Author: Web Site Administrator

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholders Linda Carter, Bette Jane Kowalski, Alexander Mirabella and Vernell Wright and Union County Parks and Recreation Director Ron Zuber joined members of the Union County Spectrum All Stars at the official opening of the new all-accessible fishing pier in Warinanco Park in Roselle.  The maintenance-free pier is ADA accessible, goes out 50 feet from the shore line, and offers expansive views of the pond and park. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announce the final 2016 Household Special Waste Collection event on Saturday, October 15^th for Union County residents to dispose of outdated or unwanted household chemicals, mercury thermostats, propane tanks, and automobile tires in an environmentally safe manner.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 Alcatel – Lucent Technologies located at 600 Mountain Avenue in New Providence.  Please note that latex (water-based) paint will not be accepted.

Saturday, October 15 will be the last household hazardous waste collection of 2016. Residents of Union County are eligible to participate at no cost. Pre-registration is not required for this special Saturday collection.

“It is our goal to make the household hazardous waste recycling program convenient and reliable for Union County residents,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “This is a great opportunity to recycle and properly dispose of unwanted household hazardous waste items that are cluttering up the basement or the garage, or taking up space under the kitchen sink. The result of our effort is safer homes and a cleaner environment for our families and our neighbors.”

Once residents arrive at Alcatel – Lucent Technologies with their household special waste, propane tanks, automobile tires, and mercury thermostats, they should remain in their vehicle while professional workers at the site unload the waste materials for disposal.

Household special waste items include 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. 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. Empty or dried out cans should be disposed of with the regular garbage.

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

A broader list of the materials that will be accepted on October 15 is available at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning web site: www.ucnj.org/recycle . This will be the last household hazardous waste collection of 2016.

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.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that the next mobile paper-shredding program for personal, confidential documents will take place at Galloping Hill Golf Course, located at 3 Golf Drive in Kenilworth, on Thursday, October 13th. 

Also, the final document shredding event for 2016 will be held on Saturday, October 22nd at Alcatel-Lucent Technologies located at 600 Mountain Avenue in New Providence.  Both document shredding events run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. 

“Properly disposing of personal documents is one way for resident to protect themselves from identity theft,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen. “Union County’s mobile document-shredding program compliments the County’s recycling efforts and other green initiatives, while giving residents a convenient opportunity to dispose old documents and confidential files safely and securely.”

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. NEXCUT Shredding of Elizabeth will be shredding personal documents from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  The event will end before 1 p.m. if the shredding truck reaches capacity.

This is a garbage-free event so please bring your documents in paper bags if at all possible. Plastic bags and boxes will be returned. Please remove plastic binders and large paper clips.  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 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 Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889 or visit us online at www.ucnj.org/recycle.

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholder Alexander Mirabella present a resolution to Mike Guarino of the Columbus Parade Association of Union County in honor of Columbus Day at the group’s 28th annual anniversary celebration in Linden. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholders Christopher Hudak and Bette Jane Kowalski present a resolution to Jeffrey B. Krowicki of Linden congratulating him on being selected as the Linden Grand Marshal of the General Pulaski Memorial Parade. The Freeholder Board also presented Sue Lukenda, President of the 2016 Pulaski Day Parade Committee, with a check in support of the parade committee. The General Pulaski Memorial Day Parade is in New York City on Sunday, October 2, 2016.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

On behalf of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Vice Chairman Sergio Granados presented resolutions to individuals and agencies in honor of their heroic efforts in finding and defusing pipe bombs and the arrest of a suspect believed to have been involved with the incident.

Those honored include the two men—Lee Parker and Ivan White–who found the suspicious backpack in Elizabeth containing the pipe bombs and then reported it to Elizabeth police; Harinder Bains, the Linden bar/deli owner who reported the suspect wanted in connection with the pipe bombs; and the two Linden Police officers, Angel Padilla and Peter Hammer, who apprehended the suspect in connection with the incident.

(Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Press release from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

During Columbus Day weekend – Friday night, October 7, through Monday afternoon, October 10 – the Port Authority will close the Goethals Bridge from that Friday night into the following morning, and institute traffic diversions through the remainder of the three-day weekend on connecting roads in Staten Island, N.Y. and Elizabeth, N.J. 

Travel delays are expected throughout the three-day weekend, especially during peak travel times.  The Bayonne Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing will remain fully open through Columbus Day weekend as alternate routes.

The lane closures and diversions are necessary to facilitate a component of the Goethals Bridge Replacement Project – specifically, the demolition and replacement of the Travis Spur Rail Bridge which carries Conrail tracks over I-278 in Staten Island, immediately west of the Goethals Bridge toll plaza. 

The rail bridge must be replaced to enable the expansion of the roadway approaching the Goethals Bridge from a total of four lanes (two eastbound and two westbound) to a total of six lanes (three in each direction).  The twin spans of the new Goethals Bridge, currently under construction, will have a total of six, 12-foot-wide lanes, a significant improvement over the existing bridge’s four, 10-foot lanes.

Construction work during Columbus Day weekend will require the following lane closures and diversions:

The Goethals Bridge will be fully closed from 10 p.m. Friday, October 7 through 8 a.m. Saturday, October 8.  

• At 8 a.m. Saturday, October 8, the Goethals Bridge will reopen, and traffic diversions will be implemented on I-278 and Gulf Road in Staten Island, between the toll plaza and the bridge.  These diversions will be in place until 3 p.m. Monday, October 10 and are expected to result in traffic delays.

• These traffic diversions will include temporarily diverting I-278 eastbound traffic onto Gulf Road, and temporarily diverting I-278 westbound traffic onto the I-278 eastbound lanes.  

• Traffic will return to its normal configuration at approximately 3 p.m. Monday, October 10. 

To avoid expected delays, drivers are encouraged to avoid using the Goethals Bridge throughout the weekend, and consider instead using the Bayonne Bridge or Outerbridge Crossing as alternatives.

Following this work, the Port Authority will implement nightly lane closures on I-278 between the toll plaza and the Goethals Bridge in order to repave and expand the lanes approaching the Goethals Bridge.