Category: Public Info

Total of $1.5 million in grants awarded for projects

Union County, NJ—The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders today announced infrastructure awards to 21 municipalities to help fund projects aimed at spurring economic development growth and a wide variety of improvements throughout the County.

“Our goal is to provide an economic boost to our municipalities in an area where State and Federal assistance has been lapsing,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “The end result will be quality of life improvements that continue to make Union County one of the highest-rated places to live in the nation.”

The Infrastructure program was developed through the County Freeholder’s Fiscal Committee, which Freeholder Christopher Hudak chaired, and included Freeholders Alexander Mirabella, Sergio Granados and Angel Estrada.

The matching grant initiative makes available a total of $1.5 million to Union County’s 21 municipalities assisting them to accomplish tasks undertaken in calendar year 2015. The funding for the grant is provided through the proceeds from the sale of Runnells Specialized Hospital.

“We also want to stimulate some job growth and provide a public benefit in helping towns to build important development projects or address short-term or long-term governmental, social, transportation matters,” Hudak said.

Some examples of work funded include: clearing/demolition of certain properties slated for redevelopment; streetscape improvements including curbing and sidewalk repairs/improvements;  road resurfacings; municipal building improvements and repairs; funding of various revitalization/development studies, and master plans; downtown/business district improvements; sanitary/sewer/flood mitigation improvements.

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Municipality	Amount
Berkeley Heights	$45,000.00
Clark	$30,000.00
Cranford	$55,000.00
Elizabeth	$150,000.00
Fanwood	$30,000.00
Garwood	$30,000.00
Hillside	$50,000.00
Kenilworth	$35,000.00
Linden	$115,000.00
Mountainside	$45,000.00
New Providence	$70,000.00
Plainfield	$115,000.00
Rahway	$75,000.00
Roselle	$60,000.00
Roselle Park	$75,000.00
Scotch Plains	$105,000.00
Springfield	$65,000.00
Summit	$115,000.00
Union	$115,000.00
Westfield	$95,000.00
Winfield	$25,000.00
Grand Total	$1,500,000.00

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The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation are pleased to announce dates available for licensed New Jersey bow hunters to sight-in crossbows at the Oak Ridge Archery Range, located in Oak Ridge Park, Clark, New Jersey. Crossbow sighting systems are important because they give the hunter a point of aim on any target, thus increasing the accuracy of the crossbow.

On Monday, August 24, and again on the following Monday, August 31, the Oak Ridge Archery Range will be open to crossbow sight-in participants from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.  The Union County Archery Range staff will supervise the participating archers, who must all abide by safety restrictions and limitations.

“With the start of bow season in New Jersey approaching, these sessions will help make it a successful and more importantly safer hunting season for all involved,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh.  “Working with our trained Archery Range staff, hunters will have a safe environment in which to insure their equipment is at its best for the hunting season.”

In order to participate archers must adhere to the following safety restrictions:

• Must produce a valid New Jersey bow hunting license.
• Must provide a suitable crossbow target.
• Only field points permitted; no broad heads allowed.
• Sighting-in of crossbows will be permitted only in designated archery lanes, and under the supervision of archery range staff.
• All archery range safety procedures and guidelines must be followed.
• No more than three (3) crossbow archers sighting-in a one time.
• The Oak Ridge Archery Range will only be open to crossbow sight in use on the above dates and times. Crossbow use is specifically forbidden at the Oak Ridge Archery Range any other time. NO EXCEPTIONS!

For more information about the Oak Ridge Archery Range you can visit the Union County Parks and Recreation website at ucnj.org/parks.

Freeholder Sergio Granados joined President of UCC, Dr. Margaret McMenamin, Board Chair, Victor M. Richel and Instructor Conrad Mercurius in presenting certificates to 11 Metal Fabrication/CNC Machinist Training Program graduates. Also there showing support and giving words of encouragement were Mayor of the City of Elizabeth, J. Christian Bollwage, NJ Community College Consortium Executive Director, Sivaraman Anbarasan and many UCC staff members.  

 

The final Union County Summer Arts Festival concert for 2015 will take place   Wednesday evening, August 26, with the Sensational Soul Cruisers taking the stage at 7:30 p.m. The free concert series, presented by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and sponsored by ConnectOne Bank will take place at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside.

The Sensational Soul Cruisers, featuring four vocalists, backed up by an 11-man horn group, pays tribute to classic performers from Otis Redding and the Drifters to Barry White and the Commodores. The group captures the essence of the Jersey Shore sound and its R&B roots.

Pack a picnic basket, bring lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy the music under the stars. Refreshments and snacks will also be available from vendors.

Once again, UC Get Fit Yoga in the Park, a Union County Freeholder initiative will be part of the Wednesday night pre-concert schedule, with House Yoga of Kenilworth presenting a free community class from 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.  Bring a mat or beach towel and participate in healthy activities for the entire family before the music begins.

“This will be the final opportunity for music fans to come out and enjoy some great entertainment under the stars at Echo Lake Park,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Join us in saying good bye to summer with the great sounds of the Sensational Soul Cruisers”.

For rain information you can call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at (908) 558-4079 after 3:30 p.m. on the day of the concert or you can visit the Union County web site: www.ucnj.org.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh, Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski visited the cast of Hairspray before their first performance at the Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) in Rahway. The Broadway musical is presented by the Vanguard Theatre Company and is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders through the 2015 Union County Advancing Community Theatre (UCACT) program.

The UCACT program – offered as part of the Chairman Jalloh’s Building a Community of the Arts initiatives – aims to support the creative life of Union County by sponsoring enriching community theatre experiences that promote economic and social well-being.

The next performances of Hairspray will be Friday and Saturday, August 21 and 22 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, August 23 at 3 p.m. at the UCPAC.

