Category: Public Info

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce an exciting array of children’s programs being offered this fall at Trailside Nature & Science Center in Mountainside.

“This exciting fall program schedule, with its nature-related activities, outdoor experiences and new adventures in the world of science, is sure to have something to delight every child,” said Freeholder Vice Chairman Deborah Scanlon, liaison to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

For children, ages 3 or 4, with an adult, Trailside offers “Two of Us,” an interactive program that encourages nature discovery through hikes and other indoor/outdoor activities. This program is offered on Tuesdays from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. or Wednesdays from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. beginning Oct. 5. Topics explored this autumn will include bubbles, monarchs, seeds, creating holiday crafts and more.

“Small Fry Days,” a drop-off program for children ages 4-6, is designed to foster awareness and appreciation of the natural world through nature hikes, explorations and related activities. This program is offered on Tuesdays, from 9:45-11:00 a.m. beginning Oct. 5.  Children will have fun learning about squirrels, investigating the Deserted Village on a Halloween Hike, collecting leaves of all colors and sizes, and much more.

Trailside also offers after-school workshops for grade school children. Children entering the 1stand 2nd grades can take part in “After School Explorations.” This drop-off program is designed to acquaint children with nature explorations, hikes and outdoor activities.  Offered on Thursdays beginning Oct. 7 from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m., children participating in this workshop series have the opportunity to make animal masks, learn about animal tracks and meet live snakes and turtles.

“Trailside Explorers,” a drop-off workshop for children in 3rd to 5th grade, will take an in-depth look into the animal kingdom. Participants will have fun investigating the variety of animal life found at Seeley’s Pond.  Additionally, mammals, reptiles, birds of prey and insects will be topics of exploration this fall. Trailside Explorers is scheduled on alternate Wednesdays beginning Oct. 6 from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.

A new addition this year is an after-school science program, “Crazy Chemworks,” for students in the 1st to 5th grade. This exciting science series, developed by Mad Science of West New Jersey, is an educational and fun program that will get students interested in science. Conducted on Wednesdays from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m., this series begins on Oct. 13.  Children will enjoy manipulating laboratory equipment at their own personal work bench; create slime and participate in the Slime Olympics; practice fast-paced chemistry experiments, and much more.

Fees do apply and pre-registration is required for all programs. Please call Trailside for fee information and space availability. For additional information about any of these children’s programs or about other upcoming programs and special events, please call 908-789-3670 or visit us on the web at www.ucnj.org/trailside.

Trailside Nature & Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road (at Coles Avenue) in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

ROSELLE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that its mobile paper-shredding program for personal documents will be available for Union County residents on Tuesday, Oct. 5, in Roselle.

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

The Oct. 5 shredding event will take place at Warinanco Park, in the parking lot near the Warinanco Ice Skating Center off Thompson Ave. in Roselle, near the border with Elizabeth. NEXCUT Shredding of Teaneck will be shredding documents at the site from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. The shredding event will end before 1:00 p.m. if the shredding truck reaches capacity.

All Union County residents are eligible to use the personal document paper-shredding service. In an effort to accommodate all participants, there is a limit of four boxes per person. Documents should not be bound. Please remove plastic binders and paperclips. 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 put through the shredder. 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 last document-shredding event for 2010 will take place on Saturday, Oct. 30, at the Alcatel-Lucent facility in New Providence, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in conjunction with a computer and electronics recycling event.

The mobile shredding program is paid for through funds from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Solid Waste Services Tax Grant. Shredding may be cancelled in the event of extreme bad weather. Please call the Recycling Hotline for more information about future events, directions, or event day cancellation at 908-654-9889 or visit us online at www.ucnj.org/recycle.

Program to help county contain healthcare costs, and help employees establish wellness plans

Elizabeth, NJ—Union County Freeholder Chairman Daniel P. Sullivan announced today the launching of a new wellness initiative for County employees. The Employee Wellness Program will provide county employees with support and information system to live healthier lives.

“By providing our employees with these important health tools we hope to contain healthcare costs and provide a helping hand to our employees in their efforts to lead healthier lives,” said Freeholder Sullivan.

