Category: Public Info

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that its next mobile paper-shredding program for personal documents will be available on Saturday, October 3, in Clark.

“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. 3^rd shredding event will take place in Oak Ridge Park, located at 136 Oak Ridge Road in Clark. 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 next shredding event will take place Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth.

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 .

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholder Alexander Mirabella presented certificates of appreciation to members of the Newark Bait and Fly Casting Club and Boy Scout Troop 145 from Clark thanking them for helping with the annual Union County Fishing Derby for people with disabilities at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi announces that a “One-Stop” election service is available for Union County voters at the Westfield and Elizabeth offices of the County Clerk beginning on Monday, September 21, 2015.

“Eligible voters are able to apply for a Vote-By-Mail ballot for the New Jersey General Election and School Board Elections in person at either of my offices, receive their ballot and cast the ballot at the same time,” Ms. Rajoppi said. “This one-stop voting service is available at my Westfield office as well as at the main office in Elizabeth. The deadline to apply for Vote-By-Mail for the November 3 General Election is October 27 by mail-in application. The deadline to apply in person is Monday, November 2 by 3:00 p.m.”

“The service in Westfield and Elizabeth makes voting more accessible, particularly at the Westfield office with its convenient Saturday office hours and evening hours during the week,” Ms. Rajoppi added. “With the important November 3 General Election for State Assembly, County and Municipal offices as well as the School Board Elections quickly approaching, my office is working to make the voting process as fast and convenient as we can for everyone who is registered to vote.”

Last week, Ms. Rajoppi announced the redesign of the Vote-By-Mail Ballot so that it more closely resembles the Sample Ballot and Official Ballot in the voting machines.  The ballot will now be horizontally oriented and the School Board Election will have a blue heading, drawing the voter’s attention to the bottom of the ballot so it is recognized that there are more votes to be cast.

Vote-By-Mail is an easy, secure process that has replaced the Absentee Ballot. Voters do not need to give a reason why they wish to Vote-By-Mail. Voters may pick up an application at their local municipal building. They can also download the form on the Union County Clerk’s website at ucnj.org/vote-by-mail, they can use the free, downloadable Union County NJ Votes app, or they can contact the Union County Clerk at 908-527-4996. The Clerk’s website also includes a video that explains how to fill out the Vote-By-Mail application form.

The opportunity to Vote-By-Mail in Westfield and Elizabeth is another service available at the County Clerk’s two offices, along with passport application and renewal services, registration of Trade Names, and the application and swearing in of Notaries Public. 

The County Clerk’s Westfield Annex is located in the Colleen Fraser Building, 300 North Avenue East, Westfield 07090. 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. 

The Main Office of the County Clerk is located at the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Room 113, Elizabeth, NJ 07207. Regular office hours in Elizabeth are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The County Clerk’s Election Office in Elizabeth will be open on Saturday, October 31from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to assist voters wishing to Vote-By-Mail.

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

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites everyone to attend the 34^th Annual Harvest Festival on Sunday, September 27 at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., rain or shine. 

Harvest Festival is a celebration of Early American life featuring music, children’s crafts, games, demonstrations and displays, a petting zoo and much more. The always popular Scarecrow Building will again take place.

“This event gives those in attendance an opportunity to see early American culture and history come to life while walking through the festival grounds in the picturesque Watchung Reservation,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Visitors of all ages will enjoy this fascinating, fun-filled event.”

Admission to the Harvest Festival is $4 per person, with children ages 7 and younger admitted free of charge. There may be a fee charged for some of the activities.

For more information on Trailside Nature and Science Center please visit www.ucnj.org/trailside.

(From left) Union County Freeholders Sergio Granados, Vernell Wright and Alexander Mirabella thanked State Senator Raymond Lesniak (2^nd right) for delivering the keynote speech at the Union County POW/MIA Remembrance Day ceremony outside the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. The annual event is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders to honor and remember prisoners of war and those missing in action (POW/MIA). National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed each year on the third Friday of September. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi invites all County residents to take advantage of a free passport photo opportunity on Passport Day 2015, by applying for a passport at the County Clerk’s Office Annex in Westfield, at 300 North Avenue East, on Saturday October 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary.  Applicants must arrive a half hour before closing.

As a special Passport Day offer, the County Clerk’s normal fee of $10.00 per passport photo will be waived, and free photos will be available to all applicants.  Also, the office will remain open for an additional hour until 2:00 p.m. The Annex is typically open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

“Our annual Passport Day has been very popular with travelers planning ahead for vacations or business related travel. This year we are helping travelers prepare for the fall and winter season,” said Rajoppi. “The Westfield Annex is a convenient location for many County residents, and I encourage you to take advantage of this special offer before the hectic rush of holiday travel sets in.”

