Category: Public Info

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders sponsors students from Union County high schools to participate in the first annual Drama Festival next week in Rahway.

High school students from Rahway High School, Union County Academy for the Performing Arts, and Abraham Clark High School, as well as students from Montclair and Bound Brook, are registered to participate in the day-long Drama Festival.  Produced by American Theater Group, a nonprofit professional theatre company, the event is scheduled to be held at UCPAC’s Hamilton Stage in Rahway on Thursday, April 28.

“The new Drama Festival will provide a unique opportunity for students to develop their craft, learn from trained theatre professionals and educators, and perform on a professional stage,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “The entire experience is a great opportunity to enhance student learning and creative thinking, explore imagination, and promote teamwork and collaboration.”

Each school participating in the Drama Festival will have the opportunity to present a scene from a play or musical to a panel of working members of the Broadway theatre industry who will offer in-depth critiques of the student presentations.

Students will also have an opportunity to participate in a workshop with Tony-Award winning actress Michele Pawk and preeminent Broadway Fight Choreographer Rick Sordelet.

In addition, after the day’s events, students will attend a performance of ATG’s production of Crossing Swords.  This world premiere musical is about a group of high school students who attempt to put on a play, and end up seeing life imitate art as passions ignite and jealousies fly.  The day’s events culminate with a post-performance Q&A with the cast and creative team of Crossing Swords, including writer and composer Joe Slabe.

American Theater Group (ATG) is one of New Jersey’s newest nonprofit professional theatre companies.  Founded by New Jersey natives Jim Vagias, Joe Mancuso and Rick Sordelet, and under the Board leadership of Tony-Award winning actress Michele Pawk, ATG’s mission is to produce works by American Playwrights, with an emphasis on the development of new works and undeservedly neglected classics, and to nurture the audiences and artists of tomorrow by strong arts-in-education programming.  Now in its fourth season, ATG produces in the new state-of-the-art facility, Hamilton Stage, an intimate 199 seat theater that is operated by the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway.

 

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that a total of 19.4 miles of County roads will be repaved this season. The work, approved at the Freeholder Board’s regular public meeting on April 14, is the latest in an annual series of road resurfacing programs. Work will begin later this spring.

“Union County is responsible for 174 miles of roads, including many main arteries that help move people and goods throughout our region,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “Our roads are one of the main drivers of economic and social activity, and taking good care of them is a top priority.”

In recent years the Freeholder Board has also approved major intersection improvement projects on County roads, including a new project in Plainfield funded by a $1.1 million federal grant. The new project involves three intersections on East Front Street, which will receive traffic signal upgrades, audible pedestrian countdown signals and high visibility crosswalks

“These new improvements will ease congestion for motorists. They will also help make the busy Plainfield business district more inviting for people on foot or bicycle, and for people with disabilities” said Freeholder Linda Carter, who chairs the Board’s Public Works and Facilities committee.

Under Chairman Bergen’s 2016 Move-Connect-Grow transportation initiative, the Freeholder Board has also focused on bridge replacement and reconstruction projects. This year, design work is moving forward on the Elm Street Bridge in Westfield, the West Tracy Drive Bridge in Mountainside, the Hussa Street Bridge in Linden, and the Irving Street Bridge in Rahway.

Move-Connect-Grow also includes an Infrastructure Grant Program providing County funding for municipal road repaving and other infrastructure projects, along with new bike paths, continued advocacy for mass transit improvements, and completion of the Transportation Master Plan, a key planning tool. More information about the Master Plan is available at ucnj.org.

The roads scheduled for resurfacing in 2016 are:

Summit

Morris Avenue from River Road to Springfield Avenue

Chatham Road from River Road to the County line

 

New Providence

Mountain Avenue from Diamond Hill Road to Division Avenue

 

Berkeley Heights

McMane Ave from Diamond Hill to Glenside Ave

 

Mountainside

Coles Avenue/ Sky Top Drive from Glenside Avenue to New Providence Road

 

Plainfield/Fanwood/Scotch Plains

Terrill Road from Somerset County line to LaGrande to 7^th Street

 

Plainfield

West 7^thStreet from Park Avenue to Middlesex County line

 

Union

Burnet Avenue from Morris Avenue to Essex County line

Chestnut Street from Galloping Hill Road to West Chestnut Street

 

Elizabeth/Union

Magie Avenue from Orchard Street to Galloping Hill Road

 

Kenilworth/Union/Elizabeth/RosellePark

Galloping Hill Rd from Kimberly Rd to Magie Ave

 

Hillside

Hillside Avenue from Chestnut Avenue to North Broad

 

Rahway

Madison Hill Road from Westfield to the Bridge/Dam

 

Elizabeth

Jefferson Avenue from Magnolia Avenue to North Avenue

Elizabethtown Plaza from Rahway Avenue to Caldwell Place

Jersey Avenue from West End Avenue to Roselle Borough Line

 

Linden

Elizabeth Avenue from Stiles Street to Park Avenue

 

Clark

Ross Street and Valley Road from Route 27 to Stiles Street

For up-to-date information on road closures and other travel advisories related to County road and bridge projects, visit the interactive Road Construction Update page at ucnj.org/traffic.

