Category: Public Info

Welcome to a whole new way of  learning about nature—or at least  the trees all around you.

And maybe, just maybe, since it involves smart phones, it will appeal to the younger generation.

In many parks and botanical gardens it is not unusual to see signs identifying trees, giving their name in English and Latin.

Union County Parks is now offering that and much more. In cooperation with The Smithsonian, Columbia University and the University of Maryland, Parks has designed a new signage system that connects to a virtual field guide so that it is possible to learn just about anything one would want to know about a tree, from how it propagates to the region it inhabits, with a click of the phone.

“The photography used in this virtual field guide is absolutely gorgeous,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, as she watched a group of volunteer Master Tree Stewards install new tree signage in Echo Lake Park.

The first of these new generation signs was installed two years ago in Lenape Park. In addition to Echo Lake, the tree stewards recently finished Nomahegan Park and plan to install a third trail this year at Briant Park.

“It really is amazing how this blends technology and nature in such a harmonious way,” said Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce Bergen.

“There was a time when you had to bring a field guide with you if you wanted to learn more about this kind of thing. Now you can just go for a walk, and when you see one of these signs, you can scan the QR code and immediately be viewing the information and illustrations about the tree,” Bergen said.

While the signs are beyond reach to thwart vandalism, because the QR boxes are so large, any phone with a free QR phone reader app can easily scan the code.

“It’s no secret that the volunteer tree stewards have a particular fondness for trees,” said Dean Talcott, who coordinates the effort to identify the trees and install the signage.

“We would just like to be able to share this knowledge with the public and enable them to learn more about what is all around them,” he said.

Several years ago, The Smithsonian and the two universities joined forces to create an online tree guide called Leafsnap. While the app was written for iphones, the project had insufficient funds to create the app necessary to work with android and other phones.

“The one thing we didn’t want is a system that only worked with one brand of phones and tablets,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed Jalloh. “Parks solved that problem by a incorporating QR codes into the signs. Now they work with all phones, regardless of the operating system.”

 Many of the signs in Nomahegan Park in Cranford are on a trail that is part of  the East Coast Greenway http://www.greenway.org/, a 2,950-mile lowland Appalachian Trail from Maine to Florida that weaves through nearly every major city along the East Coast.

 The signs in Echo Lake Park in Mountainside are located on a trail that connects Echo Lake to the Route 22 pedestrian overpass and the New Providence Road greenway that leads to the southern edge of the Watchung Reservation.

The tree sign identification is an offshoot of the Master Tree Stewards’ ongoing educational program. Volunteers visit youngsters in fourth grade classrooms to teach them about trees and to appreciate the importance of trees to the environment.

Anyone interested in joining the tree steward program should contact the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County, (https://njaes.rutgers.edu/county/quickinfo.asp?Union).

14^th Annual Union County Employee Art Show during the opening reception at the Elizabethtown Gas Company’s Liberty Hall Center in Union. The contest, co-sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and The National Arts Program Foundation, was open to Union County employees and their relatives. The exhibit will be open to the public weekdays until May 26, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Elizabethtown Gas Company, located at Liberty Hall Center, 1085 Morris Avenue in Union Township

(From left) Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Bruce H. Bergen congratulate Ryan Frees (2^nd R) of Clark on winning first place in the amateur category

(From left) Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Bruce H. Bergen congratulate Susan Anderson (2^nd R) of Clark on winning first place in the professional category

Union County, NJ – The annual 4-H Public Presentation Night is always full of surprises, and this year the rich imagination of Union County youth was on full display. The topics, all hand-picked by 4-H members in first grade through high school, ran the gamut from fish tanks and manga to optical illusions, dog rescue, penguins, and the Founding Fathers.

“4-H is a wonderful American tradition and Union County is very proud to support our 4-H members,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Congratulations to all of this year’s presenters for a job well done.”

Presentation Night is the culmination of an intensive project for the 4-H club members. They each pick a topic of their choice, research it, create a public speech, and rehearse it for their families and 4-H clubs before taking the stage and presenting to a live audience.

This year, Presentation Night included 72 4-H’ers and a panel of 20 judges, who awarded colored ribbons for Excellent (blue), Very Good (red) and Good (yellow).

Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, a former 4-H’er, was on hand to enjoy the presentations.

“The 4-H clubs encourage young people to explore their interests while building communication, leadership and civic skills,” said Freeholder Kowalski. “On behalf of the Freeholder Board, I would like to thank all of the 4-H presenters for making this extra effort to share their knowledge and their interests with the Union County community.”

4-H is a youth development program with roots in the rural public education programs of the 19^th century. It was formally launched as a national initiative by Congress in 1914, through the same act that established the Cooperative Extension research system under the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In its present form, 4-H covers a wide range of contemporary topics while helping students develop important community and life skills represented by the four H’s — Head, Heart, Hands and Health.

Union County 4-H is run by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County, supported in part by the Freeholder Board. Union County 4-H clubs are open to students in grades 1-12 and cover many popular subjects including archery, Lego robotics, pet care, and more.

For more information contact 4-H Agent James Nichnadowicz at 908-654-9854 or Nichnadowicz@njaes.rutgers.edu, or visit online at ucnj.org/rce.

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RAHWAY, NJ – Most teenagers daydream about singing or dancing on a stage before a live audience. That dream becomes reality for some Union County middle and high school students at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12^th when they perform in the Teen Arts Showcase at the Union County Performing Arts Center, 1601 Irving Street, in Rahway’s downtown arts district.

The Teen Arts Showcase is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Performing Arts Center. Teachers, fellow students, friends and family members of participating students are invited to attend the Showcase along with the general public. Admission is free.

“The annual Union County Teen Arts Festival is a wonderful opportunity for students to interact with professional artists while sharing their own talents with students from other schools,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Students appearing in the Teen Arts Showcase represent many of the performing arts disciplines and the municipalities that participated in the 2015 Teen Arts Festival.”      

Instrumental groups, vocal groups, pianists, dancers, theater performances and visual artists were selected from the 3,500 students who participated at the 2015 Teen Arts Festival at Union County College in Cranford on March 19^th and 20^th.  The annual Festival is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and coordinated by the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs in the Department of Parks and Recreation.

The Teen Arts Festival is a two-day celebration of the arts where students and a staff of fifty professional artists participate in performances, critiquing seminars, master classes and workshops in every discipline – visual arts, music, creative writing, theater, media arts and dance.  The Festival’s focus is not on competition but an opportunity for students to develop perceptual, intellectual and technical skills; gain cultural awareness and understanding; develop personal, aesthetic values; and learn self-discipline, critical thinking and problem solving through analyzing, interpreting and making judgments.  

For more information, contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07202. Telephone: 908-558-2550. NJ Relay Users dial 711. Or E-mail: Culturalinfo@ucnj.org.

Top photo, Left: Maria Carvalho, Police Officer, Nelson Pereira, 2nd Runner up Claudia Ribeiro, Princess Karina Amaral, Grand Marshal Leonel Cardoso, Union County Recreation Department , Daniella Andrade, Ashley Batista , Manny Grova III Joao Pinto Past Grande Knight, Freeholder Angel Estrada, Police Officer Claudia Amador, Little Princess Cristina Esteves, Little Prince Patrick Piadade,  1st runner up Pedro Vale , Walter Piadade, 2nd runner up Jaden Canelo

Pilot program part of Chairman Jalloh’s “Families First” Initiative to serve children up to age 12, and special needs children to 18

UNION COUNTY, NJ— The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders last night voted to authorize a pilot program with Community Coordinated Child Care of Union County (CCCC) to serve those who don’t meet eligibility for State subsidized child care with affordable child care. The program is part of Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh’s “Families First Initiative,” announced in January.

The pilot program, which is scheduled to start in June and end in December, will assist approximately 40 families with up to 25% of the cost of child care, and is targeted toward low income working parents, or those in school full-time who do not receive other child care subsidies to secure child care for children up to 12 years of age, or children with a documented “special need” up to age 18. Please note the program is expected to be set up within the next few weeks, and additional information will be forthcoming from the County and CCCC in Rahway on how and when to sign up.

“Obtaining quality, affordable Child care is a glass ceiling for many working class families and single parents,” Freeholder Chairman Jalloh said. “The benefits of child care are many, including better health, and better socialization and improved behavioral attributes. Children in childcare also tend to score slightly higher on measures of academic and cognitive achievement years later as in comparison to their peers without child care, according to long-running Federal studies.”

