Author: Web Site Administrator

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – While most of us are preoccupied with end-of-summer plans, the staff at Union County’s Watchung Stable in Mountainside is busy preparing for the start of next season’s horseback riding lessons. Now is the time for beginners and returning riders to register for fall classes at Watchung Stable.

“Our lesson program at Watchung Stable is a great way to learn how to ride,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “I’m proud to say that more than 45,000 girls and boys have participated in this terrific program in the Watchung Reservation since it began in 1935.”

All applicants for riding lessons must be nine years of age or older. Fall Troop will last for ten weeks beginning September 4, and will culminate with the Fall Troop Horse Show. The cost to participate begins at $231 for ten classes, and varies with Union County residency status and troop assignment. Classes are held Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Class and troop assignments are based upon riding ability as determined by the Stable management. Applicants with previous experience may be asked to demonstrate their riding ability in order to be placed in the appropriate class. Uniforms and helmets are required and must be provided at the rider’s expense.

Watchung Stable also features adult lessons, for people 18 years of age and older, beginning the week of September 4. Classes for adults are available Sundays at 12:45 p.m., and Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. Adult lessons are an eight-week program on either Sunday afternoon or Tuesday morning. Beginners through advanced lessons are available on both days.

Registration forms and fees must be submitted in-person at Watchung Stable. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. – noon and 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. daily.

Watchung Stable is a facility of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and is located at 1160 Summit Lane in Mountainside. For further information, and to obtain registration materials, call 908-789-3665 or email:stablequestions@ucnj.org

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BACK IN THE SADDLE – Watchung Stable instructor Kathleen Sheehan lends a hand to nine-year-old Grace Brennan of Scotch Plains while she takes a break during summer camp. Grace is among hundreds of other children who will participate in Watchung Stable’s Fall Troop Program of classes which begin the week of September 4. Now is the time for beginners and returning riders to register for classes in the Fall Troop. Watchung Stable, located at 1160 Summit Lane in Mountainside, is a facility of the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal, and is administered by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. For more information about programs and registration, please call 908-789-3665, or e-mail questions tostablequestions@ucnj.org.

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 .

LARK, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Community Renewal invite the community to participate in “Veterans Appreciation Night” on Wednesday, August 22, by bringing items to donate for our troops overseas prior to hearing a free outdoor performance by The B Street Band (The Original Springsteen Tribute) at Oak Ridge Park, 136 Oak Ridge Road in Clark, at 7:00 p.m.

“We encourage everyone who comes to Veterans Appreciation Night to join with us in supporting American Recreational Military Services (A.R.M.S.) as they collect supplies for our military men and women overseas,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “Veterans’ groups from throughout Central Jersey are especially welcome as we show our appreciation for their dedication and service in defense of our country.”

A.R.M.S. is a 501 (c) (3) charity based in Eatontown. Founded in 2003 by volunteers who wanted to give something back to military personnel and their families, A.R.M.S. is soliciting the following items that they will pack and ship to our troops serving overseas: chapstick; saline nose spray; Q-tips; eye drops; foot powder; body powder; deodorant; razors; small tissue packets; canned fruit; beef jerky; corn chips; protein bars; granola bars; microwave foods; small cereal boxes; coffee packets; tea bags; small powdered drink mixes; tuna foil packets; instant oatmeal; nuts and trail mix.

For more information about A.R.M.S., please visit www.supportarms.org

The Union County information van will be at the concert site with staff from the Union County Office of Veterans’ Affairs and other knowledgeable staff to answer questions and offer information about programs and recreational activities available to Union County residents.

Lawn chairs, blankets and picnic baskets are encouraged. Refreshments and snacks will be available from vendors.

For rain information call the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal at (908) 558-4079 after 3 p.m. on the day of the scheduled concert, or visit the Union County web site: www.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 .

Union County – The Union County Foreclosure Task Force would like to advise local residents whose homes were undergoing a foreclosure process in 2009 or  2010 that the deadline to participate in the federal banking agencies’ Independent Foreclosure Review has been extended to December 31, 2012.

“This additional deadline extension is a great opportunity for local residents to find out if their cases can be reviewed,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella.

The new deadline provides additional time for borrowers to request review if they believe that they suffered financial injury as a result of errors in foreclosure actions on their homes in 2009 or 2010 by one of the servicers specified by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve) in their April, 2011 enforcement actions.

