Author: Web Site Administrator

Union County – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders recently announced that a free class about trees is being offered to all 4th grades in the County by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s Master Tree Stewards. The program is available to visit your school on Wednesday afternoons from January to June.  

“From Winter 2011 to Spring 2012 over 2,900 students participated in the class and learned just how important trees are and the role they play in urban environments,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “My colleagues and I encourage schools to participate in this enjoyable and engaging program.”

Using a fun, hands-on approach, students learn about the world’s amazing trees, tree products, and the benefits of planting and maintaining them. As part of the class, students will build a tree in their classroom, act out a play about trees, and play trivia games to test their knowledge. The program is taught by Master Tree Steward volunteers and lasts one hour.

The Master Tree Stewards are part of the Union County Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program. To sign up for the program fourth grade teachers and school principals should contact Jim Nichnadowicz, Union County 4-H Agent at 908-654-9854 or email Nichnadowicz@njaes.rutgers.edu.

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

by Alexander Mirabella

Chairman, Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders

 

October 2012

UNION COUNTY, N.J- As a parent, I could not help but notice a recent news headline that read, “Heroin use among young in N.J. is up, and in more suburban areas.” It was a strong reminder that trends in drug and alcohol abuse are constantly changing, requiring constant vigilance. Here in Union County we are more resolved than ever to help parents provide their children with positive experiences that encourage healthy habits.

In this regard, Union County parents can draw upon some unique resources and longstanding traditions.

About 90 years ago, Union County became one of the first counties in the entire nation to establish its own park system. The aim was to promote a wide variety of healthy outdoor activities from organized sports and summer camps to hiking, fishing, boating, golf, swimming and even horseback riding.

We are constantly adding new programs as new trends and interests arise, some of which are difficult or impossible to find anywhere else in our region. That includes new skateboarding parks, a new Olympic-quality archery range, and a new First Tee youth development program at our Galloping Hill golf course. The popular new sport of disc golf may also be added in the future.

Our recreation schedule is also packed with family-friendly special events from spring to fall, and one that I’d like to mention in particular is Red Ribbon Day.

Red Ribbon Day has been held every year in Union County for 14 years, as a way to provide parents with a relaxed, friendly atmosphere in which they can start a family conversation about making healthy choices, even when their children are very young. This year’s Red Ribbon Day is scheduled for Saturday, October 20 at Oak Ridge Park in Clark.

The festivities start with the Red Ribbon 5K Run at 9:30 a.m. and the Family Fun Walk at 10:00 a.m. From 11:00 to 4:00 there will be a full slate of free activities and games for children, exhibits, a health fair, and even a real helicopter landing.

It’s a great way to celebrate the last days of seasonable weather for outdoor fun.

When the weather turns cold, our Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside offers another option. It is open every day of the year except holidays. Admission is always free, and there are many affordably priced events and programs for children.

Another indoor option is our beautifully restored, historic Union County Performing Arts Center in downtown Rahway. Along with the new Hamilton Stage performance space, there are child-friendly performances, activities, classes and special events all year.

All in all, as a parent I recognize that substance abuse prevention is one of the most difficult challenges a parent can face. Every bit of extra help can make a difference, and Union County’s public recreation resources are here to support you.

For more information about Red Ribbon Day including the 5K Run and Family Fun Walk, visit preventionlinks.org or call 732-381-4100.

For complete information on Union County parks and activities visit the County website, ucnj.org.

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 Wednesday this year, consider the weekend before a time when more youngsters will be out and about going to parties and other festivities. Besides the trick-or-treating on the holiday itself, some towns are hosting parades on that weekend. Be on the lookout for costume-clad youngsters in your travels.

When you are driving 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 slower. 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 on their own, 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

 

Special Lecture, “Mastodons in NJ” on Sunday

 

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Community Renewal invite you to explore the fascinating world of rocks, minerals, fossils and gems at Trailside Nature & Science Center on Saturday, Oct. 20, and Sunday, Oct. 21, from noon to 5 p.m. on both days. The weekend’s activities will also include a special lecture on Mastodons in New Jersey.

“This two-day event, open to the public, brings the world of rocks and gems to life with many exhibits and displays,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “And the featured lecture on Sunday ties in with our popular new Mastodon Exhibit at Trailside.”

Sponsored jointly with the New Jersey Mineralogical Society, the Rock, Gem & Mineral Show will host more than 25 vendors selling minerals, rocks, gemstones, jewelry, sea shells and fossils from around the world. Geologists young and old will be mesmerized by the variety of specimens on display and for sale.

Admission to the weekend Rocks and Gems event is free. On both days, vendors will be displaying and selling their specimens and there will be ongoing free children’s activities.

Sunday will feature a separate special presentation from 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. in Trailside’s Auditorium: a lecture on “Mastodons in New Jersey,” which celebrates Trailside’s new mastodon exhibit.

The lecture on Sunday, offered by Hofstra University faculty member and geologist, Steve Okulewicz, examines the lifestyle of the mastodons which roamed the forested lands and swamps during the Pleistocene epoch. In New Jersey, the remains of these six-ton, vegetarian browsing beasts have been found in several localities. The audience will enjoy the illustrated talk on these large elephant-like creatures and other extraordinary animals such as the giant sloth that once inhabited New Jersey.

Tickets for the lecture about Mastodons in New Jersey go on sale at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 21. The fee is $8 for Union County residents and $10 for out-of-county residents. This lecture is recommended for ages 9 and older.

For more information about the Rock, Mineral & Gem Show, or upcoming programs and special events at Trailside, call 908-789-3670 or visit www.ucnj.org/trailside.  Trailside Nature and 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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MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – “Mastodons in New Jersey” is a feature presentation on Sunday, Oct. 21, at 2:30 p.m. during the two-day Rock, Mineral & Gem Show at Trailside Nature & Science Center in Mountainside. The lecture offered by Hofstra faculty member and geologist, Steve Okulewicz, examines the lifestyles of mastodons that roamed forested lands and swamps during the Pleistocene. This program ties in with the new Mastodon Exhibit at Trailside and is suitable for audiences aged 9 years and older. Admission to the lecture is $8 per person for Union County residents; $10 for out-of-county residents. Tickets go on sale at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

Admission is free to the Rock, Mineral & Gem Show, open Saturday, Oct 20 and Sunday, Oct. 21 from noon to 5 p.m. with more than 25 vendors displaying and selling rocks, minerals, gems and fossils from around the world. There will be ongoing free children’s activities. Trailside is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. For additional information call 908-789-3670 or visit us on the web: www.ucnj.org/trailside.

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

 

 

Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi (C) and Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski (L) watch as Freeholder Vernell Wright draws the winning tickets for two books about the Civil War era at the Civil War exhibit in the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. There will be a drawing for a book about the Civil War each month.

The Civil War exhibit will be on display until 2015 in the rotunda of the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street in historic midtown Elizabeth. To participate in the drawing for a Civil War book, visitors may fill out a coupon with their name, phone number and/or email address, and drop the coupon in the box provided in the rotunda.

The exhibit may be viewed weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The displays will change from time to time. Anyone wishing to loan historical artifacts from the Civil War era for the exhibit can contact committee member Katherine Craig at 908-282-7617. All objects will be secured, locked and acknowledged. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release.   Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org. On Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook. On Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj

Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella (C) presents a resolution to Lorraine Demeter (L), Mike Guarino (2nd L) and Lucille Disano of the Columbus Day Parade Association of Union County 500 during the group’s annual Columbus Day celebration at III Amici Ristorante in Linden. They are joined by Union County Manager Alfred Faella (R). (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release.   Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org. On Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook. On Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj

Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella (L) and Union County Sheriff Ralph Froehlich (R) congratulate the winners of the Union County Sheriff’s Second Annual Police Pistol Competition at the Union County Sheriff’s Firearms Training Facility in Springfield. Sgt. Jerry Plum (2nd L) of the Plainfield Police Department won first place, Sgt. Carlo Caparruva (C) of the Union County Sheriff’s Office won second place and Sgt. William Bizun of the Linden Police Department won third place. Twenty-eight officers from the Union County Sheriff’s Office and the Plainfield, Linden, Roselle, Roselle Park, Kean University, Hillside, Mountainside, Summit, Springfield, Kenilworth and Union County Police Departments competed. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release.   Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org. On Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook. On Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj

Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella (3rd R), Vice Chairman Linda Carter (4th R), Public Safety Director Andrew Moran (2nd R) and Union County Police Chief Daniel Vaniska (R) visit members of Union County Police PBA Local 73 at the Habitat for Humanity project on West Fourth Street in Plainfield where members of PBA Local 73 volunteered and helped build a house that will go to a deserving member of the community. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release.   Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org. On Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook. On Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj

NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ – The County of Union will sponsor a recycling event for electronic equipment and unwanted paper documents on Saturday, Oct. 27, so Union County residents can get rid of unwanted computers, televisions and other electronic equipment, and shred old personal documents in a secure and environmentally proper manner.

The special recycling event will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Alcatel-Lucent Technologies facility, 600 Mountain Avenue, New Providence 07974.

All residents of Union County are eligible to participate at no cost. There is a limit of six electronic items and/or four bags/boxes of paper per car.

“Computer monitors and old televisions are the source of a considerable amount of lead – about five pounds per screen,” said Freeholder Christopher Hudak, liaison to the Union County Solid Waste Advisory Board. “Up to 95 percent of most electronic appliances can be recycled. This is a responsible way to keep hazardous heavy metals out of our environment.”

A complete list of the materials that will be accepted on Oct. 27 is available at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning website: www.ucnj.org/recycle. All that residents need to do is drive to the site with their electronic equipment and unwanted personal documents. Workers at the site will unload the vehicles. Pre-registration is not required for this collection.

Refrigerators, washers and dryers, microwaves, and air conditioners will not be accepted on Oct. 27. These items will be accepted at Union County’s new scrap metal recycling program which is conducted twice each month in Clark, Mountainside, Rahway and Westfield. Visit the Union County website at www.ucnj.org/recyclefor more information about the new scrap metal recycling program.

The electronics collection will be held rain or shine, for Union County residents only and not for businesses. Proof of Union County residency is required.

In addition to the special Oct. 27 electronics recycling event sponsored by the County of Union, there are other local opportunities for residents to recycle electronic equipment. Visit www.ucnj.org/recycle for more computer and electronics recycling options.

The Oct. 27 paper-shredding event will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine. The shredding event will end before 2:00 p.m. if the shredding truck reaches capacity.

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

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 mobile shredding program is paid for through New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Recycling Enhancement Act Grant Funds.

Shredding may be cancelled in the event of extreme bad weather. Please call the Recycling Hotline for more information about future events, directions, or event day cancellation at 908-654-9889 or visit us online atwww.ucnj.org/recycle .

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

Union County Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Mohamed Jalloh (R) present Barry O’Donovan of Cranford with a resolution congratulating him on receiving the United States Business Administration’s Phoenix Award for his efforts to rebuild his business, the Kilkenny House Restaurant & Pub in Cranford, that was severely damaged by flooding following Hurricane Irene in August 2011. Phoenix Awards are given to individuals (business owners, volunteers and public officials) whose efforts and contributions have enabled their businesses or communities to recover successfully from a disaster.   (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release.   Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org. On Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook. On Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj