Author: Web Site Administrator

Union County – Voting is set to continue this week for Union County’s first-ever Art Outside the Box program; the last round of voting, for the Plainfield edition of the program garnered over 9,000 votes.

The selections available for this round will cover traffic control boxes in Rahway at the intersections of Milton Street and Lawrence Street, Hamilton Street and Irving Street, and within Madison Avenue Park.

The public can vote online at www.ucnj.org/artoutsidethebox/vote until Wednesday, October 7, 2015.

Art Outside the Box is a new county-wide creative placemaking project created to support Union County visual artists by offering a nontraditional exhibition opportunity that broadens and diversifies public exposure to art murals.

The theme for the 2015 Art Outside The Box  program was diversity, and art was sought that not only represented the community at-large, but that was uplifting, colorful, and appropriate for people of all ages. 

Offered as part of Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh’s Building A Community of the Arts initiative, a total of thirteen original artworks will be selected to cover traffic control boxes in Elizabeth, Linden, Rahway, and Plainfield, NJ. Each artwork will be reproduced on a special vinyl adhesive film and professionally applied to the exterior of the pre-selected traffic control boxes. 

Funded by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, details about the project are available online at www.ucnj.org/artoutsidethebox.

For additional information please contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 908-558-2550.

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Union County Freeholders Christopher Hudak and Vernell Wright spoke with Cathleen Lewis and Ron Esposito from AAA New Jersey and Union County Traffic Safety Program Coordinator Christine Marcantonio at the CarFit safety check event for senior drivers at the Garwood First Aid Squad.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invited senior residents to participate in the free CarFit event to help ensure mature drivers fit their vehicles properly. The event offers drivers a quick, comprehensive check on correct safety belt position, distance from airbags, mirror alignment, and how well their vehicles suit their abilities. CarFit is a national program aimed at helping senior drivers find their safest fit in their personal vehicle. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholders Christopher Hudak and Vernell Wright spoke with Cathleen Lewis and Ron Esposito from AAA New Jersey and Union County Traffic Safety Program Coordinator Christine Marcantonio at the CarFit safety check event for senior drivers at the Garwood First Aid Squad.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invited senior residents to participate in the free CarFit event to help ensure mature drivers fit their vehicles properly. The event offers drivers a quick, comprehensive check on correct safety belt position, distance from airbags, mirror alignment, and how well their vehicles suit their abilities. CarFit is a national program aimed at helping senior drivers find their safest fit in their personal vehicle. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders are happy to announce that tickets for this year’s Great Pumpkin Sail at Echo lake Park, Lower Lake, are now on sale.

The Great Pumpkin Sail will take place on Sunday, November 1 with three sessions scheduled. The first session will run from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m.; session two from 6:45-8:00 p.m.; and session three from 8:15-9:30 p.m. In case of rain, the event will take place Monday, November 2^nd at the same times.

“The Great Pumpkin Sail, year in and year out, is one of our most popular events,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Please purchase your tickets early and be part of this wonderful family event.”

Each family ticket is for one Jack-O-Lantern weighing no more than 8 pounds after carving, and must be purchased in advance.  The Great Pumpkin Sail is one our most popular events, so you are advised to register early since space is limited. Each ticket admits up to 6 people. There is a limit of 2 tickets per person. There will be no refunds, exchanges or group sales. The cost is $12 per family up to six people for in county residents. Out of county residents pay $16 per family up to six persons.

Tickets are available at three locations: Weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Union County Administration Building, Department of Parks and Recreation, 2^nd Floor, 10 Elizabethtown Plaza in Elizabeth; at the Colleen Fraser Building, 300 North Avenue East, Westfield,  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 a.m.to  4:00 pm and on Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and at Trailside Nature and Science Center, 425 New Providence Road, Mountainside every day from Noon to 4:45 p.m.

For further information you can call the Union county Department of parks and Recreation at 908-527-4900; or Trailside nature and Science Center at 908- 789-3670; or visit the Union County website atwww.ucnj.org.

[updated October 1, 2015]

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders reminds residents to prepare for stormy weather this week as Hurricane Joaquin makes its way up the eastern seaboard. The latest weather reports place New Jersey in the center of the projected track for Joaquin, which stretches from Rhode Island to North Carolina. According to the latest estimates, Joaquin could potentially reach New Jersey late Monday.

“Union County will likely experience some heavy rain and wind throughout the weekend leading up to next week,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Please take this opportunity to check how prepared you are for severe weather events as the hurricane season affects our area.”

Since being impacted by Hurricane Irene in August 2010, Union County has experienced a string of damaging weather events including Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Emergency experts recommend that every household and business be prepared to spend at least three days without power or access to local grocery stores and other services.

That includes keeping a first aid kit and a supply of non-perishable food and bottled water on hand. Flashlights and other emergency equipment should also be stored in an easily accessible area, and should be checked regularly to make sure they are working properly.

For vehicle owners, preparedness also includes responding to emergency guidance such as topping off gas tanks ahead of a storm and avoiding non-essential travel during recovery.

As part of their emergency preparedness measures, residents and businesses should also check their property and secure lightweight yard furniture, trash cans, toys, and other items that could create windblown hazards.

For tips and resources on emergency preparation in Union County, visit ucnj.org/prepare.

Additional guidance on preparing for hurricanes is available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency at ready.gov.

“The most crucial thing to do is to stay informed in the lead-up to an extreme weather event, and follow the guidance of local emergency officials,” Jalloh noted. “Your preparedness will enable first responders to focus on helping those in immediate need.”

To receive alerts on cell phones and other mobile devices, residents can join the Union County First Alert system by signing up online at ucfirstalert.org.

“When you receive an alert, follow up by tuning in to your local news reports. You can also bookmark the home page of the Union County website, ucnj.org, where information and updates will be posted,” said Jalloh.

Information on the progress of Hurricane Joaquin is available from the National Hurricane Center at nhc.noaa.gov.

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The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that its next mobile paper-shredding program for personal documents will be available on Wednesday, October 14, in Kenilworth.

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

The Oct. 14^th shredding event will take place at Galloping Hill Golf Course, located at 3 Golf Drive, off Boulevard in Kenilworth. 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 final shredding event of 2015 will take place Sunday, Oct. 25, at Alcatel-Lucent in New Providence.

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 at www.ucnj.org/recycle .

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invited residents, especially veterans and their families, to gather at the steps of the Union County Courthouse on Friday, September 18 at 11:15 a.m., for the annual POW/MIA Remembrance Day ceremony to honor prisoners of war and those missing in action. New Jersey State Senator Raymond J. Lesniak delivered the keynote address.