Category: Public Info

Union Country Freeholder Vice Chairman Mohamed Jalloh (R) and Freeholders Sergio Granados (L), Vernell Wright (C) and Bette Jane Kowalski (2^nd R) joined Store Manager Dominic Romeo, Lisa Housel (2^nd L) and Christine Wolfe of the Shoprite in Clark for the store’s annual “Help Bag Hunger” event. Cashiers collected donations for the Shoprite Partners in Caring Fund to help fill the shelves of local community food banks. For more information about the “Help Bag Hunger” campaign visit www.shoprite.com/feedthehungry/. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

In advance of the Jewish High Holidays, Acting Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan urges members of the Jewish community, cultural institutions and synagogues across the county to take stock of the security measures.

There are no specific threats ahead of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur but security precautions are necessary.

“Now is a vital time to confirm that security measures are in place, to ensure the safety of congregants throughout the season and year-round,” Acting Sheriff Cryan said. “Always think security and stay vigilant.”

The Jewish community’s heightened visibility during this time is often tempting to perpetrators of anti-Semitic vandalism and harassment. Current crisis around the globe also increase the possible threat.

“After the recent conflict in Gaza and with the current dangerous situation with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, a greater threat looms,” he added. “Islamic State terrorists recently released a video as a threat against America.”

“We always need to be conscious of the security needs of the Jewish community,” said the Acting Sheriff. “This is especially true around the High Holidays.”

Good security is about more than cameras, locks or fences. People need to be aware of their surroundings and what is going on around them. Solid security is also about good planning and building relationships with your local law enforcement agencies.

The Anti-Defamation League recommends security practices for the High Holidays for synagogues and Jewish communal institutions that include:

·         Advise local law enforcement of High Holy Day schedules and special events.

·         Ensure that ushers understand their critical role in security matters, and that they are familiar with suspicious activity indicators.

·         Establish procedures for controlling access to community facilities.

·         Encourage staff, leadership, and constituents to trust their instincts if they come across someone or something suspicious.

·         Review event publicity in light of security.

All law enforcement and community leaders should be aware of High Holy Day schedules and special events. This year Rosh Hashanah is September 25-26. Yom Kippur is October 4.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that replacement of the 103-year-old Gordon Street Bridge is in sight. The Board voted to award a contract for the design of a new bridge at its regular meeting on Thursday, September 11. Due to the complicated nature of the project, the design phase is expected to take approximately 18 months.

The Gordon Street Bridge is located near the western end of the border between Roselle Park and Roselle. It spans the railroad tracks between the two boroughs, at Gordon Street in Roselle. It connects two major east-west arteries, Route 28 and Route 610, which run parallel to the tracks on either side.

“The Gordon Street Bridge project underscores the importance of infrastructure to economic development,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “We expect that an update of this key connector will help businesses in Union County fill their transportation needs more effectively, create more convenience for commuters and travelers, and enhance our emergency response.”

The Gordon Street Bridge plays an important role in Union County’s roadway network, as one of only four railroad crossings between Roselle Park and Roselle. Of those four, only two are bridges. The other two crossings are below or at the grade level of the railway.

The original parts of the Gordon Street Bridge were constructed in 1911. A 1990’s-era reconstruction project added an extension at the south end of the bridge. The bridge was also rehabilitated in 2005 as a preventive measure, to address a deteriorating concrete deck and other deficiencies.

In addition to enabling the Gordon Street crossing to meet modern construction standards, the new bridge will be expanded from the existing two lanes to three lanes. The third lane will be used for left-hand turns at both ends of the bridge, to ease traffic flow.

The Gordon Street Bridge has been called an “orphan” bridge because it has no owner. Union County has been designated to oversee the design phase, which has been fully funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation through an arrangement with the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

“This is a complicated project that involved county, state, and federal agencies working together to improve vital infrastructure that would otherwise be left in limbo,” said Hudak. “The Freeholder Board is very happy to see this project move forward.”

The design contract of approximately $750,000 was awarded to Hardesty & Hanover of West Trenton.

##

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

More Accolades for Union County Vo-Tech Schools

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to announce that all five Union County Vocational-Technical Schools have earned a place in the 2014 Newsweek list of “absolute” top-performing high schools in the country.

“The continued national recognition of our Vo-Tech schools’ performance is a testament to UCVTS community’s commitment to creating an atmosphere that supports challenging academics and personal development,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak.

“I am extremely proud of the UCVTS community for their academic accomplishments and congratulate our students, dedicated staff members, and administrators on this latest national recognition,” said UCVTS Superintendent Peter A. Capodice. “I look forward to building on the educational foundation we have set.”

For its survey, Newsweek ranked the top 500 schools nationwide using academic criteria including graduation rates and college enrollment.

Newsweek’s latest survey includes two lists: ‘America’s Top High Schools 2014,’ which ranks schools based solely on performance (“absolute” list), and ‘Beating the Odds: America’s Top High Schools for Low-Income Students,’ which ranks schools with poverty levels taken into account (“relative” list).

All five Union County Vocational-Technical Schools were ranked in Newsweek’s “absolute” list of top-performing high schools in the country.

Union County’s Magnet High School ranked #2 nationally. The Academy for Allied Health Science ranked #21, the Academy for Information Technology ranked #27, the Academy For The Preforming Arts ranked #52, and Union County Vocational-Technical High School #198.

The UCVTS campus is located at 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains. Expanded and updated considerably within recent years, the campus includes five high schools that engage students in challenging college-level academics and high demand workforce skills within a supportive environment.

The application process for UCVTS begins when prospective 8^th-grade students attend a required information session at the campus in Scotch Plains. The first session will be on Saturday, September 20. Students who are interested in applying to enter as freshmen in fall 2015 can visit ucvts.tec.nj.us for the schedule of available sessions and all details about applying.

##

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

Union County Freeholders Linda Carter (L) and Bette Jane Kowalski (R) joined Public Safety Director Andrew Moran (2^ndL) and Union County Police Chief Daniel Vaniska (4^th R) during a visit with  members of Union County Police PBA Local 73 at the Habitat for Humanity project on West Seventh Street in Plainfield. The members of PBA Local 73 volunteered and helped build houses that will go to deserving members of the community. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

(From left) Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak, Vice Chairman Mohamed Jalloh and Freeholders Linda Carter and Angel G. Estrada congratulate James Morris (3^rd L) and Azana Crawley (3^rd R) on becoming New Jersey ACT-SO Gold Medalists. ACT-SO, which stand for Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics, is a NAACP student enrichment program that culminates in local, state and national competitions where students compete for awards and prizes. Both gold medalists attend the Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy in Elizabeth. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

(From left) Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak, Freeholder Vernell Wright, Union County Vocational Technical Schools Superintendent Peter Capodice and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Alexander Mirabella congratulate Austin Mathew of Union (3^rdL) on being a recipient of a New Jersey Association of Counties and PSE&G Foundation 2014 Scholarship Award. Mathew graduated from Union County Magnet High School and now attends the New Jersey Institute of Technology. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites all residents and visitors to join in the commemoration of POW/MIA Remembrance Day, in front of the Union County Courthouse at 2 Broad Street in Elizabeth on Friday, September 19. The ceremony will start promptly at 11:15 a.m.

“This annual public ceremony pays tribute to our service men and women who were prisoners of war, and those missing in action,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “Please join us as we pause to recognize the sacrifices of our military, and their families and loved ones. With this public ceremony we honor those who are absent, and reaffirm our government’s commitment to ensure that all are accounted for.”

In the event of rain, the ceremony will take place inside the Courthouse, in the first floor Rotunda.

For more information call the Freeholder Board at 908-527-4219.

##

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

WESTFIELD, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that its next mobile paper-shredding program for personal documents will be available on Saturday, September 27, at the Westfield Memorial Pool in Westfield.

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

The Sept. 27^th shredding event will take place at the Westfield Memorial Pool, located at 713 Cumberland Street in Westfield. 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 Saturday, Nov. 1, at Union County College in Cranford.

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 atwww.ucnj.org/recycle.

##

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