Category: Public Info

Union County Freeholders Christopher Hudak and Vernell Wright spoke with Cathleen Lewis and Ron Esposito from AAA New Jersey and Union County Traffic Safety Program Coordinator Christine Marcantonio at the CarFit safety check event for senior drivers at the Garwood First Aid Squad.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invited senior residents to participate in the free CarFit event to help ensure mature drivers fit their vehicles properly. The event offers drivers a quick, comprehensive check on correct safety belt position, distance from airbags, mirror alignment, and how well their vehicles suit their abilities. CarFit is a national program aimed at helping senior drivers find their safest fit in their personal vehicle. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders are happy to announce that tickets for this year’s Great Pumpkin Sail at Echo lake Park, Lower Lake, are now on sale.

The Great Pumpkin Sail will take place on Sunday, November 1 with three sessions scheduled. The first session will run from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m.; session two from 6:45-8:00 p.m.; and session three from 8:15-9:30 p.m. In case of rain, the event will take place Monday, November 2^nd at the same times.

“The Great Pumpkin Sail, year in and year out, is one of our most popular events,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Please purchase your tickets early and be part of this wonderful family event.”

Each family ticket is for one Jack-O-Lantern weighing no more than 8 pounds after carving, and must be purchased in advance.  The Great Pumpkin Sail is one our most popular events, so you are advised to register early since space is limited. Each ticket admits up to 6 people. There is a limit of 2 tickets per person. There will be no refunds, exchanges or group sales. The cost is $12 per family up to six people for in county residents. Out of county residents pay $16 per family up to six persons.

Tickets are available at three locations: Weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Union County Administration Building, Department of Parks and Recreation, 2^nd Floor, 10 Elizabethtown Plaza in Elizabeth; at the Colleen Fraser Building, 300 North Avenue East, Westfield,  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 a.m.to  4:00 pm and on Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and at Trailside Nature and Science Center, 425 New Providence Road, Mountainside every day from Noon to 4:45 p.m.

For further information you can call the Union county Department of parks and Recreation at 908-527-4900; or Trailside nature and Science Center at 908- 789-3670; or visit the Union County website atwww.ucnj.org.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces free upcoming child safety seat inspection opportunities in Scotch Plains and Plainfield.

The proper use of child safety seats is one of the simplest and most effective methods available for protecting the lives of young children in the event of a motor vehicle accident.

Union County’s mobile child seat inspection unit will offer child safety seat inspections at the Scotch Plains Health Fair on Saturday, October 3 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. located at 430 Park Avenue in Scotch Plains. Inspection services will also be offered on Saturday October 10 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Plainfield Fire Department located at 200 block of North Avenue in Plainfield.

“With the new State law that took effect on September first, this program offers parents and guardians an opportunity to make sure their child’s safety seat is properly adjusted and meets the law’s requirements,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “The County’s mobile unit gives residents throughout the county a more convenient opportunity to have our experts help them get familiar with a new seat, or spot any problems with an older seat.”

The new State law requires parents to adhere to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations for child passenger safety.

Certified child passenger safety technicians will check the car seat for proper installation and educate parents and guardians on using the seat correctly.

Under the new child passenger safety law:

• Children under age 2 and weighting less than 30 poundsmust be secured in a rear-facing child safety seat that is equipped with five-point harness.
• Children between ages 2-4 and weighing up to 40 poundsmust be secured in a child safety seat equipped with a five-point harness, either rear-facing (up to the height and weight limits of the seat) or forward –facing.
• Children between ages 4-8 and less than 57 inches tall (4’9”)must be secured in a forward-facing seat equipped with a five-point harness (up to the height and weight limits of the seat) or in a booster seat.
• Children ages 8 and oldermust use the vehicle seat belt. The safest place for children under 13 is the back seat.

In addition to the aforementioned mobile events, Union County’s popular Child Safety Seat Inspection Program is open every Wednesday and Thursday throughout the year from 7:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at the Garwood Rescue Squad at 401 2^nd Avenue in Garwood.

