Category: Public Info

Union County, NJ – “How to Enjoy a Balanced Diet on a Balanced Budget” is a free two-hour course that covers all the basics of planning, shopping, and cooking to save money and eat healthier, tastier food. The class, offered by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County, will be held on Wednesday, May 18, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., in the new County building at 300 North Avenue East in Westfield. The class is free but pre-registration is required by contacting Digna Torres at the Extension offices, 908-654-9854 ordtorres@ucnj.org.

Food bills can be sky high when too many prepared, processed foods are included in the shopping list. These same foods are typically high in unhealthy ingredients like sugar, bleached white flour, and fat. Participants in the class will learn how the switch to healthier foods can help save money, trim waistlines, and lead to better nutrition and overall wellness.

Topics include planning menus around low-cost foods, cutting down on waste in the kitchen, and spotting the best deals in supermarkets.

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County is supported in part by the Freeholder Board. For all Extension programs visit call 908-654-9854 or visit www.ucnj.org.

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity program provider and employer. Contact your local Extension Office for information regarding special needs or accommodations. Contact the State Extension Director’s Office if you have concerns related to discrimination, 732-932-5000, ext. 584.

Union County, NJ – Union County will kick off its popular free summer music series on Saturday, June 4 with the annual Rhythm and Blues by the Brook festival at Cedar Brook Park in Plainfield. The legendary Nile Rodgers & CHIC will headline with a 10-piece band, following a day of performances by DJ Bookeem, Doug E. Fresh, DJ Red Alert and Melissa Providence. The event includes a multitude of food vendors, a marketplace and free admission to the G-Wiz Auto Entertainment Classic and Exotic Automotive Supershow, along with modestly priced amusement rides and free activities for children in the Kids Kingdom Traveling Jubilee.

The music starts at 12:00 noon and runs to 7:00 p.m. Kids Kingdom is open from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Directions, a list of permitted/prohibited items for Cedar Brook Park, and many other event details are posted athttps://ucnj.org/randb, or call the R&B hotline for more information, 908-436-2900.

“With many households on a tight budget, Union County’s summer concerts give everyone a chance to unwind and enjoy great music together,” said Freeholder Chairman Deborah Scanlon. “Rhythm and Blues by the Brook has become a favorite annual gathering spot for friends and families, and we are thrilled that Nile Rodgers and his fellow artists will join our celebration this year.”

DJ Bookeem leads off the festivities at 12:00 noon and provides entertainment between each act, with Melissa Providence appearing at 12:15, followed by DJ Red Alert at 1:45, Doug E. Fresh at 3:15, and Nile Rogers & Chic at 5:15.

Beyond shaping the sound of modern R&B and Hip-Hop with long time collaborator Bernard Edwards, Nile Rodgers is beloved by millions of music fans worldwide through his work as a songwriter and producer for a startling array of top musical talent including – just to name a few – Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, The Sugarhill Gang, Deborah Harry, David Bowie, Madonna, The Thompson Twins, Mick Jagger, Al Jarreau, Cyndi Lauper, The B-52’s, and The Stray Cats. His creative spark is also at work on numerous soundtracks for popular films and video games, including Halo.

Back at Rhythm & Blues by the Brook by popular demand, Union County native DJ Bookeem hails from Plainfield. The “Classic King” is renowned throughout the tri-state area for his skilled weaving of monster hits from the past with new sounds of the present and future.

Newcomer Melissa Providence has created a genre all her own, with a powerful voice and style entwining her passion for soul with R&B, along with hints of reggae roots.

DJ Red Alert is recognized worldwide as one of the founding fathers of Hip-Hop. He was named one of the 50 most influential people in music by Rolling Stone Magazine, and he is the only DJ of his era to be honored in the Radio Section of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now a seasoned radio jock, club jock and studio man, Kool DJ Red Alert’s World Famous Radio Mix Show can be heard on 98.7 Kiss FM every Friday and Saturday night.

