Category: Public Info

UNION COUNTY, NJ—-The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders would like to invite members of the community to honor the memory of the 60 Union County residents who perished in the 9/11 attacks by visiting the Union County September 11th Memorial next Friday, Sept. 11th from the morning hours until 9 p.m. at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside.

Members of the Union County Sheriff’s Office will provide a uniformed Honor Guard standing watch at the memorial from 6-9 p.m. and the public will be able to light candles in memory of those lost in the attacks.

“The Union County September 11th Memorial is a place where the community can come together in a reflective setting and remember those who tragically perished on that day,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh.

The Union County memorial honors those lost in the attacks using design elements that include two girders from the World Trade Center arranged within a five sided area representing the Pentagon, and an Eternal Flame representing those who died in Pennsylvania. The Flame also honors members of the Armed Services and emergency responders.

In addition to these elements, the names of the 60 deceased Union County residents are etched into the memorial.

Dedicated on Sept. 13, 2003 the memorial was constructed through private donations including in-kind work by labor unions and materials at cost.

The Freeholder Board worked with residents of Cranford, Elizabeth, Kenilworth, Linden, Mountainside, Rahway, Scotch Plains, Summit, Union and Westfield in planning and building the Memorial.

It is located near the Springfield Avenue entrance of Echo Lake Park on the border of Mountainside and Springfield.

For additional information on the Union County September 11th Memorial, or information on visitation hours, contact the Union County Office of Public Information at 877-424-1234 or visit online at www.ucnj.org/9-11-memorial.

Union County, NJ — As the population ages, the need for trained homecare providers continues to increase. For individuals who are interested in working in the homecare provider field, a comprehensive, state certified Home Health Aide training program is available this fall.

“This statewide training program is a great opportunity for Union County residents to establish their credentials and gain a foothold in a high-demand field,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh, “Helping older adults to stay in their homes and connected to their communities is a priority for the Freeholder Board, and a qualified workforce is needed to achieve that goal.”

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 aiding transfers for those with limited mobility.

Classes will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays during October, and concluding in early November, at Jewish Family Services, 655 Westfield Avenue in Elizabeth.

Upon completion of the training, students will have the knowledge and skills required by the New Jersey State Board of Nursing to become certified home health aides.    

The $75.00 registration fee includes the cost of the textbook and workbook. In addition, there is an $80.00 application fee payable to the New Jersey State Board of Nursing. A passport size photo is required to be attached to the application.

Attendance in the class is contingent upon a pre-training interview in September. Space is limited and applicants should arrange to schedule an interview now by calling Donna Farrell at the Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection, at 908-527-4858. 

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The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders are happy to announce that tickets are now on sale for the Autumn Hayrides and Family Fun Around the Campfire.

The first event will take place on Friday, September 18, at Warinanco Park in the Boat House area. Hayrides beginning at 6:30 pm and run until 9:30 p.m.  Hayrides will include folks songs around the campfire, hot chocolate and marshmallows toasted over the fire.  Tickets must be purchased in advanced. There will be no tickets available at the event.

“We are pleased to add Warinanco Park as a site for this year’s Hayride and Family Around the Campfire experience,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh.  “This will help us kick off the fall season in our parks with fun for the entire family.”

Hayride tickets are available at three locations:

• Weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Union County Administration Building, Department of Parks and Recreation, 2nd Floor, 10 Elizabethtown Plaza in Elizabeth
• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at the Colleen Fraser Building, 300 North Avenue East, in Westfield from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and 8:30p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday
• Trailside Nature and Science Center, 452 New Providence road, in Mountainside every day from noon to 5 p.m.

No tickets will be sold at the hayrides. So, please purchase your tickets in advance so you don’t get shutout. Seating for the hay rides is limited, and group sales are limited to 15 tickets.  The cost is $6 for Union County resident and $12 for out-of-county participants.

Hayrides and Campfires will also be held at Trailside Nature & Science Center in Mountainside on three Fridays in October, the 2^nd, 9^th, and 16^th, also running from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. And on Sunday, October 4 at 3:30 p.m.

For further information you can call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4900; or Trailside Nature and Science Center at 908-789-3670; or visit the Union County website at www.ucnj.org.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces free child safety seat inspection opportunities as new State law takes effect.

“If you have a baby or small child in your care, please come and take advantage of this free program, and make sure your safety seat is properly adjusted,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Our experts can help you get familiar with a new seat, and they can help you spot any problems with an older seat.”

New Jersey’s new child safety seat regulations take effect today, September 1, 2015. The new State law requires parents to adhere to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations for child passenger safety. 

The proper use of child safety seats is one of the simplest and most effective methods available for protecting the lives of young children in the event of a motor vehicle accident.

Union County’s popular Child Safety Seat Inspection Program is open every Wednesday and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. and is located at the Garwood Rescue Squad at 401 2^nd Avenue in Garwood.

On Saturday, September 19, as part of “National Seat Check Saturday” which is also the last day of “National Child Passenger Safety Week,” trained technicians from Union County’s Child Safety Seat Inspection Program will conduct child seat inspections at the Babies ‘R’ Us on Rt. 22 in Union, sponsored in part by AAA Northeast – NJ Division.

Certified child passenger safety technicians will check the car seat for proper installation and educate parents and guardians on using the seat correctly.

Under the new child passenger safety law:

• Children under age 2 and weighting less than 30 pounds must be secured in a rear-facing child safety seat that is equipped with five-point harness.
• Children between ages 2-4 and weighing up to 40 pounds must be secured in a child safety seat equipped with a five-point harness, either rear-facing (up to the height and weight limits of the seat) or forward –facing.
• Children between ages 4-8 and less than 57 inches tall (4’9”) must be secured in a forward-facing seat equipped with a five-point harness (up to the height and weight limits of the seat) or in a booster seat.
• Children ages 8 and older must use the vehicle seat belt. The safest place for children under 13 is the back seat.

Union County first launched the Child Safety Seat Inspection Program in 1999, in response to surveys showing that the overwhelming majority of child safety seats are improperly installed, even though most users are confident that they know the correct procedure.

Since 1999, approximately 50,000 Union County residents and visitors have used the Seat Inspection Program. It is staffed by personnel from the County’s Department of Public Safety, who are certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and by the organization SafeKids. The program is credited with saving at least one life, when a toddler survived a 2008 vehicle rollover shortly after the seat was properly adjusted by County personnel.

The child seat inspection program is provided as a public service by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Union County Police Department, New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, AAA Northeast – NJ Division, and the Garwood First Aid Squad.

For more information about Union County’s Child Safety Seat Inspection Program visit ucnj.org/child-safety-seats or call 908-789-6830.