Category: Public Info

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is offering a simple, easy way for everyone to pitch in and help improve the environment. Residents can safely dispose of unwanted household chemicals and other chemical wastes, by bringing these items to the next Household Hazardous Waste recycling event.  The free event will be held on Saturday, October 26th, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Nokia corporate campus located at the intersection of 600 Mountain Avenue and Ryder Way in New Providence.

“Union County’s Household Hazardous Waste events provide a free, convenient opportunity for residents to remove unwanted chemicals and other potentially hazardous items from their homes and yards, and dispose of them safely,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski.

The Household Hazardous Waste event provides Union County residents with a free, environmentally safe way to dispose of outdated or unwanted household chemicals, mercury thermostats and thermometers, propane tanks, and automobile tires among many other items such as oil-based paint and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), and mercury switches.

Residents need only drive to the site with their items for disposal. Once at the site, residents stay in their vehicles while workers unload the items.

Only materials in original or labeled containers will be accepted. No containers larger than five gallons will be accepted. There is a limit of eight automobile tires, without rims, per household.

Please note that latex paint (water-based wall paint) is not accepted. Residents wishing to dispose of latex paint are advised to use it up, donate it or share with a neighbor. If those options are not available, the paint can be dried in the can, and/or mixed with kitty litter or newspaper, then disposed with regular household garbage.

For a complete list of the materials that will be accepted on August 3rd as well as all recycling event dates and locations, please visit ucnj.org/recycle.

The household hazardous waste collection will be held rain or shine, for Union County residents only, not for businesses. Proof of Union County residency is required. For more information, please call the Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889.

For quick links to all Union County environmental programs and activities visit The Green Connection, ucnj.org/green-connect.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

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Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that the next two free mobile paper shredding events of 2019 for personal and confidential documents will be held on Saturday, October 5 in Scotch Plains and Thursday, October 17 in Kenilworth.

“Union County’s mobile document shredding service helps residents fight identity theft by providing a convenient way to shred your confidential documents,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “It promotes our County recycling efforts and ties in with other Green Initiatives in Union County.”

The next shredding event will be on Saturday, October 5 at the Union County Vo-Tech, located at 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains.   The shredding event on Thursday, October 17 will be at Galloping Hill Golf Course, located at 3 Golf Drive in Kenilworth.

Both events will run from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Shredding events will end before 1:00 p.m. if the shredding truck(s) reach capacity.  The events will take place rain or shine.

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. It is preferred that you bring your material in paper bags.

Documents should not be bound. Please remove plastic binders and paperclips. Paper that is wet/damp will not be accepted. Please note that paper that is already shredded 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 placed 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 via local paper mills. 

The mobile shredding program is paid for through New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Recycling Enhancement Act Grant Funds. For more information about future events or directions please call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889 or visit us online at www.ucnj.org/recycle.

The Freeholder Board also reminds residents to download the free Recycle Coach app for the latest news and information on all countywide and local recycling programs, located at www.ucnj.org/recycle.

For quick links to all Union County environmental programs and activities visit The Green Connection, ucnj.org/green-connect.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

Connect with Union County on social media.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders in conjunction with the Union County Office on Women and Union County College present a free public informational panel discussion entitled “Women in S.T.E.M.,” aimed at encouraging women to explore careers traditionally held by men.

The event will be held in Room N-4 of the Cranford Campus of Union County College, located at 1033 Springfield Avenue on Wednesday, October 2^nd from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“Science, Technology, Engineering and Math are industries notoriously dominated by men,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “The panel will address gender equality in the workplace, among the many issues. Women represent nearly half of the United States workforce, but only make up about 29% of the S.T.E.M. workforce.” 

A panel of high-profile professional women will be discussing their own journeys to a career in the S.T.E.M. fields, as well as the challenges women face in landing these careers, and accessing job-related resources.

The panelists will also review different types of career paths in various S.T.E.M fields, and provide attendees with information on the qualifications and background required for each field.

Women in S.T.E.M. is a free event but pre-registration is required online at ucnj.org/women.

For more information contact Jennifer Erdos, Coordinator, Union County Office on Women, at jerdos@ucnj.org or call 908-527-4216.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

Connect with Union County on social media.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Recreation are pleased to offer a new series of programs this fall, Nature Walks for Seniors. This series, open to adults age 55 and older, will run on Wednesday mornings from October 16 through November 6 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The walks are free and will take place on the Sensory Friendly Trail at Trailside Nature & Science Center in Mountainside.

Spiderman: Into The Spider-Verse will be played at Plainfield High School on Friday, September 27^th at 7PM. The movie will be seen at Plainfield High School as part of Union County’s programming for Hispanic Heritage Month and is being conducted in partnership with the Plainfield Board of Education. The movie will be in English with subtitles in Spanish.

“I am pleased that Union County is partnering with the Plainfield Board of Education to present this movie to the Plainfield community as part of Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Freeholder Rebecca Williams. “Cultural events like these are important to improving the quality of life enjoyed by all Union County residents.”

The movie viewing is free and open to the public. Popcorn will also be provided to moviegoers, free of charge.

For more details on this or other programs organized by the Union County Department of Parks & Recreation, visit www.ucnj.org/calendar or call the Parks Department at 908-527-4900.

Union County Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski, Vice Chairman Alexander Mirabella and Freeholders Sergio Granados, Rebecca Williams and Andrea Staten joined Union County Deputy County Manager Amy Wagner and Deana Mesaros of the Union County Department of Economic Development at the 2019 Union County Means Business Expo at the Warinanco Sports Center in Roselle. The Expo enables attendees to network with other business leaders and develop new contacts. The event also provides a chance for local businesses to showcase their products and services to attendees. For more information about Union County Means Business, visit ucnj.org/ucmb or contact Deana Mesaros at 908-659-7412 or dmesaros@ucnj.org. (

Seniors in search of reliable, up-to-date information on recycling will be getting help this fall, thanks to a new Freeholder Board pilot project aimed at spreading the “Recycle Right!” message and educating residents about current recycling guidelines.

“Senior centers and senior living complexes act as information hubs on many topics of interest to the community at large. Through this pilot project, seniors can receive reliable, up-to-date guidance about recycling in their community. We also hope that they will convey that information to their friends, families, and neighbors,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski.

The main message of “Recycle Right!” is to keep the household recycling bin free of contamination and prohibited items.  An important part of recycling is understanding what items can and can’t be recycled. 

Plastic bags, for example, are a major source of contamination. Residents often put plastic bags full of bottles and cans into recycling bins which renders the entire bag non-recyclable. Recycling Right preserves the quality of the recycling stream and prevents contamination and damage to recycling equipment and facilities.

In October, as part of the pilot program, the Freeholder Board will partner with designated senior living complexes in several municipalities and provide “recycling bin bags” which are washable, reusable bags designed to make recycling easier and more convenient for residents.

The bags are designed to help make recycling more convenient for people who need to carry recyclables from their apartment to a centralized recycling station, without relying on disposable plastic bags.

“Keeping plastic bags out of recycling will help reduce the rejection rate, and help municipalities manage their recycling costs more efficiently,” said Freeholder Chair Kowalski.

The bags have two sets of handles. One set is located on top, as with an ordinary tote bag. The other set is located on the bottom, so the bag can be easily turned upside down and emptied into a recycling bin.

The bin bags are also printed with Recycling Do’s and Don’ts.

For all Union County residents, the Freeholder Board also recommends downloading the free Recycle Coach app. The app provides reliable, up-to-date recycling calendars tailored to each user’s place of residence, in addition to information on what items to recycle.

Visit ucnj.org/recycling for more information about Recycle Coach, and for information about all countywide recycling events and programs sponsored by the Freeholder Board.

For quick links to all of Union County’s environmental programs and activities visit The Green Connection at ucnj.org/green-connection.

Awards to be Presented on September 28 in Rahway

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders proudly announce the recipients of the 2019 Hispanic Heritage Awards. Awardees will be honored at the 2019 Union County Hispanic Heritage Celebration on Saturday, September 28, from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Union County Performing Arts Center, 1601 Irving Street in Rahway. The Freeholder Board is partnering with the City of Rahway for the event, which is free and open to the public.

“Now more than ever, it is important to celebrate the diversity and cultural ties that build a strong, inclusive community,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski.

The 2019 Hispanic Heritage Award recipients are:

Business Award – Union County Latino American Chamber of Commerce

Education Award – Daniel J. Garay

Community Leadership Award – Jairo Labrador

Public Safety Award – Sgt. Ernesto M. Hernandez

The Freeholder Board reflects the contributions of Hispanic citizens to civic life in Union County. Its nine members include Freeholder Angel Estrada, who was the first Cuban-American elected to the Board, and Freeholder Sergio Granados, who is of Salvadoran-American descent.

“The national Hispanic community continues to grow, and within Union County, Hispanics represent over 30% of the population. The Freeholder Board continues to work on showcasing our diversity,” said Freeholder Sergio Granados. “This event will bring together Hispanic organizations across the County of Union for a fun filled evening that will highlight Hispanic culture and acknowledge the continued success of Hispanic community leaders. We invite all residents to come out and partake in this event as our greatest strength comes from uniting residents of all backgrounds.”

Attendees are invited to explore the richness of the Hispanic culture through food, music, art and entertainment, along with local leaders who will be honored at the event.

The family friendly evening will feature a performance by Mexican-American comedian Steve Treviño, who is nationally known for his unique insights into the ups and downs of everyday life. Limited tickets are available. Contact Nathalie Hernandez, nahernandez@ucnj.org to reserve your tickets today!

The 2019 Hispanic Heritage Celebration is free, and free parking is available at the Hamilton Stage located nearby at 360 Hamilton Street in Rahway.

The event is being coordinated through the County’s Office of Community Engagement and Diversity. For more information please contact the Office Coordinator Nathalie Hernandez at nahernandez@ucnj.org  or 908-527-4880.

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Connect with Union County on social media. For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form. Connect with Union County on social media.

Union County Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski joined Bruce Bergen, Chairman of the Raritan Valley Rail Coalition (RVRC), members of the public and elected officials from various towns and counties along the Raritan Valley Rail Line to discuss mass transit improvements at a RVRC Public Meeting in Cranford.

Nat Bottigheimer of the Regional Plan Association, a non-profit public policy agency that examines various issues, presented information from their report, “A Preventable Crisis, The Economic and Human Costs of a Hudson River Rail Tunnel Shutdown.”

The RVRC also honored former Somerset Freeholder and past Raritan Valley Rail Coalition Chairman Peter Palmer with a special presentation. (Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi invites Union County residents to receive their passport photo at the County Clerk’s Main Office in Elizabeth or the Annex Office in Westfield during the week of September 23^rd to September 30^th when applying for or renewing passports with a DS-11 form.

Normally there is a fee of $10.00 for a passport photo, which is required as part of the application process.

“I hope that the offer of a free photo will encourage persons planning a trip during the fall or winter to apply for, or renew, their passports well before they head overseas,” said Ms. Rajoppi. “We also encourage members of the public to obtain a passport and keep it up to date, regardless of any travel plans.”

The free passport photo offer is part of a national effort to encourage the public to conduct their passport business during September, which has been designated as National Passport Month.

By making arrangements in September, when travel is down, passport applicants can avoid the stress and added expense of applying at the last minute.

For more information about all County Clerk programs and services, visit online at ucnj.org/county-clerk or call 908-527-4787.

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