Category: Public Info

Union County, NJ – Lawn tennis, anyone?

That’s right, a real grass tennis court will make its debut Saturday at the Deserted Village of Feltville in the Watchung Reservation. The opening is all part of the Four Centuries in A Weekend celebration across Union County.

The grass tennis court was popular when the Village was a summer resort called Glenside Park, from 1882 to 1916.  Not used for decades, it succumbed to the forces of nature and time.

But that has all changed as a result of a Garwood Boy Scout.  Nathan Kramer chose to make the restoration of the court his Eagle Scout project and visitors will be impressed by the transformation.

“Nathan did an incredible job,” said Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski. “All the overgrown vegetation is gone.  There is new fencing so that players won’t have to chase tennis balls into the woods, and there is a beautiful new gateway welcoming visitors to the court.”

“Parks even found some old wooden tennis rackets, so players will really get to experience what it was like playing on that court decades ago,” Kowalski said.

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

Union County Parks celebrates the weekend at the Deserted Village with free hayrides, tours, colonial children’s games, and more.

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 35 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.

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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Long before critics would take note of his stunning folk art, Nicaraguan artist Roberto de la Selva showed up at a small enclave in the Watchung mountains.

It was 1927 and de la Selva, an associate of the artist Diego Rivera, ended up painting murals on the walls of one of the homes with scenes that would be precursors to his later wood carvings.

This Sunday, at Masker’s Barn in the Deserted Village of Feltville, there will be a special program focusing on de la Selva’s work and the need to restore the house that contains his murals.

The panel discussion, which gets underway at 1 p.m., will include Ron Burkard, an Oklahoma resident and scholar and collector of de la Selva art; Priscilla Hayes, a Deserted Village historian; Dr. Elizabeth Seaman, whose high school class created digital restorations of the murals; and Daniel Bernier, resident caretaker of the Deserted Village and administrator of its restoration.

Although the house is closed to the public, poster-size photographs of the murals will be on display at the barn.

“While Four Centuries at the Deserted Village is a lot of fun, with the hayrides, tours, the colonial children’s games and other activities, we try to strike that balance and explore some aspect of the Village’s and area’s history,” said Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski.

Past forums have included authors, historians and archeologists, who shared their research with visitors on the multiple chapters in history that have played out in the small enclave above the Blue Brook, from its colonial beginnings as farming country to a resort community.

“We never had the opportunity before to explore de la Selva’s life, which is what makes this year’s forum so unique,” Kowalski said. “And hopefully, it will help spur further efforts to save and restore his murals.”

In the late 1920s, several homes in the village were owned by Edward Grassmann, a surveyor and engineer from Elizabeth.

Grassmann arranged for de la Selva to spend his summer in House #7, where he painted about a dozen murals directly on the plaster walls throughout the first floor of the house.  The murals were covered up with wallpaper within five years, and were not uncovered until 1975.

Since that time, the vacancy of that house, lack of environmental controls, and a leaky roof led to significant deterioration of many of the murals.

The de la Selva murals have attracted the attention art scholars and were included earlier this year in an exhibition of de la Selva’s art in San Antonio, Texas. Known more as a sculptor, his murals at the Deserted Village are the only murals that he is known to have painted.

In 2013, House #7 was cited by Preservation New Jersey as one of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Sites in New Jersey.  PNJ’s listing was intended not only to show the deterioration of the murals, but also to spotlight the need for funding to assist the County in its historic preservation efforts.

For more information and directions, go to www.ucnj.org/dv

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders celebrated the eighth annual Union County—UNICO District X Columbus Day Flag raising event at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. The program, which was emceed by Freeholder Alexander Mirabella, featured a number of speakers from UNICO, County government, and Filomena Coccaro, the owner of Ciao Amici  Italian Language Cultural Center, who was the keynote speaker.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen, Vice Chairman Sergio Granados, Freeholders Linda Carter, Angel G. Estrada, Christopher Hudak and Vernell Wright and Union County Manager Alfred Faella joined Rahway Mayor Samson Steinman and members of the Rahway City Council and the Rahway High School community in celebrating the official opening of the Rahway River Park Field. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

So how did the American colonists “text” each other?

Children are invited–yes, their parents can tag along– experience first hand what it was like to “text” in Colonial America

As part of the Four Centuries In A Weekend celebration at the Deserted Village of Feltville  in the Watchung Reservation, youngsters will be able to sit at old school desks and to write with a quill pen and ink on parchment paper to experience what it was like writing a letter in Colonial times.

The experience is one of the most popular for children at Four Centuries, with more than 400 youngsters last year taking their turns to write with a quill the way the Founding Fathers did as they drafted the Declaration of Independence.

While youngsters are free to write as they wish, last year some teenagers decided a treasure map was more to their liking.

