Category: Public Info

Union County, NJ — Fall weather is no deterrent to Union County Adopt-A-Park volunteers, who play a key role in improving and maintaining more than 6,600 acres of public open space. Pictured here are members of the Haitian Flag Day Planning Committee in Warinanco Park last Saturday. They picked up litter, collected recyclables, removed weeds and repaired fencing at a shoreline restoration project designed to attract hummingbirds, songbirds, butterflies and other pollinators. To find out more about Adopt-A-Park visitucnj.org/parks or call the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal, 908-789-3683.

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Photo Caption: Margaret Heisey (left), Program Coordinator of Union County’s Recreation Programs for People with Disabilities, presents Alex Jackman (center) of Westfield with a Freeholder sponsored resolution honoring her for her dedication to Autism awareness. The Resolution was presented at the second installment of Union County’s Sensory Friendly Theater Series, which is designed according to guidelines that help to reduce disturbances for youngsters who experience heightened sensory sensitivity due to autism and related disabilities. Heisey and Jackman were joined by Adrienne Robertiello (right), Autism Educator at Children’s Specialized Hospital. (Photo courtesy of the County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Alexander Mirabella presents a resolution to Jazmyn Carrington of Scotch Plains commending her for her quick actions in saving the life of a fellow student at Union County Academy for Performing Arts in Scotch Plains by performing the Heimlich maneuver.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

WESTFIELD, NJ – In honor of Veterans Month, Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi reminds any honorably discharged veteran living in Union County that they can receive a free identification card at the County Clerk’s offices in Westfield and Elizabeth. The wallet-size photo ID card is honored as proof of service in the United States Armed Forces.

“We encourage all of our veterans to bring their original discharge papers to the County Clerk’s Office in either Westfield or Elizabeth and take advantage of this free program,” Rajoppi said. “This ID card service is just one way to say thank you and make veterans’ lives a little easier.”

The Veterans ID Card Act was signed into law last year. The card is available to veterans whose original Certificate of Honorable Discharge and/or DD-214 forms are recorded at the Union County Clerk’s office. It can assist veterans in receiving educational benefits, death benefits, licenses, local property tax rebates and discounts at big retailer box stores when presented with other identification.

If a veteran’s discharge papers have never been recorded, the original documents must be presented at either one the Union County Clerk’s offices. Documents will be recorded in the Union County Veterans’ Index and the original documents will be returned to the veteran together with a free certified copy for their records. Photocopies of Honorable Discharge or DD-214 documents cannot be accepted for recording.

If the original discharge documents are lost, veterans can write to the National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records, 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63138. Those who have already recorded their documents with the Union County Clerk can call her office at 908-659-7403 for additional information.

“Veterans can be assured that access to their discharge papers is available only to the veteran, his or her mother, father, spouse, brother, sister, child, heir or personal representative,” Rajoppi said. “Veterans’ documents are archived in a secure area and they are not accessible to the public.”

The County Clerk’s Office in Westfield, located in the Colleen Fraser Building at 300 North Avenue East, is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday; and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The County Clerk’s Office in Elizabeth, located in the Union County Courthouse at 2 Broad Street, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. If additional information is needed, please call 908-659-7403.

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Former City of Elizabeth Planning and Community Development Director and 15-year governmental veteran to emphasize economic development and implementation of initiatives and policies on behalf of Freeholder Board and County Manager

ELIZABETH—William Reyes, a resident of Mountainside and a 15-year governmental veteran who led the City of Elizabeth’s Planning and Community Development Department, has become the new Deputy County Manager.

Reyes, 39, is a native of Elizabeth and lifelong resident of Union County who resides in Mountainside with his wife, Cheryl, and two children.

“I am truly honored and thankful to the Freeholder Board and County Manager Faella for being given the opportunity to serve the residents of our County in the capacity of Deputy County Manager,” Reyes said. “I look forward to assisting the Board and County Manager in their mission to provide strong governmental services and the implementation of policies that will chart a course for County government moving forward.”

Reyes began his career in 1999 in the City of Elizabeth’s Office of Public Information and served as the Office’s Director of Public Relations before becoming the Director of Planning and Community Development several years ago.