Doug E. Fresh is the original “human beat box” who touched off an international Hip-Hop trend. He has performed and worked with numerous Hip-Hop luminaries including Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, Eminem, P. Diddy, and Dr. Dre, along with musical artists from the worlds of reggae, R&B, jazz and gospel as well as international acts from around the world such as Japan’s DJ Hasebe, Sweden’s South Street Rockers, and French rappers Supa Saian Crew.

Along with bringing a first class musical experience to Cedar Brook Park, Rhythm and Blues by the Brook includes food, fun and family gatherings. The Kids Kingdom Traveling Jubilee features inflatable rides, a rock wall and other moderately priced activities for children along with free activities and strolling performers to amaze and entertain. The G-Wiz Auto Entertainment Classic and Exotic Automotive Supershow, a perennial favorite, offers concert goers a unique up-close look at some of the finest machines on wheels.

This is a rain or shine event. For complete information on Rhythm & Blues by the Brook visit ucnj.org/randb or call the R&B hotline, 908-436-2900.

Information on all Union County summer events is available at the County website, https://ucnj.org.

Nile Rodgers & CHIC headline at the annual Union County Rhythm and Blues by the Brook free music festival at Cedar Brook Park in Plainfield on Saturday, June 4, 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m. Also performing are DJ Bookeem, Doug E. Fresh, DJ Red Alert and Melissa Providence.

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Union County, NJ – No matter what the weather, the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Union County will bring their popular Annual Spring Garden Fair and Plant Sale to the Watchung Reservation in Mountainside on Sunday, May 15, from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. This year’s event, celebrating 23 years of volunteer service by the Master Gardeners, gives visitors a festive opportunity to pick up some new gardening skills and to purchase a variety of old favorites and new discoveries, including flowers, herbs, vegetable seedlings, hanging baskets and house plants.

All proceeds will help fund community projects of the Master Gardeners.

“The Master Gardeners are a wonderful resource for the many Union County residents who help to keep our communities green, healthy, and pleasant,” said Union County Chairman Deborah Scanlon. “Their work with children, seniors and the disabled is also exemplary and the Freeholder Board is very proud to support this outstanding group of volunteers.”

The Master Gardeners of Union County is a program of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, supported in part by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. The all-volunteer group cultivates an expansive Demonstration Garden in the county’s Watchung Reservation. They are headquartered in the County building in Westfield.

Among the Master Gardeners’ many service projects are horticultural therapy, a free gardening helpline, flowers for local cancer patients, community gardens, scholarships and more. Each year the Demonstration Garden yields hundreds of pounds of fresh produce for donation to local food pantries.

Among the offerings featured at this year’s Garden Fair are tomato seedlings specially selected for containers and small gardens along with the legendary Ramapo Tomato.

Other Garden Fair highlights:

• Guided tours of the Demonstration Garden

• Lectures by Master Gardeners:

  • 1:30pm – Plant Propagation

  • 2:00 pm – Square Foot Gardening

  • 2:30pm – Vegetable Gardening

  • 3:00 pm – Home Composting

• Free children’s activities.

• Free Helpline clinic and Rutgers information fact sheets. Residents are invited to bring plant and insect samples for diagnosis.

• Union County Division of Mosquito Control Supervisors available to answer questions.

• 4-H Master Tree Stewards with children’s activity and display.

• Rutgers Soil test kits for sale.

• “The Cupcake Café” home-baked goods.

• Arts & crafts table.

• Gardening “Odds & Ends” sale table.

• Used gardening books and magazines sale.

The Spring Garden Fair is located at the Demonstration Garden by the Trailside Nature and Science Center, at the corner of New Providence Road and Coles Avenue in Mountainside. A free parking lot is located at the site. Additional free parking is available at the nearby Loop playground area. For maps and directions, visitwww.ucnj.org/parks.

Visitors who plan to purchase plants are advised to bring a small wagon for ease of conveyance.

To find out more about becoming certified as a Master Gardener, contact Lynne Orlofsky at the Extension offices, 908-654-9854 or visit mastergardeners-uc.org.

The free Master Gardener Helpline is available from Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Call 908-654-9582 or email mastergardeners@ucnj.org.

