Category: Public Info

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites residents to participate in free child safety seat inspection opportunities during National Child Passenger Safety Week (September 13-19).

The proper use of child safety seats is one of the simplest and most effective methods available for protecting the lives of young children in the event of a motor vehicle accident.

On Saturday, September 19, as part of “National Seat Check Saturday,” trained technicians from Union County’s Child Safety Seat Inspection Program will conduct child seat inspections at the Babies ‘R’ Us on Rt. 22 in Union from 12:00 noon until 3:00 p.m. This special event is also sponsored in part by AAA Northeast – NJ Division.

Also, Union County’s popular Child Safety Seat Inspection Program is open every Wednesday and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. and is located at the Garwood Rescue Squad at 401 2^nd Avenue in Garwood.

 “If you have a baby or small child in your care, please come and take advantage of this free program, and make sure your safety seat is properly adjusted,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Our experts can help you get familiar with a new seat, and they can help you spot any problems with an older seat.”

New Jersey’s new child safety seat regulations took effect on September 1. The new State law requires parents to adhere to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations for child passenger safety. 

Under the new child passenger safety law:

• Children under age 2 and weighting less than 30 pounds must be secured in a rear-facing child safety seat that is equipped with five-point harness.
• Children between ages 2-4 and weighing up to 40 pounds must be secured in a child safety seat equipped with a five-point harness, either rear-facing (up to the height and weight limits of the seat) or forward –facing.
• Children between ages 4-8 and less than 57 inches tall (4’9”) must be secured in a forward-facing seat equipped with a five-point harness (up to the height and weight limits of the seat) or in a booster seat.
• Children ages 8 and older must use the vehicle seat belt. The safest place for children under 13 is the back seat.

Union County first launched the Child Safety Seat Inspection Program in 1999, in response to surveys showing that the overwhelming majority of child safety seats are improperly installed, even though most users are confident that they know the correct procedure.

Since 1999, approximately 50,000 Union County residents and visitors have used the Seat Inspection Program. It is staffed by personnel from the County’s Department of Public Safety, who are certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and by the organization SafeKids. The program is credited with saving at least one life, when a toddler survived a 2008 vehicle rollover shortly after the seat was properly adjusted by County personnel.

The child seat inspection program is provided as a public service by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Union County Police Department, New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, AAA Northeast – NJ Division, and the Garwood First Aid Squad.

For more information about Union County’s Child Safety Seat Inspection Program visit ucnj.org or call 908-789-6830.

Union County, NJ  –  The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites all residents, especially veterans and their families, to gather at the steps of the Union County Courthouse on Friday, September 18 at 11:15 a.m., and join in the annual POW/MIA Remembrance Day ceremony to honor prisoners of war and those missing in action.  New Jersey State Senator Raymond J. Lesniak will deliver the keynote address.

“Please join us in recognizing the sacrifices of our military, and their families and loved ones. Every year, POW/MIA Remembrance Day reaffirms our government’s commitment to ensure that all are accounted for, and to honor those who are no longer with us,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh.

The County Courthouse is located at 2 Broad Street in Elizabeth. In case of rain, the ceremony will be moved inside to Courthouse Rotunda.

For more information about POW/MIA Remembrance Day in Union County, or to confirm your attendance, call the Freeholder offices at 908-527-4100.

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Union County Freeholder Alexander Mirabella and Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi joined Scotch Plains Deputy Mayor Colleen Gialanella at the 7th Back To School Community Fair at St. John’s Baptist Church in Scotch Plains. The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders donated pens, pencils and backpacks for the event.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that its next mobile paper-shredding program for personal documents will be available on Saturday, September 26, at the Westfield Memorial Pool.

“Union County’s mobile document-shredding service helps residents fight identity theft and eliminate clutter in their homes,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “It is a cost-effective way to assist our recycling efforts and it ties in with Union County’s other Go Green Initiatives.”

The Sept. 26^th shredding event will take place at the Westfield Memorial Pool, located at 713 Cumberland Street in Westfield. NEXCUT Shredding of Elizabeth will be shredding documents at the site from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. The shredding event will end before 1 p.m. if the shredding truck reaches capacity.

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. Documents should not be bound. Please remove plastic binders and paperclips. Paper that is wet/damp 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 dumped 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, shipped to paper mills and used as pulp. The next shredding event will take place Saturday, Oct. 3, at Oak Ridge Park in Clark.

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.

Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh and Freeholder Sergio Granados joined Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage and Elizabeth Council President Patricia Perkins-Auguste in reviewing the ‘Art Outside the Box’ artist submissions that will be featured on traffic control boxes at three Elizabeth intersections. In the coming days, we will open up online voting for you to pick your top three favorites. Learn more about the Chairman’s Initiative at https://ucnj.org/artoutsidethebox/.

Union County, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi has introduced new voter-friendly ballots for Vote-by-Mail, machine and sample ballots starting in the 2015 General Election. The newly redesigned ballots provide voters with more clarity and ease while selecting candidates for whom they wish to vote. 

The new Vote-by-Mail ballot, for example, will closely resemble both the sample ballot mailed to every voter and the official machine ballot used in voting machines. One major change is that the Vote-by-Mail ballot will be printed in the same horizontal or “landscape” orientation as the sample and official ballots. Previously, the Vote-by-Mail ballot was printed in a vertical orientation.

“I began the process of redesigning the Vote-by-Mail ballot approximately eight months ago to ensure conformity amongst all the election ballots, including the sample ballot and the official machine ballot,” said Rajoppi.

