County of UnionDefault category for all normal press releases
Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados spoke with youth applicants for summer jobs at United Airlines during information and prescreening session at the Union County Workforce Innovation Business Center at The Mills at Jersey Gardens in Elizabeth. The United Airlines Summer Assist Program is cosponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Union County Workforce Development Board and Union County College.
Union County, NJ — In recognition of Arbor Day 2017, the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is again partnering with the Union County Shade Tree Advisory Board to sponsor the annual Arbor Day Tree Planting Program for schools.
This year, one free hundred trees will be given away to schools on request.
“Union County is proud to support Arbor Day, a great American tradition that celebrates the many contributions that trees make to our quality of life, including economic development as well as a more diverse and healthy environment,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.
Studies have shown that trees improve property values and provide many other civic and health benefits. They airborne pollutants, provide a cooling effect in summer, prevent soil erosion, and help to alleviate flooding.
“Our Arbor Day planting program is a hands-on exercise that helps our Union County students see themselves as stewards of the environment, one tree at a time,” said Bergen.
The annual giveaway is one of several Union County tree initiatives. The Freeholder Board’s longstanding policy calls for a one-to-one replacement of any tree lost on Union County property.
The Board also supports the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Master Tree Steward and Arbor Day Poetry Contest educational programs, and provides annual grants to plant trees on municipal property through the Greening Union County program, which launched as an initiative of Freeholder Angel T. Estrada when he was Chairman in 2004.
“Since its inception, Greening Union County has helped to plant more than 9,700 trees in our urban and suburban communities,” Bergen noted.
This year’s free Arbor Day tree is the flowering Dogwood. Each tree is about five feet tall and weighs about 20 pounds. When fully grown they will be about 15-20 feet tall.
The trees are available on a first come first served basis while supplies last. Requests from schools must be received by Thursday, April 13, 2017.
Schools that receive a tree can also participate in a free training session in tree planting and care.
The sessions are available to students, teachers, and parent volunteers through Union County and the Master Tree Steward Program.
The tree care training session will be held at Williams Nursery in Westfield on Thursday, April 20, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Registration is required.
To request a tree and register for a training a training session, contact Barbara Knapp at Union County, 908-789-3653 or bknapp@ucnj.org.
For quick links to all Union County environmental programs and activities visit The Green Connection online at ucnj.org/green-connection.
Photo credit: Flowering Dogwood by Robert H. Mohlenbrock, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. 1995. Northeast wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. Northeast National Technical Center, Chester.
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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.
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Union County Freeholders Vernell Wright, Linda Carter, Bette Jane Kowalski and Alexander Mirabella congratulate the 10 recipients of the 2017 Women of Excellence Awards. They were joined by Union County Sheriff Joe Cryan, Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano.
The Union County Commission on the Status of Women honored the awardees at the 25th annual Women of Excellence dinner at the Clubhouse at Union County’s Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth.
The honorees for 2017 are: Arielle Cassidy of Garwood ( Health and Wellness), Sally Curci of Cranford (Special Needs Advocate), Maria C. Del Cid of Union (Government), Terri L. Freeman, Esq. of Westfield (Law), Amy B. Herber of Westfield (Lifetime/Education), Marianne Kranz of Fanwood (Volunteerism), Dr. Nell Maloney-Patel of Westfield (Medicine), Kelly Rieder of Rahway (Law Enforcement), Nakera Sherman of Plainfield (Children’s Advocacy) and Ruth Yablonsky of Cranford (Environmentalist).
The Commission on the Status of Women is sponsored by The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Each year, awards are given in different fields including education, health care, the arts, government, business, law, community service, technology, humanitarianism, public service, women’s advocacy, and lifetime achievement.
(Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
Bring the entire family this Sunday, April 2 at 1:00 P.M. to the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway to experience the majestic ballet performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Presented as part of Union County’s Sensory Friendly Theatre series, this this abridged, one-hour sensory-friendly ballet performance by American Repertory Ballet is adapted especially for children and adults with sensory sensitivities and other special needs.
Available now, all tickets are $8 per person and can be purchased through the Union County Performing Arts Center at ucpac.org or by calling the Box Office at 732-499-8226.
“Adapting productions to help reduce disturbances at live performances, the sensory-friendly series seeks to increase access to the arts for children and adults with sensory sensitivities,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “The Freeholder Board is proud to help make this Shakespeare classic accessible to families with children and adults of all abilities and needs.”
Set to an enchanting score by Felix Mendelssohn, the ballet brings to life the wit and splendor of one of William Shakespeare’s most popular comedies. Featuring colorful choreography, costumes and sets, 
the story portrays the weaving tales of cunning fairies, quarreling lovers and a hilariously amateur acting group as their paths cross in a magical forest.
For each of the performances in Union County’s Sensory Friendly Theatre series the theatre environment at the Union County Performing Arts Center is adjusted to provide a sensory-friendly, comfortable and judgment-free space that is welcoming for all families.
