Category: Public Info

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to present Family Fun Day on Saturday, September 24 to celebrate the opening of Union County’s first inclusive public playground. Family Fun Day will begin at 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., with an official opening ceremony and ribbon cutting at 1:00 p.m, at Mattano Park in Union County, NJ.

“The Freeholder Board is committed to providing children of all abilities and their families access to recreational opportunities,” said Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados, who is also the Freeholder liaison to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. “The new inclusive playground at Mattano Park, the first of its kind in a public park in Union County, will allow children to play and learn side by side with friends and family.”

Presented by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders in partnership with Elizabeth Port Parent Support Group, and sponsored by PepsiCo, the free event will include a BBQ, Family Field Day, and other kids’ activities.

Family Fun Day will also feature interactive workshops with the Eastwyck Saints football team as well as Elizabeth Youth Soccer, giving parents and children the opportunity to learn more about these sports activities.

Fun for all ages and abilities, the new inclusive playground at Mattano Park, located in Elizabeth, features a variety of accessible play equipment including a Merry-Go-All, Roller Slide, Roller Table, Swing Seats, and more.

For more information about the new inclusive playground at Mattano Park or the Family Fun Day event, contact the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4900 or visit ucnj.org.

Roselle, NJ – On Tuesday, August 30, Union County Sheriff’s Detective James Miller, and Sheriff’s Investigators Kenneth Randazza and Keith Rhyner located and arrested Christian Pacheco, a 39-year-old male  Roselle resident on an outstanding warrant for eluding arrest. The warrant was from an incident on April 1st when the suspect led officers on a high-speed chase through Rahway and Linden.

After months of searching, Investigator Rhyner tracked Pacheco to an address in Roselle where he was found and taken into custody. The Sheriff’s Officers transported Pacheco to the Union County Jail and he was committed without incident.

The April incident began when Rahway Police Officer Andrew Webb stopped Pacheco for traveling 80 mph in a 45 mph zone. Pacheco then led the officer on a chase through Rahway and Linden. The pursuit was halted to concerns for public safety, with Pacheco eluding arrest.

Pacheco previously had a suspended New Jersey Driver’s License and was also wanted on an arrest warrant out of Weehawken.  

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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Mirabella set to receive award at Italian Tribune’s 46^th Annual Columbus Day Gala at Birchwood Manor in Parsipanny on October 7th

Freeholder Alexander Mirabella, who led the founding of the annual Union County Columbus Day Celebration, is being honored by the Italian Tribune with the “Christopher Columbus Man of the Year Award,” for his pride in his heritage and years of assisting others through his public service.

“It is presented to him with the deepest degree of pride and admiration for his success in both an outstanding career and in his charitable life,” said Italian Tribune Publisher A.J. “Buddy” Fortunato.

“I am truly honored to receive this award, and proud to continue our efforts in calling attention to the immeasurable contributions that Italian Americans make to our country,” Mirabella said. “I am deeply proud of my heritage, and am excited by the opportunity to participate in this program, and take time to reflect on our shared legacy.”

The award will be presented to Mirabella at the 46^th Annual Columbus Day Gala to be held on Friday, October 7^th, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Birchwood Manor, 111 North Jefferson Road in Whippany, New Jersey. For information on purchasing tickets for the event, please feel free to contact the Italian Tribune at (973) 860-0101.

MIRABELLA BIOGRAPHY
Originally born and raised in the City of Elizabeth and now a resident of Fanwood, Alexander Mirabella was first elected to the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1997. He is now serving his seventh three-year term and has been the Board’s Chairman four times.

Tracing his heritage back to Messina, Sicily, Al’s late father, Gene Mirabella, was the first Italian-American Police of the City of Elizabeth’s Police Department, and has a firing range in Springfield named in his honor.  Al is also married to Phyllis LaVecchia, a first generation Italian American and former Roselle Park Councilwoman, whose family hails from Vallata, Italy. They have two children, Alex (a student at the College of New Jersey) and Micayla, who is currently studying at John Cabot University in Rome.

As Freeholder, he founded the County’s Annual Columbus Day Flag raising in 2009 with UNICO District X, which has featured prominent statewide speakers and Italian American organizations, and serves as a member of the Scotch Plains / Fanwood chapter of UNICO.