Reyes was responsible for the management of the Community Development Block Grant Program (distribution of more than $3 million in funds), the Economic Development and Public Information Bureaus, the Elizabeth Home Improvement Program and the Office of Relocation.

Reyes graduated from Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains, and Rutgers University- New Brunswick, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Spanish.

Among his accomplishments in Elizabeth were:

*The retention of Wakefern in Elizabeth, partnering with the County to recruit Federal Stimulus financing to help the company expand and create over 350 jobs;

*Working to secure $40 million in State funds for the renovation and reconstruction of the Midtown Elizabeth NJ Transit Train station;

*Secured environmental funding to remediate lots and improve the Midtown area;

*Oversaw the completion of Phase 1 of the Rivertrail in Midtown Elizabeth, and the start of its second phase;

*Worked with real estate developers to expand Fedex and Seafrigo facilities– creating dozens of new employment opportunities.

Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter welcomed Reyes to County Government, and added the Board looked forward to working with him.

“Bill has a proven track record as a respected administrator in the City of Elizabeth, and has strong leadership qualities that should enable him to serve well in County Government,” Carter said.

Faella, who selected Reyes, praised him as someone who is a sharp, personable and innovative administrator who gets the job done and does not shy away from challenges.

“Bill is a man of great integrity and vision who developed a reputation as “a go to” administrator, solved issues and developed programs in the City of Elizabeth,” said Faella, who also formerly served as the Director of Community Development for the City of Elizabeth in the ‘90s. “He has an outstanding knowledge of local government, and is ready for the next step in County Government.”

Faella, pointing to the pending implementation of major initiatives regarding the Union County Golf  Division, the jail, economic development and he noted that the timing was right to select Reyes as Deputy County Manager, filling a spot left vacant by the retirement of M. Elizabeth Genievich approximately two years ago.

“We are going to have to roll up our sleeves and get to work,” Faella said. “Bill will be able to greatly assist in these endeavors.”

Union County, NJ –  Nominations are still being accepted for the 22nd annual Women of Excellence Awards, sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders with the Union County Commission on the Status of Women. The deadline for nominations is December 1, 2013.

Women of Excellence nominations are open to all women 21 years or older, who reside in or are employed in Union County, and who have distinguished themselves in the fields of Arts and Humanities, Business/Entrepreneurial, Community Service, Education, Government, Law, Law Enforcement, Medicine/Health Care, or Women’s Advocacy.

Nominators are asked to provide several examples of how the nominee has demonstrated outstanding achievements in these fields, and to indicate how the nominee has made a difference in the lives of Union County residents or employees.

The awardees are guests of honor at the annual Women of Excellence Award Dinner which will take place on Friday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Galloping Hill Caterers in Union. They will receive an engraved Women of Excellence plaque and will be presented with a Resolution by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

For additional information or to obtain a nomination form, visit the Women of Excellence website,ucnj2.org, or contact Jane O’Hara at johara1217@gmail.com.

The nomination form and supporting documents must be submitted by the deadline to:

Ms. Jane O’Hara
708 Newark Avenue
Westfield, NJ 07090

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The Raritan Valley Rail Coalition and the One-Seat Ride Coalition have announced that NJ Transit will roll out a morning off-peak, one-seat ride to New York’s Penn Station starting March 2, 2014. The trains will arrive in New York between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

NJ Transit has purchased dual-mode locomotives that will operate as diesels through Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex and Union counties and as electronic locomotives through the tunnel to Manhattan, making the one-seat ride possible.

The Raritan Valley Rail Coalition, joined by a coalition of 30 mayors of towns along the line, seek to ultimately achieve a full one-seat ride Manhattan service on the Raritan Valley Line, which currently terminates in Newark.

“Town after town has major development near their train stations,” said Somerset County Freeholder and Rail Coalition Chairman Peter S. Palmer. “The weekday off-peak service is an important first step.”

He credited the mayors’ coalition, headed by Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr, with being “vital to the long-standing effort of the Rail Coalition to bring the one-seat ride to fruition.”

