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Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholder Alexander Mirabella presented certificates of appreciation to members of the Newark Bait and Fly Casting Club and Boy Scout Troop 145 from Clark thanking them for helping with the annual Union County Fishing Derby for people with disabilities at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi announces that a “One-Stop” election service is available for Union County voters at the Westfield and Elizabeth offices of the County Clerk beginning on Monday, September 21, 2015.

“Eligible voters are able to apply for a Vote-By-Mail ballot for the New Jersey General Election and School Board Elections in person at either of my offices, receive their ballot and cast the ballot at the same time,” Ms. Rajoppi said. “This one-stop voting service is available at my Westfield office as well as at the main office in Elizabeth. The deadline to apply for Vote-By-Mail for the November 3 General Election is October 27 by mail-in application. The deadline to apply in person is Monday, November 2 by 3:00 p.m.”

“The service in Westfield and Elizabeth makes voting more accessible, particularly at the Westfield office with its convenient Saturday office hours and evening hours during the week,” Ms. Rajoppi added. “With the important November 3 General Election for State Assembly, County and Municipal offices as well as the School Board Elections quickly approaching, my office is working to make the voting process as fast and convenient as we can for everyone who is registered to vote.”

Last week, Ms. Rajoppi announced the redesign of the Vote-By-Mail Ballot so that it more closely resembles the Sample Ballot and Official Ballot in the voting machines.  The ballot will now be horizontally oriented and the School Board Election will have a blue heading, drawing the voter’s attention to the bottom of the ballot so it is recognized that there are more votes to be cast.

Vote-By-Mail is an easy, secure process that has replaced the Absentee Ballot. Voters do not need to give a reason why they wish to Vote-By-Mail. Voters may pick up an application at their local municipal building. They can also download the form on the Union County Clerk’s website at ucnj.org/vote-by-mail, they can use the free, downloadable Union County NJ Votes app, or they can contact the Union County Clerk at 908-527-4996. The Clerk’s website also includes a video that explains how to fill out the Vote-By-Mail application form.

The opportunity to Vote-By-Mail in Westfield and Elizabeth is another service available at the County Clerk’s two offices, along with passport application and renewal services, registration of Trade Names, and the application and swearing in of Notaries Public. 

The County Clerk’s Westfield Annex is located in the Colleen Fraser Building, 300 North Avenue East, Westfield 07090. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays. 

The Main Office of the County Clerk is located at the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Room 113, Elizabeth, NJ 07207. Regular office hours in Elizabeth are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The County Clerk’s Election Office in Elizabeth will be open on Saturday, October 31from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to assist voters wishing to Vote-By-Mail.

For all County Clerk programs and services visit online at ucnj.org/county-clerk or call 908-527-4787

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites everyone to attend the 34^th Annual Harvest Festival on Sunday, September 27 at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., rain or shine. 

Harvest Festival is a celebration of Early American life featuring music, children’s crafts, games, demonstrations and displays, a petting zoo and much more. The always popular Scarecrow Building will again take place.

“This event gives those in attendance an opportunity to see early American culture and history come to life while walking through the festival grounds in the picturesque Watchung Reservation,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Visitors of all ages will enjoy this fascinating, fun-filled event.”

Admission to the Harvest Festival is $4 per person, with children ages 7 and younger admitted free of charge. There may be a fee charged for some of the activities.

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

(From left) Union County Freeholders Sergio Granados, Vernell Wright and Alexander Mirabella thanked State Senator Raymond Lesniak (2^nd right) for delivering the keynote speech at the Union County POW/MIA Remembrance Day ceremony outside the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. The annual event is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders to honor and remember prisoners of war and those missing in action (POW/MIA). National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed each year on the third Friday of September. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh joined Plainfield Mayor Adrian O. Mapp and Plainfield Council President Bridget B. Rivers in reviewing the ‘Art Outside the Box’ artist submissions that will be featured on traffic control boxes at three Plainfield intersections.

In the coming days, we will open up online voting for you to pick your top three favorites. Learn more about the Chairman’s Initiative at https://ucnj.org/artoutsidethebox/. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites residents to participate in free child safety seat inspection opportunities during National Child Passenger Safety Week (September 13-19).

The proper use of child safety seats is one of the simplest and most effective methods available for protecting the lives of young children in the event of a motor vehicle accident.

On Saturday, September 19, as part of “National Seat Check Saturday,” trained technicians from Union County’s Child Safety Seat Inspection Program will conduct child seat inspections at the Babies ‘R’ Us on Rt. 22 in Union from 12:00 noon until 3:00 p.m. This special event is also sponsored in part by AAA Northeast – NJ Division.

Also, Union County’s popular Child Safety Seat Inspection Program is open every Wednesday and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. and is located at the Garwood Rescue Squad at 401 2^nd Avenue in Garwood.

 “If you have a baby or small child in your care, please come and take advantage of this free program, and make sure your safety seat is properly adjusted,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Our experts can help you get familiar with a new seat, and they can help you spot any problems with an older seat.”

New Jersey’s new child safety seat regulations took effect on September 1. The new State law requires parents to adhere to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations for child passenger safety. 

Under the new child passenger safety law:

• Children under age 2 and weighting less than 30 pounds must be secured in a rear-facing child safety seat that is equipped with five-point harness.
• Children between ages 2-4 and weighing up to 40 pounds must be secured in a child safety seat equipped with a five-point harness, either rear-facing (up to the height and weight limits of the seat) or forward –facing.
• Children between ages 4-8 and less than 57 inches tall (4’9”) must be secured in a forward-facing seat equipped with a five-point harness (up to the height and weight limits of the seat) or in a booster seat.
• Children ages 8 and older must use the vehicle seat belt. The safest place for children under 13 is the back seat.

Union County first launched the Child Safety Seat Inspection Program in 1999, in response to surveys showing that the overwhelming majority of child safety seats are improperly installed, even though most users are confident that they know the correct procedure.

Since 1999, approximately 50,000 Union County residents and visitors have used the Seat Inspection Program. It is staffed by personnel from the County’s Department of Public Safety, who are certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and by the organization SafeKids. The program is credited with saving at least one life, when a toddler survived a 2008 vehicle rollover shortly after the seat was properly adjusted by County personnel.

The child seat inspection program is provided as a public service by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Union County Police Department, New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, AAA Northeast – NJ Division, and the Garwood First Aid Squad.

For more information about Union County’s Child Safety Seat Inspection Program visit ucnj.org or call 908-789-6830.

Union County Freeholder Alexander Mirabella and Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi joined Scotch Plains Deputy Mayor Colleen Gialanella at the 7th Back To School Community Fair at St. John’s Baptist Church in Scotch Plains. The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders donated pens, pencils and backpacks for the event.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that its next mobile paper-shredding program for personal documents will be available on Saturday, September 26, at the Westfield Memorial Pool.

“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 Sept. 26^th shredding event will take place at the Westfield Memorial Pool, located at 713 Cumberland Street in Westfield. 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 next shredding event will take place Saturday, Oct. 3, at Oak Ridge Park in Clark.

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.

Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh and Freeholder Sergio Granados joined Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage and Elizabeth Council President Patricia Perkins-Auguste in reviewing the ‘Art Outside the Box’ artist submissions that will be featured on traffic control boxes at three Elizabeth intersections. In the coming days, we will open up online voting for you to pick your top three favorites. Learn more about the Chairman’s Initiative at https://ucnj.org/artoutsidethebox/.