This is an indoor location, so County residents may come to have their safety seats checked even during inclement weather.

Union County first launched the Child Safety Seat Inspection Program in 1999, in response to surveys showing that the overwhelming majority of child safety seats are improperly installed, even though most users are confident that they know the correct procedure.

Since 1999, approximately 50,000 Union County residents and visitors have used the Seat Inspection Program. It is staffed by personnel from the County’s Department of Public Safety, who are certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and by the organization SafeKids. The program is credited with saving at least one life, when a toddler survived a 2008 vehicle rollover shortly after the seat was properly adjusted by County personnel.

The child seat inspection program is provided as a public service by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Union County Police Department, New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, AAA Northeast – NJ Division, and the Garwood First Aid Squad.

For more information about Union County’s Child Safety Seat Inspection Program visit ucnj.org or call 908-789-6830.

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Watch the video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aQkA5wheFQ

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[updated October 1, 2015]

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders reminds residents to prepare for stormy weather this week as Hurricane Joaquin makes its way up the eastern seaboard. The latest weather reports place New Jersey in the center of the projected track for Joaquin, which stretches from Rhode Island to North Carolina. According to the latest estimates, Joaquin could potentially reach New Jersey late Monday.

“Union County will likely experience some heavy rain and wind throughout the weekend leading up to next week,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Please take this opportunity to check how prepared you are for severe weather events as the hurricane season affects our area.”

Since being impacted by Hurricane Irene in August 2010, Union County has experienced a string of damaging weather events including Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Emergency experts recommend that every household and business be prepared to spend at least three days without power or access to local grocery stores and other services.

That includes keeping a first aid kit and a supply of non-perishable food and bottled water on hand. Flashlights and other emergency equipment should also be stored in an easily accessible area, and should be checked regularly to make sure they are working properly.

For vehicle owners, preparedness also includes responding to emergency guidance such as topping off gas tanks ahead of a storm and avoiding non-essential travel during recovery.

As part of their emergency preparedness measures, residents and businesses should also check their property and secure lightweight yard furniture, trash cans, toys, and other items that could create windblown hazards.

For tips and resources on emergency preparation in Union County, visit ucnj.org/prepare.

Additional guidance on preparing for hurricanes is available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency at ready.gov.

“The most crucial thing to do is to stay informed in the lead-up to an extreme weather event, and follow the guidance of local emergency officials,” Jalloh noted. “Your preparedness will enable first responders to focus on helping those in immediate need.”

To receive alerts on cell phones and other mobile devices, residents can join the Union County First Alert system by signing up online at ucfirstalert.org.

“When you receive an alert, follow up by tuning in to your local news reports. You can also bookmark the home page of the Union County website, ucnj.org, where information and updates will be posted,” said Jalloh.

Information on the progress of Hurricane Joaquin is available from the National Hurricane Center at nhc.noaa.gov.

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Union County, NJ – To help travelers avoid the stress and expense of last-minute passport applications, Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi invites Union County residents to apply for or renew their passports on Passport Day 2015, this Saturday October 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the County Clerk’s Office Annex in Westfield, 300 North Avenue East.

No appointment is needed, though applicants must arrive before 1:30 p.m. The normal fee of $10.00 per passport photo will be waived for all applicants.

For more details 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 — Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi reminds Union County residents who are not registered to vote that they have until Tuesday, October 13 to register in time for the upcoming General Election and School Board Election on November 3.

“There is still ample time to register, but don’t delay. If you have any questions about your eligibility or other concerns, you can call my office and my staff will assist you,” said Rajoppi. “Registering to vote is quick and simple, and it is the first step toward guaranteeing that your voice will be heard in the 2015 General and School Board Elections.”