To kick off the initiative, throughout the month of September, employees with CIGNA Medical coverage are being encouraged to participate in the Cigna’s Health Assessment.  The Health Assessment is a 15 to 30 minute online questionnaire that will give employees a snapshot of their immediate health picture, highlight what they are doing well and suggest areas for improvement. Employees may even choose to discuss results with their physician at their next visit and start working together towards a healthier future.

“The health assessment is a critical step in guiding our employees and their families to healthy life choices,” said Sullivan. “Once the questionnaire is completed it will give employees and their physicians a clearer picture of what areas they need to improve on when it comes to their health.”

Springfield, NJ–Certified child passenger safety technicians will conduct seat inspections at the AAA Car Care Center in Springfield on Saturday, September 25th as part of National Child Passenger Safety Week announced Union County Freeholder Chairman Daniel P. Sullivan.  The technicians, members of the Union County Police Department, will work in conjunction with AAA seat technicians from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm. The AAA Car Care Center is located at 135 Route 22 East in Springfield.

Known as “Seat Check Saturday,” the event is held annually during National Child Passenger Safety Week. It is designed to provide hands-on assistance in the proper use of child safety seats.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly three out of four child safety seats are improperly installed in vehicles.

“This is a great opportunity for us to make parents and caregivers aware of the importance of safety seats for their children,” said Chairman Sullivan. “It’s the responsibity of every parent to ensure that their children are properly restrained, every ride, every time.”

According to NHTSA, in 2008 approximately 244 children under the age of five avoided fatal injuries in a car crash because they were properly restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat. Parents can provide a good example for their children by buckling up themselves whenever they ride in a car.

To maximize child passenger safety, parents and caregivers should follow four basic rules:

* Read the manufacturer’s instructions to both your car seat and your vehicle for proper installation advice.
* Face the child safety seat in the proper direction. Infant seats always face backwards.
* Secure your child snugly in the car seat. Always buckle the seat’s harness system securely to hold your child safely in the seat.
* Secure the child car seat using the proper vehicle restraint system.  Anchoring the seat properly utilizing the vehicle restraint system is critical. A seat that is not buckled securely to the car can tip over, slide sideways or, in a crash, be ejected from the car.

The Union County Police conduct car seat inspections every Wednesday and Thursday, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., excluding major holidays. No appointment is necessary.  For more information you can call the Traffic Safety Program Coordinator at 908-789-6830.

Train, the band that rocked the country with its smash summer hit “Hey Soul Sister,” headlined two days of nonstop free music on September 11 and 12 at the 13th Annual Union County MusicFest, at Oak Ridge Park in Clark. A record-breaking crowd of 80,000 attended the event, which also featured top performing artists Spoon, The Bravery, Soul Asylum, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, and many more, along with family attractions including The County Fair at MusicFest carnival and Kids Kingdom children’s activities.

The band Train performs September 11 at Union County MusicFest 2010 at Oak Ridge Park in Clark. MusicFest is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, supported by corporate and community partners. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The band OK GO performs September 11 at Union County MusicFest 2010 at Oak Ridge Park in Clark. MusicFest is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, supported by corporate and community partners. A record-breaking crowd of 80,000 attended the event. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County, NJ — Nominations are now being accepted for the 19th annual Women of Excellence awards program, sponsored by the Union County Commission on the Status of Women and the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

“The Women of Excellence Award honors the many different contributions of women from all walks of life,” said Freeholder Chairman Daniel P. Sullivan.  “When you hear these personal stories of achievement, you gain a deeper understanding of the people who shape our Union County communities and influence our lives.”

The Commission is looking for outstanding nominees who live or work in  Union County and have distinguished themselves in one or more of the following categories: Arts and Humanities; Business/Entrepreneurial; Community Service; Education; Government; Law; Law Enforcement; Medicine/Health Care; Women’s Advocacy.

The Women of Excellence who are selected from the pool of nominees will be honored at a celebratory dinner to be held at The Westwood in Garwood on Friday, March 25, 2011.

To obtain a Women of Excellence Award Nomination Form, call Madeline Brigantino at (908)527-4144 or visit www.ucnj.org to download the form.  The completed form should be mailed to Jane O’Hara, 708 Newark Avenue, Westfield, NJ 07090.

Nominations must be postmarked by December 1, 2010.

Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi was sworn in as 2nd Vice President of the International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers recently in Chicago following her election at the group’s annual convention.

ELIZABETH, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi recently was elected Second Vice President of the International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers (IACREOT) at the group’s annual conference. The 40-year-old organization is a professional association of government officials representing local, state, provincial, national and international jurisdictions in elections, land recording, county clerks, treasurers and finance offices.

“I am honored to be elected to serve in such a prestigious organization by my peers,” Ms. Rajoppi said. “The 1,500 members of IACREOT represent the best of professionalism and openness in government.”

Ms. Rajoppi has been a member of the Board of Directors of IACREOT for five years. Previously, she served as the Delegation Director for New Jersey, as the Director for the County Clerks, and as Secretary of the organization. She also serves on the Policies, Procedures and Guidelines Committee, the Clerks Committee and the Budget Committee.

“The Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey is very proud of Ms. Rajoppi’s election to 2nd Vice President of IACREOT,” said COANJ President Mary Melfi, who also serves as Hunterdon County Clerk. “Her involvement with IACREOT continues to be a benefit for all Clerks in the state. Her ability to share knowledge of recording and election issues on a national level has helped us to protect and better serve our constituents throughout the state.”

“IACREOT provides a critical forum,” Ms. Rajoppi added, “for the open and free exchange of information, which in my office has resulted in improved standards and procedures for serving the public. I look forward to serving IACREOT with commitment and dedication.”

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders has just introduced The Union County Wellness Discount Program. This new discount program enables all Union County residents to receive a savings of 10 percent to 50 percent or more on prescription drugs.  The program was designed to assist Union County residents who have no health insurance plan, and to assist residents who have health plans that provide little or no prescription drug coverage.

The discount can range up to 75% or even more on certain medications. The average savings is approximately 30%. Discounts are also available on hearing aids, dental care, pet medications, diabetes supplies, and eye care.

“In these tough economic times, we felt it was important to ensure that all Union County residents have more opportunities to save money on health care,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Daniel P. Sullivan. “As soon as we heard about this program, we knew it was right for Union County.”

The Union County Wellness Program is a discount program, not a form of health insurance.  No fees, enrollment forms, or claim forms are needed to participate. Union County residents can simply download free membership cards by following the instructions on the Union County website at www.ucnj.org/wellnessdiscount.

“Access to health care should be simple and affordable for all, so the Wellness Program is definitely a step in the right direction,” said Freeholder Vice Chairman Deborah P. Scanlon. “I’d like to encourage all Union County residents to get their free Union County Wellness Program card.”

Union County provides a full range of services and referrals for persons in need of assistance, including seniors and those with disabilities. Persons with foreclosure issues can receive free guidance and referrals from the County’s non-profit partner organization, the Home Ownership Preservation  Foundation, toll free at 888-995-4673.

When the discount card is presented to a participating pharmacy, the cardholder receives the best discount available based on average wholesale prices, in-store promotions, or any other available discount.  Major pharmacies in Union County are participating, along with thousands throughout New Jersey and the U.S.

Each participant needs to have their own card, but one person can download cards for family members, friends, co-workers, and organizations. Employers can download cards for their employees, and health care professionals can download cards for their patients.

There are no age limits, income limits, waiting periods, or other restrictions. The program also includes pre-existing conditions, and persons with other plans including Medicare Part D or high deductible plans can still participate.

Persons without Internet access can request a card by mail by leaving a phone message with their name and address or phone number at The Union County Wellness Program, 908-527-4750. Persons with questions about the program may also leave their phone number in order to receive a call back.

The free Wellness Program discount cards are also being distributed this week at the Public Information Van at the Union County MusicFest in Oak Ridge Park, Clark.  For all MusicFest information, visit www.ucmusicfest.com.

The Union County Wellness Program is modeled on a program initiated in New Jersey by Bergen County. Participating pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies make the program possible by supporting the discounted pricing.