Category: Public Info

In-person Superior Court proceedings scheduled for Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17 will be postponed, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner announced Sunday night. During that time, the Judiciary will prepare to shift to virtual participation for attorneys, litigants and all court users, with extremely limited exceptions.

The postponements, detailed in a notice issued Sunday, are part of an ongoing series of actions taken in consultation with the New Jersey Department of Health to reduce the risk of public exposure to COVID-19 Coronavirus.

“On a typical court day, hundreds if not thousands of attorneys, litigants, and inmates appear in courts throughout the state. We are limiting physical interactions in our courts and shifting to video and phone conferencing options for attorneys, litigants and the public,” Chief Justice Rabner said.

Attorneys and litigants scheduled to appear for in-person matters at the trial level of the Superior Court and Tax Court on Monday and Tuesday should await notice of a new hearing date. Ongoing jury trials will continue as announced.

Critical court operations necessary to public safety or the administration of justice will continue. Emergent applications, as well as Extreme Risk Protective Orders and domestic violence temporary restraining orders submitted through local police departments, will continue to be accepted. The court also will continue to hold first appearance hearings and pretrial detention hearings.  

Questions about individual cases should be directed to the relevant court offices. Updated information regarding court operations will continue to be made available at njcourts.gov.

Residents invited to view hearing live on County Website

Please note: an earlier version of this press release referred to a YouTube broadcast. The broadcast will be available on Facebook Live instead, with a link on the County website. 

In light of the public health emergency caused by the spread of Covid-19, the County of Union has moved this Wednesday’s Fiscal Committee’s budget hearing—originally scheduled for Rahway—to the County Administration Building in Elizabeth, where it will start as planned at 6 p.m,  and will be broadcast through Facebook Live on the County’s website at ucnj.org.

The public is invited to view the hearing online, as the County Administration Building will be closed to visitors, due to concerns over the spread of the virus.  

 “We’re taking this action to safeguard the health of our residents and public employees,” said Freeholder Sergio Granados, who is the Fiscal Committee Chairman. “Measures like this serve to slow the spread, and can also potentially save lives by allowing the hospitals time and space to treat those who may have contracted Covid-19.”

Wednesday’s hearing is the last of three held by the Freeholder Board’s Fiscal Committee of the County’s budget. The Freeholder Board as a whole will vote to introduce the budget later this year. The County has worked diligently to stay below the 2% increase for the third year in a row, maintaining a stable tax rate, Granados noted.  

The County Counsel’s Office; the Department of Engineering and Public Works; the Department of Public Safety; and the Prosecutor’s Office will appear before the Fiscal Committee.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders advises residents that essential County services will continue to operate during the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, and that certain social services will be expanded or modified to provide assistance to those in need. In support of statewide efforts to slow the spread of the virus, certain non-essential activities and programs have been suspended.

“In response to the outbreak, Union County has implemented a comprehensive plan to continue providing essential services, including social services and public safety services, while also taking preventive measures in accordance with the recommendations of public health experts,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “By working together, we can all help slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect our community.”

Public health professionals have determined that COVID-19 is a serious public health concern that requires swift, decisive action in order to prevent it from spreading. Most persons with COVID-19 do not experience extreme symptoms, but persons who are elderly or who have underlying health conditions are at risk for severe illness or death.

Persons with non-essential business are encouraged to contact Union County offices by phone or online when possible. While all other essential social services will continue to operate, the following services are impacted:

Department of Parks and Recreation

• All permits for County athletic fields are revoked.
• Warinanco Sports Center is closed to the public.
• All events at Masker’s Barn are cancelled.
• Effective Sunday, March 15, the Trailside Nature and Science Center is closed, including open visiting hours and all scheduled activities.
• Watchung Stable is closed to the general public (boarders only are allowed on premises for horse care).
• Golf is currently available at Ash Brook and Galloping Hill for online registration only, in order to limit use of indoor facilities. Intervals between tee times have been extended and golf carts will be sanitized.
• Hours at the Learning Center at Galloping Hill have been curtailed to11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., and users will be limited to small and medium sized buckets. Credit and debit cards only will be accepted; no cash transactions.
• The Red Knot restaurant at Galloping Hill will close for a la carte service effective Saturday March 14, until further notice. The Tavern at Ash Brook will be open Tuesdays through Sundays from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Credit and debit cards only will be accepted; no cash transactions.

