Author: Web Site Administrator

UCPO, UCSO, UCPD, Linden police investigating circumstances behind object left in parking lot An object left in a Linden parking lot Tuesday was found not to pose any danger to the public, but it appeared to be designed to resemble an explosive device, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park, Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan, Union County Police Chief Christopher Debbie, and Linden Police Chief Jonathan Parham jointly announced Wednesday.

Linden Police Department patrol units responding to a report of a suspicious object traveled to the 1100 block of West St. Georges Avenue (Route 27) at approximately 6 p.m. Tuesday, located the object, and immediately began clearing the area. West St. Georges was closed between North Stiles and Ross streets, and residents of two nearby apartment buildings were evacuated.

Police, fire, and emergency management personnel from Linden, the Union County Police Department Bomb Squad, and members of the Prosecutor’s Office, Union County Sheriff’s Office K-9 and Crime Scene units, New Jersey State Police, and the FBI responded to the scene, and at approximately 8:30 p.m. an assessment was made that the object did not contain explosive materials. The scene was cleared a little more than an hour later, when evacuated residents were permitted to return to their homes. Police units also swept the area for additional devices, but did not locate any.

This remains an active investigation, and anyone with information about this matter is being urged to contact Prosecutor’s Office Detective Dennis Donovan at 732-232-2049 or Linden Police Detective Joseph Kaulfers at 908-474-8537.  The Union County Crime Stoppers  are also offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest  and indictment; tips can be given anonymously by phone at 908-654-TIPS (8477), via text message by texting “UCTIP” and a message to 274637 (CRIMES), or online at www.uctip.org.

“Thank you to the concerned citizen who first made us aware of this suspicious device,” Chief Parham said. “This event, like so many others we have seen, truly highlights the significance of the police-community relationship, and how important it is for our friends and neighbors to remain vigilant. We cannot do our jobs without you.”

Charlotte DeFilippo was a visionary, an innovator, and a trailblazer throughout an extraordinary governmental and civic career that spanned six decades. 

A titan of County and local government, Charlotte also served in various elected, and governmental capacities in her hometown of Hillside. At the County, she served as a Freeholder early on in her life. She later served for more than a decade as the Director of the Union County Improvement Authority where she created a legacy of public projects that transformed County Government and are providing long lasting benefits to all citizens at every level of society.

On a personal level, Charlotte had a brilliant mind, was a great strategist and incredibly engaging in conversation on so many topics. Her influence on her friends, as well as local and County government, and the residents of our community will be long felt. She will be sorely missed. Flags in Union County will be flown at half-staff.

To pre-register, visit www.ucnj.org/parks-reg/

The Union County Department of Parks & Recreation will host a meeting to present a Trails Master Plan that has been developed for the Watchung Reservation.  This plan will create new trails and open the Watchung Reservation to mountain biking.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 7 at 7:00 p.m. at the Trailside Nature & Science Center.  Trailside is located in the Watchung Reservation at 452 New Providence Road, Mountainside.

Representatives of the Parks Department and its trails planning consultant will explain the master plan and answer questions.  There will be ample opportunity for those who use the trails and other features or facilities in the Watchung Reservation to offer their input on the plan. 

There is no sign-up or reservation required to attend or to speak at the meeting.  A similar meeting was held last October, primarily for mountain biking enthusiasts.

The Trails Master Plan includes the construction of 13 1/2 miles of new trails which will be restricted to mountain biking only.  The new trails will be spread throughout most areas of the park.  Portions of the Sierra Trail and other existing hiking or equestrian trails will be shared by all users, including mountain bikers.  Some sections of existing hiking trails will be closed.

A map showing the location of the trails that will be constructed can be found at https://ucnj.org/watchung-reservation-trails-master-plan/

UNVEILING THE FIRST of new signage marking Union County’s inclusion in the National Park Service’s Crossroads of the American Revolution(CAR) National Heritage Area.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen, left, was joined by CAR Executive Director Noreen Bodman, CAR Board Member David Siegfried and Revolutionary War re-enactor Alan Bridges of Rahway, a member of the 3^rd New Jersey Grays.

The new signage is part of Bergen’s initiative to raise awareness of the history in the area.  Union County is one of 14 counties that comprise the National Heritage Area and the first to roll out signage across the county recognizing the designation.

New Jersey played a crucial role in the American Revolution. Positioned between the new nation’s capital in Philadelphia and the British stronghold in New York, no place in New Jersey was spared the ravages of war. During six years of conflict, General George Washington and the Continental Army spent more days in New Jersey than any other state. Plans are in the works to stage a re-enactment of the Battle of the Short Hills at Oak Ridge Park in June, along with the annual Four Centuries in a Weekend in October.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders held a set of open public hearing dates in February and March for the review.

• 2017 Executive Budget, click here. 
• 2017 Budget as Introduced, click here. 
• 2017 Adopted Budget, click here.

[ezcol_1third] [/ezcol_1third] [ezcol_1third] [/ezcol_1third] [ezcol_1third_end] [/ezcol_1third_end]

While there are no public comments at these meetings, the public was welcome to attend and listen to the discussion. The Freeholder Board will conduct their review before voting to introducing the budget later this year.

The first significant winter storm of 2017 is expected to hit the New York-New Jersey region early tomorrow morning, bringing 6 to 12 inches of heavy wet snow and high winds throughout the day.  To deal with the upcoming weather event, the Port Authority has taken significant measures to ensure safe, efficient operations at its airports, tunnels, bridges and PATH system.

The National Weather Service currently forecasts the heaviest snow beginning shortly before the morning rush hour on Thursday and continuing until mid-afternoon.

In advance of the first snowflakes, the Port Authority has made extensive preparations for personnel and equipment at all of its facilities.  Operations personnel will work 12-hour shifts to ensure that facilities can be operated safely. The airports, bridges, tunnels and PATH also have snow desks where key personnel analyze weather reports and deploy staff and equipment.

The Port Authority also is in contact with the states of New York and New Jersey, as well as other local and federal officials and agencies to coordinate response to the winter weather event

With a storm of this magnitude, airlines sometimes cancel flights in advance, so travelers should check with their carriers to make sure their flight will be taking off before going to the airport. If warranted, the Port Authority also has supplies of cots and other essential items ready to accommodate ticketed passengers who may become stranded at the airports.

The Port Authority also urges bus travelers to check with their carriers before going to the bus terminals since many public and private carriers may cancel or delay service if conditions warrant. The agency also may impose speed restrictions on its crossings, or close them entirely based on weather conditions.

All terminals in the Port of New York and New Jersey will be closed tomorrow due to the impending weather conditions.

The Port Authority has the following winter weather equipment and supplies ready at its major transportation facilities:

Hundreds of pieces of snow equipment at its airports, including melters that can liquefy up to 500 tons of snow an hour and plows that can clear snow at 40 mph; • Dozens of pieces of snow equipment at its bridges and tunnels; •  Thousands of tons of salt and sand for airport roads and parking lots, plus thousands of tons of salt for the bridges and tunnels; •  Hundreds of thousands of gallons of liquid anti-icer chemicals at the airports, which prevent snow and ice from bonding to runways and taxiways, plus thousands of tons of solid de-icers, which break up snow and ice already on the ground; •  Plow-equipped trains, liquid snow-melting agent trains and a “jet engine” plow to remove snow from PATH tracks, and snow blowers, plows and spreaders to clear station entrances, roads that serve PATH’s 13 stations, and various support facilities.

For up-to-the-minute updates on Port Authority crossings, airports and the PATH system, travelers are encouraged to sign up for Port Authority alerts at http://www.paalerts.com/. Travelers may also call 511 or visit http://511ny.org or http://511nj.org for further information on highway conditions.

511NY | New York Traffic | Commuter Information | Road Conditions http://511ny.org Provides up to the minute traffic and transit information for New York state. View the real time traffic map with travel times, traffic accident details, traffic cameras and other road conditions. Plan your trip and get the fastest route taking into account current traffic conditions.

 

Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Christopher Hudak take part in the Jewish Federation of Metro West’s 3rd Annual Community Challah Bake at the Community Food Bank of NJ in Hillside. There are joined by Senator Thomas Kean and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano.

The event’s mission was to help feed the needy and raise awareness of the hunger crisis in New Jersey. Highlights of the day included braiding and baking 800 challahs for local clients and helping with projects for the Community Food Bank of NJ.

 

Bring the entire family to Union County’s Sensory Friendly Theatre series’ dynamic, uniquely funny and interactive Bubble Trouble live performance 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. “Families are sure to enjoy experiencing the wonders of bubble science in Jeff Boyer’s creative and entertaining live performance – all while participating in the creation of art.”

With 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.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Recreation invite children and adults with disabilities to enjoy an afternoon of ice skating at the Warinanco Park Ice Skating Center, located on Thompson Avenue in Roselle, on Sunday, March 5, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

“Lace Up Your Skates” is a program developed through the Recreation Department’s Office for Programs for People with Disabilities Division. There will be skate guards on duty throughout the event, and skate-walkers will be available for those needing assistance.

“This will be a wonderful opportunity for both youngsters and adults with disabilities to enjoy the ice at the Warinanco Park Ice Skating Center in a fun and safe atmosphere for all,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.

There is an $8 registration fee, which can be paid on line when registering at www.ucnj.org/parks-reg/.

For answers to any questions you might have on this program or any other programs offered for people with disabilities please call 908-527-4781. And for a complete list of Programs for People with Disabilities you can go to https://ucnj.org/parks-recreation/recreation-for-people-with-disabilities/.