The program will permit families living on low income, or suffering from catastrophic illness, homelessness, domestic violence crises to access child care for pre-school before/after school and summer camp. Under the terms of the $50,000 contract with CCCC, the organization will also assist parents with inquiries, screens, maintain all records and documentation and refer them to licensed child care providers in the geographic location that is preferred. (Please note CCCC will not directly administer child care, but rather serve to process and refer parents.)

“We are excited to partner with Union County in helping parents and families obtain affordable, quality child care,” said Pat Mennuti, CCCC Executive Director. “Child Care provides a great start to a successful future for many children.”

Community Coordinated Child Care of Union County is a not for profit agency, whose goal is to meet the wide range of needs families face as they raise young children.

As part of its mission, the organization believes all families should have good child care that they can afford. CCCC works with parents, community, business, and government, and helps parents find services to help them. The agency helps the early childhood centers and family child care providers by giving training and other help to improve their programs.

Union County, NJ – More than 1,000 volunteers spent a total of 5,501 hours picking up litter, planting trees and shrubs, clearing fallen trees from walking paths, removing invasive species, and performing other acts of kindness in Union County parks last year. The volunteers were recently honored for their efforts at the eighth annual Union County Adopt-a-Park/Adopt-a-Trail award ceremony and dinner, at Maskers Barn in the Deserted Village of Feltville.

“Whether you volunteer for a few hours or make a long term commitment, the Freeholder Board values each and every one who donates their time to help make our parks more pleasant for all to enjoy,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Every little bit counts when it comes to conserving the unique legacy of our County parks, and together you all make a big difference.”

Adopt-a-Park volunteers can join in one-time cleanup and restoration events, which are often organized by local businesses and other civic groups. Adopt-a-Trail Stewards sign up to take care of a trail over the course of a year. 

The 2014 accomplishments included:

• 20 school, scout and corporate groups helped to maintain and beautify trails and parks.
• 1051 volunteers spent 5,501 total hours working in County parks.
• 52 Adopt-A-Trail stewards worked on trail maintenance and monitoring. They spread gravel, woodchips, installed erosion control measures, removed invasive species, picked up litter, repaired and replaced fencing, planted native trees, shrubs and other vegetation, removed graffiti and performed many other tasks.
• The specially trained Adopt-a-Trail Chainsaw Crew removed 160 fallen trees in Watchung Reservation and other parks.
• Groups that volunteered more than once in 2014 included:

Kean University Center for Service and Leadership

Kean University School of Environmental & Sustainability Sciences

Merck

Haitian Flag Day Committee

• Jersey Cares has continued to bring many business and individual volunteers to County parks for a variety of projects.
• The North Plainfield Shade Tree Advisory Board has been adopting a section of Green Brook Park located in North Plainfield for nine years, keeping the area clear of litter and managing invasive plants.

• Morgan Stanley and Phillips 66 Bayway donated $1,000 and $1500, respectively, for a stream and wildflower meadow project in Warinanco Park (scheduled for 2015).
• Friends of Battle Hill Area joined the AAP program in 2014.  This group has been removing litter for many years in the Union section of Rahway River Parkway and will continue its work.

Union County parks also host mandatory community service programs. Participants in these programs spent a total of 90 hours working on projects in Green Brook Park and Warinanco Park.

To join Adopt-a-Park or Adopt-a-Trail, call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation, 908-789-3683, or visit online at ucnj.org.

Maskers Barn is available to the public to rent for weddings and other gatherings. For more information call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation, 908-527-4900 or visit online at ucnj.org.

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More scenes from the 2015 Recognition Dinner recognizing the efforts of volunteers in 2014. Many thanks to all who contributed!

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders honored members of the Park Elite Cheerleading group of Cranford for an outstanding and successful season during a recent Freeholder meeting in Elizabeth.

Pictured l. to r. Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski (also a resident of Cranford) and Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh with members of Park Elite Cheerleading.

Photo by Lamar Mackson, County of Union

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce another job partnership with AirServ for 200 new full time positions, building on a relationship that has already resulted in significant new Union County hires for the company.

AirServ provides ground services at Newark-Liberty International Airport, including cargo, cleaning, transportation, passenger services, ramp handling and security. It is a unit of ABM, one of the largest facilities management companies in the U.S.

“These are the kind of solid positions that can help our residents build a better future for themselves and their families,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “I’d like to thank AirServ and Union County College for forming this productive partnership with our One Stop Career Centers and the Workforce Investment Board, and working together to help strengthen the entire Union County community.”

Jalloh also noted that Martin C. Blake, Jr. Senior Vice President of AirServ “shared with us that ‘good Union County residents are securing good jobs,’ and ‘AirServ will support this initiative until every vacancy in the company is filled.’”

Union County’s One-Stop Career Centers match employers with job seekers, partly by pre-screening pools of qualified applicants. The pre-screening service saves local businesses time and expense in the hiring process.

Two earlier pre-screening partnerships between One-Stop and AirServ have resulted in just over 150 new job offers for Union County residents since last fall.

“Strong work skills build strong citizenship, and it is very gratifying to see that our stepped-up workforce development efforts are bearing fruit so quickly,” said Freeholder Sergio Granados, who is the liaison to the Workforce Investment Board (WIB). “We are not waiting for employers to ask us for help. We are training County residents in high-demand fields, and we are being proactive in matching them with local businesses. Now more than ever our residents need us and we are here for them.”

In this third round of hiring, AirServ asked WIB to provide a pool of 200 applicants qualified for passenger services and aircraft cleaning.

The process began with a job fair at the One-Stop Career Center in Elizabeth earlier this week. Those interested in applying will fill out their applications and undergo a background check with drug testing today and tomorrow at the Union County College campus in Elizabeth.

Next month, qualified applicants will begin a soft skills training course in preparation for employment, through the 40-hour Employability Skills Curriculum developed at Union County College.

The course is designed to help Union County residents enter the workforce with foundational skills that apply across a wide range of positions, including work ethics, time management, attention to detail, written and oral communication skills, teamwork, decision-making and problem solving.

In addition to savings during the hiring process, AirServ will also benefit from an “earn while you learn” on-the-job training program offered by the Union County Workforce Innovation Business Center.

The program provides a wage subsidy of up to 50% during the first six months on the job, to help defray the cost of training new employees. It is funded by the Freeholder Board through the Workforce Investment Board. 

Businesses looking for qualified job applicants in Union County can contact Antonio Rivera, Director of the Union County Workforce Investment Board, at 908-527-4195 or arivera@ucnj.org, or visit online at ucnj.org/wib.

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A major, multi-agency emergency response exercise and a new temporary approach ramp will affect travelers heading east from Union County to the Goethals Bridge starting this Sunday, May 3.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has passed along the following information:

1. Emergency Response Exercise (bridge will be fully closed for 8 hours):

A full-scale emergency drill at the Goethals Bridge on Sunday, May 3, 2015 will require the closure of the Bridge (both directions) from 1:00am until 9:00 am.  The exercise will kick-off at 4:00 am and end approximately three hours later.  The Bridge will reopen for drivers at 9:00 am. During the exercise and closure, motorists will be advised to use the Outerbridge Crossing or Bayonne Bridge.

2. New Temporary Approach Ramp (not expected to cause delays or affect traffic):

Beginning May 3, Goethals Bridge motorists traveling eastbound to Staten Island will be re-routed to a new temporary approach ramp as construction continues on the Goethals Bridge Replacement Project.

Motorists exiting the New Jersey Turnpike at Interchange 13 and motorists travelling on I-278 will be diverted on to this temporary ramp leading to the Staten-Island bound Goethals Bridge. Local traffic using the ramp at Cole Place, in Elizabeth, N.J., will be detoured westbound to I-278 and then follow a newly constructed U-turn connecting to I-278 eastbound and the new approach ramp.

Motorists are not expected to experience delays or any significant traffic impacts as a result of the new approach ramp. The temporary ramp and new traffic pattern for access to the New York-bound Goethals Bridge will permit significant construction to proceed on the Goethals Bridge Replacement Project. It will remain in place for approximately two years.

More details about the emergency drill and the new ramp are available at ucnj.org/goethals-bridge-project, or visit the Port Authority online at panynj.info.

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