To be eligible for a review, the mortgage must have been in active foreclosure between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010, In addition, the property securing the loan must have been the primary residence and the mortgage must have been serviced by one of the 14 lenders outlined in the enforcement actions of April, 2011.

There are no costs associated with the review which is performed by a consultant independent from the mortgage servicer.

More information, including how to apply online, is available at http://www.independentforeclosurereview.com. Information on eligibility is also available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. by calling the federal hotline at 1-888-952-9105.

The Union County Foreclosure Taskforce also has free, reliable information and guidance on foreclosure issues for all residents regardless of their eligibility for the Independent Foreclosure Review.

Visit the Task Force online at www.ucnj.org, or call the hotline at The Home Ownership Preservation Foundation, a Task Force partner, at 888-995-HOPE (4673).

Union County, NJ – All business owners and managers in Union County are welcome to attend the fifth session of Union County Means Business, a series of free networking breakfasts. The upcoming session, titled “Public/Private Partnerships,” will provide guidance on how to do business with government agencies.

“We expect another great turnout for this session, because many Union County businesses provide goods and services that could be used by local, state and federal agencies,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “If you have never done business with a government agency before, this is a good opportunity to get familiar with the basics.”

Union County Means Business is one of Chairman Mirabella’s 2012 initiatives, designed to connect Union County businesses with government resources and information that can help them grow. Previous networking breakfast sessions have included workforce development, financing, and expert insights into the Union County economy.

Along with receiving an enthusiastic response from the business community, the networking sessions have sparked the creation of additional resources including the ucnj.org/ucmeansbusiness website, the Union County Means Business online newsletter and the recently opened Union County College Means Business Career Center.

The Union County Economic Development Corporation has also introduced a special discount loan program for qualified businesses. Information about this program is available at ucedc.com/unioncounty.

The upcoming Public/Private Partnerships session is scheduled for Wednesday, September 5 from 8:00 am to 10:00 am. This session will be held at the Holiday Inn at 36 Valley Road in Clark (formerly Crowne Plaza), which is also sponsoring the event.

All Union County Means Business sessions are free but pre-registration is required. To register visit ucnj.org/ucmeansbusiness or call the County Manager’s office, 908-527-4200.

Union County Means Business is a collaborative effort that includes the Union County Alliance, Union County Economic Development Corporation, Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce, Suburban Chamber of Commerce, Union County College, Kean University Small Business Development Center, and the Union Township Chamber of Commerce.

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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 at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella (L) presents John Viglianti of Westfield with a life time golf card for the Ash Brook Golf Course in Scotch Plains. Viglianti, 97, recently received the Bronze Star the Bronze Star with the “V” for valor device for his service in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 during World War II. An administrative error delayed the honor for almost seven decades. He plays golf with friends weekly.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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 Clerk Joanne Rajoppi (C) draws the winning ticket for a book about the Civil War era at the Civil War exhibit in the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. She is joined by Ethel Washington and Charles Shallcross of the Union County Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee. 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)

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

Major highway rehabilitation forges on in Essex and Union counties

Trenton – NJDOT officials today announced that beginning on Friday night, August 10, NJDOT’s contractor, a joint-venture of Ferreira Construction and Crisdel Group, is scheduled to begin reconstructing the left and center travel-lanes on I-78 westbound Local lanes through the ongoing project limits in Essex and Union counties.   Overnight lane closures will be necessary to implement the new construction zone on I-78 westbound by the end of the weekend.

During this phase of construction, I-78 westbound will be permanently reduced from five travel lanes to four travel lanes – with two lanes maintained in the Local lanes (reduced from four lanes currently) and two in the Express lanes (increased from one lane currently), respectively.  Access from the Peddie Street/Elizabeth Street ramp to I-78 westbound Local will be closed and the I-78 westbound Express shoulder will be closed from Exit 57 to just east of the Garden State Parkway.  The entrance ramp from Route 1&9 northbound and Newark Airport onto I-78 westbound will be narrowed to one lane.

NJDOT implemented a similar work zone on the I-78 eastbound Local lanes in July.

The $72 million project is constructing a new asphalt roadway along both directions of I-78 from west of Ramsey Avenue (milepost 53.8) in Union Township to the Route 21 interchange (milepost 56.9) in Newark.  This is one of the busiest stretches of highway in New Jersey with an average of 145,000 vehicles traveling it daily. The new pavement is designed to last up to 20 years and the project is scheduled to be completed in early 2014.

The highway is being reconstructed in stages to minimize impacts to motorists.  A total of four of the five I-78 travel lanes will remain open in each direction during peak period hours throughout construction.  Single and double-lane closures will be allowed during overnight and off-peak hours. 

Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) will be utilized on Route 78 as well as the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, to provide real-time work zone traffic information to motorists.  The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors.  Motorists are encouraged to check www.511nj.org for real-time travel information.

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Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella (L) presents John Viglianti of Westfield with a life time golf card for the Ash Brook Golf Course in Scotch Plains. Viglianti, 97, recently received the Bronze Star the Bronze Star with the “V” for valor device for his service in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 during World War II. An administrative error delayed the honor for almost seven decades. He plays golf with friends weekly.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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

CLARK, NJ – The Union County Summer Arts Festival concert series concludes its 52nd summer of music on Wednesday evening, August 22, “Veterans Appreciation Night,” with a free performance by The B Street Band (The Original Springsteen Tribute) at Oak Ridge Park in Clark. The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, led by Chairman Alexander Mirabella, invites the public to the grand finale of the 2012 summer concerts at 7:00 p.m. as we salute our veterans who served in the military. At the conclusion of the presentation for our veterans, The B Street Band will take the stage for a concert under the stars.

“Bring the entire family for a Jersey-style rocking evening in Oak Ridge Park and a salute to the men and women of our military services,” said Freeholder Chairman Mirabella. “Veterans’ groups from throughout Central Jersey are especially welcome as we show our appreciation for their dedication and service in defense of our country.”

The B Street Band, originally known as Backstreets, was formed in Asbury Park in 1980. Over the years, they’ve rocked the stage with Clarence Clemons, Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez, Steven Van Zandt, and Max Weinberg. Now in their 32nd year together, the B Street Band is considered the longest-running tribute to Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. They perform a vast repertoire of Springsteen favorites ranging from early “Greetings from Asbury Park” to the latest “Wrecking Ball.” This is a tribute to The Boss that you won’t want to miss.

The Union County information van will be at the concert site with staff from the Union County Office of Veterans’ Affairs and other knowledgeable staff to answer questions and offer information about special programs and recreational activities available to Union County residents.

Lawn chairs, blankets and picnic baskets are encouraged. Refreshments and snacks will be available from vendors.

For rain information call the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal at (908) 558-4079 after 3 p.m. on the day of the scheduled concert, or visit the Union County web site: www.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 .

Union County, NJ – Archery enthusiasts in Union County have something that few other archers in the central New Jersey region have: year-round access to a public Olympic-scale archery range. The range opened three years ago at Union County’s Oak Ridge Park in Clark and was an immediate hit with County residents.

“We’ve heard that viewership for the Olympic archery events has skyrocketed, and the Freeholder Board is very pleased that Union County can offer an affordable, accessible way for everyone to enjoy this popular sport, from beginner on up,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella.

Last week, The New York Times reported that archery has been the most watched sport in NBC’s televised Olympics coverage, possibly sparked by fans of the hit movie “The Hunger Games.”

The Union County Archery Range is fully accessible by wheelchair and open to archers at all skill levels ages 9 and older.

The only requirement for use of the range is a Union County permit from the Department of Parks and Community Renewal.

Archers without experience can qualify for a permit by completing a safety training lesson offered by Union County at the archery range. The lesson includes use of the County’s archery equipment.

“If you’ve never tried your hand at archery before, our safety lesson provides a great introduction at a minimal cost,” said Mirabella.

Archers with experience can obtain a permit by providing a certificate or other documentation of their training.

Out-of-county residents are also welcome to enroll in a safety training course and obtain a permit.

Currently the fee for a one-year permit for Union County adult residents is $20.00, and $30.00 for non-residents. Youth and senior permits are slightly less.

The current fee for a safety training lesson is $20.00 per person. The lessons are taught in open groups of 8 to 24 persons.

Lessons can also be specially scheduled for families and other groups at the rate of $25.00 per person (these groups can be less than 8 persons).

The Union County Archery Range is open seven days a week all year, from dawn to dusk.

For all archery information, including scheduling a safety lesson and obtaining a permit, call the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal, 908-527-4900 or visit the Archery page online atucnj.org/archery.