Author: Web Site Administrator

ELIZABETH, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi is pleased to offer a free 2014 wall calendar that focuses on the 350th Anniversary of Elizabethtown. The calendar includes historic photographs and important dates of concern to voters and candidates for office in this year’s U.S. Senate, Congressional, county, municipal and school board elections.

“This year we are celebrating a once-in-a-lifetime event: the 350th Anniversary of the founding of Elizabethtown, which encompasses much of what is now Union County and its 21 municipalities,” said Ms. Rajoppi. “It is my hope that this 2014 calendar, with its glimpses into our past, will encourage people to celebrate this year’s anniversary in their hometowns and throughout Union County.”

Since 2014 is a U.S. Senate and Congressional election year that also will have elections for county, municipal and school board offices, the calendar highlights many important dates relating to voter registration, mail-in ballots, candidate petition deadlines, primary elections, campaign finance reports, and general election ballot deadlines.

To obtain one of the free 2014 Election Year calendars, visit the Union County Clerk’s web site:www.ucnj.org/government/county-clerk where you’ll find an order form. More information about the 350thAnniversary of Elizabethtown may be found at www.goelizabethnj.com. For general information about elections, please contact the County Clerk’s Election Office at 908-527-4996.

 

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Union County Freeholders Sergio Granados (far l.) and Vernell Wright (far r.) joined the Union County 4-H STEM (Science, Technology, Enginering, and  Math)  Club last Friday for a special celebration in honor of the club’s five-year anniversary. 4-H is a national youth program that fosters learning, leadership and community service, organized in New Jersey through the Rutgers NJ Agricultural Experiment Station and the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County with support from the Freeholder Board. Pictured here are club members (rear, l.-r.) James Brodowski (Cranford), Asa Coleman (Westfield), Cassie Hansen (Rahway), co-leader Melissa Stryker (Scotch Plains), Dylan Kiell (Fanwood), Sandeep Mukherjee (Scotch Plains),  and(front, l.-r.) Joseph Marta (Scotch Plains), Eric Elizes (Westfield), Nathan Lam (Westfield), Brian Noonan (Fanwood), and co-leader TJ Marta (Scotch Plains). Not shown is club member Marcelina Krowinska. For more information about Union County 4-H, contact 4-H Agent James Nichnadowicz at 908-654-9854 orNichnadowicz@njaes.rutgers.edu, or visit ucnj.org/rce.  Photo credit: Taylor Sirchio (Scotch Plains).

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Please join the County of Union online at ucnj.org, on Facebook at ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter attwitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Photo Caption: Union County Freeholders Sergio Granados (left), Alexander Mirabella (2nd left) and Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter (right) with event staff members Micayla (front left) and Alex Mirabella (front right) and students from the Academy for Information Technology at the closing of the UC STEP program on Friday, December 13th at Kean University’s STEM Building. One of Chairman Carter’s initiatives, the UC STEP program brought together 192 sophomores and juniors from 26 schools around Union County, and featured a day focused on fostering leadership and communication skills as well as personal growth through civic engagement.

 

Union County  – As Anna O’Brian stepped off of the bus onto the grounds of Kean University, the teenager was not too enthused with  the prospect of spending her day there.

But after spending her day bonding and working together with students from the far reaches of Union County she raved about her enriching experience at the UC STEP Program.

“When I thought about the day I was missing at my school, I wasn’t really looking forward to it,” said the Westfield High School student. “But the activities have been amazing. I’ve done things I’ve never done before.”

Anna, along with 192 other Union County high school sophomores and juniors, was selected by her school to participate in UC STEP- a unique program promoting positive youth development through focusing on topics like leadership, personal growth, and more importantly, civic engagement.

“Civic engagement through service and community activities not only inspires youth to become active participants in society, it also fosters empathy and makes students more aware of the issues that plague their greater community,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter.

“I can’t think of a better program to close out my Chairmanship. As an educator, this is something I’m extremely passionate about,” she said.

