Author: Web Site Administrator

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Community Renewal are pleased to announce a fun and creative class for adults at Trailside Nature & Science Center in Mountainside. On Wednesday, Nov. 10, adults (ages 18 years and older) can learn to make a wreath using natural materials. The class will be held in the Visitor Center at Trailside from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. and the fee is $20 for Union County residents and $25 for out-of-county participants. Pre-registration is required.

“The wreath-making class is offered as part of the Fall Adult Workshop Series at Trailside,” said Freeholder Vice Chairman Deborah Scanlon, liaison to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. “The class is designed to provide adults with an opportunity to enjoy an evening with friends and neighbors while learning a unique craft.”

Participants will weave grasses, stems, flowers and seeds into a one-of-a-kind wreath to decorate their home. Trailside park naturalist and master gardener Ruth Yablonsky will instruct the class on how to identify, prepare and use nature’s bounty of dried autumn plants to create a beautiful holiday wreath.

All materials needed to create your wreath are included in the fee; however, participants are asked to bring a glue gun if possible.

For information about the wreath-making class or about other upcoming programs or events at Trailside please call 908-789-3670 or visit us on the web at ucnj.org/trailside.

Trailside Nature & Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road (at Coles Avenue) in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

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Participants weave dried grasses, stems and flowers into a natural wreath at last year’s wreath-making class at Trailside Nature & Science Center in Mountainside. Learn how to use autumn’s bounty to create a beautiful wreath to decorate your home on Nov. 10, from 7-9 p.m. The fee is $20 for Union County residents and $25 for out-of-county participants. All materials are included. Pre-registration is required. For information about this class please call Trailside at 908-789-3670 or visit www.ucnj.org/trailside

Halloween will soon be here with all its spooky fun for the kids. And as they go about enjoying the treats, the trick is for us adults to use some common sense to keep them safe.
Since Halloween falls on a Sunday this year, consider the entire weekend a holiday for kids to be out and about. Some towns are hosting festivities on Saturday and then there is trick-or-treating on Sunday. Be on the lookout for costume-clad youngsters in your travels.

When you are driving over this holiday weekend be alert and aware there will be extra pedestrian traffic. The speed limit in most residential neighborhoods is 25 mph but when children are out trick-or-treating it’s a good idea to drive even more slowly. Keep in mind that kids may attempt to cross mid-block or between parked cars.

Also, some children may be difficult to see if they are wearing dark costumes. Some kids who are wearing masks will have an obstructed view of cars. These are details we need to think about.

If your older kids are going out trick-or-treating, remind them about crossing streets properly and safely. Also, make sure they carry flashlights and use reflective tape or stickers on costumes and treat bags. Never let the little ones go trick-or-treating without a trust-worthy and responsible adult.

Know the route your kids will be taking if you aren’t going with them. Let them know that they are to check in with you every hour, by phone or by stopping back at home.

Remind your children to never, ever go into a stranger’s house or even stop and speak with a stranger on the street when out trick-or-treating. Explain that some adults are bad and want to hurt children and that they should never get into a car or go anywhere with a stranger. But if this should this happen, tell them to scream as loud as they can and to run away as fast as they can to someplace safe.

Be safe and smart before the fun even starts. Help your young child pick out or make a costume that will be safe. Make sure that it is fire proof. If they are wearing a mask of any kind, make sure that the eye holes are large enough for good peripheral vision.

Simply going over these common sense tips with your kids can make for a safe and fun holiday. Dressing up yourself and going out trick-or-tricking with the kids is also a great way to enjoy the fun while making sure the youngsters are safe.

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween.

Ralph Froehlich
Union County Sheriff

ELIZABETH, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to present an exhibition of artworks called “Oil, Inkpot & Graphite: A Celebration of Talent,” by participants in the Bridgeway Fine Art Instruction Program, at the Freeholders Gallery, located on the 6th floor of the Union County Administration Building, Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth, NJ. The exhibit is open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays through Nov. 12.

Bridgeway, a non-profit mental health services agency located in Elizabeth, assists Central and Northern New Jersey adults experiencing mental illness by providing them with training and skills necessary to live more independently and successfully in the community. The agency’s Creative Arts Unit provides opportunities for people to experience various forms of artistic expression.

