Category: Public Info

Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Christopher Hudak, Angel G. Estrada, Bette Jane Kowalski and Vernell Wright present Springfield Mayor Diane Stampoulos, Committeewoman Geri Ann Bujnowski and Township Administrator Ziad Andrew Shehady with a new 12-passenger van that will provide free transport for senior citizens. The vans are being awarded to a total of 18 municipalities this year through Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen’s “Seniors in Motion” initiative to assist seniors with free, local transport. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Christopher Hudak, Angel G. Estrada, Bette Jane Kowalski and Vernell Wright present Cranford Mayor Thomas H. Hannen with a new 12-passenger van that will provide free transport for senior citizens. The vans are being awarded to a total of 18 municipalities this year through Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen’s “Seniors in Motion” initiative to assist seniors with free, local transport. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Route 1&9 northbound ramp to Port Street to be closed Friday night

New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced the start of a project to replace bridge decks on three I-78 ramps over Routes 1&9 in Newark, Essex County.

The ramps are part of I-78 interchange 58 located just north of Newark Liberty International Airport and connect to Port Street, which is the major entrance to Port Newark from the north.  The project primarily effects traffic heading to or from airport cargo facilities and Economy Parking Lot P6 on Brewster Avenue, and traffic going to or from Port Newark.

The $26.6 million federally-funded project will replace three structurally-deficient bridge decks over Routes 1&9 with new pre-cast bridge deck panels, parapets, guiderail and lighting. The project will be completed in stages with the majority of work being done overnight or on weekends to minimize impacts on motorists and marine terminal traffic. A series of weekend closures are scheduled to begin in March and continue most weekends through the fall, and restart again the spring of 2018. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

Beginning on Friday, February 24 from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next morning, NJDOT’s contractor Union Paving and Construction, Inc., is scheduled to close the exit ramp from Routes 1&9 northbound to Port Street/Port Newark to install construction signs and traffic barriers in preparation for the upcoming bridge deck replacement work. The following signed detour will be in place to direct motorists to Port Street/Port Newark during the overnight closure:

Routes 1&9 northbound local to Port Street/Port Newark Detour

• Immediately after the exit, motorists should bear right at the fork
• Continue on the road to a right hand exit loop onto Brewster Road
• On Brewster Road, make the first left and follow around to a traffic light
• Make a right onto Port Street

Variable message signs and lane closure signs will be utilized throughout the project limits to provide advance notification to motorists of all traffic pattern changes associated with the deck replacement project. Throughout the project, NJDOT will provide information before upcoming road closures.

The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org for real-time travel information and for NJDOT news follow us on Twitter @NJDOT_info.

UCPO, UCSO, UCPD, Linden police investigating circumstances behind object left in parking lot An object left in a Linden parking lot Tuesday was found not to pose any danger to the public, but it appeared to be designed to resemble an explosive device, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park, Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan, Union County Police Chief Christopher Debbie, and Linden Police Chief Jonathan Parham jointly announced Wednesday.

Linden Police Department patrol units responding to a report of a suspicious object traveled to the 1100 block of West St. Georges Avenue (Route 27) at approximately 6 p.m. Tuesday, located the object, and immediately began clearing the area. West St. Georges was closed between North Stiles and Ross streets, and residents of two nearby apartment buildings were evacuated.

Police, fire, and emergency management personnel from Linden, the Union County Police Department Bomb Squad, and members of the Prosecutor’s Office, Union County Sheriff’s Office K-9 and Crime Scene units, New Jersey State Police, and the FBI responded to the scene, and at approximately 8:30 p.m. an assessment was made that the object did not contain explosive materials. The scene was cleared a little more than an hour later, when evacuated residents were permitted to return to their homes. Police units also swept the area for additional devices, but did not locate any.

This remains an active investigation, and anyone with information about this matter is being urged to contact Prosecutor’s Office Detective Dennis Donovan at 732-232-2049 or Linden Police Detective Joseph Kaulfers at 908-474-8537.  The Union County Crime Stoppers  are also offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest  and indictment; tips can be given anonymously by phone at 908-654-TIPS (8477), via text message by texting “UCTIP” and a message to 274637 (CRIMES), or online at www.uctip.org.

“Thank you to the concerned citizen who first made us aware of this suspicious device,” Chief Parham said. “This event, like so many others we have seen, truly highlights the significance of the police-community relationship, and how important it is for our friends and neighbors to remain vigilant. We cannot do our jobs without you.”

Charlotte DeFilippo was a visionary, an innovator, and a trailblazer throughout an extraordinary governmental and civic career that spanned six decades. 

A titan of County and local government, Charlotte also served in various elected, and governmental capacities in her hometown of Hillside. At the County, she served as a Freeholder early on in her life. She later served for more than a decade as the Director of the Union County Improvement Authority where she created a legacy of public projects that transformed County Government and are providing long lasting benefits to all citizens at every level of society.

On a personal level, Charlotte had a brilliant mind, was a great strategist and incredibly engaging in conversation on so many topics. Her influence on her friends, as well as local and County government, and the residents of our community will be long felt. She will be sorely missed. Flags in Union County will be flown at half-staff.

To pre-register, visit www.ucnj.org/parks-reg/

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that Freeholder Vernell Wright will be presented with the annual Chester Holmes Humanitarian Award on Monday, February 27 as part of the Union County 2017 Black History Month Celebration at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway.

“Black History Month is a time to celebrate and learn about the rich culture of leadership that shaped America, and in that spirit it is a great honor to present the Chester Holmes Humanitarian Award to Freeholder Wright,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “Freeholder Wright has made her presence felt throughout Union County and beyond with her unwavering commitment to improving life for all in our community.”

Freeholder Wright has been a resident of the Vauxhall section of Union Township for more than 50 years, during which time she served as a teacher, principal and in other capacities in the Union Public Schools System.

She is affiliated with numerous community and professional organizations including New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, United Community Center Scholarship Committee, Tri-City Branch – NAACP, First Baptist Church of Vauxhall, Boylan-Haven Mather Academy National Alumnae Association, Vauxhall Historical Society, and the Concerned Citizens of Vauxhall and Vicinity Civic Association.

In recognition of her service and commitment to the residents of Union County, Freeholder Wright was awarded the New Jersey Association of Counties with its Maurice Fitzgibbons Freeholder of the Year award in 2017.

Serving her first term on the Freeholder Board from 2012 to 2014, Freeholder Wright was Chairman of the Policy and Administrative Code Committee, as well as a member of the Homeland Security Committee, the Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Committee, and the Policy and Administrative Code Committee.

She has also served as liaison to several advisory boards including the Advisory Council on Aging, the Senior Citizen & Disabled Resident Transportation Advisory Board, the Commission on the Status of Women, the Youth Services Commission, and the Local Advisory Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, among others.

Freeholder Wright was re-elected in 2016 and is serving her second term in office.

Presented annually by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Chester Holmes Humanitarian Award is given to a candidate that displays outstanding devotion to the people of Union County through their service-based or philanthropic work.

The Union County 2107 Black History Month celebration features Terrance McKnight of WQXR, presenting “A Beautiful Symphony of Brotherhood: A Musical Journey in the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.”

Admission is free but pre-registration is requested. To register or for more information visit ucnj.org/black-history-month or call the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 908-558-2550.

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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 is pleased to present “Snapshots… Black History in Plainfield,” an exhibit of twenty photos and text, curated and written by Plainfield Public Library’s Local History Department, headed by archivist Sarah Hull.

“We’re pleased to host this evocative exhibit that celebrates many aspects of local black history,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, liaison to the Union County Cultural and Heritage Advisory Board.

The wide-ranging images feature residents and notable people including accomplished leaders, activists, artists and athletes. Since the city’s beginning, black residents influenced the building and development of Plainfield. The city has been home to numerous social, religious, and professional organizations, some of which are documented in the exhibit.