Voter registration forms are available at the Office of the County Clerk in the main office in Elizabeth at 2 Broad Street, and at the satellite office in Westfield at 300 North Avenue East. A form can also be requested through the Union County Votes App, by calling the County Clerk’s office at 908-527-4996 or downloading it from the County Clerk’s website, ucnj.org/county-clerk. Each municipal clerk’s office also has voter registration forms available.

Voter registration forms must be mailed to the Union County Board of Elections, 271 North Broad Street, Elizabeth NJ 07208 and postmarked no later than Tuesday October 13 to be eligible to vote on November 3, 2015.

A voter must be a citizen of the United States and at least 18 years old by Election Day, not serving a sentence, probation, or parole because of a felony conviction, and a resident of New Jersey and Union County for at least 30 days.

Registered voters are also encouraged to use the Vote-by-Mail process when voting. Any voter may use the service.

“Vote-By-Mail is becoming very popular and I encourage you to give it a try,” said Rajoppi. “This year I have redesigned the Vote-by-Mail ballot to make it even more simple and convenient to vote by mail.

To vote by mail, voters can pick up an application from their municipal clerk, download the form at the Union County website, ucnj.org/vote-by-mail, visit the County Clerk’s offices in Elizabeth or Westfield, contact the Union County Clerk at 908-527-4996, or request an application through the Union County Votes App. Applications to Vote-By-Mail must be received by the County Clerk no later than October 27. The deadline for in-person applications at the Clerk’s offices is November 2 before 3:00 p.m.

For all County Clerk programs and services visit ucnj.org/county-clerk or call 908-527-4787.

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The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that its next mobile paper-shredding program for personal documents will be available on Wednesday, October 14, in Kenilworth.

“Union County’s mobile document-shredding service helps residents fight identity theft and eliminate clutter in their homes,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “It is a cost-effective way to assist our recycling efforts and it ties in with Union County’s other Go Green Initiatives.”

The Oct. 14^th shredding event will take place at Galloping Hill Golf Course, located at 3 Golf Drive, off Boulevard in Kenilworth. NEXCUT Shredding of Elizabeth will be shredding documents at the site from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. The shredding 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. Documents should not be bound. 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 final shredding event of 2015 will take place Sunday, Oct. 25, 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 Union County Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889 or visit us online at www.ucnj.org/recycle .

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invited residents, especially veterans and their families, to gather at the steps of the Union County Courthouse on Friday, September 18 at 11:15 a.m., for the annual POW/MIA Remembrance Day ceremony to honor prisoners of war and those missing in action. New Jersey State Senator Raymond J. Lesniak delivered the keynote address.

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Alexander Mirabella, Bette Jane Kowalski and Christopher Hudak presented a resolution to Lisa Housel and Dominic Romeo of the Clark Shop Rite thanking them for the store’s efforts to fight hunger with their “Help Bag Hunger” events. They were joined by Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi. The Freeholder Board proclaimed September “National Hunger Action Month.” (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Sergio Granados was one of four recipients of the 2015 Service Award given by the Boys Scouts of America, Patriots’ Path Council, during a recent dinner at the annual Boy Scouts of America Scouting…Vale la Pena Service Awards Dinner held at the Portuguese Instructive Social Club in Elizabeth. The Patriots’ Path Council includes Morris, Sussex, Somerset, Union, and Middlesex counties. This year’s honorees included Granados, Maria Navedo vice president and branch manager at Santander Bank, Amilcar “Mickey” Colon, Union County Undersheriff, and Luis O. De La Hoz senior vice president at the Intersect Fund, a non-profit micro-lender.  

These recipients are chosen for their outstanding services as evidenced by the interest and leadership they have demonstrated within the community. They are citizens who live the ideals of the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. The 2015 dinner chair was George A. Castro II, broker and owner of Century 21 Atlantic.

Caption: Union County Freeholder Sergio Granados (pink tie, blue jacket), tenth from left, joins fellow recipients of the 2015 Patriots’ Path Service Award, and members of Boy Scouts Troop 101, 104, and 4, at the awards dinner in Elizabeth on Saturday.