Autism Friendly Spaces implements the supportive atmosphere at each of the sensory-friendly performances. For more information on what to expect at a Sensory Friendly Theatre performance visit ucpac.org/sensory-friendly-theatre.
For more information or to purchase tickets call the Union County Performing Arts Center, 732-499-8226 or visit ucpac.org. The UCPAC Box Office, located at 1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM and is also open late on Thursdays until 8:00 PM.
For information on additional Union County recreational programs for people with disabilities age five and up, call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4781 or visit ucnj.org.
Union County, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi advises travelers that the U.S. Department of State has increased its processing time for passports. Persons seeking routine passport services should now anticipate a wait of approximately six to eight weeks.
“This extended processing time makes it all the more important for Union County residents to ensure that their passports are in order well in advance of their travel dates,” said Ms. Rajoppi.
The County Clerk’s office is authorized to receive passport documents and transmit them to the State Department for processing.
“Even if a trip is not coming up, getting a passport and keeping it current is always a good idea,” said Ms. Rajoppi. “Planning ahead is especially important for the spring and summer travel seasons when the State Department receives a high volume of documents to process.”
Ms. Rajoppi also advised County residents to check their country of entry to ensure that their passport expiration date is consistent with the requirements.
“Some countries will not allow entry if a passport is going to expire in less than six months, regardless of how long the traveler plans to stay,” said Ms. Rajoppi.
Passport services are available at the County Clerk’s Main Office in the County Courthouse at 2 Broad Street in Elizabeth, and in the Colleen Frasier Building at 300 North Avenue East in Westfield.
For more details about passport processing times, visit the State Department online at travel.state.gov.
More information about all County Clerk services is available on line at ucnj.org/county-clerk or call 908-527-4787.
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Visit the County Clerk’s new elections website, unioncountyvotes.com.
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Get ready, get set, and mark your calendar so you don’t miss the month-long series of Walks, Strolls & Rolls in Union County Parks in April.
As a way of introducing the public to parks they may know little about, Union County Parks & Recreation staff and volunteers will be leading walks, strolls and rolls in four parks, and include everything from birding to a swamp trek.
“The Union County Park system includes 36 parks, with well over 6,000 acres, scattered across the county. But there is a tendency for people to only know the parks near them,” said Bruce Bergen, Chairman of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
“We would like folks to experience some parks that they may know little about and learn more of what our wonderful Parks system has to offer, from miles of paved paths that can accommodate strollers and wheelchairs, to Nature’s unveiling of spring in the Ash Brook Reservation, where the plants are just beginning to poke their shoots through the ground,” Bergen said.
The April hikes, which will last about an hour, will be on different days and times, depending upon the park. No registration is required and there are no age restrictions. Participants should bring a bottle of water and dress appropriately.
So mark your calendars, and please note that walks are cancelled in inclement weather. For more information and detailed directions, go to ucnj.org/Aprilwalks or drop a note to parksinfo@ucnj.org.
Walks, Strolls & Rolls will be held at:
— Lenape Park, The Boulevard, Kenilworth. If you’ve ever considered taking up birding, or would just like to spend a morning seeing our winged friends, this is the perfect time of year because many species stop off in Lenape on their Spring migration north. Ed Zboyan, a member of the Friends of Lenape, will lead the walks, which will start from the parking lot at the old skeet range. Walks are scheduled for 9 a.m. and will be held on Saturdays at the beginning of the month, and Tuesdays later in the month, for folks who find their weekends already overloaded. The walks will be April 1,8,15,18,25.
— Watchung Reservation, Trailside Nature & Science Center, 452 New Providence Rd., Mountainside. Ever wonder what mysteries await in the Res? Join Trailside Naturalist Roslyn Dvorin on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. to find out. These walks are scheduled for April 1,8,15,22. Why no April 29? Because you are cordially invited to come the following day, April 30, for Wild Earth Fest and Touch A Truck, so it will be all hands on deck to get ready.
— Echo Lake Park, between Mountain & Springfield Avenues, Mountainside. While these Wednesday morning walks at 10 a.m. are open to all, these Stroll & Rolls are open to friends and family who use strollers, walkers, wheelchairs, or any other wheeled conveyance. The path through Echo Lake is paved and part of the County’s greenway system, so participants will get a chance to see some of the beautiful areas in the parks system that are so easily accessible. The meet-up for these walks will be at the gazebo and will be led by parks staffer Nicole DeAugustine, who works with the disabled, on April 5,12,19, & 26.
–Ash Brook Reservation, Raritan Road, Scotch Plains. Boots are advised because of the extremely wet ground in some areas of Ash Brook. The hikes will be on Thursdays, at 10 a.m. and are scheduled for April 6, 13, 20, & 27. Trail Steward Marc Grobman will lead the way through the undiscovered country and explain the amazing environment that also played a role in the 1777 Battle of the Short Hills.