Voters will also notice that the ballots enable them to easily distinguish between the sections for general election candidates and school board candidates. A new blue heading has been added for the School Board Election, providing a clear contrast with the red heading used for the General Election.

“The new ballot is designed so voters can easily see that they have more votes to cast, after they finish voting in the General Election,” said Rajoppi. “As a former school board member, I know how important it is to encourage voter participation in School Board Elections. The new design will help ensure that every voter can quickly understand that there are two separate elections in which to vote.”

Voters will also notice that the new Vote-by-Mail ballot includes an instruction section in larger typeface than the previous version.

“The vote-by-mail process is relatively simple but the instructions need to be followed carefully,” said Rajoppi. “The larger font will help ensure that persons with visual impairments fill out the ballot correctly and make their vote count.”

To see a sample of the new Vote-by-Mail ballot, visit the County Clerk online at ucnj.org/county-clerk.  For voters wishing to vote by mail, the last day to apply by mail for a Vote-by-Mail ballot is Tuesday, October 27, 2015.  A voter may also request a Vote-by-Mail ballot in person at the Union County Clerk’s Office until Monday, November 2, 2015 at 3:00pm.  The County Clerk’s Office in Elizabeth will have a special Saturday opening on October 31, 2015 from 9:00am to 1:00pm.  The Westfield Office is open Saturdays from 9:00am to 1:00pm.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2015 and polls are open from 6:00am to 8:00pm for voters wishing to vote on the machines.

Voters are also reminded to download the free Union County Votes app for mobile phones and tablets. Launched by the County Clerk last year, the app provides important information such as polling place locations, alerts and election night results.

More details about Union County Votes, including download instructions, are available at ucnj.org/county-clerk. For additional information or questions call the Office of the County Clerk, 908-527-4787.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to present an exhibit of graphic design creations by Suree Minnatee in the gallery space at the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, located in the historic St. John’s Parsonage at 633 Pearl Street in Elizabeth. A selection of her work entitled “Amalgamation” is on display at the Pearl Street Gallery through October 23. The public is invited to enjoy the exhibit during regular gallery hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

“Suree has been an active volunteer in all things artistic in Union County for many years,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, liaison to the Union County Cultural and Heritage Advisory Board. “It’s a great pleasure to display her beautiful and skillfully done artwork.”

Suree Minnatee was born and raised in Elizabeth. She was drawn to creative and artistic activities while growing up. This led her to pursue a career in the arts. After graduating high school, Minnatee attended Union County College in Cranford. She transferred to The Art Institute of Pittsburgh-Online Division and graduated in 2013 with a degree in Graphic Design. Even though her focus is graphic design, she likes to experiment and learn about other art forms and mediums.

Minnatee has been a volunteer assistant to the art coordinators at The Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs for three years. She helps setup art exhibitions and has created flyers for exhibits on display at the Freeholders Gallery. She is also a member of The Elizabeth Arts Council that holds art and music receptions with local artists in the City of Elizabeth.

Suree actively exhibits in many local Elizabeth venues: the 2015 Elizabeth Public Library Elizabeth Art Council’s “Cool Art in June” exhibit; the 2014 Women’s History Month Celebration at City Tavern; and the 2011 Black History Month Art Exhibit at the Union County Freeholders Gallery.

Suree Minnatee is skilled in many Adobe programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat 9 as well as Microsoft Office Suite. To see more of her work, visit http://sminnatee.wix.com/sminnatee.

Union County artists (whose works can be hung on a wall) interested in exhibiting in the gallery space are welcome to apply. For more information about the Pearl Street Gallery or other programs, please contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth NJ 07202. Free on-site parking is available. Telephone 908-558-2550. NJ Relay users can dial 711. Send E-mail to: culturalinfo@ucnj.org.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to bring the sensory-friendly puppet adventures of ‘Monster Intelligence’ – a musical journey for the entire family – to the stage at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway this weekend on Sunday, September 13 at 2:00 p.m.

All tickets are $8 per person and can be purchased through the Union County Performing Arts Center at ucpac.org or by calling the Box Office at 732-499-8226.

“The sensory-friendly performance series is designed to offer a relaxed and safe theatre environment for children and adults with sensory sensitivity, developmental and learning disabilities,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “The Freeholder Board is proud to offer a performance series that helps make the performing arts accessible to everyone.”

Don’t miss this sweet, funny, and educational puppet musical – a rockin’ good time for the entire family! Up in Arms puppet theatre brings Melvin’s adventures to the stage with a cast of friendly, colorful monster characters and original songs (Green Day-style rock, classical, jazz, pop, and Broadway standards) – this is a journey never to forget.

For each of the performances in the Sensory Friendly Theatre series the theatre environment at the Union County PAC will be adjusted to provide a sensory-friendly, comfortable and judgment-free space that is welcoming for all families. Autism Friendly Spaces implements the supportive atmosphere at each of the Sensory-friendly performances. For more information on what to expect at a Sensory Friendly Theatre performance visit ucpac.org.

Save the dates – mark your calendar for upcoming Sensory-Friendly Theatre series performances sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders: Sundays – November 22, 2015, January 10, 2016, March 20, 2016, May 1, 2016 and July 31, 2016. Specific show titles will be announced soon.

For more information or to purchase tickets call the Union County Performing Arts Center, 732-499-8226 or visit ucpac.org. The UCPAC Box Office, located at 1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM and is also open late on Thursdays until 8:00 PM.

For information on additional Union County recreational programs for people with disabilities age five and up, call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4806 or visit ucnj.org.