Passport Day in the USA 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 the Union County Clerk’s office has continued to host an annual Passport Day event, including incentives for residents to prepare early for overseas travel.

U.S. citizens must present a valid passport book when entering or re-entering the United States by air. U.S. citizens entering the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean islands and Bermuda at land borders and sea ports of entry must present a passport book, passport card, or other travel documents approved by the U.S. government.

“Some countries require passports to be valid for up to nine months after you arrive, so to be on the safe side always renew your passport beforehand if it will expire within nine months,”  said Rajoppi.

Passport information is available by phone from the U.S. Department of State by calling the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 1-877-487-2778, or visit online at travel.state.gov.

Passport application forms may be obtained from the Westfield Annex or the County Clerk’s main office at the County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Room 114 in Elizabeth.

For more details, 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 at 908-527-4966.

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Union County, NJ – Students from Kean University’s Center for Leadership & Service have been among our most active Adopt-a-Park volunteers. This month they pitched in again with a shoreline cleanup at Echo Lake in Mountainside, where they pulled out invasive plants like mugwort, porcelain berry vine and knotweed. Aggressive species crowd out wildflowers and other valuable plants in County parks, and these young people have been a big help in keeping them under control. You can join the effort as an individual or with a school, business or civic group by contacting Adopt-a-Park in the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation, 908-789-3683 or email bkelly@ucnj.org.

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Union County, NJ – Union County residents who are interested in becoming a certified Home Health Aide may be eligible to join a low cost, state-certified Home Health Aide training program.

Applicants must be Union County residents 18 years of age, U.S. citizens or otherwise qualified by their immigration status, and proficient in English. They must be able to perform tasks such as helping patients out of bed, giving bed baths, and otherwise assisting persons who have limited mobility.

To find out if you are eligible, contact Donna Farrell, Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection, at 908-527-4858 or dfarrell@ucnj.org.

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Union County, NJ  –  Gardening and houseplant enthusiasts in Union County can add to their store of horticultural knowledge in September and October, by attending the free Fall Speakers Series presented by the volunteer Rutgers Master Gardeners of Union County.

“The Fall Speaker Series is just one of many ways in which the Master Gardeners are helping to enhance our Union County communities,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “The Freeholder Board is very proud to support this project and all of their efforts.”

The Rutgers Master Gardeners of Union County is an all-volunteer program run by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, supported in part by the Freeholder Board. It joins Union County in a nationwide system designed to deliver useful, science based information to local communities.

The next session in the Fall Speaker Series will be “Fall Bulb Planting” on Thursday, September 24, at 7:00 p.m.  Master Gardener Joanne Krueger will explain the ins and outs of a successful fall bulb planting program. 

On Tuesday October 6 at 7:00 p.m., Master Gardener Debra Stuart will present “Happy Healthy Houseplants.” Ms. Stuart will provide guidance on indoor locations, soils, pest control and other elements of a flourishing houseplant collection.

Both sessions will take place at Rutgers Cooperative Extension headquarters on the second floor of the Union County Colleen Fraser Building, located in the county services complex at 300 North Avenue East in Westfield.

Admission is free but attendees are required to pre-register by emailing Julie Morris at Rutgers Cooperative Extension, jmorris@ucnj.org, or call 908-654-9854, and press “option 2” to speak with Judi Laganga.

No previous experience is needed to join the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Union County. Any Union County resident who loves gardening and would like to share their knowledge can take a Rutgers training course and become a certified Master Gardener. The next certification course begins soon. To obtain an application form email jmorris@ucnj.org or call 908-654-9854 (press “option 2).

For more information on all Rutgers Cooperative Extension programs in Union County, including 4-H Clubs and Master Tree Steward program, visit online at ucnj.org/rce.

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Union County, NJ — Union County Freeholder Al Mirabella, who recently walked the “Rock the Skyline” fundraiser in Jersey City for the Love Hope Strength cancer foundation, met up with two remarkable people for this photograph: Welsh Rock Star Mike Peters (of the Alarm) and a founder of Love Hope Strength, and Susan Striffolino of Kenilworth.

Ms. Striffolino signed up for the International Bone Marrow Registry through Love Hope Strength at Union County Musicfest in 2008, and as a result, wound up making a donation that saved someone’s life. She was called by Delete Blood Cancer as a possible match in June of 2012 and scheduled to donate stem cells in November, the Monday after Hurricane Sandy hit, which made the logistics a bit challenging. She wound up donating at Georgetown University Hospital anonymously to a Leukemia patient in Scotland, and then did a second donation of “T” cells for him in June of 2013. As a result, the man is now in remission.   For information on her story, please go to: http://www.lovehopestrength.co.uk/2013/08/my-lhs-story-susan-striffolino/

For more information on Love Hope Strength, please go to: http://lovehopestrength.org/