Category: Public Info

Union County, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi is pleased to announce the launch of UnionCountyVotes.com, a new website that provides voters and election followers with complete information on the November 8th General Election.

“UnionCountyVotes.com is designed to provide the public with information in a simple, easy-to-follow format that resembles our free Union County Votes mobile app,” said Rajoppi. “It is especially convenient for people who need to view websites in large type.”

Ms. Rajoppi noted that members of the public can still access the same information on the Union County website by visiting ucnj.org/county-clerk and following the links on the left column of the page. The links will automatically direct users to the new website.

“With UnionCountyVotes.com, you can get one-click access to all of our election information in one convenient website,” said Ms. Rajoppi. “And, because the new site is hosted off-site, it provides an extra layer of reliability for important Election Day information.”

Widespread disruptions of Internet service are rare but they can occur. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy knocked out Internet and phone service in parts of New Jersey, including Union County.

More recently, last August utility workers accidentally cut a cable in Elizabeth, resulting in outages in part of Union County.

The Union County Votes mobile app was launched in 2014, available as a free download for mobile phones and tablets.

“If you have a question about the upcoming elections and you can’t find the answer online, you can call the County Clerk Elections Division at 908-527-4996 or come to our Main Office or Annex in person, and my staff will be happy to assist you,” said Rajoppi.

The Main Office of the County Clerk is located at the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Room 113 in midtown Elizabeth. Regular office hours in Elizabeth are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This office will also be open on Saturday, November 5, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to assist voters wishing to Vote-By-Mail.

The County Clerk’s Annex is located in the Colleen Fraser Building at the County services complex, 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.

For more details about convenient One-Stop Vote-by-Mail service, and all County Clerk programs and services including passports and deed recording, visit online at ucnj.org/county-clerk or call 908-527-4787.

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The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites elementary through high school teachers, as well as community groups, to register for a free 30-45 minute traveling watershed and environmental science presentation that is educational and fun.

“Everyone lives in a watershed. Every stream, brook, tributary, and river in our communities connects to a watershed that provides us with our drinking water supply, recreational opportunities, and provides habitat to numerous plants and animals,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen. “This free program offers teachers, students, and community members the opportunity to learn how human behavior can affect water quality, especially in one of the most densely populated counties in the state.”

These interactive, “hands-on” presentations, which include the use of a three dimensional land use model, demonstrate how pollution anywhere within the watershed has the potential to affect all waterbodies located downstream. Additionally, the program offers easy, practical solutions that anyone can implement to reduce nonpoint source pollution and improve water quality – such as eliminating or minimizing the use of pesticides on lawns, picking up pet waste, and not feeding geese.

Now in its 15^th year, the Watershed Ambassadors Program receives positive reviews and accolades from teachers and students each year expressing appreciation that the program offers a full period of interesting and engaging material with opportunities for students to participate and interact with the watershed model.

The free presentations are offered by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and the AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador Program.

Additionally, the ambassador program offers stream assessment training for individuals and groups.  To schedule a free presentation or training, call Ismail Sukkar, Watershed Ambassador for Watershed Management Area 7 at (908) 789-3209.

Union County, NJ – An enthusiastic group of Merck employees and interns joined the Union County Adopt-a-Park program at Michael S. Bezega Park in Rahway last month. The volunteers removed litter, cleared trails, and cut away invasive vegetation in the park.

“The volunteers did a great job and their hard work is greatly appreciated,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “This park is a good example of reclaimed open space, and volunteers can make a big difference in maintaining the ecosystem and making it attractive for everyone to enjoy.

Michael S. Bezega Park is a created wetland that helps to absorb excess stormwater while providing the public with green space. It was created in 2002 as a flood management project, after eleven homes that experienced chronic flooding were bought and removed from the floodplain of the Rahway River.

State, County and local stakeholders combined resources to acquire the site and re-landscape the grounds for flood control. Adopt-a-Park volunteers helped to plant more than 20,000 native trees, shrubs and perennials.

“The native plants act as a natural buffer to filter out pollutants in the storm water,” said Bergen. “By clearing out invasive species, the Merck volunteers have made a valuable contribution to the health of the park and the river.”

