Category: Public Info

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)

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

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites everyone to attend the 34^th Annual Harvest Festival on Sunday, September 27 at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., rain or shine. 

Harvest Festival is a celebration of Early American life featuring music, children’s crafts, games, demonstrations and displays, a petting zoo and much more. The always popular Scarecrow Building will again take place.

“This event gives those in attendance an opportunity to see early American culture and history come to life while walking through the festival grounds in the picturesque Watchung Reservation,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Visitors of all ages will enjoy this fascinating, fun-filled event.”

Admission to the Harvest Festival is $4 per person, with children ages 7 and younger admitted free of charge. There may be a fee charged for some of the activities.

For more information on Trailside Nature and Science Center please visit www.ucnj.org/trailside.

(From left) Union County Freeholders Sergio Granados, Vernell Wright and Alexander Mirabella thanked State Senator Raymond Lesniak (2^nd right) for delivering the keynote speech at the Union County POW/MIA Remembrance Day ceremony outside the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. The annual event is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders to honor and remember prisoners of war and those missing in action (POW/MIA). National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed each year on the third Friday of September. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi invites all County residents to take advantage of a free passport photo opportunity on Passport Day 2015, by applying for a passport at the County Clerk’s Office Annex in Westfield, at 300 North Avenue East, on Saturday October 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary.  Applicants must arrive a half hour before closing.

As a special Passport Day offer, the County Clerk’s normal fee of $10.00 per passport photo will be waived, and free photos will be available to all applicants.  Also, the office will remain open for an additional hour until 2:00 p.m. The Annex is typically open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

“Our annual Passport Day has been very popular with travelers planning ahead for vacations or business related travel. This year we are helping travelers prepare for the fall and winter season,” said Rajoppi. “The Westfield Annex is a convenient location for many County residents, and I encourage you to take advantage of this special offer before the hectic rush of holiday travel sets in.”

Passport Day in the USA was established as a national program by the U.S. Department of State in 2008, to help travelers avoid the stress and expense of last-minute passport issues. Budget cuts forced an end to the State Department’s program but the Union County Clerk’s office has continued to host an annual Passport Day event, including incentives for residents to prepare early for overseas travel.

U.S. citizens must present a valid passport book when entering or re-entering the United States by air. U.S. citizens entering the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean islands and Bermuda at land borders and sea ports of entry must present a passport book, passport card, or other travel documents approved by the U.S. government.

“Some countries require passports to be valid for up to nine months after you arrive, so to be on the safe side always renew your passport beforehand if it will expire within nine months,”  said Rajoppi.

Passport information is available by phone from the U.S. Department of State by calling the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 1-877-487-2778, or visit online at travel.state.gov.

Passport application forms may be obtained from the Westfield Annex or the County Clerk’s main office at the County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Room 114 in Elizabeth.

For more details, including convenient links to passport information from the State Department, visit the County Clerk online at ucnj.org/county-clerk, call the Westfield Annex at 908-654-9859, or call the main office at 908-527-4966.

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Union County, NJ – Students from Kean University’s Center for Leadership & Service have been among our most active Adopt-a-Park volunteers. This month they pitched in again with a shoreline cleanup at Echo Lake in Mountainside, where they pulled out invasive plants like mugwort, porcelain berry vine and knotweed. Aggressive species crowd out wildflowers and other valuable plants in County parks, and these young people have been a big help in keeping them under control. You can join the effort as an individual or with a school, business or civic group by contacting Adopt-a-Park in the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation, 908-789-3683 or email bkelly@ucnj.org.

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Union County, NJ – Union County residents who are interested in becoming a certified Home Health Aide may be eligible to join a low cost, state-certified Home Health Aide training program.

Applicants must be Union County residents 18 years of age, U.S. citizens or otherwise qualified by their immigration status, and proficient in English. They must be able to perform tasks such as helping patients out of bed, giving bed baths, and otherwise assisting persons who have limited mobility.

To find out if you are eligible, contact Donna Farrell, Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection, at 908-527-4858 or dfarrell@ucnj.org.

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