For a full calendar of all Union County summer events including free concerts and films, visit ucnj.org.

Photo Caption (photo attached): Union County Freeholder Angel G. Estrada greets Master Gardener volunteers (l-r) Susan Thomson and Cindy Coppa, and Madeline DiNardo of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Photo/Union County Master Gardener T.J. Karns.

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Rutgers Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity program provider and employer. Contact your local Extension Office for information regarding special needs or accommodations. Contact the State Extension Director’s Office if you have concerns related to discrimination, 732-932-5000, ext. 584.

For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that its next mobile paper-shredding program for personal documents will be available on Saturday, May 7, at Alcatel-Lucent in New Providence.

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

The May 7 shredding event will take place at the Alcatel-Lucent Technologies facility at 600 Mountain Avenue in New Providence. NEXCUT Shredding of Teaneck will be shredding documents at the site from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 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 paper-shredding service. In an effort to accommodate all participants, there is a limit of four, 10-pound bags or 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 next shredding event will take place on Wednesday, May 18, at the Public Works facility in Union.

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 Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889 or visit us online at www.ucnj.org/recycle.

ROSELLE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Community Renewal are happy to announce that a special “Fiesta De Mayo!” party for people with disabilities will be held on Sunday, May 22, at the Warinanco Ice Skating Center in Roselle from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m.

“Join in the fun with music, games and refreshments at the Warinanco Skating Center in Warinanco Park,” said Freeholder Angel G. Estrada, liaison to the Union County Advisory Board on the Disabled. “The ice skating center will be transformed into a ‘South of the Border’ recreation party where people living with disabilities can meet friends while enjoying music and dance floor games.”

No skates are needed. This is not an ice skating event. A live DJ will provide music and lead dance floor games. Participants can create a party keepsake and chill out with a frozen (non-alcoholic) margarita and other refreshments.

Pre-registration is required before May 13 for this special celebration. Please call 908-527-4806 to register. Admission is $10 per person; no payments will be accepted at the door. Registration is on a first come, first served basis.

The Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal has a number of recreational programs available for people with disabilities. For further information about these activities and to be placed on the mailing list for recreation programs for people with disabilities, please call 908-527-4806.

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Union County to join 17 Union County municipalities in nationwide collection of unused, unwanted or expired prescription medications

Union County – Union County residents who want to rid their homes of potentially dangerous prescription drugs in a safe and non-hazardous manner will be able to do so on Saturday, April 30th, 2011. From 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M., the Union County Police Department will be hosting “Operation Take Back New Jersey” at their Union County Police Headquarters, located at 300 North Avenue in Westfield, NJ.

Prescription drug abuse is rapidly becoming one of our nation’s greatest emerging drug problems and it is widely recognized that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from home medicine cabinets.

According to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs. Additionally, the survey reported for the 3rd year in a row that prescription drugs are the 2nd most abused drug category behind only marijuana.

The goal of “Operation Take Back New Jersey” is to allow the citizens of New Jersey to deliver all of their unused, unwanted, or expired medications to law enforcement officials who can in turn dispose of these controlled substances in a safe and non-hazardous manner, preventing these pills from falling into the hands of juveniles or into the illicit market in our communities.

“The County of Union is committed to doing everything we can to make our communities safer,” stated Chairman Deborah P. Scanlon. “Medicines that are stored in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. I encourage all Union County residents to look through home medicine cabinets and dispose of any expired or unused prescription drugs at a participating collection center.”

In addition to this growing drug problem, unused and expired prescription medications also represent a severe environmental hazard. Most individuals are not aware of methods to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away; both potential safety and health hazards.

In 2010, Operation Take Back New Jersey was a tremendous success collecting over 14,400 pounds of potentially dangerous medications.

Nationwide the program collected 245,500 pounds of unwanted, unused or expired medication.

In addition to the UCPD collection site, 17 municipal sites have been established in the following Union County municipalities: Berkeley Heights, Clark, Cranford, Elizabeth, Fanwood, Garwood, Kenilworth, Linden, Mountainside, New Providence, Plainfield, Roselle, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains, Springfield, Summit and Westfield. The public can find the locations for all collection sites by visiting www.dea.gov.