Hosted by Kean University, the half-day program featured discussion sessions, including “You Be the Judge,” which focused on crafting an effective elevator speech, and “How to be an Effective Leader,” which focused on identifying the diversity, concerns, and values of individuals.

The most popular session was “Civic Engagement,” which brought all of the UC STEP participants together to create, plan, and propose social action projects- the best of which would be chosen by popular vote and executed by Union County’s Board of Chosen Freeholders with the students.

As part of the competition, the students divided into 10 groups containing students from different schools. Using a set of facts about Union County, and minimal guidelines, each group was instructed to envision a project that would be realistic and replicable in other schools, recognizing the diversity of the County’s demographics.

The result was something amazing, according to Amy Wagner, Bureau Chief of Union County’s Bureau of Government Relations and Community Outreach, who served as planning team leader for  the program.

“The students in each group, despite not knowing each other, really embraced the idea of the civic engagement project. It was wonderful to see them working collaboratively and talking about themes like giving, homelessness and mentorship,” Wagner said.

Benjamin Freedman, a student at the Academy for Information Technology talked about his group’s service project- Bringing Holiday Spirit to the Elderly

“The people that have given us hope, deserve some hope back,” he said.

After the presentation portion of the session, the students voted on their favorite projects. The top four projects were:

• 4 Seasons of Service: a project that involves different community service projects based on the seasons of the year.
• Bands for Benefit: a project that involves organizing a large scale concert whose proceeds would benefit Union County’s Homeless.
• Lending a Hand:  which involves Union County high school students serving as tutors and mentors for children in county shelters.
• Support 4 Soldiers: a project that would support a coordinated drive to collect items to be used in care packages for active military troops.

The projects are now open to a larger, community-wide vote to determine the contender which will be announced at Union County’s Reorganizational Meeting on January 5th.

For more information about UC STEP or to vote for your favorite service project, visit their website atwww.ucnj.org/uc-step. Voting is open until 11:59pm on December 30th.

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Union County Freeholder Vernell Wright (3rd R) joined Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage (C) in cutting the ribbon at the grand opening of the As Seen on TV store in Elizabeth. Also in attendance were (from left) Susan Gomez of the Retail Skills Center, Dave Strochak, Executive Director of the Elizabeth Avenue Partnership, Isaias Rivera, Director of the Retail Skills Center, Mary Ann Coscarelli, Assistant Director, Elizabeth Avenue Partnership, David Bernal, owner of As Seen on TV, Linda Saverd of the Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce, Elizabeth Espina of As Seen on TV and Emerson Amador, Chairman of the Elizabeth Avenue Partnership. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Photo Caption: (from left) Union County Freeholders Sergio Granados, Bruce Bergen, and Mohamed S. Jalloh learn about Union County’s new Computer-aided Dispatch System which streamlines dispatch processes for faster emergency response times. They are joined by Union County Chief Dispatcher Gareth Williams (right), and Roselle Mayor Jamel Holley (2nd right) and dispatcher Carmen Malave. The Borough of Roselle, in addition to 16 other agencies, is serviced by Union County’s Dispatch center for a range of emergency needs.

 

Union County  – In 2010, Union County entered into an agreement to provide Police, Fire and EMS dispatch services to the Borough of Fanwood. The arrangement was the first of its kind for the County and provided the Borough with a savings of $230,000 over the three year agreement.  Since then, the shared service model has become increasingly popular, and as a result the Union County Department of Public Safety has felt the need to implement a modern system able to handle the needs of a robust county dispatch center.

 

As such, the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to announce the implementation of a new computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and mobile system which provides the modern technology needed to handle these increased demands. Developed by TriTech Software Systems, Inform CAD and Mobile will provide Union County Public Safety with a high performance communications solution for their Police, Fire, and EMS agencies.

 

“The safety of our residents is of utmost importance to the Freeholder Board,” said Freeholder Mohamed Jalloh, liaison to the Emergency Management Council. “We embrace changes and technology that will improve our efficiency and move us in a direction where we can continue to improve the quality of life for all of Union County.”

 

By providing Dispatch Center personnel and emergency responders in the field with a common platform for quick access to incident and historical information, Inform CAD and Mobile ensures the right resources arrive at an emergency scene in the shortest amount of time.

 

Terrence McCarthy, Director of Clinical Services at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Rahway was excited about the new system commenting that not only will it reduce the amount of time critically ill or injured patients will wait for emergency medical services to arrive, but that it provides paramedics with real time information so paramedics and other responders have vital information prior to arriving at the scene of the emergency. Two of RWJ’s paramedic units get dispatched by Union County’s Regional Dispatch Center.

 

The Union County Department of Public Safety serves a population of more than 500,000 citizens and in 2012 expanded its dispatch operations in an effort to create a larger center to accommodate further dispatch services with the County’s municipalities.

 

Today, the Dispatch Center provides services to 17 agencies and processes approximately 52,000 calls per year.

 

“In an area with such a diverse population and landscape, the public safety needs of each of our towns vary greatly.  What is so exciting about this endeavor is the ability to streamline several processes to create one fast and efficient response system,” said Andrew Moran, Director of Union County’s Department of Public Safety.

 

Perfectly suited for Union County’s multi-jurisdictional dispatch functionality, Inform CAD and Mobile provides a flexible and scalable system that can easily be expanded in to incorporate new communities to the County dispatch model.

 

TriTech Software Systems has been developing innovative solutions for public safety for more than 20 years. The company provides products and services to address any size and type agency with an end-to-end product suite to meet the needs of any agency – PSAP, Law, Fire, or EMS.

 

TriTech Software Systems’ sole focus is public safety software. The company’s experienced team contributes on average, 13 years of industry experience. TriTech has delivered the most trusted public safety software for over two decades and continues to lead the market with innovative, enterprise-wide cloud-based and on-premise solutions for 911, computer aided dispatch, records management, jail management, analytics and intelligence, field-based reporting, patient care reporting, and ambulance billing software.

 

For more information regarding TriTech and their software, visit them online at www.tritech.com.

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Free Cancer Education and Early Detection Program for Union County Residents

 

Union County – Union County will continue to promote outreach and cancer education through the New Jersey Cancer Education and Early Detection (NJCEED) program, which provides free, comprehensive screening services for breast, cervical, prostate and colorectal cancer. Services through the program also include education and outreach, along with case management, tracking and follow-up.

“In New Jersey cancer remains the second leading cause of death,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter. “We are grateful for the opportunity to administer this program, and urge the greater community to stay healthy and get screened regularly.”

The NJCEED Program is part of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. Services are available in all 21 counties through several lead partner agencies. The program seeks to increase the awareness of each person’s risk for breast, cervical, prostate and/or colorectal cancer and to encourage them to use screening services for early detection and more effective treatment.

In Union County, the Office of Health Management is just one of the agencies providing education and outreach.

NJCEED agencies offer a wide range of breast, cervical, colorectal and prostate cancer related services including:  mammogram screenings, clinical breast examinations, instructions on breast self-examinations, Pap tests, and pelvic examinations. When indicated, further diagnostic tests are performed, such as needle biopsies, breast ultrasounds and colposcopies.

Case management, tracking and follow-up are provided to all women and a major emphasis is placed on re-screening women who are currently being served by the program.

Persons eligible for these services must be at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level and be uninsured or under-insured.

For more information about NJCEED or to see if you are eligible for free screening services visit the NJCEED website at www.state.nj.us/health/cancer or call the Union County Office of Health Management at 908-518-5620.

The NJCEED Program follows the American Cancer Society’s cancer screening guidelines.

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BERKELEY HEIGHTS–Runnells Specialized Hospital Volunteer Guild and Staff are joined by Union County Freeholders Vernell Wright and Sergio Granados for the Resident’s Annual Gift Distribution Party.

Seated left to right: SHARON THOMAS, Runnells Volunteer Guild,  ERNIE SALVATI, Chairperson of Runnells Resident Council, BARBARA MC MANN, Runnells Volunteer Guild, PATRICIA SCOTT Director of Activities and Volunteer services at Runnells.

Standing, left to right: TISH ISACK, Director of Professional and Support Services at Runnells, PAUL THOMAS, Volunteer Guild,  Union County FREEHOLDER VERNELL WRIGHT, ANNE FORGIONE, Volunteer Guild,  SANDRA ADOUR, Runnells Hospital Administrator, LEONARD FORGIONE, President of the Volunteer Guild, TOMMIE KELHOFFER, ROSE ANDERSON, MARK SELY, HERBERT APPENZOLLER, Volunteer Guild members,  Union County FREEHOLDER SERGIO GRANADOS

PLEASE NOTE SPECIAL HOLIDAY HOURS at UNION COUNTY’S RECREATION FACILITIES and WESTFIELD RESERVATION DESK:

 

TRAILSIDE NATURE & SCIENCE CENTER WILL BE CLOSED Christmas and New Year’s Eves andDays, Tuesdays & Wednesday, December 24, 25 & 31, 2013 and Wednesday, January 1, 2014

WATCHUNG STABLES WILL BE CLOSED Christmas and New Year’s Day, Wednesdays, December 25, 2013 and January 1, 2014

 

WARINANCO SKATING CENTER:

• WILL CLOSE AT 3:00 PM CHRISTMAS EVE and NEW YEAR’S EVE, Tuesdays, December 24 and 31, 2013
• WILL BE CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY, Wednesday, December 25, 2013
• **WILL OPEN AT 1:00 PM New Year’s Day, Wednesday, January 1, 2014
• will hold extra Public Skating Sessions, Thursday, Friday and Monday, December 26, 27 & 30, 2013 and **Wednesday, January 1, 2014 (starting at 1:00 PM)
• The public is invited to take part in Open Public Skating sessions at:  10:30 AM—12:30 PM, 1:00-3:00 PM,  3:30-5:30 PM, *6:00-8:00 PM and 8:30-10:30 PM
• Friday, from 6:00-8:00 PM is a Family Session: children 17 & under must be accompanied by an adult

 

THE PARKS RESERVATION DESK IN WESTFIELD WILL BE CLOSED Tuesday, December 24, 2013 through Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Please visit the Parks Reservation Desk in Elizabeth or call 908-527-4900 for assistance.

Guest Speaker: Jake Wood of Elizabeth, former Detroit Tigers Second Baseman

 

The Union County Baseball Association will induct new members into the Union County Baseball Hall of Fame and honor local student athletes for their achievements in 2013 during award ceremonies on Sunday afternoon, February 9.

The 78th Annual Hot Stove League Baseball Dinner on Feb. 9th begins at 1:00 p.m. at the L’Affaire Banquet Center, 1099 Route 22 East, in Mountainside. The dinner is sponsored by the Union County Baseball Association, in cooperation with the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal.

Jake Wood, who played for Thomas Jefferson High School in Elizabeth, will be the special guest speaker. Wood signed with the Detroit Tigers in 1957 as a 20-year-old from Delaware State University. He played four years in the minor leagues before making his debut with Detroit in 1961 – the first African American player to advance through the Tigers minor league system and play in the major leagues. Jake played second base with the Tigers from 1961 to 1967 and led the American League with 14 triples during his rookie year.

Tickets for the dinner are $40 each. Proceeds will help fund the Union County Summer Youth Baseball League for youngsters 8 to 15 years, and the Fall Teen League.

Since 1937, the Hot Stove League Dinner has been the primary fund-raising effort for the Union County Baseball Association’s summer and fall programs. Over the years, the awards dinner has honored many local and national baseball luminaries – including Phil Rizzuto of Hillside, Don Newcombe of Elizabeth, Joe Collins of Union, Jeff Torborg of Mountainside, Willie Wilson of Summit, and Elliott Maddox of Union.

Tickets for the 78th Annual Union County Baseball Association Hot Stove League Dinner on Feb. 9th are available from the Union County Baseball Association by visiting www.UCBA-NJ.org. For more information, please call Jim Iozzi at 908-917-2523.

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