The Fine Art Instruction Program allows novice artists to explore their creative abilities and more advanced artists to increase their skills by offering a series of weekly instruction sessions. Bridgeway’s staff supports and encourages individuals whose artistic inclinations lead them to pursue creative endeavors. Artist-instructors teach drawing and painting and help students gain an understanding of the importance and benefits of becoming involved in the arts.

Funding for this exhibit has been made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, through a grant administered by the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs.

For further information about Bridgeway and its programs go to www.bridgewayrehab.com and/or please contact Kathy Smith at 908-355-7886. To learn about exhibiting at the Freeholders Gallery, please contact the curator, Teya David, at the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, telephone 908-558-2550 or email culturalinfo@ucnj.org.

Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski (4th L) presents resolutions to Dr. Patricia Castaldi (C), the Dean of the Union County College Nursing Program, and her staff commending them for their assistance in the H1N1 vaccination campaign. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski (R) presents a resolution to Dr. Patricia Castaldi of Garwood, the Dead of the Union County College Nursing Program and a Medical Reserve Corps volunteer, commending her for her assistance in the H1N1 vaccination campaign. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Daniel Sullivan (L) and Freeholder Alexander Mirabella (R) present resolutions to Gregory Felzenberg (C) and Robert Griffin (2nd R) congratulating them on being honored by Community Access Unlimited (CAU) at the organization’s 30th Annual Gala Dinner Dance Celebration in Mountainside. They are joined by CAU Executive Director Sidney Blanchard (2nd L). Mr. Felzenberg received the Disability Services Fraser Award. Mr. Griffin, President of the CAU Board of Trustees, received the Geller Award. For more information about CAU, a multi-faceted, human services agency that provides support services for at-risk youth and people with disabilities, please visit www.caunj.org (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

ROSELLE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that ice skating lessons for people with disabilities are available at the Warinanco Ice Skating Center in Roselle. The county-operated skating rink is located in the western portion of Warinanco Park, near the border with Elizabeth.

“The ice skating program at the Warinanco rink is one of several new activities offered by Union County for people living with disabilities,” said Freeholder Deborah Scanlon, liaison to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. “Besides being a great source of exercise, ice skating at Warinanco is a lot of fun for people of all ages.”

Pre-registration is required. The registration fee is $12 for four Saturday classes which begin on Oct. 30 and continue on Nov. 6, 13 and 20. Instruction is from 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. followed by an open skating session. Participants are encouraged to stay with a chaperone and skate until the end of the open skating session at 3:00 p.m. Skates are provided for those who require them.

To register for classes, or for more information about recreation programs for people with disabilities, please contact Margaret Heisey at 908-527-4806 or email: mheisey@ucnj.org .

Ice skating for people with disabilities is made possible in part by funding from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs through a Recreational Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities grant.

The Warinanco Ice Skating Center is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and is located near the Thompson Avenue entrance to Warinanco Park in Roselle. For more information about activities at the Ice Skating Center, call 908-298-7850 for a recorded seasonal message. For other information, contact the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal at 908-527-4900 or visit the website: www.ucnj.org .

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Children join Union County Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Rick Proctor (2nd L) as Rahway Mayor James Kennedy cuts the ribbon officially opening the newly refurbished playground at Howard Field Park in Rahway. The improvements were funded in part by a Union County Kids Recreation Trust Grant. (Photo by the County of Union)

Athletic fields, playground, sprayground, walking trail and more constructed at former industrial site in Berkeley Heights

Union County, NJ — The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders officially opened Snyder Avenue Park today, a new 13-acre recreational facility located in Berkeley Heights. The park was constructed with funding from the Union County Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund, and a New Jersey Green Acres grant.

The New York Jets football team also contributed to the project.

“It was a pleasure to work with the citizens and elected officials of Berkeley Heights to preserve the land for Snyder Avenue Park,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Daniel P. Sullivan. “By combining local resources with state funding, we saved this wonderful resource from development, and created a new park that the community can enjoy for generations.”

Snyder Avenue Park occupies part of a 17-acre parcel of land that formerly housed a plastics factory and a fuel depot. A developer proposed 259 units of high-density housing for the site, but Union County and Berkeley Heights Township cooperated to purchase the property for public use, for a total of $13 million.

Under the joint purchase arrangement, Union County paid $8 million for 13 acres through the Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund. Berkeley Heights paid the remaining $5 million for 4 acres.

As a condition of the purchase, the previous owners cleaned up environmental hazards on the site at no cost to the public.

“The clean-up was an additional benefit that makes the environment safer and healthier for all,” said Sullivan, who noted that the site is adjacent to another 17-acre parcel of open space preserved by the Township.

The Freeholder Board awarded a $3.85 million contract to Applied Landscape Technologies of Montville to build the new park on the 13 acres owned by Union County. Approximately $1.5 million of the amount was paid through a state Green Acres grant, and the remaining $2.35 million came from the county’s Trust Fund.

A large part of the park is preserved for nature conservation. The remainder was designed as a multi-use recreational facility by T&M Associates of Middletown. This includes a lighted artificial turf field for rugby, football, lacrosse, and soccer, a lighted baseball field, walking pathway and trails, age-appropriate playgrounds, parking, and restroom facilities with a concession area.

The park also includes a “sprayground” or playground with water features, built with help from a $10,000 donation by the New York Jets.

The Union County Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund was established by popular referendum in 2000, with the goal of preserving 100 acres of land for nature conservation and public use.

So far, more than 300 acres have been preserved throughout Union County, including unique properties such as a rare urban reservoir in Clark and a working farm in Scotch Plains. The Trust Fund has also provided monies to local governments for numerous projects to preserve historic structures, build and upgrade recreational facilities, provide funds for children’s recreation equipment, and provide scholarships for children’s recreation programs.

Opening the New Snyder Avenue Park in Berkeley Heights – Children run through a banner held by (from left) former New York Jets linebacker Greg Buttle, Union County Freeholder Chairman Daniel Sullivan, Freeholder Vice Chairman Deborah Scanlon, New York Jets Community Relations Director Jesse Linder, former Berkeley Heights Mayor David Cohen and Freeholder Angel G. Estrada officially opening the new Snyder Avenue Park in Berkeley Heights. The park features a lighted artificial turf field for rugby, football, lacrosse, and soccer, a lighted baseball field, walking pathway and trails, age-appropriate playgrounds, parking, and restroom facilities with a concession area. The 13-acre recreational facility is the result of a partnership between Union County and Berkeley Heights. The park was constructed with funding from the Union County Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund, and a New Jersey Green Acres grant. The New York Jets football team also contributed to the project. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders encourages sixth grade science teachers and local community groups to register for a free, 45-minute, in-class science presentation that relates watershed and environmental concepts in a fun and meaningful way. Teachers, students, and community members will discover how human behavior can impact the land and waterways around them.

“Since 1999, these interactive presentations about how a specific land area drains into a river system have been receiving positive reviews from students and teachers alike,” said Freeholder Deborah Scanlon, liaison to the Union County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. “They enjoy participating in the hands-on demonstration that includes the use of a three-dimensional topographic land use model.”

Most importantly, the program offers easy, practical solutions that everyone can implement to reduce non-point source pollution and improve water quality. Examples of ways the average person can help the environment include eliminating or minimizing the use of pesticides on lawns, picking up pet waste, and not feeding geese.

The presentations are offered by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the AmeriCorps New Jersey Watershed Ambassador Program. To schedule a free presentation for your sixth grade class or your community group, or for more information about your watershed, call Angela Gorczyca, the Watershed Ambassador for Watershed Management Area 7, at 908-789-3209.

Watershed Ambassador 2010 – Teachers, students and community groups can learn about our local watershed and environmental concepts by contacting Angela Gorczyca, the new Watershed Ambassador for Watershed Management Area 7, which includes portions of Union, Middlesex and Essex counties. Schools and community groups are eligible for a free 45-minute program offered by the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador Program. To schedule a free presentation or for more information about your watershed, call Angela Gorczyca at 908-789-3209.