The Merck group also spreading gravel and woodchips walking along trails, pruned native plants, separated recyclables from other litter, and removed downed tree limbs.

Union County’s Adopt-A-Trail Chainsaw Crew provided an assist, by cutting larger limbs into smaller pieces.

Any individual or group is welcome to join the Union County Adopt-a-Park/Adopt-a-Trail program. For more information, call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at 908-789-3683 or visit online at 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.

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Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces the first “History Paint Night Social,” to be held on Tuesday, November 1, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the historic Snyder Academy of Elizabethtown, in midtown Elizabeth. The program is sponsored by the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage and funded by the New Jersey Historical Commission.

Participants will be provided with painting materials, a pre-sketched canvas and artistic instruction on a historical scene from the Union County area. Individuals and groups are invited to attend.

“Our new History Paint Night Social is designed for beginners and practiced artists alike, to enjoy learning about Union County history in a relaxed, creative social setting,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, liaison to the Cultural and Heritage Programs Advisory Board. “The historic Snyder Academy is a wonderful venue for the blending of history and art education.”

The Snyder Academy is the former parish house of the First Presbyterian Church. Alexander Hamilton received his education there and many other historic figures are associated with the site. It recently underwent a multi-million dollar restoration as a center for the arts, education, history and social and economic development in midtown Elizabeth.

The instructor for History Paint Night Social will be Rafael Rodriguez, Artist in Residence at the Snyder Academy.

Pre-registration is not required, but is encouraged due to limited space. The fee of $20.00 includes all materials. Participants may bring wine and snacks for their enjoyment.

To register or receive more information, contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 908-436-2912, or email jprescott@ucnj.org.

For information on all Cultural and Heritage Affairs programs and events, visit online at 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.

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Union County, NJ – The sights and sounds of the fall season are here, and so is the season for warming up the house with a home-cooked meal. Experts from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County recommend trying out new recipes that take advantage of all the nutrition – and tasty “comfort food” flavors — packed into the familiar winter squash.

“The Freeholder Board is very proud to partner with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension to bring reliable, science-based information to the community,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “This new information about the health benefits of winter squash may surprise you.”

In a new article titled “Why is Winter Squash so Healthy for You to Eat,” Extension head and nutrition expert Dr. Karen M. Ensle of Rutgers University details some of the findings.

Butternut squash, for example, has a high fiber content that helps to lower blood cholesterol and stabilize blood glucose levels.  It is rich in the antioxidant beta-carotene, which enhances skin and eye health.  Its high mineral content also helps the heart to beat normally, which can assist with exercise and fitness activities.

Modern winter squash is can trace its roots back to wild varieties found in an area between Mexico and Guatemala and used for food thousands of years ago. Now it is cultivated around the globe.

“From South America to Africa to India and Asia and even in some parts of the United States, no single food provides a greater percentage of certain carotenoids than winter squash,” said Dr. Ensle.

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County is supported in part by the Freeholder Board. For information on all Extension programs for Union County residents, including Master Gardeners, Master Tree Stewards and 4-H youth clubs, visit online at ucnj.org/rce or call the Extension offices in Westfield, 908-654-9854 (press “2” for assistance).

For recipe tips and more information about winter squash, and other news about nutrition and community health, visit the “Health Tips” link at ucnj.org/rce.

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Photo caption (photo attached): Roasted squash (by Vanessa Druckman via flickr.com, creative commons license).

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 Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholders Linda Carter, Bette Jane Kowalski, Alexander Mirabella and Vernell Wright and Union County Parks and Recreation Director Ron Zuber joined members of the Union County Spectrum All Stars at the official opening of the new all-accessible fishing pier in Warinanco Park in Roselle.  The maintenance-free pier is ADA accessible, goes out 50 feet from the shore line, and offers expansive views of the pond and park. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announce the final 2016 Household Special Waste Collection event on Saturday, October 15^th for Union County residents to dispose of outdated or unwanted household chemicals, mercury thermostats, propane tanks, and automobile tires in an environmentally safe manner. The household hazardous waste collection will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Alcatel – Lucent Technologies located at 600 Mountain Avenue in New Providence.  Please note that latex (water-based) paint will not be accepted.

Saturday, October 15 will be the last household hazardous waste collection of 2016. Residents of Union County are eligible to participate at no cost. Pre-registration is not required for this special Saturday collection.

“It is our goal to make the household hazardous waste recycling program convenient and reliable for Union County residents,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “This is a great opportunity to recycle and properly dispose of unwanted household hazardous waste items that are cluttering up the basement or the garage, or taking up space under the kitchen sink. The result of our effort is safer homes and a cleaner environment for our families and our neighbors.”

Once residents arrive at Alcatel – Lucent Technologies with their household special waste, propane tanks, automobile tires, and mercury thermostats, they should remain in their vehicle while professional workers at the site unload the waste materials for disposal.

Household special waste items include oil-based paint and varnish, antifreeze, aerosol cans, pool chemicals, corrosives, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, thinners, fire extinguishers, motor oil and oil filters, gasoline, batteries, thermostats, fluorescent bulbs (unbroken), blood pressure devices, and mercury switches. Only materials in original or labeled containers will be accepted. No containers larger than five gallons will be accepted.

Latex (water-based) paint and empty cans will not be accepted. Leftover latex paint can be air-dried or, to hasten the drying process, kitty litter and/or newspaper can be added to hasten the drying. Empty or dried out cans should be disposed of with the regular garbage.

There is a limit of eight automobile tires (without rims) per household. This is a household recycling event. No businesses, please.

A broader list of the materials that will be accepted on October 15 is available at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning web site: www.ucnj.org/recycle . This will be the last household hazardous waste collection of 2016.

The household hazardous waste collection will be held rain or shine, for Union County residents only and not for businesses. Proof of Union County residency is required. For more information, please call the Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that the next mobile paper-shredding program for personal, confidential documents will take place at Galloping Hill Golf Course, located at 3 Golf Drive in Kenilworth, on Thursday, October 13th. 

Also, the final document shredding event for 2016 will be held on Saturday, October 22nd at Alcatel-Lucent Technologies located at 600 Mountain Avenue in New Providence.  Both document shredding events run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. 

“Properly disposing of personal documents is one way for resident to protect themselves from identity theft,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen. “Union County’s mobile document-shredding program compliments the County’s recycling efforts and other green initiatives, while giving residents a convenient opportunity to dispose old documents and confidential files safely and securely.”

All Union County residents are eligible to use the paper-shredding service. In an effort to accommodate everyone, there is a limit of four, 10-pound bags or boxes per person. NEXCUT Shredding of Elizabeth will be shredding personal documents from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  The event will end before 1 p.m. if the shredding truck reaches capacity.

This is a garbage-free event so please bring your documents in paper bags if at all possible. Plastic bags and boxes will be returned. Please remove plastic binders and large paper clips.  Paper that is wet/damp will not be accepted. 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 paid for through New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Recycling Enhancement Act Grant Funds. For more information about future events or directions please call the Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889 or visit us online at www.ucnj.org/recycle.

Union County, NJ — Union County’s annual public heritage event, “Four Centuries in a Weekend: A Journey through Union County’s History,” will take place on Saturday, October 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 16 from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.

Sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders with the cooperation of staff and volunteers at 35 house museums and historic sites, the two-day free event opens the doors to more than 370 years of history throughout the county.

“See history come alive in Union County!  Four Centuries in a Weekend began in 1994, when historic sites and the county got together to tell an exciting story:  how Elizabethtown of 1664 became the 21 towns and cities of today’s Union County,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski. “This year, a beautifully restored mansion and church, Revolutionary War burial grounds, the county’s oldest railroad station, quaint house museums, special exhibitions and tours showcase our treasure trove of history.”

Among the historic sites on tour, all listed on the National and New Jersey State Registers of Historic Places, with special programs or events highlighting their rich heritage are:

• Miller-Cory House Museum in Westfield will have Open hearth cooking using 18^th century recipes and “Quilts-A work of Art” featuring quilts ranging from antique to modern.
• The Connecticut Farms Church in Union will offer tours of the Church and the Cemetery; as well as opportunities to purchase both desserts on Saturday and on Sunday a lunch, all based on recipes from the 1700’s.
• Deserted Village of Feltville-Glenside Park in Berkeley Heights will host a panel discussion about the murals painted in historic house #7 by Nicaraguan Artist Roberto de la Selva, circa 1927; on Sunday at 2 pm.
• Deacon Andrew Hetfield House in Mountainside, will exhibit a private photo collection celebrating Mountainside historic past.
• Oswald J. Nitschke House, will be highlighting “James Arthur: The Story of 100 Houses in 100 days”.
• Carter House of Summit will feature a 1927 Fire Engine.
• Nathaniel Drake House in Plainfield will present a lecture on both days at 2 pm, “Colonial African- Americans’ Contributions to America”
• First Presbyterian Church & Snyder Academy in Elizabeth will feature on Saturday; from 12-3pm a Revolutionary War re-enactment of the 1780 Battle of Elizabeth.

Journey on to Boxwood Hall in Elizabeth, the 1772 home of Elias Boudinot, President of the Continental Congress, where there will be an exhibit on the interior upgrade of the house, tour the grounds of the Nathaniel Bonnell Homestead and the Belcher-Ogden Mansion, and visit the Caldwell Parsonage at Connecticut Farms in Union, an American Revolutionary site that will feature a re-enactor portraying the “Fighting Parson” James Caldwell.

Then, continue on to the Liberty Hall Museum and check out the amazing home of New Jersey’s first elected Governor and signer of the United States Constitution, William Livingston.

A visit to Hillside will bring you to the Woodruff House/Eaton Store, built in 1735, with a mini-Apple festival; then continue on to the historic Evergreen Cemetery, a virtual museum of funerary art.

In Rahway you’ll be welcome at the Merchants and Drovers Tavern, a restored early 19^th century hotel, and you can tour the Union County Performing Arts Center, a beautifully restored classic Vaudeville theatre.

When you stop at the Dr. William Robinson Plantation in Clark, you’ll discover a post-medieval English-style house where Dr. Robinson practiced healing with plants and herbs. Civil War Re-enactors will be there as well throughout the weekend.

At the Fanwood Train Station Museum you’ll visit the oldest Victorian Gothic railroad station in the county and learn about Fanwood’s ties to the Central Railroad of New Jersey.

Visit the Reeve History and Cultural Resource Center in Westfield and tour the Victorian style house and its extensive collection.

While going to Cranford, stop by the Crane-Phillips House and look at their display “Cranford Chronicle: 120 years.”

At the Abraham Clark House, home to a signer of the Declaration of Independence, you’ll learn about Early American life and the history of Roselle. In the Roselle Park Museum, housed in the Charles E. Stone Store, you’ll be standing in the first electrically-lighted store in the world.

Authentic 18^th century farmhouses are open for touring. The Salt Box Museum in New Providence will feature pine needle basket coiling. The Osborn Cannonball House in Scotch Plains which will offer the exhibit, “Beautiful Blushing Brides” — bridal fashions, accessories and photographs from the19th, 20^th and 21^st centuries, and the Plainfield Meetinghouse in Plainfield will feature conversations on the history of the Quaker house.

Venturing into the Watchung Mountains, you’ll also visit the Littell-Lord Farmstead in Berkeley Heights, a reminder of the County’s agricultural past, and explore Summit, with its Twin Maples, a stately neoclassical mansion, the Carter House — the city’s oldest house, built in the 1740’s –and the Summit Playhouse, a Richardsonian Romanesque structure with a 120-seat auditorium.

Also in Summit, you will find the Reeves-Reed Arboretum with a great mix of history and horticulture.

Children can earn a Time Traveler’s Certificate and a Four Centuries Patch by visiting and obtaining a Time Traveler Passport at any of the sites, having it stamped and returning the completed form to the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs.

More details about Four Centuries in a Weekend are available online at ucnj.org/parks-recreation.

For free copies of the Four Centuries in a Weekend tour booklet, map and further information, telephone 908-558-2550 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., NJ Relay Users dial 711, or e-mail: 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.

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Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholder Alexander Mirabella present a resolution to Mike Guarino of the Columbus Parade Association of Union County in honor of Columbus Day at the group’s 28th annual anniversary celebration in Linden. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)