Exhibit materials were coordinated by Jeff Wassen, with photos including: 1902 postal workers; Milt Campbell, the gold medalist in the decathlon at the 1956 Olympic Games; and Coretta Scott King urging Plainfielders to vote for Jimmy Carter at a rally in 1980. The exhibit also features text exploring subjects including: Slavery in Plainfield; Black-Owned Businesses in the Early 1900s; Early Clubs and Organizations; and Firsts in Education.

The Freeholders Gallery is located on the 6^thfloor of the Union County Administration Building, Elizabethtown Plaza, in downtown Elizabeth. Gallery hours are 9 am to 5 pm, weekdays. The exhibit will be displayed through Tuesday, April 4, 2017.

Plainfield Library’s Local History Collection, the largest such collection in Union County, is composed of books, documents, photographs, blueprints, maps, newspapers, personal papers, oral histories, and local organizations’ records of significance in Plainfield and the surrounding communities.

In addition to items relevant to County and State histories, there is also an extensive Genealogy Collection, as well as publications on the American Revolution and the Civil War. Special collections include Fine Arts, Jerseyana, Local Authors, and Diversity Studies. The Local History Room is open to the public on weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm, at 800 Park Avenue in Plainfield. Information about the Local History Collection can also be found online at http://www.plainfieldlibrary.info/.

For further information, or to learn more about exhibiting at the Freeholders Gallery, contact the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07202; telephone, 908-558-2550; or email culturalinfo@ucnj.org. NJ Relay users may dial 711.

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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 Department of Parks & Recreation will host a meeting to present a Trails Master Plan that has been developed for the Watchung Reservation.  This plan will create new trails and open the Watchung Reservation to mountain biking.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 7 at 7:00 p.m. at the Trailside Nature & Science Center.  Trailside is located in the Watchung Reservation at 452 New Providence Road, Mountainside.

Representatives of the Parks Department and its trails planning consultant will explain the master plan and answer questions.  There will be ample opportunity for those who use the trails and other features or facilities in the Watchung Reservation to offer their input on the plan. 

There is no sign-up or reservation required to attend or to speak at the meeting.  A similar meeting was held last October, primarily for mountain biking enthusiasts.

The Trails Master Plan includes the construction of 13 1/2 miles of new trails which will be restricted to mountain biking only.  The new trails will be spread throughout most areas of the park.  Portions of the Sierra Trail and other existing hiking or equestrian trails will be shared by all users, including mountain bikers.  Some sections of existing hiking trails will be closed.

A map showing the location of the trails that will be constructed can be found at https://ucnj.org/watchung-reservation-trails-master-plan/

Union County, NJ – To help promote the early detection of oral cancer, the Union County Office of Health Management through the Chronic Disease Coalition of Middlesex and Union Counties has partnered with the Clark Township Health Department, Clark ShopRite and Dr. Kurt M. Krause, D.M.D. from Krause Dental Care in Cranford, New Jersey, to provide free oral cancer screenings.

In Union County, the oral cancer screenings will take place at the Clark ShopRite, 76 Central Avenue in Clark, on Saturday, April 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. All attendees will qualify to enter a drawing for a door price courtesy of the Clark Township Health Department.

“I’d like to thank the Chronic Disease Coalition, the Township of Clark, Clark Shoprite and Dr. Krause for raising public awareness about reducing oral cancer risks,” said Bruce H. Bergen, Chairman of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. “Oral cancer screenings are an effective means of finding cancer at its early, highly curable stage.”

Oral cancer is not a rare disease. Approximately 49,750 people will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer every year in the US. It will cause over 9,750 deaths, killing roughly one person every hour of every day.

The good news is that oral cancer can often be found early in its development, through a simple, painless, and quick screening. With early detection, survival rates are high and the side effects from treatment are at their lowest.

For more information about oral cancer screening call the Union County Office of Health Management at 908-518-5620.

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Infographic (cropped): aamos.org.

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.