Category: Public Info

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Recreation invite you to explore the fascinating world of rocks, minerals, fossils and gems at Trailside Nature and Science Center on Saturday, Nov. 1, and Sunday, Nov. 2 from noon to 5 p.m. on both days. Admission to the event on both days is free.

“This annual event, open to the public, brings the world of rocks and gems to life with many exhibits and displays,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “Geologists young and old will be mesmerized by the variety of specimens on display.”

The Rock, Gem & Mineral Show, sponsored jointly with the New Jersey Mineralogical Society, will host more than 20 vendors selling minerals, rocks, gemstones, jewelry, sea shells and fossils from around the world. There will be something for everyone at this unique event.  Children can purchase geodes, arrowheads and fluorescent minerals while adults may enjoy the jewelry, fine gems and collector-grade pieces. Free children’s activities will be offered both days with face painting on Sunday.

For more information about the Rock, Mineral & Gem Show, or upcoming programs and special events at Trailside, call 908-789-3670 or visit www.ucnj.org/trailside.  Trailside Nature and Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road (at Coles Avenue) in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

REGION – The Raritan Valley Rail Coalition (RVRC) will be holding a special Open House meeting in Cranford on October 27 from 6 to 8 pm to update the public on the issues surrounding the ‘one seat’ ride initiative.   NJ TRANSIT’s decision last week to not roll out the after 8 pm weekday ‘one seat’ service as planned has brought this issue to the forefront.

RVRC is a non-profit, bi-partisan advocacy group that was established in 1998 primarily to advocate for a ‘one seat’ ride into NYC Penn Station for the Raritan Valley Rail Line.  Some progress has been made with the partial deployment of dual powered locomotives during weekday off peak, but budget constraints were cited by NJ TRANSIT as the reason no further deployment would be made this year.

While the RVRC usually holds morning meetings, they are holding a special public meeting on October 27 from 6-8 pm to accommodate commuters at the Cranford Community Center at 220 Walnut Avenue in Cranford (one block from the train station).  A representative from NJ TRANSIT will be present along with Coalition members to update the public regarding service along the line and it will give the public the opportunity to ask questions, get information and share ideas.

“In light of recent developments, it is critical that residents, commuters and businesses attend this meeting and make their voices heard.  The meeting is open to everyone from every town on the Raritan Valley Line. Elected officials and NJ TRANSIT need to hear how important the ‘one seat’ ride is to everyone along this line,” said Peter Palmer, Somerset Freeholder and Chairman of the RVRC.

“The Freeholder Board is determined to work with New Jersey Transit to overcome this temporary setback and restore the funding to keep moving forward,” said Union County Freeholder and RVRC Trustee Bette Jane Kowalski.  “The cost of expanding one-seat rides on the Raritan Valley Line is very low, and the payback is enormous in terms of economic development, improved property values, and the productivity of our commuting workforce. Please come out and have your voice be heard.”

www.raritanvalleyrail.com

https://www.facebook.com/raritanvalleyrail?ref=hl

Further information:  Mindy Scarlett 908-499-9298   info@raritanvalleyrail.com

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(From left) Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak, Sen. Raymond Lesniak and Freeholders Alexander Mirabella, Vernell Wright, Angel G. Estrada, Bette Jane Kowalski and Sergio Granados present a resolution to Prevention Links Executive Director Pam Capaci (3^rd L) congratulating the organization on a successful 16th Annual Red Ribbon Drug Awareness Day on October 18 at Nomahegan Park in Cranford. The event kicked off Red Ribbon Week which is aimed at educating young people about the dangers of drugs and encourages them to live a drug free lifestyle. For more information, visit www.preventionlinks.org. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Bruce Bergen (L) present Springfield Mayor Richard Huber (C) and Deputy Mayor David Barnett with checks from the Kids’ Recreation Trust Fund and the “Greening Union County” grant programs at the October 16 Freeholder Board meeting in Elizabeth.

In 2014, almost $1 million in matching grants from the Kids’ Recreation Trust Fund will be distributed to municipalities across Union County that are looking to upgrade or build playing fields, including hockey rinks, soccer fields, baseball fields, swimming pools, and other recreational facilities for children and families.

The “Greening Union County” program helps local governments offset the cost of planting trees through matching grants.

Freeholder Bergen is the chairman of the Union County Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund which provides the matching grants for the program.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak (R) and Freeholder Bruce Bergen (L) present Linden Recreation Director Gary Luciano with a check from the “Greening Union County” grant program at the October 16 Freeholder Board meeting in Elizabeth.

The “Greening Union County” program helps local governments offset the cost of planting trees through matching grants.

Freeholder Bergen is the chairman of the Union County Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund which provides the matching grants for the program.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak (R) and Freeholder Bruce Bergen (L) present Summit Council President Robert J. Rubino (2^nd L) and Councilman Richard J. Madden with checks from the Kids’ Recreation Trust Fund and the “Greening Union County” grant programs at the October 16 Freeholder Board meeting in Elizabeth.

In 2014, almost $1 million in matching grants from the Kids’ Recreation Trust Fund will be distributed to municipalities across Union County that are looking to upgrade or build playing fields, including hockey rinks, soccer fields, baseball fields, swimming pools, and other recreational facilities for children and families.

The “Greening Union County” program helps local governments offset the cost of planting trees through matching grants.

Freeholder Bergen is the chairman of the Union County Open Space, Historic Preservation and Recreation Trust Fund which provides all the matching grants for the programs.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholders Bruce Bergen (L) and Alexander Mirabella (R) present Clark Mayor Sal Bonaccorso (2^nd L) and Recreation Director Ralph Bernardo with a check from the Kids’ Recreation Trust Fund grant program at the October 16 Freeholder Board meeting in Elizabeth.

In 2014, almost $1 million in matching grants from the Kids’ Recreation Trust Fund will be distributed to municipalities across Union County that are looking to upgrade or build playing fields, including hockey rinks, soccer fields, baseball fields, swimming pools, and other recreational facilities for children and families.

Freeholder Bergen is the chairman of the Union County Open Space, Historic Preservation and Recreation Trust Fund which provides the matching grants for the program.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

ROSELLE, NJ – Registration for the first session of Hockey Clinics and Ice Skating Lessons will begin Thursday, October 30, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Warinanco Ice Skating Center in Roselle and continue through Sunday, November 2, or when the classes fill. Registrations will resume on Friday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Saturday, Oct. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 2, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The first session of Group Ice Skating Lessons will begin Saturday, November 8. Ice skating lessons meet once a week for 30 minutes. The session is six weeks. The fee for youths 17 years of age and under (and senior citizens, 62-plus) is $105 (includes rink admission). The fee for adults 18 to 61 years is $116 (includes rink admission). Skate rentals are available for a fee of $4 at the time of the lesson.

Hockey Clinics will begin on Sunday, November 9. Hockey Clinics meet once a week for one hour. The session is six weeks. The fee for First Start (ages 4-6) and Youth (ages 7-12) is $135. Hockey equipment is required.

Please register for classes or clinics in person. Applications will not be accepted by mail. You can pick up a registration form at the Warinanco Ice Skating Center or download the registration form atwww.ucnj.org/skating.

The Warinanco Ice Skating Center is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and is operated by the Department of Parks and Recreation. The Skating Center is located in Warinanco Park off Thompson Avenue in Roselle. Entrances to Warinanco Park are located on St. George’s Avenue and Thompson Avenue.

For further information about the Warinanco Ice Skating Center or the times and dates of classes, call 908-298-7850 for a recorded message or visit the website www.ucnj.org/skating.

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Union County, NJ – Registration is still open for “Think Globally, Act Locally,” a free breakfast networking session designed to explore opportunities for business growth through electronic media. The event, open to all business owners and managers in Union County, is scheduled for Tuesday, October 21, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at Hamilton Stage, 360 Hamilton Street, Rahway.

Think Globally, Act Locally will feature U.S. Senator Cory Booker, Kristina Hahn, head of Consumer Packaged Goods at Google and SHR Marketing CEO Stan Robinson in a roundtable discussion moderated by Tara Dowdell, Founder and Principal of the Tara Dowdell Group.

“Our three guests bring a wide variety of experience and insights to the table, so this promises to be an exciting and informative event” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak.

Think Globally, Act Locally is part of the Freeholder Board’s Union County Means Business (UCMB) initiative, which provides free networking sessions and other services for the local business community.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required by visiting the UCMB website, ucnj2.org/ucmb, or call 908-527-4802.

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

Union County, NJ – Union County’s annual Red Ribbon Drug Prevention Walk features a full slate of free children’s activities, all in the cause of raising awareness about preventing drug and alcohol abuse. This year’s Red Ribbon Drug Prevention Walk will be held on Saturday, October 18 at Nomahegan Park in Cranford, including free family activities and a family fun walk. The rain date for the event will be Saturday, October 25 at the same time and location.

“Red Ribbon Day helps you talk to your children about positive, healthy choices while they are still very young,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “It helps you lay a good foundation for family communication, which will become all the more important as your children grow older and encounter new challenges.”

The Red Ribbon Drug Prevention Walk is held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will include free activities such as a petting zoo, field games, face painting, and a helicopter landing.

The Walk portion of the event will begin at approximately 10:30 with the Formal Ceremony taking place immediately after.

Individuals, families, and organizations can register for the walk to support the Raymond J. Lesniak Experience-Strength-Hope Recovery High School, the first public recovery high school in the state of New Jersey. Recovery High School is the newest addition to the award-winning, nationally recognized Union County Vocational-Technical Schools District. Administration of the school comes under the non-profit organization Prevention Links, a Red Ribbon sponsor.

The national Red Ribbon Drug Awareness Campaign commemorates the life of Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who died at the hands of drug traffickers in Mexico while conducting an undercover investigation of a major drug cartel. Camarena worked his way through college, served in the Marines and became a police officer before joining the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The Red Ribbon Drug Prevention Walk is supported by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Prevention Links and the Union County D.A.R.E. Officers Association.

For more information about the Red Ribbon Campaign, Recovery High School, and all Red Ribbon activities, contact Prevention Links at info@preventionlinks.org or 732-381-4100.

For information about Union County parks visit ucnj.org or call 908-527-4900.

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