NJ Transit, which has championed Transit-Oriented Development, has agreed to meet quarterly with the One-Seat Ride Coalition to evaluate the results of the new service and discuss further expansion. The next step would be to offer evening one-seat ride service during off-peak hours after 8 p.m.

ELIZABETH, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders welcomes you to an exhibit of photographs by Tom Maciejewski of Berkeley Heights in the gallery space at the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, located at 633 Pearl Street in Elizabeth. A selection of his work entitled “Stuff to Hang on Walls” is on display at the Pearl Street Gallery until December 30.Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Tom Maciejewski is a prolific self-taught photographer. The first year he got a DSLR camera, he shot 150,000 photographs. He would take 100 photos a day on his way to and from work in New York City. Tom concentrates on people and city scenes, some photographed in black and white and some in brilliant color. Travel to Peru, the Amazon jungle and India expanded his interest in seeing everything around him.

After graduating from Union County College, he went to Hawaii and surfed, learned about computers and earned a degree in International Business from Hawaii Loa College in Honolulu. Tom later studied chemistry at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark. Working for a small chemical company, he honed his computer skills and became a computer programmer for many NYC start-ups during the “Dot Com” boom in the 1990s. After the boom busted, he went to work for financial institutions.

In 2001, Tom Maciejewski was working for Lehman Brothers in the World Trade Center. On the morning of September 11th he missed his train because he had stayed up late the night before watching the Giants on T.V. He didn’t get into Manhattan until after the first plane hit. He would have been at his desk on the 38th floor if it had not been for that game. Maciejewski’s comment to a friend, “Monday Night Football saved my life,” was overheard by a reporter and printed in the New York Daily News. Tom did not have his camera with him that day.

Mr. Maciejewski commutes to New York to work as CTO of a company called MASS Exchange. Nowadays he doesn’t leave home without a camera around his neck.

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 St., Elizabeth, NJ 07202. Telephone 908-558-2550. NJ Relay users can dial 711. E-mail to: culturalinfo@ucnj.org.

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Two trainees will learn new skills and embark on a new career

Photo1: Chuck Sona, 39 and a life-long resident of Garwood, NJ, Matthew Carr, 27, and a resident of Roselle Park, is measuring pipes. Both were certified and referred to Cranford Plumbing and Heating by the Union County One-Stop Center, a component of the Union County Freeholder’s Workforce Investment Board and an On-the-Job-Training (OJT) program operated by the Elizabeth Development Company (EDC).

Photo 2: On far right, John DiFabio, Owner of Cranford Plumbing & Heating demonstrates metal cutting, one of many skills the OJT trainees, Matthew Carr and Chuck Sona (blue shirts), will learn. 2nd from left, Sergio Granados, Union County Freeholder, was there to observe the OJT program and thanked John for his willingness to work with Union County Workforce Investment Board and the Elizabeth Development Company’s OJT initiative.

Photo 3: Left to right – John DiFabio, Owner of Cranford Plumbing & Heating with two OJT Trainees, Chuck Sona and Matthew Carr. Joining them are Newton Burkett, Chair, EDC Board of Directors and Sergio Granados, Union County Freeholder (far right). Newton and Sergio were on-site observing the OJT program and thanking John for his willingness to work with Union County residents seeking an opportunity to learn while earning an income.

November 4, 2013 ~ When Matthew Carr learned about an on-the-job training opportunity with Cranford Plumbing and Heating (Cranford P&H), he knew he found a career he would enjoy for a lifetime. Cranford P&H of Garwood, NJ, has been in business for over 11 years and is one of many employers joining with the Elizabeth Development Company (EDC) to help Union County residents learn a new trade, start a new career and meet the qualified staffing needs of local employers. Matthew, 27, and a resident of Roselle Park, was certified and referred to Cranford P&H by the Union County One-Stop Center, a component of the Union County Freeholder’s Workforce Investment Board.

There are many benefits to the program for local small businesses and large corporations. Under the OJT program, employers receive wage subsidies of up to half of a new employee’s gross wages. This can go on for up to 26 weeks to help defray the costs of their employment training. They may even qualify for a Work Opportunity Tax Credit — up to $5,000 over 2 years and they may use their OJT program to help fund the first 6 months of an apprenticeship program for qualified participants.

“The combination of learning the trades of both plumbing and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) are unique in this industry, and could often times be very lucrative,” says John DiFabio, owner/operator of Cranford Plumbing and Heating. DiFabio has over 35 years of experience in the plumbing and HVAC industry and specializes in serving the Union County community, both residential and commercial. Running a 10-person operation, John is hoping his two OJT trainees do well enough to enter into his apprenticeship program. The average annual income for someone in this industry is $40,000 to $80,000 per year, according to DiFabio.

EDC launched this new initiative to help train and fill the jobs of local employers and help residents gain employment. The new initiative is specifically for qualifying Union County residents, such as displaced workers, veterans, and/or homemakers re-entering the workforce.

“At EDC, we are definitely working to help our businesses prosper. The OJT program provides incentives to help them find and train qualified unemployed workers, but more importantly our placements make $16.50 per hour, twice the minimum wage. Not only will this help our businesses, it will help our communities thrive,” says Newton Burkett, Chairman of the Elizabeth Development Company.

When asked about how the program has impacted his business, DiFabio said, “I think this is an excellent program because it’s really hard to find people who want to spend the time to learn this kind of trade. Although this industry is stable, it’s hard work and a person really needs to have a passion for this kind career. My two trainees are doing so well, I told other business colleagues that they should consider signing up for the OJT program. To me, it’s a win-win; we employ residents and I get motivated employees.” In addition, DiFabio regularly sends his employees to industry certified training workshops so they may stay current with all the changing and new technologies impacting his business.

Chuck, 39, married with two young boys, and a life-long resident of Garwood, NJ, recently started the OJT program with Cranford Plumbing & Heating. John saw how well the program worked with Matthew and encouraged Chuck to get certified through the EDC and the County’s one-stop center, and join his team. Chuck had some plumbing experience, but now he wants to learn the HVAC trade and thinks this is great opportunity. “I am really interested in working in both plumbing and HVAC as a new career. I’m looking forward to working and learning,” commented Chuck

The initiative is funded by Union County Freeholder’s Workforce Investment Board, City of Elizabeth Community Development Block Grant, and Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit through NJ Department of Community Affairs. The Elizabeth Development Company is actively seeking employers, from various industries, who are willing to hire and train residents seeking employment.

“The On-the-Job Training initiative is a win-win for County residents and businesses, which both benefit from this program,” said Union County Freeholder, Sergio Granados. “Programs like this are helping to build a better skilled workforce, meet the needs for high-demand jobs, and ultimately strengthen the Union County’s economy.” Granados thanked all of the partners involved for their effort in providing innovative job collaboration, adding, “The goal is to enable our businesses and residents to be able to compete and win in the new economy.”

Cranford Plumbing and Heating is located at 350 Willow Avenue, Garwood, NJ; phone number 908-272-4641. Employers interested in more information about the OJT program, may call Fatimah Raymond, Program Director at the Elizabeth Development Company at 908-289-0262 or email fraymond@edcnj.org

Pictured are trophy and ribbon winners of the opening event, “First Class Troopers Over Fences,” at the Union County Watchung Stable’s, 80th Annual Fall Troop Horse Show.  From left to right are: 1st place trophy and blue ribbon winner, Courtney Maier of Mountainside, 2nd place, Lauren Baldowski of Cranford,  3rd place, Meghan Foley of Clark, 4th place, Lindsay O’Donnell of Garwood, 5th Place, Caroline Culp of Scotch Plains, and 6th Place, Candice Mason of Clark.

First Class Troopers are the most advanced riders of the Watchung Stable’s group riding lesson program for youth, beginning at age 9 and lasting through age 17 or the rider’s senior year of high school.  Adult group “Troop” lessons are also offered, along with individual and semi-private instruction for anyone ages 9 and up.

Watchung Stables is locate in Union County’s scenic Watchung Reservation, at 1160 Summit Lane, Mountainside.  For information on group and individual lessons, as well as public and private trail rides, birthday parties, lead-line horse rides and non-riding group programs, call the facility at (908) 789-3665 or visit www.ucnj.org/stables.