County of UnionDefault category for all normal press releases
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders presented matching grants to municipalities throughout Union County for upgrades to playgrounds and youth athletic facilities through the Kids Recreation Trust Fund. Several municipalities also received matching grants for street trees under the Greening Union County program. Funding for both programs is provided by the Union County Open Space, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Trust Fund. (Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholder this evening presented Preserve Union County 2017 grants to representatives from 11 historical societies and museums from throughout Union County. The Freeholder Board provides the Preserve Union County matching grant program through the Union County Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund.
The Union County Freeholder Board announced designs for the construction of a new state-of-the-art spray park with 33 attractions at John Russell Wheeler Park in Linden.
Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen said: “The spray park will provide yet another recreational component to Wheeler Park that our residents, especially the youngest ones, can enjoy. This is the latest in a series of investments in all our parks that are aimed at both modernizing our amenities while maximizing the recreational benefits in each facility.”
Freeholder Christopher Hudak, a resident of Linden, said: “The spray park will be a regional attraction for our residents and their children who want to enjoy the warmer weather days outdoors. We have continued to make upgrades to Wheeler Park that is making it one of the finest recreational parks in the County.”
The spray park will replace the existing pool, which is slated for demolition in the next few weeks. The pool, which was built in 1931, had witnessed a decline in usage over the past 15 years, and had developed costly maintenance issues. Spray parks, which are in heavy demand throughout the County, are generally less costly to maintain and do not require life guards.
The spray park was designed by USA Architects of Somerville, NJ. The facility is anticipated to contain the following items, once a construction contract is finalized:
As Freeholder Hudak noted, the spray park announcement is among the latest in a series of high-profile improvements at the park in recent years, including the opening of a new skate park, new softball and soccer turf fields with lights, and a new playground. The park was also enabled for Wi-Fi in 2014.
Wheeler Park, which borders Routes 1 and 9 in Linden, was developed in 1925 by the Union County Park Commission, and was designed by the Olmsted Brothers, the noted engineering firm that designed a series of historic landmark parks in urban areas. Their list of projects includes Central Park in New York City and five others in the Union County parks system—Cedar Brook Park, Warinanco Park, Echo Lake Park, Green Brook Park and the Watchung Reservation.
Wheeler park contains a playground, three athletic fields, a skate park and walking paths. The park is named after John Russell Wheeler, the first Linden man killed in action during World War I.
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders proudly announces the grand re-opening of the Warinanco Sports Center on November 4, 2017, and invites the community to see the facility’s newest remodel and updated amenities. The grand opening event will include appearances from the Cranford Hockey Club, general open skate sessions, Union County Department of Parks and Recreation exposition, and the county famous Union County Battle of the Badges hockey game.
The recent renovation project will cater to local residents in a whole new way by providing an 11,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility in the heart of the county park, complete with meeting spaces for events, a café for visitors as well as catering services, and a brand-new ice rink floor. These are just a few of the notable updates, with all components truly capturing the original title of the rink as “The First Public Artificial Ice Staking Rink in Union County.”
“The new Warinanco Sports Center is a place where families will continue to make great memories,” said Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados, who is also the Freeholder Board’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board liaison. “We’ve completed an imaginative re-creation of the historic landmark for residents of Union County and surrounding areas.”
One of the great aspects of the two-phase project is the multipurpose use of the facility during the Spring and Summer months versus the Fall and Winter months. When the ice is removed from the rink floor in early Spring, field turf will be laid down to cater to the prominent baseball and softball community. This will allow the facility to be used as a year-round sports venue, in addition to the new amenities that will allow the facility to be used for far more than just sport.
The community grand opening event is open to the general public on November 4th, with events beginning at 7:00am EST going into the evening. The Warinanco Sports Center staff encourages everyone to bring family and friends to visit the brand-new facility, meet the Parks and Recreation department, and watch the Union County Police force battle the hockey rink against the Union County fire department teams. The Warinanco Café will also be open all day serving dishes such as signature burgers, fresh salads, and specialty plates made fresh to order.
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Warinanco Sports Center has been a landmark for Union County skaters since 1961, and recently received an extensive $7 million modernization and renovation doubling the complex space and transforming it into a year-round venue for sports such as ice skating, hockey, baseball, and softball. In addition to a sports venue, the facility will also double as a meeting and events space for luncheons, cocktail parties, and corporate occasions.
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Leon Grebla at (908) 298-7849 or email at warinancopark@gmail.com.
Union County’s Sensory Friendly Theatre series brings a visually stunning sensory-friendly performance of Galumpha to the stage at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway this Sunday, October 29 at 2:00 p.m. Galumpha is imaginative acrobatic fun for the whole family.
“Union County’s series of sensory-friendly music, theater, and dance performances are specially adapted to help reduce disturbances and increase access for children and adults of all abilities,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “The Freeholder Board is proud to partner with DCA Productions to bring the imaginative and exciting artistry of Galumpha as a sensory-friendly performance to the community.”
Galumpha combines stunning acrobatics, striking visual effects, physical comedy, and inventive choreography to bring to life a world of imagination and beauty; a sensory feast of images, consistently bringing audiences to their feet.
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.
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.
Delays Anticipated on NEC and NJCL; Substitute Busing required on RVL
NJ TRANSIT is advising customers of upcoming Amtrak signal work which will impact rail travel Friday night November 10th through Saturday and Sunday November 11th-12th. Amtrak’s work, between Newark Penn Station and Secaucus, continues their effort to maintain its Northeast Corridor in a state of good repair.
NJ TRANSIT is relying on assurances by Amtrak the work will be complete prior to the start of the Monday morning rush hour on November 13th.
Beginning at 9 p.m. on Friday, November 10th and continuing through the end of service on Sunday, November 12th, customers traveling on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line may experience delays of up to 60 minutes in both directions. The Amtrak work will require signals near Newark Penn Station to be taken out of service, requiring trains to operate at restricted speeds.
To accommodate this signal work and manage train traffic through the area, NJ TRANSIT will not operate the Northeast Corridor 7600 series trains between Rahway and Penn Station New York. Customers will be accommodated by the following train which is scheduled 5-10 minutes behind the 7600 series. Those trains will add a station stop at North Elizabeth.
During that same time, Amtrak will maximize this work period to also perform track work where the Raritan Valley Line connects with the Northeast Corridor. Customers on the Raritan Valley Line will have substitute busing in place to/from Newark Penn Station as follows:
Customers on these three rail lines (NEC, NJCL, RVL) are advised to allow for extra time to and from their destinations. Customers also should pay close attention to station and crew announcements.
This work will impact customers on the NEC, NJCL and RVL planning to attend the following sports events and concerts. Customers are strongly encouraged to allow plenty of extra travel time:
Important Note: M&E and Midtown Direct service will NOT be impacted by this Amtrak signal work.
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Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that Officer Matthew A. Schaible of the Union County Police Department is one of 11 individuals from around the country to graduate from The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives National Firearms Examiner Academy.
The year-long program, conducted by ATF’s National Laboratory Center, provided the newest cadre of students with training in the fundamentals of firearms and tool mark examination, which serves as the foundation for supervised development into qualified examiners.
“On behalf of the Freeholder Board, congratulations to Officer Schaible for completing this rigorous, challenging course of study,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “We are all very proud of him, and we look forward to his continued contributions to the Union County Police Department.
“For his commitment to excellence in his profession, Officer Schaible is a role model for the community, and an exemplary representative for a police force that is continually expanding its knowledge base in the service of crime prevention and detection,” said Freeholder Linda Carter, who chairs the Freeholder Board’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
Officer Schaible was a member of the 17th graduating class of the ATF course, which included participants from California, Arizona, Tennessee, Nebraska, Ohio, North Carolina and the New Jersey State Police.
“Police work becomes more complex and technical with each passing year, and it is imperative to maintain an up-to-date skill set,” said Andy Moran, Director of the Union County Department of Public Safety.
The class, which took place from October 2016 to September 2017, focused on laboratory safety, protocols as well as ethical standards and principles that govern the admissibility of expert testimony in court.
Students received training in the history of black powder, the evolution of early firearms, the evolution and manufacturing of modern ammunition, and microscopy and instrumentation. Additional classes covered firearms identification, the manufacture of modern firearms, preliminary examination of firearms, bullet examination and comparison, tool mark examination, comparison and identification, and restoration of obliterated markings.
Also included were terminal ballistics, gunshot residue, shot patterns, bullet path analysis and the examination and comparison of cartridges, cartridge cases, shot shells, and fired shot shells.
After returning to their local and state law enforcement agencies, the graduates will continue their training for approximately one year at their home laboratories. Upon completion, they will be able to independently and completely examine and compare physical evidence related to firearms and tool mark identification, reach conclusions and render opinions relating to their examinations and comparisons, and provide expert testimony in a professional and impartial manner.
The National Firearms Examiner Academy’s standardized program, with the support of the Association of Firearms and Toolmark Examiners, has graduated 188 students from 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands since its inception in 1999.
Photo caption: Union County Police Patrolman Matthew Schaible (4th from left), a new graduate of the ATF National Firearms Examiner Academy, is joined by (l-r) Sergeant Krsysztof Audinis, Captain Robert McGuire, Public Safety Director Andrew Moran, Chief Chris Debbie and Lieutenant Michael Sandford.
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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 – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi reminds voters that early voting for the General Election on November 7 is already under way. Any registered voter can vote early by using a vote-by-mail ballot.
Early voters also have the option of casting their ballot in person, at the County Clerk’s offices in Elizabeth and Westfield.
“Voters can come to my offices at any time during regular business hours to receive a vote-by-mail ballot. In the same visit, voters can also fill out their ballot and cast it in a secure box to complete the process,” said Ms. Rajoppi.
The County Clerk’s Westfield Annex is located in the Colleen Fraser Building, 300 North Avenue East in Westfield. 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 in Room 113 at the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, in Elizabeth. Regular office hours in Elizabeth are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Early voters who plan to obtain their ballot in person from the County Clerk’s Elizabeth or Westfield offices must present a New Jersey driver’s license or a valid state ID with their photo, name, address and signature.
Ms. Rajoppi noted that early voting eliminates the possibility that unforeseen circumstances, such as a family emergency, could prevent a voter from getting to their polling place on Election Day.
“Every valid Vote-by-Mail ballot is counted and entered into the official, certified results for each election,” emphasized Ms. Rajoppi. “Early voting is a good way to ensure that you have the opportunity to participate fully in the General Election.”
For more details on early voting and elections information in Union County, visit the County Clerk’s election website, unioncountyvotes.com, or download the free Union County Votes mobile app.
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Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholders Christopher Hudak, Bette Jane Kowalski and Angel G. Estrada visited with Joyce Chiappetta of the Kenilworth Historical Society at The Nitschke House in Kenilworth during Union County’s Four Centuries in a Weekend. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen, Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholders Christopher Hudak, Bette Jane Kowalski and Angel G. Estrada presented Prevention Links CEO Pamela Capaci with a resolution proclaiming October 23-27 as Red Ribbon Week in Union County at the 19th Annual Red Ribbon Drug Prevention day in Union County’s Nomahegan Park in Cranford. They were joined by Union County Sheriff Joe Cryan, Acting Union County Prosecutor Tim Isenhour and other officials. (Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)