Ash Brook Reservation may well be one of the county’s least-known and most natural parks. In just over a mile you’ll walk up and over forested Horse Hobble Hill, cross Ash Brook Swamp, and suddenly ascend strikingly different Red Hill, an arid meadow reminiscent of the South Jersey Pine Barrens.
Grobman, an Adopt-A-Trail volunteer, has helped maintain the trails here for years and will share much of what he has learned, including the berries that Civil War soldiers used to produce ink for writing letters, a tree once used to make root beer and is still used to make gumbo, and point out the skunk cabbage that produces such an awful, disgusting smell.
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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.
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SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ – The County of Union will sponsor a recycling event for electronic equipment on Saturday, April 29, so Union County residents can get rid of unwanted computers, televisions and other electronic equipment in an environmentally proper manner.
The special E-cycling event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the campus of Union County Vo-Tech Schools located at 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains. All residents of Union County are eligible to participate at no cost. There is a limit of six electronic items per car.
“Old televisions, computer monitors, and other electronic devices are the source of a considerable amount of dangerous material, including lead, mercury, and cadmium – and it is unlawful to dispose of them with the regular garbage,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “Up to 95 percent of most electronic appliances can be recycled and this is a responsible way to keep hazardous heavy metals out of our environment.”
Electronic equipment that will be accepted on April 29th includes televisions, computers, monitors, hard drives, modems, keyboards, printers, fax machines, DVD/VCR players, telephones, tablets and e-readers.
All that residents need to do is drive to the site with their unwanted electronic equipment. Workers at the site will unload the vehicles. The electronics collection will be held rain or shine, for Union County residents only and not for businesses. Proof of Union County residency is required and pre-registration is not required.
Additional event information as well as future event dates and locations are available at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning website: ucnj.org/recycle. Refrigerators, washers and dryers, microwaves, and air conditioners will not be accepted, but they are accepted at Union County’s Scrap Metal Recycling Program.
In addition to the April 29th recycling event, the County of Union also sponsors E-cycling opportunities for residents at 15 participating municipal collection locations. Visit the website ucnj.org/recycle or call your municipal recycling coordinator for more details.
For more information about recycling events, please call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908- 654-9889.
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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.
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Union County, NJ — The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce the 2017 schedule of its free scrap metal recycling events. A wide variety of metal goods, from household appliances to gutters and sheds, are included in the program.
“This countywide service is a win-win for our municipalities and the environment,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “By keeping metal out of the waste stream our local governments save on waste disposal costs, and we recover valuable resources.”
The scrap metal recycling program is available for use by households, commercial establishments, nonprofit agencies and other organizations.
Starting on Thursday, April 6, and running through November, the program will be available on the first Thursday and the third Saturday of each month (excluding holidays) from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
This month the program will be on Saturday, April 22 due to the Easter holiday.
Scrap metal from any municipality may be brought to either of the following drop-off centers:
Acceptable items for recycling include aluminum scrap, aluminum cans, aluminum siding, bicycles, brass, copper, dishwashers, electric fans, fencing (chain/wire), freezers, gutters, irons, lawn furniture, metal cabinets, metal sheds, microwaves, pots and pans, railings, refrigerators, stoves, tire rims, toasters, washers & dryers, window frames (no glass), and wire hangers.
In the event of extreme bad weather, individual recycling events may be cancelled.
For more information, upcoming dates or directions to the recycling locations, visit the Bureau of Recycling and Planning online at ucnj.org/recycle or call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889.
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Photo (cropped): US Department of Agriculture.
For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.
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Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that the first paper shredding event of 2017 is scheduled for Saturday, April 1 in Scotch Plains. The event is free and open to all Union County residents.
“Union County’s mobile paper shredding event helps residents fight identity theft by providing a convenient and secure way to dispose of confidential documents,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen. “As part of our County recycling program, it also complements our green initiatives in support of environmental conservation.”
The April 1st shredding event will take place at the Union County Vocational Technical Schools campus at 1776 Raritan Road, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., rain or shine. It will conclude before 1:00 p.m. if the shredding trucks reach capacity.
Two other free paper shredding events are also coming up in April. Shredding will be offered at Warinanco Park on Friday, April 7 in the parking lot across from the Warinanco Ice Skating Center, and in Cedar Brook Park on Friday, April 28. Both events run from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., rain or shine.
Paper shredding trucks will visit other communities throughout Union County through spring, summer and fall.
For a full schedule of 2017 free paper shredding events, including directions, visit the Union County website at ucnj.org/recycling.
All Union County residents are welcome to use the mobile paper shredding service. There is a limit of four 10-pound bags or boxes per person (paper bags are preferred).
Documents should not be bound, and plastic binders and paper clips should be removed. Paper that is wet or damp will not be accepted.
The shredding events are intended for personal documents only. 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 mobile shredding program is funded through New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Recycling Enhancement Act Grant Funds.
For more information about all Union County recycling events and programs call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889 or visit online at ucnj.org/recycling.
For quick links to many other Union County environmental programs visit The Green Connection online at ucnj.org/green-connection.
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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.
Connect with Union County on social media.