To report potholes on County roads, use the convenient online form at ucnj.org/pothole.

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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 – Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Christopher Hudak joined Groundwork Elizabeth Board of Directors President Gregory Waga and Executive Director Jonathan Phillips at the Liberty Hall Farm at Kean University last week for the launch of MORE P.E.A.S., a new state funded community initiative run by Groundwork. P.E.A.S — Permaculture Education Agricultural Systems — promotes care for the earth, care for people, and return of surplus. Groundwork is also the Freeholder Board’s partner for the new Union County Community Garden Grants program. For more information about Groundwork visit groundworkelizabeth.com or call 908-289-0262, ext. 203. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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 Sheriff Joseph Cryan, Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi and Union County Surrogate James LaCorte congratulate the top winners of the 2016 “My County” poster contest sponsored by the Union County Constitutional Officers.

The top winners of the contest are (from 2^nd left): Reed Cabral (1st place) from St. Bartholomew Academy in Scotch Plains, Tatiana Fecowycz (2nd place) from Holy Trinity Interparochial School in Westfield, Julia Polo (3rd place) from St. John the Apostle Elementary School in Clark and Jonathan Moncayo (4th place) from the Ronald Reagan Academy #30 in Elizabeth.

More than 200 fourth grade students from schools throughout Union County entered the contest.

(Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Christopher Hudak presents resolutions to the Linden High School Boys Basketball Team congratulating them on their outstanding 2015-16 season. The Linden Tigers, under the guidance of Head Coach Phil Colicchio, won 24 games while losing 6 and captured their fourth straight New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association North Jersey, Section Two, Group Four Title.

Freeholder Hudak also presented Coach Colicchio a resolution congratulating him on achieving his 400th victory as a head varsity coach during the 2015-16 season at Linden High School.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that the next mobile paper-shredding program for personal, confidential documents will visit Plainfield on Arbor Day, Friday, April 29.

“Union County’s mobile document-shredding service helps residents fight identity theft by providing a convenient way to shred your confidential documents,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen. “It promotes our County recycling efforts and ties in with Union County’s other Green Initiatives.”

The April 29th shredding event will take place in Cedar Brook Park off Park Avenue in Plainfield. NEXCUT Shredding of Elizabeth will be shredding personal documents from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. The event will end before 1 p.m. if the shredding truck reaches capacity.

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. 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 paperclips. 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 next shredding event will take place Saturday, May 14^th at Alcatel-Lucent in New Providence.

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 Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholders Christopher Hudak, Vernell Wright and Angel G. Estrada joined Union County College President Dr. Margaret McMenamin, Union County College Board of Trustees Chair Victor Richel and Union County College Foundation Chair Jeffrey Katz in congratulating several of the students who received Freeholders Scholarships during the annual scholarship reception on the Union County College’s Cranford campus. Fifteen students received Freeholders Scholarships

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados joined Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage, Union County College President Margaret McMenamin and Victor Richel, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Union County College, in congratulating Obadiah Dryer, Claudio Argemi, David Guevara, Kun Yu Chou and Dexter Vally who recently graduated from the Metal Fabrication/CNC Machinist training program for high-tech jobs in advanced manufacturing during a ceremony in Elizabeth. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

 

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will sponsor a Household Special Waste Collection event on Saturday, April 23, so Union County residents can get rid 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 the Union County Vocational-Technical Schools campus, 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains, near the John H. Stamler Police Academy.

Residents of Union County are eligible to participate at no cost. Pre-registration is not required for this special Saturday collection.

“The special household waste recycling program for Union County residents is particularly important as we become more aware of the need for proper disposal of hazardous items that are found around the home,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “The result of our effort is safer homes and a cleaner environment for our families and our neighbors.”

All that residents need to do is drive to the site with their household special waste, propane tanks, automobile tires, and mercury thermostats. Workers at the site will unload the vehicles.

“Household special waste” includes 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. They should be disposed of in with the regular garbage. 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.

“This is a great opportunity to recycle up to eight tires and dispose of old chemical containers that are cluttering up the basement or the garage, or taking up space under the kitchen sink,” said Freeholder Christopher Hudak, liaison to the Union County Solid Waste Advisory Council. “Our homes become safer once they are rid of hazardous and combustible waste.”

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

A complete list of the materials that will be accepted on April 23 is available at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning web site: www.ucnj.org/recycle . The next scheduled household hazardous waste collection will be on June 11 at the Union County College campus in Cranford.

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 visit Roselle on Earth Day, Friday, April 22.

“Union County’s mobile document-shredding service helps residents fight identity theft by providing a convenient way to shred your confidential documents,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen. “It promotes our County recycling efforts and ties in with Union County’s other Green Initiatives.”

The April 22nd shredding event will take place near the Ice Skating Rink in Warinanco Park, off Park Street and Thompson Avenue in Roselle. NEXCUT Shredding of Elizabeth will be shredding personal documents from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. The event will end before 1 p.m. if the shredding truck reaches capacity.

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. 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 paperclips. 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 next shredding event will take place Friday, April 29^th at Cedar Brook Park in Plainfield.

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 .