Department of Human Services

• The Route 22 Shuttle is suspended.
• Effective Monday March 16th, the Paratransit System be available only for necessary medical trips.
• The Meals on Wheels program will close all congregate meal sites by March 18th or earlier. Home delivered meals will continue on an expanded basis, including meal delivery on request for seniors who no longer have access to a local congregate meal site (please call Meals on Wheels at 908-486-5100 for assistance). 
• The Pediatric Immunization Clinic at 40 Parker Road in Elizabeth will remain open until further notice.
• All activities and programs organized through the Office for People with Disabilities and Special Needs are cancelled.
• Emergency shelter will continue to be available to homeless persons (persons requesting assistance can call the Union County Division of Social Services at 908-965-2700 during regular business hours, or call the Statewide Homeless Hotline after hours at 211 or 877-652-1148.
• Persons receiving or in need of SNAP food assistance may call Social Services at 908-965-2700 for assistance by phone.
• 24-Hour Emergency Psychiatric Services will be available by phone through the Union County Mobile Community Outreach (Adults) at 908-994-7131 and through the Union County Mobile Response & Stabilization (Children) at 877-652-7624.
• In addition, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital may be contacted at 732-381-4200, and Overlook Hospital may be contacted at 908-522-2000.
• Information about other mental health and addiction services in Union County is available during business hours by calling 908-527-4846 or 908-527-4844.
• The Union County Rape Crisis Hotline will continue to take calls from persons in need of assistance due to sexual assault through the 24 hour hotline: 908-233-RAPE
• For assistance with youth in crisis or who are unable to remain in their homes, call 908-514-2313. 

County Clerk

• Passport Services will be available in Westfield by appointment only starting on Saturday, March 21.  Please call 908-654-9575.  The Elizabeth Passport office will operate as normal.
• Frequent land records submitters, such as law firms and banks, are encouraged to use an e-filing service (the vendors used by the County Clerk are Corporation Service Company and SimpliFile.

 County Sheriff

• Sheriff’s Sales are suspended for remainder of March.

Superior Court of Union County

• Petit Jury selection is suspended (active trials are continuing).

Members of the public can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by following widely accepted guidelines for good respiratory hygiene:

• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve, not your hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Stay home if you are sick, and avoid sick people.

Health professionals also advise members of the public to maintain a safe “social distance” of approximately 3 feet from other people. This may mean avoiding events, activities and spaces where social distancing is impractical.

Additional guidance and links to more resources are available from the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health/cd/topics/ncov.shtml.

Members of the public with questions about COVID-19 can call the New Jersey Department of Health Novel Coronavirus Call Center at 1-800-222-1222. The call center is open 24/7 and offers guidance in several languages.

Please note that this number is for the general public only. Clinicians should call their local health department for guidance.

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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.

Union County, NJ – In consideration of the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 in New Jersey, the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders has announced that Watchung Stable will be closed to the public for two weeks beginning Friday, March 13. All scheduled classes and events are cancelled, and drop-in visitors are not permitted.

Persons who board horses at the stable will be allowed regular access in order to care for their horses, and must adhere to basic guidelines for preventing person-to-person spread of the virus, including frequent handwashing and social distancing. At this time there is no evidence that horses can contract COVID-19.

Boarders will receive written instructions from Watchung Stable staff regarding guidelines for COVID-19 prevention, and may contact the stable at 908-789-3665 for additional information.

Members of the public can contact the stable by email at stablequestions@ucnj.org.

More information about Watchung Stable is available online at ucnj.org/parks-recreation/watchung-stable.

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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.

Union County, NJ – In consideration of the potential spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 in New Jersey, a free performance of Reclaiming Our Voice: New Jersey’s Role in Woman Suffrage has been canceled. The event was organized through the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, and was to be held on Wednesday, March 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Liberty Hall Museum Carriage House at Kean University in Union Township.   

For information on all Cultural and Heritage Affairs activities and programs, visit online at ucnj.org/parks-recreation/cultural-heritage-affairs.

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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.

Union County, NJ – In consideration of the potential spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 in New Jersey, a free screening of the documentary Girl Connected has been cancelled. The event was originally scheduled for Thursday, March 19 from noon until 1:00 p.m. in the Freeholder Meeting Room at the Union County Administration Building in Elizabeth.