Freeholder Mirabella also helped implement the County’s Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund, sparking some of the largest increases in Union County parkland in generations. He developed the Sensory Friendly Theater program to provide cultural enrichment for persons with autism and other sensory sensitivities, and he oversaw the expansion of the County’s Office of Veterans Affairs, the creation of the County’s 9-11 Monument and the Board’s efforts in providing benefits for County workers called to active military duty.

Freeholder Mirabella’s other initiatives as Chairman of the Board, a position he’s held 4 times, include holding mobile Freeholder meetings in communities and assembling a shared services committee to streamline government and cut costs, while focusing on infrastructure planning, workforce development, and sustainability measures that helped to leverage millions of dollars in federal funds.

A staunch advocate of education, Freeholder Mirabella was recognized last year by the Union County College Foundation for his outstanding support of Union County College.  He was also instrumental in the implementation of the Union County Vocational / Technical High Schools and oversaw the creation of the Magnet HS, Academy for Information Technology, Allied Health Academy, UC Tech High School and the Academy for performing Arts – schools that are ranked among the best in the nation.

Other career highlights include the creation of the Union County Means Business Initiative, which includes business networking events, an online information hub and newsletter, a new workforce partnership with Union County College, and a special small business loan program through the Union County Economic Development Corporation.

Freeholder Mirabella has served on the Veterans Affairs Committee, the County’s Fiscal Committee, the Fire Services Advisory Board, and Union County Vocational-Technical School Board of Education. In 2007, he was awarded the prestigious Alan Augustine award from Union County’s Prevention Links in recognition of his work in drug and alcohol prevention. The Union County Library Directors honored him in 2001 for his advocacy on behalf of libraries, including development of grants to upgrade technology at 19 municipal libraries. He has also been honored by Community Access Unlimited for his efforts on behalf of the disabled and by the Raritan Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross (formerly Tri-County Red Cross) for his efforts in 2009 in securing grant money to train disaster volunteers.

Mirabella proudly serves as the Township Manager in Scotch Plains, New Jersey where he manages a $25 million dollar budget and introduced a budget which has had a decrease in the Municipal tax rate.  Since he assumed this leadership position, he has improved communication, increased the number of grant opportunities, improved the township infrastructure, enhanced public safety, improved employee morale and reorganized the Township Leadership team. 

Previous to his tenure on the Freeholder Board, he was twice elected as Councilman at Large in Borough of Roselle Park (1991 – 1996), serving and Fire Commissioner, Council President and Acting Mayor. He graduated from Hobart College in Geneva, N.Y. with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics.

Union County, NJ — Union County’s new mobile Aging Service Kiosk (ASK) will host free information events at six public locations this September. The events are designed to provide residents with a convenient, friendly way to find out about services for the aging, and for their families and caregivers.

“Our seniors have found the new ASK program to be helpful this summer, and we are glad to be able to extend it into the fall,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, who is a member of the Union County Human Services Advisory Board. “If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, I encourage you to stop by at any one of the six upcoming events.

ASK is staffed by professionals with the Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection of the Union County Department of Human Services. They will provide information and guidance on home delivered meals, respite care, home care, adult day care and other services.

They can also provide help with filling out applications and other forms, if needed. 

Union County residents may attend ASK events in any municipality. The events scheduled for September are:

Linden: Wednesday, September 7

Linden Public Library

31 E. Henry Street

10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

Clark: Monday, September 12

Clark Public Library

303 Westfield Avenue

10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

Westfield: Thursday, September 15

Westfield Community Center

558 West Broad Street

10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Mountainside: Friday, September 16

Mountainside Municipal Building

1385 Route 22 East

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Fanwood: Wednesday, September 21

Fanwood Public Library

5 Forest Road

10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

Berkeley Heights: Thursday, September 22

Berkeley Heights Public Library

290 Plainfield Avenue

10:00 a.m. to 12 noon

ASK is a program of the Union County Department of Human Services Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection. The Division on Aging is an Area Agency on Aging  established under the Older Americans Act, as part of a national initiative to improve services for older adults since 1965.

For more information about ASK and other programs of the Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection, call 1-888-280-8226 toll free 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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Under the terms of the “Open Public Meetings Act P.L. 1975, C. 231, please be advised that the Fiscal Affairs Committee of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will be hosting Special Meetings on the 2016 Budget on the following dates:

• Monday, March 7, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. at the Galloping Hill Golf Course Clubhouse, 3 Golf Drive, Kenilworth, NJ, 07033; and
• Tuesday, March 8, 2016 at 5:30 p.m.at the UC Vocational-Technical Schools, Administration Building Board Room, 1776 Raritan Road, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076; and
• Thursday, March 17, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. at the UC Administration Building, 6^th Floor, 10 Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth, NJ 07207.

These meetings of the Fiscal Affairs Committee are not Regular Meetings of the Board of Chosen Freeholders.  No action will be taken. Members of the public are invited to attend, though there will not be a public comment portion. All times and dates are subject to change without notice.

For Public Commentary April 13, 2016 to May 13, 2016.

On or about June 6, 2016, the County of Union will submit to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Consolidated Action Plan for Fiscal Year 2016, which includes applications for preliminary funding for the following grants:

The Consolidated Plan is intended to serve the following purpose/function:

(1)It is a planning document for the County which builds upon citizen participation process; (2) it is an application for federal funds under the above mentioned grant process; (3) it is a strategy to be followed in carrying out HUD programs; and (4) it is an action plan that provides a basis for assessing performance. This Consolidated Plan – Action Plan constitutes the Federal Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Plan for the Five Year (2015-2019) Consolidated Plan. It sets forth a description of the activities for use of HUD funds that are expected to become available during the coming years, determines goals for individuals and households to be served, and describes the implementation plan and location of the activities to be undertaken.

The funds are intended to provide very low, low, and moderate income households with viable communities, including decent housing, a suitable living environment, and expanded economic opportunities. Eligible activities include rehabilitation of community facilities, public improvements, housing rehabilitation, public services, economic development, planning and administration.

The Action Plan is available for public review at the following location: Office of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Union County Administration Building, 6^th floor, Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207.

A resolution authorizing the submission of the 2016 Action Plan has been scheduled by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders on May 26, 2016 in the Freeholder’s Meeting Room.

Public hearings on the Consolidated Plan will be held on the following dates and locations to solicit citizen comment and participation:

• April 6, 2016 – 1:00 P.M. County Administration Building, 2^nd floor Conference Room, 10 Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth, NJ 07207
• April 6, 2016 – 7:30 P.M. Cranford Community Center, 220 Walnut Avenue, Cranford, NJ 07016
• May 11, 2016 – 9:30 A.M. Cranford Community Center, 220 Walnut Avenue, Cranford, NJ 07016
• May 18, 2016 – 7:30 P.M. Cranford Community Center, 220 Walnut Avenue, Cranford, NJ 07016

Union County together with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, will be hosting two Public Information Center meetings to inform local residents, officials, businesses and the general public of the intersection safety improvement project for West Seventh Street (CR 601) in the City of Plainfield. The project includes three intersections (Central Avenue, Grant Avenue and Plainfield Avenue) and is being funding through the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority using the Federal Highway Administration’s Highway Safety Improvement Program Funds.

The purpose of these meetings are to inform the public and solicit input and comments on the proposed improvements. These meetings are open to all members of the public. County engineering staff, a NJTPA representative and the consulting design engineer will be available to answer questions.

• Date: Wednesday, April 20, 2016
• Time: 2:00 pm and 7:00 p.m.
• Place: Plainfield Senior Center, 400 East Front Street, Plainfield, NJ

Written comments will be accepted through Friday, April 29, 2016. Comments may be mailed, faxed, or emailed to:

To Whom It May Concern:

Under the terms of the “Open Public Meetings Act” P.L. 1975, C. 231 and N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et seq., please be advised that the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will be hosting a Special Meeting on Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 7:30pm at the Administration Building, 10 Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Official action will be taken relative to the introduction for approval on the following Union County Ordinance:

AN AMENDMENT TO THE UNION COUNTY DISTRICT SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN TO INCORPORATE MODIFICATIONS TO THE TERMS AND PROVISIONS OF THE FACILITY LEASE AGREEMENT AND THE AMENDED AND RESTATED WASTE DISPOSAL AGREEMENT WITH COVANTA UNION, INC. FOR THE OPERATION OF THE UNION COUNTY RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITY TO EXTEND THE LEASE TERM AND REDUCE THE AUTHORITY’S WASTE DELIVERY OBLIGATIONS.

Union County, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi invites County residents to take advantage of a free passport photo opportunity on Passport Day, Saturday, April 9, by applying for a passport during extended hours at the County Clerk’s Office Annex in Westfield, at 300 North Avenue East, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

As a special Passport Day offer, the County Clerk’s normal fee of $10.00 per passport photo will be waived for all applicants, including renewals as well as new passport applications. 

“Residents who don’t have a U.S. passport should consider Passport Day for applying for their passport,” said Clerk Rajoppi. “Travel plans could come up quickly, whether for business or vacation. Many countries require six months validity on a U.S. passport, so it is important to check your passport’s expiration date now and take this opportunity to renew.”

No appointment is necessary but applicants must arrive by 1:30 p.m.

Ms. Rajoppi also noted that new national standards for driver’s licenses are being phased in to enhance safety at airports and other federal facilities. New Jersey has an extended deadline of October 2016 to comply with the new standards.

“A valid U.S. passport will enable you to board your flight whether you are traveling domestically or overseas. It provides you with peace of mind, regardless of your driver’s license status,” said Ms. Rajoppi.

Passport Day was established as a national program by the U.S. Department of State in 2008, to help travelers avoid the stress and expense of last-minute passport issues. Budget cuts forced an end to the State Department’s program but Ms. Rajoppi has continued to host an annual Passport Day.

“My office provides an easy, convenient way to conduct your passport business,” said Ms. Rajoppi, “Especially if you’re traveling with a family, the free photo savings on Passport Day can add up to a significant savings.”

For more details about the County Clerk’s passport services, including convenient links to passport information from the State Department, visit the County Clerk online at ucnj.org/county-clerk, call the Westfield Annex at 908-654-9859, or call the main office in Elizabeth at 908-527-4966.

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Union County, NJ – Schools, businesses and non-profit agencies are invited to contact the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County to book informational programs on nutrition and other health topics for students and adults. The programs are offered as part of the Extension’s spring programming schedule, County Visions Spring 2016.

“The Extension offers a full slate of programming and expert guidance for household and community health, whether you are interested in growing a successful garden, improving your family’s nutrition, volunteering in the community or helping to create a healthier environment in our neighborhoods,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.

In 2016 the Extension is offering four informational programs, for a nominal fee, to schools and other groups:

Forget Fad Diets: Just Learn to Eat Heart Healthy. Learn to trade high-fat/high calorie foods for healthier options.

Family Meals Anytime, Anyplace. The class includes practical tips for making family meals happen along with some simple meal ideas you can start using today.

MyPlate Makeovers. This class compares your daily intake to the recommendations of researchers and USDA and is a great class for parents, teachers, and community groups.

Lead Poisoning Prevention & Nutrition. Learn the causes and complications of lead poisoning for children and families and how regular meals and good nutrition may help lower lead absorption.

The Extension is also offering a “green infrastructure” program for residents and municipal agencies. Participants will learn how to reduce runoff by design and constructing rain gardens. The program will include tours of existing rain gardens, permeable pavements and other types of green infrastructure.

In addition, County Visions Spring 2016 provides information on the popular Master Gardeners and Master Tree Stewards volunteer programs, opportunities to lead a 4-H youth club, where to call for gardening help including soil tests and insect identification, details for the annual Master Gardeners garden fair and plant sale fundraiser, and more.

The County Visions Spring 2016 brochure can be viewed online at the County website at ucnj.org/rce, or call the Extension office in Westfield for more information, 908-654-9854.

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County is a program of the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Supported in part by the Freeholder Board, the Extension belongs to a national network organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to foster youth development and community health. For more information other Union County Extension programs including 4-H, Master Gardeners and Master Tree Stewards, visit ucnj.org/rce.

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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: