Category: Public Info

(From left) Union County Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski, Vernell Wright and Alexander Mirabella joined Community Access Unlimited (CAU) Executive Director Sid Blanchard, Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr and Fanwood Council President Katherine Mitchell at the grand opening of the new Community Access Unlimited mixed-use property on Terrill Road in Fanwood. The cutting-edge building will become home to both people with developmental disabilities and people without disabilities, as well as two commercial businesses.

The property extends CAU’s mission of enabling people with developmental disabilities to fully integrate into the community by mixing barrier-free affordable housing units for people with developmental disabilities with those available to residents of all incomes.

CAU is a statewide Elizabeth-based nonprofit providing support programs and services to adults with disabilities. For more information about CAU and its services, call 908-354-3040, online at www.caunj.org or by mail at 80 West Grand St., Elizabeth, NJ 07202.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites senior residents to participate in a free CarFit event to help ensure mature drivers fit their vehicles properly.

On Wednesday, September 30, from Noon to 3 p.m., personnel from the County’s Public Safety Department will team up with AAA to conduct a CarFit event at the Garwood First Aid Squad, located at 401 Second Avenue in Garwood.

“The Freeholder board is pleased to provide vehicle safety services for our communities,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “A proper fit in one’s car can greatly increase not only the driver’s safety but also the safety of others.”

CarFit is a national program aimed at helping senior drivers in the community find their safest fit in their personal vehicle.

A team of trained technicians will work with each participant to ensure they “fit” their vehicle properly for maximum comfort and safety. The event offers drivers a quick, comprehensive check on correct safety belt position, distance from airbags, mirror alignment, and how well their vehicles suit their abilities. It’s a simple checklist that only takes a few minutes to complete.

Union County’s CarFit team is the same team that runs the County’s Child Safety Seat Inspection program, which has helped thousands of County residents over the years.

For more information about the September 30 CarFit event or other public safety programs, visit ucnj.org or Car-Fit.org or call the County’s Public Safety Department at 908-789-6830.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh joined Rahway Mayor Samson Steinman and Councilmen David Brown and Rodney Farrar in reviewing the ‘Art Outside the Box’ artist submissions that will be featured on traffic control boxes at three Rahway 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/. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The County of Union WiFi installations at six locations in parks and government facilities are attracting more than 170 users daily – more than 60,000 a year – Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh announced today.

“In the society that we live in, communication and technology are no longer a luxury but a necessity,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “That’s why we are proud to be able to ensure that our residents have access to the worldwide Internet while they’re in our public locations.”

Serving as the Chairman in 2014, Freeholder Hudak championed the initiative to make free WiFi available at multiple public spaces around Union County. “The Freeholder Board wanted to ensure free WiFi was available for our citizens in both the eastern and western ends of our County,” said Freeholder Christopher Hudak. “After having the service available for a little over a year now, it is clear that our residents are enjoying it for personal, education and business uses.”

The six current WiFi installations include:

• The Union County Clerk’s Office at the Colleen Fraser Building at the Public Safety Complex on North Avenue in Westfield.
• Nomahegan Park playground, Cranford.
• Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside.
• Warinanco (Park) Skating facility, Roselle and adjoining area. Service is available during construction.
• Walter Ulrich Memorial Pool at Rahway River Park.
• Wheeler Park Pool and Playground area, Linden.

Logging on to Union County’s service is easy for WiFi-enabled devices, such as Apple I-Phones and I-pads, Android-based phones and tablets and any other capable devices. Merely find the Wi-Fi settings on your devices. Select “Union County Wi-Fi” as the connection to join. Follow on screen agreements and enjoy.

WIFI service is free. Safety features are also in place, including having the users to re-login periodically to discourage downloading or streaming of large files which may cause the performance and bandwidth to decrease for other patrons who may be logged on at the same time.

To find a local outdoor area with free WiFi, visit www.ucnj.org/wi-fi

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi spoke with attendees at the Union County Municipal Clerks Education Seminar at the Union County Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside. County Clerk Rajoppi delivered a lecture entitled “Ethics, A road Map to Ethical Behavior.” (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Sergio Granados and Alexander Mirabella present a resolution to Edward O’Connor from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety in honor of National Child Passenger Safety Week during a Union County Car Seat Safety Check in Union. For information about the Union County Child Safety Seat Inspection Center visit https://ucnj.org/public-safety/division-of-police/child-safety-seat-inspection-program/. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Sergio Granados and Alexander Mirabella present Lou Amarillo with a resolution congratulating him on organizing the 20th annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle ride to bring awareness about American prisoners of war and those missing in action (POW/MIA). The ride was sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Rolling Thunder, Inc., New Jersey Chapter 2 and the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’’ Memorial Foundation. Thousands of bikes rode from Warinanco Park in Roselle to the NJ Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Holmdel. (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, October 3, in Clark.

“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 Oct. 3^rd shredding event will take place in Oak Ridge Park, located at 136 Oak Ridge Road in Clark. 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 Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth.

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 .

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholder Alexander Mirabella presented certificates of appreciation to members of the Newark Bait and Fly Casting Club and Boy Scout Troop 145 from Clark thanking them for helping with the annual Union County Fishing Derby for people with disabilities at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi announces that a “One-Stop” election service is available for Union County voters at the Westfield and Elizabeth offices of the County Clerk beginning on Monday, September 21, 2015.

“Eligible voters are able to apply for a Vote-By-Mail ballot for the New Jersey General Election and School Board Elections in person at either of my offices, receive their ballot and cast the ballot at the same time,” Ms. Rajoppi said. “This one-stop voting service is available at my Westfield office as well as at the main office in Elizabeth. The deadline to apply for Vote-By-Mail for the November 3 General Election is October 27 by mail-in application. The deadline to apply in person is Monday, November 2 by 3:00 p.m.”

“The service in Westfield and Elizabeth makes voting more accessible, particularly at the Westfield office with its convenient Saturday office hours and evening hours during the week,” Ms. Rajoppi added. “With the important November 3 General Election for State Assembly, County and Municipal offices as well as the School Board Elections quickly approaching, my office is working to make the voting process as fast and convenient as we can for everyone who is registered to vote.”

Last week, Ms. Rajoppi announced the redesign of the Vote-By-Mail Ballot so that it more closely resembles the Sample Ballot and Official Ballot in the voting machines.  The ballot will now be horizontally oriented and the School Board Election will have a blue heading, drawing the voter’s attention to the bottom of the ballot so it is recognized that there are more votes to be cast.

Vote-By-Mail is an easy, secure process that has replaced the Absentee Ballot. Voters do not need to give a reason why they wish to Vote-By-Mail. Voters may pick up an application at their local municipal building. They can also download the form on the Union County Clerk’s website at ucnj.org/vote-by-mail, they can use the free, downloadable Union County NJ Votes app, or they can contact the Union County Clerk at 908-527-4996. The Clerk’s website also includes a video that explains how to fill out the Vote-By-Mail application form.

The opportunity to Vote-By-Mail in Westfield and Elizabeth is another service available at the County Clerk’s two offices, along with passport application and renewal services, registration of Trade Names, and the application and swearing in of Notaries Public. 

The County Clerk’s Westfield Annex is located in the Colleen Fraser Building, 300 North Avenue East, Westfield 07090. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays. 

The Main Office of the County Clerk is located at the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Room 113, Elizabeth, NJ 07207. Regular office hours in Elizabeth are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The County Clerk’s Election Office in Elizabeth will be open on Saturday, October 31from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to assist voters wishing to Vote-By-Mail.

For all County Clerk programs and services visit online at ucnj.org/county-clerk or call 908-527-4787