The screening was a project of the Union County Office of Community Engagement and Diversity, and the Union County Office on Women. For information about other events and activities contact Nathalie Hernandez, Coordinator of the Office of Community Engagement & Diversity at 908-527-4880 or Jennifer Erdos, Coordinator of the Office on Women at 908-527-4216.

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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.

In the interest of public health and safety during the current Covid-19 pandemic,  Union County’s Division on Aging, in the Department of Human Services, has cancelled the remaining  March ASK dates:

Thursday, March 19
Garwood Public Library
411 Third Avenue
Garwood, NJ 07027
10:00 am – 12:00 noon

Friday, March 20
Mountainside Public Library
Constitution Plaza
Mountainside, NJ 07092
10:00 am – 12 noon

Friday, March 27
Plainfield Public Library
800 Park Avenue
Plainfield, NJ 07060
10:00 am – 12 noon

Monday, March 30
Summit Public Library
75 Maple Street
Summit, NJ 07901
10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Tuesday, March 31
Union Public Library
1980 Morris Avenue
Union, NJ 07083
11:30 am – 1:30 pm

“The ASK program helps senior adults, their families and caregivers obtain government programs and services that they may be eligible to receive”, said Alexander Mirabella, Chairman of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.  “Until the ASK events are resumed, residents may call the Division on Aging toll free at 888-280-8226 or (908) 527-4870”.

Union County, NJ – In consideration of the potential for the COVID-19 virus to spread in New Jersey, Union County has cancelled the remaining “ASK” events for senior citizens in March.

The ASK program brings staff from the County’s Division on Aging into local communities, to provide guidance on senior services in person. To contact the Division for assistance by phone call 1-888-280-8226 toll-free, or call 908-527-4870 or 908-527-4858.

For assistance in Spanish call 908-527-4863.

The cancelled ASK events in March were to be held at the Rahway Senior Center (March 12), Garwood Public Library (March 19), Mountainside Public Library (March 20), Plainfield Public Library (March 27), Summit Public Library (March 30), and Union Township Public Library (March 31).

The Union County Division on Aging is part of the Union County Department of Human Services. For information on all Division on Aging programs and services, visit online at ucnj.org/departments/human-services.

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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.

Union County, NJ – In consideration of the potential spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 in New Jersey, the 28^th Annual Women of Excellence Awards Dinner, originally scheduled for March 27 at the Gran Centurions in Clark, has been postponed to a date to be determined in September.

The Women of Excellence program is a project of the Union County Commission on the Status of Women, supported by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

For additional information and updates on the rescheduled dinner contact Nancy Malta, Commission Administrative Liaison at 908-527-4298 or nmalta@ucnj.org, or Jen Erdos, Secretary to the Commission on the Status of Women, at 908-527-4216 or jerdos@ucnj.org.

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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.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that new trading cards depicting the prominent women’s suffrage activists Florence Randolph and Lilian Feickert will be available at historic sites throughout the County, in commemoration of the 100^th anniversary of the 19^th Amendment to the Constitution.

Ratified in 1920 after decades of struggle, the 19^th Amendment guaranteed women the right to vote.

“The Freeholder Board is proud to highlight the accomplishments of Florence Randolph and Lilian Feickert, two courageous women who lived in Union County as they fought for equal rights for women throughout the nation,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella.

Florence Spearing Randolph, a longtime resident of Summit, served as a member of the Executive Committee of the New Jersey State Suffrage Association. Randolph’s trailblazing career saw her become the first African-American woman to enroll at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. She also served as pastor of Wallace Chapel AME Zion Church in Summit for over 20 years.

Lillian Feickert lived in Plainfield for a period and served as President of the New Jersey Women’s Suffrage Association from 1912 to 1920, during which time New Jersey ratified the 19th Amendment. She later served as Treasurer of the New Jersey League of Women Voters, and in 1928 became the first woman to run for the United States Senate from New Jersey.

The new trading cards are the latest in a series produced by the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, to help residents and visitors learn more about the people, places, and events that shaped the Union County community throughout history.

The entire series of 50 history trading cards can be viewed online at ucnj.org/parks-recreation/cultural-heritage-affairs/trading-cards.

A directory of historic sites where cards may be obtained in person is available at ucnj.org/parks-recreation/cultural-heritage-affairs/historic-sites-map. Visitors are advised to contact the site in advance to check on card availability.

For more information about all activities of the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, visit online at ucnj.org/parks-recreation/cultural-heritage-affairs, call 908-558-2550, or email culturalinfo@ucnj.org.

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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.