Four Centuries in a Weekend, coming Oct. 15 & 16, is celebrated across Union County at different historic sites. The Union County Department of Parks & Recreation celebrates the event at the Deserted Village in Berkeley Heights.  There are games and activities for children, hayrides, and historic tours of the area. Historic sites are open 11a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

“All you have to do is look at those youngsters, quill in hand, and you can see how much they enjoyed the experience,” said Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski. “It’s fun. It’s also learning a little history-that the way we communicate has changed so much,” she said.

A Parks Department staffer will be on hand to guide children, and to suggest what they might write about if they had been alive in the 1700’s when the Reservation area was all fields.

In fact, John Willcocks, one of the farmers who tilled a portion of the land that is now part of the 2,142-acre Watchung Reservation, fought in the Revolutionary War.  Willcocks served in the New Jersey militia and is thought to have been mortally wounded during the retreat of General Washington’s army from Fort Lee.

Youngsters are invited to consider how the farmers in the area would be concerned about how the war was faring and how they might well have written to relatives about the progress of those battles and concerns for their own safety

For more information on the Deserted Village of Feltville, go to ucnj.org/dv, and for more activities in the Union County Parks System, go to ucnj.org/fun. For directions, set GPS to Cataract Hollow Road, Berkeley Heights, NJ.

The Union County Police Firearms ID Unit has provided countless investigative leads to law enforcement over the years including a case in which the subject of three homicides and one aggravated assault in Elizabeth was linked to three other shooting incidents in Pennsylvania in June of 2015.

In Elizabeth, Union County Police investigated the crime scenes and proceeded to put the evidence into the forensic technology called The Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS). IBIS is a nationwide computer network operated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATFE) that contains an electronic database of test shots from submitted firearms and crime scene evidence. IBIS is often used to find similarities between cases to help generate suspect leads for investigators.

In the Elizabeth case, once the evidence was compared, the Union County Police Firearms ID Unit was able to determine that the same gun that killed three people and wounded another in Elizabeth were related. After further investigation, the UCPD determined that the gun man fled to Eastern Pennsylvania and participated in several more shooting incidents. Using the IBIS forensics system to compare evidence, the PA Police Department discovered a potential match between the two series of events and arrested a suspect. The PA Police Dept. matched the gun to the crimes in PA, which matched the same gun to the crime scenes in Elizabeth. The Leica FSC Microscope played a significant role in assisting investigators in tying seven major incidents throughout Elizabeth and Eastern PA to one suspect and one gun.

The Leica FSC Microscope is two microscopes connected through one optical bridge so the operator can view two pieces of evidence on separate stages through one binocular so they can compare the images side by side under the same lighting conditions, magnifications and focal depth. It’s used to compare evidence to evidence as well as evidence to test shots. The object of the microscope is to determine if there is evidence to link crimes together.

The Union County Police Department purchased the first Leica FSC Microscope in 2005 which is now in need of repair. The repair would cost $10,000 but with the purchase of the new microscope at the cost of $65,000, the company will repair the old one for no extra charge.

“Before 2005, there would be a delay while investigators waited for the results from an out-of-county lab,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen, “Now with our fully equipped lab, we can provide timely information to our local investigators, and to jurisdictions throughout New Jersey and the nation.”

The Leica FSC Microscope is an essential tool to help provide leads to investigators in solving gun crimes and can provide intelligence that enables law enforcement to focus its resources to help prevent the next shooting.

Fill your belly and enjoy great live music with fun for the kids, all for a great cause at the CHS Project Graduation Food Truck and Music Festival on Saturday, October 29th from 11 am to 5 pm at Nomahegan Park, Springfield Avenue in Cranford – sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

“The Freeholder Board is proud to support the Cranford High School Project Graduation fundraiser,” said Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “Graduation from high school is a milestone for every student, and the nationally recognized Project Graduation program allows students to celebrate their accomplishments together in a safe and memorable way.”

“Cranford High School Project Graduation is celebrating its 28th year of providing graduating seniors with a fun, safe, drug-and-alcohol free evening,” said Jackie Carr, Project Graduation Chair.  “The CHS Project Graduation Food Truck and Music Festival was created as an exciting and delicious fundraiser to help underwrite the cost of the 2017 senior class Project Graduation night.”

Come to the CHS Project Graduation Food Truck and Music Festival and indulge in all your favorite food fantasies, with dishes like gooey cheesesteaks, savory Australian meat pies, fresh lobster rolls, creamy pierogis, crispy empanadas, Belgian waffles and sinfully delicious cupcakes. Sink your teeth into lip-smacking barbecue, stuffed burgers and specialty hot dogs. Monkey around in the jungle-gym or stroll along the beautiful grounds of Nomahegan Park. Browse unique crafters and dance to the music of Brother John Brown Band, DJ Rene and the high school band Betty Sally.  Don’t forget to bring beach chairs and blankets and your favorite four-legged friend for this pet-friendly outdoor event.

