Category: Public Info

The Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh is pleased to announce that Union County’s own Performing Arts Center has been nominated in the sixth annual JerseyArts.com People’s Choice Awards! 

The Union County Performing Arts Center is among 71 arts organizations nominated for the yearly awards program run by Discover Jersey Arts to honor the work of New Jersey’s vital, vibrant and diverse arts organizations.

“The nomination of the Union County Performing Arts Center is a clear sign that the Freeholder Board’s commitment to building a strong arts community in Union County is paying off,” said Chairman Jalloh. “We are very proud of the work that arts organizations and patrons throughout our county are doing to establish Union County as a destination for culture. I urge Union County residents to show their continued support and vote now for the Union County PAC as Your Favorite Large Performing Arts Center.”

Cast your vote today and show your support for the arts in all of Union County.

The Union County arts organizations nominated for this year’s JerseyArts.com People’s Choice Awards are:

UCPAC: Union County Performing Arts Center (Rahway) – Large Performing Arts Center
Hamilton Stage for the Performing Arts Center (Rahway) – Small Performing Arts Center
Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre (Summit) – Theatre to See a Play
Visual Arts Center of New Jersey (Summit) – Arts Gallery
Arts Guild New Jersey (Rahway) – Art Gallery
New Jersey Festival Orchestra (Westfield) – Symphony/Orchestra

Don’t see your favorite Union County arts organizations on the list? Write them in to cast your vote and support the arts in Union County.

Vote now at http://jerseyarts.com/peopleschoice/. Voting ends Thursday, February 19.

“The nomination of so many Union County arts organizations exemplifies the capacity for impact the arts have throughout our community,” said Chairman Jalloh who this year’s initiatives will focus on making investments in the future of Union County that will help boost the economy and the quality of life for the residents. Through the Chairman’s “Building a Community of The Arts” initiatives the Chairman and the Freeholder Board seek to leverage the creative capacity of Union County to strengthen our community.

For more information about Freeholder Chairman Jalloh’s 2015 “Build a Community of The Arts” initiatives visit ucnj.org.

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Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that the County Police Firearms ID Unit has been honored by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for its work in solving gun crimes. The Firearms ID Unit received the Award of Excellence in recognition of its 200^th match or “hit” on IBIS, the national system for tracking firearms used in crimes.

“Since it was established in 2003, our Firearms ID Unit has proved its worth time and again,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “This well-deserved award is a testimony to the hard work and professional dedication of our Firearms Examination experts.”

The primary task of the Firearms ID Unit, also known as the Ballistics Unit, is to determine if a bullet, cartridge casing, or other ammunition component was fired from a specific gun.

The lynchpin of that process is IBIS, the Integrated Ballistic Identification System. IBIS is a national database of firearm evidence from crime scenes and crime guns using high definition 3D images that show the unique microscopic markings left on ammunition components when fired.

In contrast to combing through hundreds of local cases by hand, IBIS enables firearms examiners to gather evidence quickly. The 3D images are assigned a score using a mathematical algorithm to generate a list of correlating cases with scores that indicate “high confidence candidates,” from anywhere in the U.S. Examiners then compare images to determine if there is a match, or “hit.”

Depending on the level of urgency and the type of analysis needed, the Firearms ID Unit can turn around a request for an examination within a matter of hours.

“Before 2003, there would be a delay of days, weeks, or even months while investigators waited for the results from an out-of-county lab,” said Union County Public Safety Director Andrew Moran, “Now with our fully equipped lab and trained personnel, we can provide timely information to our local investigators, and to jurisdictions throughout New Jersey and the nation.”

Jalloh noted that the Firearms ID Unit is a shared service provided by Union County to local agencies in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), which runs IBIS nationally and funds the Union County equipment. 

The IBIS System in the Firearms ID Unit also serves as a portal to IBIS for jurisdictions throughout New Jersey and Connecticut, and Union County examiners provide forensic firearm examination services to all Union County law enforcement agencies and the Port Authority Police.

Presenting the award in Westfield today, ATF Special Agent in Charge George P. Belsky, Jr. thanked the Firearms ID Unit for its contributions to the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, and thanked the Freeholder Board for its support.

“In addition to providing leads to investigators to help in solving gun crimes, NIBIN is a valuable tool for crime prevention,” said Agent Belsky. “It can provide intelligence that enables law enforcement to focus its resources to help prevent the next shooting.”

Firearms Examiners undergo a four-year training program to be qualified as experts in the field and recognized by courts of law.  Expertise in high-tech examinations including microscopic comparisons, operability studies on weapons, serial number restoration and the use of IBIS equipment are the core of the training program.

The Firearms ID Unit fields hundreds of requests for examinations each year, and one case in particular demonstrates the difference made by IBIS.

In February 2010, the Firearms ID Unit received a non-urgent examination request for a weapon recovered in Union Township. An operability study was performed on the weapon, and the test fired cartridge casings were later input to IBIS.

The subsequent correlation list put the Firearms ID Unit on high alert:  The “high confidence candidates” pointed to evidence recovered from the scene of a notorious, unsolved road rage incident in another part of the state back in January 2010, in which a police officer was critically injured in a hail of bullets.

Firearms Examiners performed a microscopic comparison that ultimately confirmed the linkage within hours of the IBIS results, breathing new life into a case that had stalled out.

“Finding the needle in the haystack is an apt description for what our Firearms Examiners do with a combination of advanced technology, skill, and determination,” said Jalloh.

For more information about the Firearms ID Unit, visit ucnj.org.

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Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce Bergen (L) and Freeholder Vernell Wright (R) present a resolution to Penelope and Gerard Garcia of Summit congratulating them on being named the 2015 “Sweethearts of the Year” by Sage Eldercare for their volunteerism at the Summit nonprofit. SAGE is a private, not-for-profit organization concerned with the health, happiness and general welfare of older citizens and their families. For more information on SAGE Eldercare, call 1-908-273-5550 or visit sageeldercare.org.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

 

(From left) Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce Bergen and Freeholder Vernell Wright present a certificate of recognition to Assistant Director Terrence Robinson of Our House Inc. and residents Najee and Kyle for the organization’s volunteerism at Sage Eldercare in Summit.

Our House, Inc. is a private, non-profit 501(c) 3 organization that provides residential, employment and recreational services to individuals with developmental disabilities. For more information about Our House, Inc. visit www.ourhousenj.org

SAGE is a private, not-for-profit organization concerned with the health, happiness and general welfare of older citizens and their families. For more information on SAGE Eldercare, call 1-908-273-5550 or visit sageeldercare.org.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed Jalloh (2nd L) and Freeholders Angel G. Estrada (L) and Alexander Mirabella (R) present resolutions (from 3rd L) to Barry Kaverick, Jorge Comas and Jack Shaw congratulating them on being inducted into the Union County Baseball Hall of Fame at the Union County Baseball Association’s 79th Annual Hot Stove League Baseball Dinner on February 8 in Mountainside. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed Jalloh (2^nd L) and Freeholders Angel G. Estrada (L) and Alexander Mirabella (R) congratulate Nick Christiani of Linden on receiving the Chris Zusi Memorial Award and Rebecca Rotola of Linden on receiving the Joseph R. Lombardi Memorial Award at the Union County Baseball Association’s 79th Annual Hot Stove League Baseball Dinner on February 8 in Mountainside. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The Union County Deer Management Program scheduled for Monday, February 9 is postponed to Wednesday, February 11th.

 

More details about this program can be found by clicking here.

Union County, NJ – Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce Bergen speaks at a press conference where U.S. Senator Bob Menendez announced the Army Corps of Engineers will prioritize efforts to mitigate flooding along the Rahway River Basin, which flows through Union, Essex and Middlesex Counties.  The federal government has committed $1,000,000 towards the completion of a key study needed to finish the project; $500,000 in immediate Army Corps funds and another $500,000 in the President’s FY16 budget.

They were joined by State Senator Raymond Lesniak, Union County Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Vernell Wright, Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan and mayors from the Mayors’ Council Rahway River Watershed Flood Control at the press conference at the Union Township Municipal Building.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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[Senator Menendez’s press release follows]:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

February 6, 2015

Menendez, Booker, Payne Announce $1M Federal Commitment to Fix Rahway River Flooding

UNION, N.J. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, and Congressman Donald Payne, Jr. (N.J.-10), today applauded the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to prioritize efforts to mitigate flooding along the Rahway River Basin, which flows through Union, Essex and Middlesex Counties.  The federal government has committed $1,000,000 towards the completion of a key study needed to finish the project; $500,000 in immediate Army Corps funds and another $500,000 in the President’s FY16 budget.

“This critically needed funding will help us complete the necessary studies and work on implementation that will lead to channel improvements, dry flood proofing, wet flood proofing, and other flood mitigation measures,” said Sen. Menendez.  “Flooding along the river has damaged houses, businesses, roads and municipal facilities.  Now, after 17 years of fighting for funding, we have a chance to take the next the step to protect the area and restore the River Basin.”

“For years, communities along the Rahway River have endured high waters and flooding as a result of hurricanes and rain events,” Sen. Booker said.  The devastation from storms like Irene has been too great to ignore.  I am grateful that the Army Corps has committed to funding the next phase in addressing this problem, and grateful to the Mayors in the Rahway River Basin who have steadfastly advocated on their communities’ behalf.”

“The Rahway River is the source of drinking water for the 26,500 people living in the City of Rahway and the home to 700 species of plants and animals.  Hurricane Irene caused a great amount of damage to many towns along the Rahway River.  The completion of the Rahway River Basin Feasibility Study will ensure that our local constituents, homes, businesses, and infrastructures are less vulnerable to future flooding damage and costs while protecting the local environment,” said Rep. Payne, Jr.

Communities in the 82-square-mile Rahway River Basin have suffered numerous severe, widespread flooding on numerous occasions in the recent decades, including during Tropical Storm Floyd and Hurricane Irene, displacing residents and causing millions in property damage.

 

Sen. Menendez, Rahway River mayors and other elected officials make the funding announcement.

The N.Y. District Army Corps, N.J. Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the local communities have been working to complete a feasibility study to identify various flood risk management alternatives for communities along the Rahway River Basin with a focus on Cranford and Rahway, but federal funding was abruptly cut off in FY14.

“I thank Senator Menendez, Senator Booker, Congressman Payne, and Congressman Lance for their leadership in making this project a priority for the Army Corps”, said State Sen. Raymond Lesniak. “This funding, along with the President’s proposal of an additional $500,000 next year, will get us moving to real solutions that will protect residents and their homes.”

Last year, Sen. Menendez met with members of the Mayors’ Council Rahway River Watershed Flood Control in his Washington, D.C. office to discuss the need for long-term flood mitigation.  Sen. Menendez then led a bipartisan delegation letter to the Army Corps in December, along with Sen. Booker and Reps. Payne and Leonard Lance (N.J.-07), requesting the necessary funding to advance those efforts.

“The Mayors’ Council is grateful to Senators Menendez and Booker and Reps Lance and Payne for their strong support of this project and their unwavering persistence in getting this project back into the Corps of Engineers’ budget,” said the group’s cofounder, Dan Aschenbach, a former Cranford mayor.  “Thanks to their help we are closer than ever to making this project a reality.”

The Rahway River watershed is one the Garden State’s oldest urbanized areas, featuring woodlands and wetlands that support over 700 species of plants and animals, some 5,000 acres of county parklands and the source of drinking water for the City of Rahway.  It runs through 24 municipalities including Carteret, Clark, Cranford, Edison, Fanwood, Garwood, Kenilworth, Linden, Maplewood, Metuchen, Millburn, Mountainside, Orange, Plainfield, Rahway, Scotch Plains, Springfield, South Orange, Westfield, West Orange, Winfield Park, Woodbridge, Union and Summit.

 

“The Freeholder Board has worked very hard for many years with our mayors to address the flooding problem on a local level, but with the increasing number of significant floods it is clearly evident that a stronger regional approach is needed,” said Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “I would like to thank Senator Menendez for his leadership in bringing these additional federal funds to the effort, and for providing the prospect of a more secure, stable future to Union County and the affected communities.”

 

Among the region’s public officials joining Sen. Menendez in Union for today’s announcement was: Lesniak, Assemblywoman Annette Quijano; Bergen; Union Twp. Mayor Manuel Figueiredo; Cranford Mayor Andis Kalnins; Kenilworth Mayor Fred Pugliese; Orange Mayor Dwayne Warren; Rahway Mayor Samson Steinman; and Springfield Mayor David Barnett.

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Yesterday Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh and Union County College President Dr. Margaret McMenamin cut the ribbon officially opening the new Union County College facility in Rahway. They were joined by Freeholder Sergio Granados, Rahway Mayor Samson Steinman, Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) Board President Dr. Sondra Fishinger and Executive Director Dr. Lawrence McCullough, members of the College’s Board of Trustees and Board of Governor and faculty, staff, and students.

By opening this facility in Rahway Union expands its ability to bring class offerings closer to home for individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations in the Rahway area. 

“We are bringing the arts to the County of Union on a higher level than it’s ever been done before. We have the facilities, we have the resources, and now we have the education right here in Union County for our students to stay here, to learn here, to live here and to do arts here,” said Freeholder Chairman Jalloh.

Presented as part of the Freeholder Chairman’s 2015 “Build a Community of The Arts” initiatives – a set of initiatives that seek to build a County-wide arts ecosystem that will grow and stimulate our economy – the opening of this facility is the result of a partnership between the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Union County College, the City of Rahway, and the Union County Performing Arts Center.

Among the planned programs at the new Rahway location are credit and non-credit classes in Acting, Dance, Public Speaking, and more. In these classes, students will have an opportunity to volunteer with several of the acting companies that stage productions at the UCPAC.  In addition classes will be offered by the Industry-Business Institute for employees of businesses in the area.  These are free classes funded by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Also courses will be available through the College’s Senior Scholars Program and Office of Continuing Education. Classes at the new Rahway location, like all others offered through the County College, will be open to all residents.

“I think it’s absolutely essential that we provide these opportunities for our students who endeavor upon the arts for their future. I think people who look at the world from that perspective can make a difference in the world. I’m truly excited to have the partnerships that we have established. Today is about making it happen – this was an idea, now it’s a reality,” said Chairman Jalloh.

For more information about Freeholder Chairman Jalloh’s 2015 “Build a Community of The Arts” initiatives visit ucnj.org.

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LMI Homeowners Rebuilding Program

Union County, NJ — Parents and caregivers can make sure their child’s safety is properly installed, by getting a free inspection at the new home of the Union County Child Safety Seat Inspection Program at the Garwood First Aid Squad, 401 Second Avenue. Joining in the official opening were (front, l-r): Union County Freeholders Sergio Granados, Vernell Wright, and Bruce H. Bergen; safety specialist Ron Esposito of AAANortheast, NJ Division, which is supporting the program; County Traffic Safety Program Coordinator Christine Marcantonio; AAA Director of Government and Public Affairs Cathleen Lewis; Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, Union County Police Chief Daniel Vaniska, Freeholder Christopher Hudak, and County Public Safety Director Andrew Moran. The service is available Wednesdays and Thursdays, 7:30 – 11:00 a.m. More information: visit ucnj.org. (Photo credit: County of Union, NJ)

Ellie Wilson-Newbury (l) of Rahway looks satisfied with the results of her free safety seat inspection at the Union County Child Safety Seat Inspection Program. The inspection was conducted by Cristallina Tharaldsen (c), a certified safety seat inspector, while mother Danni Newbury(r) looked on. The free Union County Child Safety Seat Inspection Program is available Wednesdays and Thursdays, 7:30 – 11:00 a.m., at the Garwood First Aid Squad, located at 401 Second Avenue. More information: visit ucnj.org/child-safety-seats. (Photo credit: Jim Lowney/County of Union).

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