances in Union County’s Sensory Friendly Theatre series the theatre environment at the Union County Performing Arts Center is adjusted to provide a sensory-friendly, comfortable and judgment-free space that is welcoming for all families.

Autism Friendly Spaces implements the supportive atmosphere at each of the sensory-friendly performances. For more information on what to expect at a Sensory Friendly Theatre performance visit ucpac.org/sensory-friendly-theatre.

For more information or to purchase tickets call the Union County Performing Arts Center, 732-499-8226 or visit ucpac.org. The UCPAC Box Office, located at 1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM and is also open late on Thursdays until 8:00 PM.

For information on additional Union County recreational programs for people with disabilities age five and up, call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4781 or visit ucnj.org.