“This is a wonderful fall event where the entire family can spend the day enjoying delicious cuisines from popular food trucks along with live music from local bands, crafters, face painters and activities for the younger kids,” said Carr.

The Food Truck and Music Festival is generously sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, with additional sponsorships provided by PSE&G, the Cranford Municipal Alliance and the Cranford Rotary Club.  

“The senior class of 2017 is very grateful for the incredibly generous support received from our elected officials, corporate and community partners, family and friends,” Carr noted.  “We are proud to bring the excitement of the food truck craze to Cranford, so everyone can experience firsthand all the creative and delicious foods while simultaneously supporting the great cause that is Project Graduation.”

Nomahegan Park is directly across from the Cranford campus of Union County College.  Admission to the rain-or-shine event is $5 per person and children under 12 years old are free; prices for crafts and food vary per vendor.  Parking is available in the Union County College campus parking lot.

For more information, visit Facebook.com/Cranfordprojectgrad2017 or contact jackio325@aol.com.  For vendor information, contact Spark Market Solutions:  info@sparkmybiz.com.

Grab the kids, grab a friend, because once again its that time to ride the rails into history.

On Oct. 15 and 16, Union County celebrates Four Centuries In  A Weekend, when historic sites and museums across the county open their doors to the public, free of charge.

Many of the sites are within walking distance of the train stations across the County, with some sites offering shuttle service.

Kean University will once again provide trolley service from NJ Transit’s Union Station to Liberty Hall Museum.  Meanwhile, Mountainside will provide a shuttle that will make a loop from the Westfield train station to the Deserted Village, with stops at the Miller-Cory Museum, the Reeve House, ucnj.org/reeve, and Mountainside’s Deacon Hetfield House, ucnj.org/deacon, before reaching the Deserted Village , ucnj.org/dv, where Union County Parks sponsors a host of activities and tours for young and old alike.

“It’s a fun outing, with a train ride and a little history along the way,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski.  “Many of the towns’ historic sites are within walking distance of the stations,” she said, noting that the County has put together a listing of all the sites along the County’s three train lines.

“Some sites, like Fanwood, are right at the train station,” Kowalski said.  “Others have further walks but if it is a beautiful fall day, it may be just the day to enjoy a leisurely stroll.”
A full listing of directions from the County’s rail stations to the historic sites is available at:  ucnj.org/trainthrutime or ucnj.org/TTT.

“Four Centuries is such a great event,” Kowalski said. “A train ride is just the icing on the cake and adds to the fun of learning about our area’s incredibly rich history.”

NJ Transit allows children to ride free on weekends. Monthly commuter passes are also valid. (Fare details are available at njtransit.com) . For those wishing to cycle from a train station, be sure to check with NJ Transit’s guidelines for bringing bikes aboard the trains.

Below is a brief guide to the sites.  The (#) below refers to site numbers in Union County Across the Centuries, the County’s guide to sites of historic note in the area. Union County Parks (ucnj.org/parks) is also rolling out routes for cyclists to visit several historic sites along a 10–12 mile ride.

Long before the Raritan Valley Line, there was the Central Railroad of New Jersey. From stations across Union County, from Plainfield to Elizabeth, it was possible to board a train to Chicago, or from Jersey City, to board a ferry to New York City. The CNJ is long gone, however some of the historic sites along the route remain, and you can ride the train to visit some of them.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders celebrated the eighth annual Union County—UNICO District X Columbus Day Flag raising event at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. The program, which was emceed by Freeholder Alexander Mirabella, featured a number of speakers from UNICO, County government, and Filomena Coccaro, the owner of Ciao Amici  Italian Language Cultural Center, who was the keynote speaker.

Left to right (front row): Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen; Freeholder Vernell Wright; County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi, Freeholder Alexander Mirabella, Filomena Coccaro of Ciao Amici Italian Cultural Center in Cranford, and Anthony Bengivenga of UNICO National and Westfield UNICO.

Second row: Freeholder Christopher Hudak (holding flag), Joe Almeida of Union UNICO; and William Hearon of Clark UNICO and District X Governor.

Third row: Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski (red shirt);  Renato Biribin of Plainfield’s UNICO (Green shirt), Henry Varriano of Clark UNICO (partially blocked), Union County Manager Alfred J. Faella, Manny Alfano of Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition.

Fourth Row: Mike Guarino of Columbus Parade Association, Bob Tarte of Westfield UNICO (glasses), George Abruzzo of Clark UNICO,George Marretta of Elizabeth UNICO, Nino Quaglia of Elizabeth UNICO.

Rear: Sebastian D’Elia (Plainfields’ UNICO)

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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