Author: Web Site Administrator

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will sponsor a Household Special Waste Collection event on Saturday, April 18, so Union County residents can get rid of outdated or unwanted household chemicals, mercury thermostats, propane tanks, and automobile tires in an environmentally safe manner.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 the Union County Vocational-Technical Schools campus, 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains, near the John H. Stamler Police Academy.

Residents of Union County are eligible to participate at no cost. Pre-registration is not required for this special Saturday collection.

“The special household waste recycling program for Union County residents is particularly important as we become more aware of the need for proper disposal of hazardous items that are found around the home,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “The result of our effort is safer homes and a cleaner environment for our families and our neighbors.”

All that residents need to do is drive to the site with their household special waste, propane tanks, automobile tires, and mercury thermostats. Workers at the site will unload the vehicles.

“Household special waste” includes 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. They should be disposed of in with the regular garbage. 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.

“This is a great opportunity to recycle up to eight tires and dispose of old chemical containers that are cluttering up the basement or the garage, or taking up space under the kitchen sink,” said Freeholder Christopher Hudak, liaison to the Union County Solid Waste Advisory Council. “Our homes become safer once they are rid of hazardous and combustible waste.”

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

A complete list of the materials that will be accepted on April 18 is available at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning web site: www.ucnj.org/recycle . The next scheduled household hazardous waste collection will be on June 6 at the Union County College campus in Cranford.

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.

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces the 2015 mobile paper-shredding program for personal, confidential documents will begin with a visit to Scotch Plains on Saturday, April 11.

“Union County’s mobile document-shredding service helps residents fight identity theft and eliminate clutter in their homes,” said Freeholder Christopher Hudak, liaison to the Solid Waste Advisory Council. “It is a cost-effective way to assist our recycling efforts and it ties in with Union County’s other Go Green Initiatives.”

The April 11^th shredding event will take place at the Union County Vocational-Technical Schools campus located at 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains. NEXCUT Shredding of Elizabeth will be shredding personal documents from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. The 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 Wednesday, April 22^nd (Earth Day), at Warinanco Park in Roselle, near the Ice Skating Rink.

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 .

Contact/More Info: friendscacunjpal@gmail.com

The Friends of the Union County Child Advocacy Center – a nonprofit group whose mission is to provide support for the facility at which local victims of physical and sexual child abuse receive treatment and needed services – is hosting a 5K fundraiser, Race 4 the Children, on Sunday, April 19 in Elizabeth’s Warinanco Park.

The 5K and a two-mile “fun walk” are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., rain or shine. The event is being co-sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the City of Elizabeth, in memory of late Union County Prosecutor Andrew K. Ruotolo, who served from 1991 until his death in 1995.

Funding for a psychologist to be stationed at the Center previously had been covered by grants that are no longer available, according to Friends of the Union County Child Advocacy Center Chairman Drew Ertman, who added that the 5K was organized in an effort to secure replacement funding.

“As the Center celebrates 20 years of helping victims of child abuse in Union County, we hope to build awareness of its mission and help raise needed funds to expand treatment programs,” Ertman said. “The Race 4 the Children 5K /2-mile walk is a healthy way to show support for the Center and its tremendous staff, who are dedicated to helping child abuse victims throughout the County.”

Those interested in participating can register online at www.friendscacunj.org; the cost to register is $25 up until April 3 and $35 thereafter. All entrants who register early will receive a T-shirt commemorating the race, while male and female first-, second-, and third-place finishers of the 5K will receive Visa gift cards valued at $250, $150, and $100, respectively. Sponsorships are also available for purchase, and all sponsors will be recognized on the nonprofit group’s website, on printed promotional materials, and in various other formats on the day of the race.

The Union County Child Advocacy Center is located on West Jersey Street in downtown Elizabeth. Nearly 30 staff members work at the 11,000-square foot facility that opened in 2012, tending to the more than 1,100 people who visit and utilize the Center’s resources each year.

The “one-stop” service facility houses prosecutors, detectives, child protection workers, nurses, physicians, and therapists who work with children of Union County who have been sexually and/or physically abused. At the Center, these children disclose the details of abuse in a friendly environment where each child and family member receives appropriate referrals for medical and psychological follow-up treatment.

A therapist from Trinitas Regional Medical Center’s Child and Adolescent Outpatient Psychiatric Unit meets with each family following disclosure to perform crisis counseling, stabilize the family, and make future counseling recommendations. Finally, an Assistant Prosecutor then begins the two-year process of shepherding each family’s case through criminal litigation. A social worker also coordinates additional medical, child protective, and psychological services for each family.

“Crimes against children are among some of the most heinous and disturbing that we in law enforcement come across,” Union County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit Supervisor Caroline Lawlor said. “It is essential to assist all victims of crime – especially those who are particularly vulnerable and in need of sustained assistance.”

Register online

Union County elected officials visited Community Access Unlimited’s Community Networking Breakfast held the morning of March26th at the Suburban Golf Club in Union.  Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce Bergen also delivered remarks on behalf of the County of Union during the morning agenda.

The Community Access Unlimited’s Community Network is a group of representatives from Union County businesses and public officials who are dedicated to changing people’s lives for the better. The purpose of the Community is to build relationships to improve the lives of people with disabilities and at-risk-youth and to strengthen business relationships.

l. to r. Sid Blanchard, Executive Director of Community Access Unlimited, Freeholder Vernell Wright, County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi, and Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce Bergen (3^rd L) and Freeholder Vernell Wright (4^th L) joined Springfield Mayor David Barnett and town officials in cutting the ribbon opening the Raymond Chisholm Community Youth Wing in Springfield. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County – Union County’s Sensory Friendly Theatre series brings the adventures of the Berenstain Bears to life on stage at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway on Sunday, March 29 at 2 PM.

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 sensory-friendly performance series is designed to offer a relaxed and safe theatre environment for children and adults with sensory sensitivity, developmental and learning disabilities,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “The Freeholder board is proud to offer a performance series that helps make art accessible to everyone.”

Adapted from the classic children’s book series by Stan and Jan Berenstain, The Berenstain Bears LIVE! in Family Matters, the Musical brings everyone’s favorite bear family to life in a thrilling theatrical experience that the entire family will enjoy.

As always, Bear Country is not without its complications: Brother Bear’s grades are slipping, Sister Bear still has a few things to learn about making new friends, and Papa Bear just can’t stop eating junk food. Thankfully, we can always depend on Mama Bear and her loving patience to help set things right.

Implementing the supportive atmosphere at the performance is the organization Autism Friendly Spaces, which provides specialists to train staff and volunteers on working with children with autism and other special needs during Sensory Friendly Theatre performances, while providing comfort and help to families.

For each of the special performances in the Sensory Friendly Theatre series, the theatre environment at the Union County PAC will be adjusted to provide a sensory-friendly, comfortable and judgment-free space that is welcoming for all families. For more information on what to expect at a Sensory Friendly Theatre performance visit ucpac.org.

The Sensory Friendly Theatre series is presented by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. The performance of The Berenstain Bears LIVE! in Family Matters, the Musical is made possible in part by funding from the NJ Department of Community Affairs through a Recreational Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities Grant.

The next performance in the Sensory Friendly Theatre series is New Jersey Ballet’s performance of the classic tale of Cinderella on Sunday, May 3, 2015 at 3 PM – come see why this story is one of their most popular ballets for families. In June don’t miss a rollicking family concert featuring a two-time Grammy nominees Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could performing songs that celebrate children of all abilities on Sunday, July 31 at 10 AM and 1PM.

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 PM and is also open late on Thursdays until 8 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 908-527-4806 or visit ucnj.org.

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