For tickets or more information, visit www.ucpac.org or call 732-499-8226.

 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is reminding National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders who filed a claim as a result of Hurricane Sandy that there are four weeks remaining to request a review if they believe their claims were underpaid for any reason. FEMA set a Sept. 15, 2015 deadline for policyholders to request a review.

FEMA sent letters to approximately 142,000 NFIP policyholders who filed claims resulting from Hurricane Sandy, offering them an opportunity to have their files reviewed. To date, more than 10,000 policyholders have entered the process. Additional payments will be made to policyholders when warranted.  To be eligible for the review, policyholders must have experienced flood damage between Oct. 27, 2012 and Nov. 6, 2012 as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Policyholders can call the NFIP’s Hurricane Sandy claims center at 866-337-4262 to request a review.

Alternately, policyholders can go online to www.fema.gov/hurricane-sandy-nfip-claims to download a form requesting a review. The downloaded form may be filled out and emailed to FEMA-sandyclaimsreview@fema.dhs.gov to start the review process. 

For individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and use 711 or VRS, please call 866-337-4262 to facilitate the filing of their claim review.  For individuals using a TTY, please call 800-462-7585 to begin the review process. 

Before contacting the claims center, policyholders are asked to have the policyholder’s name, their flood insurance carrier name, policy number that was in effect at the time of the loss, and the address of the damaged property.  For security purposes, you will be asked to provide some information to verify your identity.  Policyholders will be asked a series of questions to determine whether they qualify for review. Once qualified, they will be called by an adjuster to begin the review. The timing of this call may be affected by the volume of requests for review. Most reviews can be concluded within 90 days.

Files will be assigned to an NFIP-certified adjuster who will review the claim file. Adjusters will contact policyholders to guide them through the review process. Policyholders who have already requested their review can call 866-337-4262 if they have questions or need more information.

Establishing this review is just one step in the plan to ensure that the NFIP is customer-focused and helps policyholders recover from flooding in a fair, transparent and expeditious way. The Sandy claims review process is intended to be simple for the policyholder and does not require paid legal assistance. Additionally, there are several nonprofit service providers ready to offer free advice and answer questions policyholders may have. A list of these advocacy groups can be found on the claims review website at www.fema.gov/advocacy-groups-and-services-referral-list.

If you have any questions, please contact FEMA’s Intergovernmental Affairs Division at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only.  FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications. 

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Union County – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announced that the 2015 Union County Advancing Community Theater (UCACT) Season will continue at the Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) this month with Hairspray and Legally Blonde Jr.

Both groundbreaking musicals were chosen as part of the first ever UCACT Program that to date has co-produced Rent, Dreamgirls, and the original work- Mandela: Apartheid to Die For.

Presented by Vanguard Theater Company Hairspray is a family-friendly musical piled bouffant high with laughter, romance, and deliriously tuneful songs. It is the winner of 8 TONY Awards including Best Musical. The show runs at the Mainstage at the UCPAC August 21^st and 22^nd at 8:00 p.m., August 23^rd at 3:00 p.m.; and will feature a special performance on August 19^th at 12:00 p.m. for children, and summer camps at a discounted rate.

Also running on the same dates is Legally Blonde, Jr., presented by The Theater Project Jr. at Hamilton Stage. The show is based on the film of the same name. This version is adapted for a younger audience. The award winning musical follows Elle Wood’s transformation as she learns about snobbery and stereotypes, and eventually finds her true self. The show runs on August 21^st and 22^nd at 8:00 p.m. and August 23^rd at 2:00 p.m.

Tickets for both performances are available now and can be purchased online at ucpac.org or through the UCPAC Box Office at 732-499-8226. Tickets for Hairspray are $15 for adults and $10 for children and senior citizens. Tickets for Legally Blonde, Jr. are priced at $12 across the board.

UCACT grants funding to cover the hard costs associated with putting up at production at the Union County Performing Arts Center. Through creative partnership and a holistic approach, the program creates a successful business model for Community Theater, allowing them to provide quality performances while also thriving financially.

For more information on UCACT, please contact Victoria Durbin Drake, Chief of Staff, Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, at 908-558-2278 or visit ucnj.org/ucact.

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On Saturday, Freeholder Linda Carter attended Plainfield’s “Hooked on Fish, Not on Drugs” fishing event.  There were a ton of children who came out to enjoy the fishing festivities. Children were instructed on bait and fishing techniques.

Union County, NJ  –  Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi reminds County residents that a new state law has changed the number of vote-by-mail ballots that an individual can transmit to voters, and the number of completed ballots that an individual can bring to the Board of Elections.

“The new law sets a limit of three on the number of ballots that one individual can transmit to voters, and bring to the Board of Elections,” said Rajoppi. “This is the first election cycle with the new three-ballot limit in place, so please keep that information in mind if you are planning to be a ballot messenger or bearer.”

Previous state law enabled one “ballot messenger” to transmit as many as 10 blank ballots to voters, and it enabled one “ballot bearer” to bring an unlimited number of completed ballots to the Board of Elections.

The new requirements are defined in bill number S-685/A-4306, signed into law by Governor Christie on Monday, August 10.

For information on vote-by-mail in Union County, and to download the free Union County Votes mobile app, visit the County Clerk online at ucnj.org/county-clerk or call 908-527-4996.

Freeholder Alexander Mirabella joined Roselle Park Mayor Carl Hokanson, Fifth Ward Councilman Richard Templeton, Second Ward Councilman Joseph Petrosky, Councilwoman At Large Charlene Komar Storey, Councilman Eugene Meola and Councilman M. Gino Elmarassy at Roselle Park’s first annual Italian Festival.