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Community Renewal are happy to offer a unique opportunity for adults to experience Trailside Nature & Science Center in Mountainside.

On Thursday, May 5, adults ages 18 and older can participate in a guided tour of Trailside from 7:15 – 8:30 p.m. The fee for this tour is $8 for Union County residents and $10 for out-of-county participants. Pre-registration is required.

“This program is a great opportunity for adults to experience Trailside and gain insight into the unique and informative exhibits from a Parks Department naturalist,” said Freeholder Daniel P. Sullivan, liaison to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. “Our hope is that this night at the museum will encourage people to bring their friends and families in the future for their own guided tour.”

As the first nature center in New Jersey, Trailside has evolved from an old equipment garage into the modern facility that it is today. Visitors will join a Park naturalist to see the environment of the Watchung Reservation interpreted through innovative and educational displays. Highlights of the tour are the 35-foot Beech Tree Exhibit which fills the spacious atrium; the Native American walk-in wigwam; and the Night Theater, an audio-visual presentation of the sights and sounds of nocturnal forest animals.

To register or receive additional information about this Adult Tour: Night at the Museum, or any other programs or upcoming events, call 908-789-3670 or visit 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.

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

Four-day exercise evaluates first responders’ ability to coordinate resources in the case of a major homeland security threat

Union County –Union County is set to join 5 other Northern New Jersey Counties in a Homeland Security exercise designed to test the Metro USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) Strike Team’s ability to respond to terrorist attacks, industrial accidents, and/or natural disasters.

The Metro USAR Strike Team is a conglomerate of ten fire departments from seven northern New Jersey Counties; Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic and Union Counties. Members also include New Jersey Transit and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police officers along with fire departments from New Jersey’s two largest metro-area cities; Newark and Jersey City.

The Metro USAR Strike Team is federally funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) and is specifically designed to help prepare the country’s urban areas for large-scale rescues in the densely populated northeast portion of New Jersey.

The area incorporates many core elements of New Jersey’s transportation infrastructure, including the George Washington Bridge, the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels, the Ports of Elizabeth and Newark, the New Jersey Turnpike/Interstate 95 and Garden State Parkway, Amtrak’s northeast rail corridor, Newark Penn Station and Newark Liberty International Airport.

“It is widely known that terrorism experts have dubbed the stretch from Newark Airport to Port Elizabeth as the most dangerous two miles in America,” Freeholder Chairman Deborah P. Scanlon stated. “The County of Union is steadfast in ensuring our police officers, firefighters and emergency responders have not only the equipment, but the training necessary to keep our residents safe from such heinous acts of violence.”

Members of the ten participating fire departments and the participating police officers all train together and are provided with equipment that is uniform and interchangeable. This allows all agencies to share resources under a defined mutual aid agreement and to provide assistance to each other in the event of a large incident.

Last year’s exercise, hosted by the Newark Fire Department at their training area, involved a simulated bomb threat in a mock “metropolitan tunnel” during rush hour; damaging the tunnel, leaving civilians trapped in cars and trucks, requiring rescue. The exercise assessed the METRO Strike Team’s ability to clear debris and drill through various obstructions to perform search and rescue operations.

This year’s exercise will take place Monday, April 25, 2011 through Sunday, April 28, 2011 at the Newark Firefighter’s Orange Street Training Facility, located at 191 Orange Street, Newark, NJ. Media inquiries, please contact B/C Mauriello at MaurielloA@ci.Newark.NJ.US.

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Union County Sheriff Ralph Froehlich joined the Easter Buddy during a surprise visit with the students at First Children School in Fanwood before the Easter holiday. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org

On Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook

On Twitter at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj

Union County Freeholders Christopher Hudak (2nd L) and Mohamed Jalloh speak with Kean University ecology professor Dr. Daniela Shebitz (2nd R) as Kean students Amanda Lionti (L) and Julie Lafferty sort through trash they collected in the Elizabeth River Parkway in Union during an Earth Day event. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org

On Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook

On Twitter at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj