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UNION, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that the 2012 Union County Teen Arts Touring Exhibit is on display at the Les Malamut Gallery located in the lower level of the Union Public Library, 1980 Morris Avenue in Union. The art exhibit is on display through October 26th during regular library hours. For more information on the gallery, please visit:http://lesmalamutartgallery.wordpress.com/.

The exhibit consists of 61 pieces of art selected from more than 700 visual art works shown at the 2012 Union County Teen Arts Festival held in March at Union County College. The annual event is administered by the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs in the Department of Parks and Community Renewal.

“The artwork in this exhibit is exceptional,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella.  “The fact that the artists are teenagers makes the show even more outstanding. I encourage everyone to get out and see this fun, lively exhibit as it goes on tour throughout Union County.”

For information about the Teen Arts program contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth 07202; telephone (908) 558-2550. NJ Relay service users should call 711, or email: culturalinfo@ucnj.org.

2012 TEEN ARTS EXHIBIT – The exhibiting students are:

Berkeley Heights

Columbia Middle School
Allison Yang

Governor Livingston HS
Amanda Berlinski
Laura Young

 

Clark

AL Johnson HS
Samantha Ring
Jimmy Douglas

Mother Seton Regional HS
Catherine Bialkowski

 

Cranford

Cranford HS
Lya Finston
Emily Schindler
Aaron Black

Cranford Achievement Center
Di-Jon Hodges

Hillside Avenue School
Sabrina Landsman

Orange Avenue School
Mackenzie Moonan

St. Michael School
Kianu Montenegro

 

 

Elizabeth

Abraham Lincoln School
Aldaberto Martinez

Charles Hudson School
Jayson Araaujo

Dr. Orlando Edreira School
Christian Heredia

Elizabeth HS – Dwyer House
Leydy Ramirez

Elizabeth HS – Edison House
Andre Acevedo

Elizabeth HS – Hamilton Academy
Alondra Guzman

 

Elizabeth HS – Jefferson House
Stephanie Rodriguez
Joel Zamora

Elizabeth HS – Lower Academy
Beatriz Carvalho

Elizabeth HS – Upper Academy
Christian Marin

Madison-Monroe School
Lizcary Amarante

Nicholas M. Butler School
Tatiana Herr

Nicholas S. LaCorte School
Zafiro Lopez

St. Mary of the Assumption
Elmi Ventura

T.C. Reilly School
Nelson Rodriguez

William F. Halloran School
Stephanie Liscano

Woodrow Wilson School
Noelia Aqudela

 

 

Hillside

Hillside HS
Rushana Boswell

Walter O. Krumbiegel MS
Chisom Nwosu

 

 

Kenilworth

David Brearley HS
Daniel Lezcano
Eric Soriano

 

 

Linden

Linden HS
Jose Ferero

McManus MS
Anthony Munoz

Soehl MS
Deanna Sheehy

Mountainside

Deerfield MS
Rory McQuillan

 

New Providence

New Providence HS
Coleen Preston

New Providence MS
Kristen Potter

 

Plainfield

Central Jersey Arts School
Corainna Frias

Cook School
Kiantau Darrell

Hubbard MS
Ely Sandoval

Maxon MS
Kevin Jimenez

Plainfield Academy of Arts
Jason Palan
Jasmine Medina

 

Roselle

Abraham Clark HS
Bryan Williams
Giavanni Shim

Grace Wilday Jr. HS
Bryce Moore

 

Scotch Plains

Union County Vo-Tech HS
Antonio Bejarano
Gabrielle McCavey

Springfield

FM Gaudineer MS
Ahmed Zaky

Jonathan Dayton HS
Rachel Zolotarsky
Tanya Vernik
Danielle DiFiore

 

Summit

Oratory Preparatory School
Alex McDonald

Union

Union HS
Steven Trujillo
Kevanique Bennett

 

 

Westfield

Edison Intermediate School
Hailey Reilly

Lamberts Mill Academy
Liz Marie Soto

 

Winfield

Winfield School
Lindsey Caverly

 

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 will open her offices in Elizabeth and Westfield on Saturdays, October 13, 20, 27 and November 3, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for voters seeking last-minute Vote-By-Mail ballots. The office in Elizabeth at the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Room 113, and the office in Westfield at 300 North Avenue East, will be open as a public service for those voters who choose the Vote-By-Mail option for the Presidential Election to be held on Tuesday, November 6.

“Every voter should have the opportunity to cast his or her ballot in the general election for federal, county, municipal and school board offices, and public questions,” Rajoppi said. “We want to ensure that even those who have a last-minute change of plans can have a chance to vote.”

Sample ballots for the Presidential Election in each Union County municipality may be viewed by going to the County Clerk’s website: https://ucnj.org/sample-ballots.

“By opening the Elizabeth office on the four Saturdays before the general election, along with the Westfield office, which has regular Saturday hours throughout the year, we hope to assist those citizens whose work schedules or other commitments keep them from applying to Vote-By-Mail during the work week,” Rajoppi said.

Voters will be able to drop off their completed mail-in ballot, formerly known as an absentee ballot, at the Union County Clerk’s offices in Elizabeth and Westfield. This option allows voters to pick up their ballots, vote in privacy and deposit them in a secured lockbox – all at the same office through 3:00 p.m. on Monday, November 5. Completed ballots will be kept in a secure lockbox under the control of the Union County Board of Elections, who will collect them for counting.

“Voters used to pick up absentee ballots at the Clerk’s office and then had to drive across town to deliver them to the Board of Elections,” Rajoppi said. “This option makes voting more accessible, particularly for senior citizens.”

The regular office hours at the Westfield Annex of the County Clerk 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 regular office hours in Elizabeth are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The County Clerk’s office has processed more than 10,000 mail-in ballots to date for the Presidential Election and expects the number to exceed 17,000 by Election Day, Tuesday, November 6.

To obtain a Vote-By-Mail application, voters may download the form at the Clerk’s website: https://ucnj.org/vote-by-mail, but they must bring the completed application to either of the County Clerk’s offices by Saturday, November 3, between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., or on Monday, November 5, before 3:00 p.m. For more information, please contact the County Clerk’s office at 908-527-4996.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella emceed a prominent list of speakers celebrating the raising of the flag at the fourth annual Union County Columbus Day Flag raising event. Governor James J. Florio was the keynote speaker for this year’s event.

Freeholder Angel Estrada, Freeholder Mohamed Jalloh, Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella, Father Thomas Provenzano, SDB, Pastor, St. Anthony’s Church, UNICO Past National President Renato Biribin, Italian Voice Publisher Cesarina Earl, Union County Surrogate James LaCorte, Governor James J. Florio, UNICO District X Governor Robert Bengivenga, Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition founder Manny Alfano, Union County Communications Director Sebastian D’Elia, Bayway Catering President Michael Giunta, Elizabeth Councilman Frank Mazza, Freeholder Vernell Wright. (photo: James Lowney)

Front row: Elizabeth Councilman Frank Mazza, Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella, Governor James J. Florio, Father Anthony Provenzano of St. Anthony’s Church, Freeholder Mohamed S. Jalloh, Bayway Catering President Michael Giunta, UNICO District X Governor Robert Bengivenga, UNICO Past National President Renato Biribin, Italian voice Publisher Cesarina Earl, Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition founder Manny Alfano. (Photo: James Lowney, County of Union)

The Honorable former Governor James J. Florio (photo: James J. Lowney)

Union County Freeholder Vernell Wright (R) and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (2nd R) congratulate Freeholder Angel G. Estrada as he is honored by the YWCA Eastern Union County at the organization’s 2012 Empowering Women Cocktail Reception. They are joined by YWCA EUC Executive Director Janice Lilien (L) and Board of Directors President Teresa Austin. (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 at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders welcomes residents to attend “Adolescent Trends: For Adults Only,” the third in a series of free seminars addressing the family dynamics of alcohol and drug addiction, prevention and treatment. The seminar is scheduled for Wednesday October 17, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Cranford Community Center, 220 Walnut Avenue in Cranford.

The seminar will be conducted by John Kriger, a professional alcohol and drug counselor who has worked with government agencies, colleges, school districts, corporations and non-profits. Mr. Kriger is the author of The Pond: A Small Book About Big Changes.

The series is funded by the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse through the Municipal Alliance, and coordinated by the Union County Department of Human Services.  For more information call Union County Alliance Coordinator Deborah LaNier, Union County Department of Human Services, Division of Planning, 908-527-4852.

 

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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.

nion County’s annual public heritage event, “Four Centuries in a Weekend: A Journey through Union County’s History,” will take place Saturday, Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 21 from noon to 5 p.m. Sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, with the cooperation of staff and volunteers at 24 house museums and historic sites, the two-day free event opens the doors to 400 years of history throughout the county.

“Four Centuries in a Weekend began in 1994 when 16 historic sites and the County of Union organized a weekend event to tell the story of how Elizabethtown of 1664 evolved into the 21 municipalities of today’s Union County,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “This year, a beautifully restored mansion and church, Revolutionary War burial grounds, quaint house museums, special exhibitions and tours showcase the county’s treasure trove of history.”

Special family-friendly highlights of Four Centuries in a Weekend include:

n  An exhibit at Liberty Hall in Union that focuses on the role of slaves and servants from the time of its original owner, Governor William Livingston, to that of the last occupant, Mary Alice Barney Kean;

• The Cannon Ball House in Springfield will commemorate Civil War veteran Captain Edward H. Wade who died of wounds received at Antietam, Maryland on Sept. 17, 1862;
• A living history program at Oswald J. Nitschke House in Kenilworth commemorates 100 years of girl scouting with an historic interpreter portraying Juliette Gordon Law, founder of Girl Scouts USA;
• The Crane-Phillips House in Cranford presents an encampment by Civil War re-enactors, Company D, 2ndRhode Island volunteers, in honor of local Civil War veterans;
• The Osborn Cannonball House in Scotch Plains presents an exhibit featuring bridal fashions and accessories from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.

Journey on to Boxwood Hall in Elizabeth, the 1772 home of Elias Boudinot, President of the Continental Congress; tour the restored Revolutionary War burial grounds at the First Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth, the oldest English-speaking congregation in New Jersey; and visit the Caldwell Parsonage at Connecticut Farms in Union, an American Revolutionary site that was home to the “Fighting Parson,” James Caldwell and his wife, Hannah.

A visit to Hillside will bring you to the Woodruff House/Eaton Store, built in 1735; and the historic Evergreen Cemetery, a virtual museum of funerary art. In Rahway you’ll be welcome at the Merchants and Drovers Tavern, a restored early 19th century hotel, and you can tour the Union County Performing Arts Center, a beautifully restored classic Vaudeville venue.

When you stop at the Dr. William Robinson Plantation in Clark, you’ll discover a post-medieval English-style house where Dr. Robinson practiced healing with plants and herbs.

At the Abraham Clark House, home to a signer of the Declaration of Independence, you’ll learn about Early American life and the history of Roselle. In the Roselle Park Museum, housed in the Charles E. Stone Store, you’ll be standing in the first electrically-lighted store in the world.

Three authentic 18th century farmhouses are open for touring: the Miller-Cory House in Westfield; the Salt Box Museum in New Providence; and the Nathaniel Drake House in Plainfield, which was used as George Washington’s headquarters during the Revolutionary War.

Venturing into the Watchung Mountains, you’ll find the Deacon Andrew Hetfield House in Mountainside, home to the Hetfield family for 186 years; stroll through the Deserted Village of Feltville-Glenside Park in the Watchung Reservation, an 1845 town created by businessman David Felt; visit the Littell-Lord Farmstead in Berkeley Heights, a reminder of the County’s agricultural past; and explore Summit, with its Twin Maples, a stately neoclassical mansion; the Carter House, the city’s oldest house, built in the 1740’s; and the Summit Playhouse, a Richardsonian Romanesque structure with a 120-seat auditorium.

Children can earn a Time Traveler’s Certificate and a Four Centuries Patch by visiting and obtaining a Time Traveler Passport at any of the sites, having it stamped and returning the completed form to the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs.

For free copies of the Four Centuries in a Weekend tour booklet, map and further information, telephone 908-558-2550 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., NJ Relay Users dial 711, or e-mail:culturalinfo@ucnj.org.

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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 .

CRANFORD, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will sponsor a Household Hazardous Waste Collection event on Saturday, October 20, 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 Cranford campus of Union County College located at 1033 Springfield Avenue, opposite Nomahegan Park.

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 Alexander Mirabella. “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.

Union County, in partnership with Covanta Energy, also includes mercury thermostats in its household waste recycling initiative. The mercury thermostat program complements the County’s efforts to collect household pollutants and divert mercury from the regional waste stream in order to help safeguard our water and air quality. What’s more, residents will receive a $5 gift certificate to Home Depot for turning in a mercury thermostat at the October 20 recycling event.

“Our partnership with Covanta allows us to extend our efforts to pursue environmentally sound methods of waste disposal,” Freeholder Hudak added.

A complete list of the materials that will be accepted on October 20 is available at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning web site: www.ucnj.org/recycle

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.

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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 .

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Trailside Museum Association are pleased to present a special Columbus Day holiday matinee, “Penguin Pointers” beginning at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, October 8, at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside.

“Penguin Pointers is a great educational activity for children on the Columbus Day holiday,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “After they learn about penguins, they can explore the other wonders of the Trailside Nature and Science Center and enjoy an early autumn afternoon in the woods of the Watchung Reservation.”

Staff from Jenkinson’s Aquarium in Point Pleasant Beach will be on hand to tell all about these amazing birds and introduce a live penguin. The audience will learn about their biology, geography, care and feeding, and the conservation efforts to protect these unique creatures.

The fee is $5 per person. Tickets go on sale at 1:00 p.m. The show is recommended for ages four and older. Strollers are not permitted in the auditorium.

As a special “thank you” to members of the Trailside Museum Association, all members and family members will be admitted free of charge. Please R.S.V.P. at 908-789-3670.

The Trailside Museum Association is an organization dedicated to assisting the staff at Trailside in their ongoing efforts to interest and educate people in all aspects of nature, science and conservation by assisting with funding, volunteering and advocacy. The annual membership cost is $15 per individual or $20 per family. Membership sign-up will be available in advance and at the event on Oct. 8. Call 908-789-3670 for a membership brochure.

Trailside Nature and Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a facility of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. For information about other activities and programs at Trailside, visit 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 Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella (L) and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski (2nd L) and Christopher Hudak present resolutions to Dr. Susanne Piatek Miskiewicz and Alexa Leigh Domenico congratulating them on being selected as the 2012 Linden Contingent Marshal and 2012 Junior Miss Polonia, respectively, for the 75th Annual Pulaski Day Parade by the members of the Linden General Pulaski Memorial Parade Committee of St. Theresa of Linden. The parade is Sunday, October 7th in New York City. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella (5th R) and Freeholder Vice Chairman Linda Carter (C) cut the ribbon officially opening the Union County Police Regional Dispatch Center in Westfield. They are joined by (from left) Freeholder Christopher Hudak, Union County Police Chief Daniel Vaniska, Dispatcher Carmine Malave, Freeholder Vernell Wright, Dispatcher Thomas Campisi, Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr, Union County Manager Alfred Faella, Dispatch Coordinator Gareth Williams and Public Safety Director Andrew Moran. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

 

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce the opening of the Union County Police Regional Dispatch Center, a new state-of-the-art emergency dispatch facility located in the County’s Ralph Froehlich Public Safety Building in Westfield.

“This new Dispatch Center marks a significant transformation of the emergency response infrastructure in Union County, bringing us up to date with the most advanced technologies to serve our first responders and the public,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella.

The new $1.2 million facility replaces and expands the previous operation located at the same site, which housed only two dispatch consoles. The new facility contains nine consoles.

“Union County is a dynamic, densely populated area where trends in emergency preparedness are constantly changing,” said Public Safety Director Andrew Moran. “This new facility will enable Union County, as well as the 21 municipalities, to continue operating at top levels of effectiveness.”

In addition to providing emergency dispatch services directly for the Union County Police and other countywide first responders, the new Regional Dispatch Center will also provide services for a growing number of local governments and other entities.

“The new Dispatch Center is an excellent example of a shared County-local service that enables local governments to manage their costs while gaining quality,” said Mirabella. “Our municipalities are getting access to a level of expertise and technology that would be extremely difficult to support on their own.”

The move toward shared communications services began in 2010, when the Borough of Fanwood entered into a shared services agreement to have its police, fire and emergency medical service (EMS) calls routed through the Dispatch Center.

Earlier this year, Roselle, Springfield, and Hillside began to have their fire and EMS calls routed to the Dispatch Center. The service to Springfield is also being expanded to have the Dispatch Center be the primary answering point for the township’s 9-1-1 calls

In addition, the Dispatch Center is now responsible for EMS dispatch for Scotch Plains and the Township South Orange, and for two paramedic units operated by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway, along with Roselle Park’s Fire Department and EMS.

“The bottom line is that emergency responders throughout the region can now share a facility that enables them to manage their costs while providing a higher level of service, and that’s a win-win for everyone,” said Mirabella.

Contractors on the project included USA Architects, Birdsall Engineering, M&M Construction and Mission Critical Partners.