Category: Public Info

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders has approved the allocation of almost $1.4 million in funding for local community projects through the Union County Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund. The monies will help preserve historic treasures, improve recreation for children, and plant trees.

“Union County voters overwhelmingly approved the Trust Fund more than a dozen years ago because they believed in the value of preserving and improving public resources, and today our communities are still benefiting from this legacy of civic responsibility,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter. “It makes me very proud to know that these funds continue to go to worthy causes.”

The Trust Fund was established in the 2000 election year by popular referendum. The initial goal was to acquire and preserve 100 acres of the rapidly dwindling amount of natural open space left in Union County.

In addition to surpassing that benchmark with acquisitions totaling more than 300 acres countywide, the Trust Fund now includes three matching grant programs that are designed to fit the individual needs and priorities of the 21 municipalities in Union County.

The Preserve Union County program was added in 2003. Providing for grants every other year, it is a merit-based grant program that helps save civic landmarks and historic sites. Eligible projects also include barrier-free access such as ramps, restrooms and elevators.

This year’s Preserve Union County total is $303,000, bringing the overall Preserve Union County total since its inception to approximately $2.8 million.

Some highlights from this year’s round of funding include $20,000 for the Patricia M. Kuran Cultural Center in Fanwood, $25,000 for the Oswald J. Nitschke House in Kenilworth, and $20,850 for the Nathaniel Drake House in Plainfield.

The Kids’ Recreation Trust Fund was established as an initiative of Freeholder Angel G. Estrada in 2004, to help municipalities upgrade their recreational facilities for children. It consists of matching dollar-for-dollar grants that are based on proposals by the municipalities.

Eligible projects can include the improvement of existing playing fields and other facilities, and the construction of new facilities. Bike trails and certain other all-ages projects are also eligible.

The total for the Kids’ Trust Fund in 2013 is $1,027,500.

The third program, which also launched in 2004 as an initiative of Freeholder Estrada, is called Greening Union County. It provides matching tree-for-tree grants to help reduce air pollution, cool off urban “heat islands” in warm weather, and provide aesthetic improvements to business districts, public facilities and residential areas.

This year, Greening Union County grants for trees totaled $67,600 for approximately 688 trees.

Since 2004, well over 6,000 trees have been planted through Greening Union County. That includes grants for street trees as well as trees at public historic sites, parks and other public facilities.

2013 Preserve Union County Grants:
1. Old First Historic Trust, for First Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth ($20,000).
2. City of Elizabeth, for Elizabeth River Trail ($25,396).
3. City of Elizabeth, for Elizabeth Public Library ($20,000).
4. Borough of Fanwood, for Patricia M. Kuran Cultural Center ($20,000).
5. Kenilworth Historic Society Inc., for Oswald J. Nitschke House ($25,000).
6. Mountainside Restoration Committee, for Levi-Cory House ($30,000).
7. City of Plainfield, for Lampkin House and Barn ($25,000).
8. Historical Society of Plainfield, for Nathaniel Drake House ($20,000).
9. St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, for St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church (($16,770)
10. Merchants & Drivers Tavern Museum Association, for Merchants & Drovers Tavern Museum ($20,000).
11. Township of Scotch Plains, for Shady Rest Country Club ($25,000).
12. First Presbyterian Church of Connecticut Farms, for Connecticut Farms Church ($30,000).
13. Liberty Hall Museum Inc., for Liberty Hall Museum – Carriage House ($25,000).
(Total: $303,016)

Kids Recreation Trust Fund Grants:
1. Berkeley Heights — $10,000 for Police Athletic League.
2. Clark — $23,245 for sand volleyball installation and roller hockey rink improvements.
3. Cranford — $88,000 for Memorial Field, Roosevelt Playground, and Sherman Field improvements.
4. Elizabeth — $88,000 for Elizabeth Conservancy.
5. Fanwood — $18,000 for improvements to ice skating rink.
6. Garwood — $25,000 for security camera, picnic tables, fence, chairs, phone system, and defibrillator.
7. Hillside — $38,959 for light protectors, fans, basketball equipment, signs, bleachers, benches and Health Quest fitness cluster.
8. Linden — $66,000 for improvements to Al Kalla Park and Memorial Park.
9. Mountainside — $18,250 for improvements to Deerfield school, Echo Brook, and pool facilities.
10. New Providence — $50,000 for improvements to Lincoln and Leider fields.
11. Plainfield — $88,000 for improvements to playgrounds at Seidler Field.
12. Rahway — $124,080 for improvements to softball field, and tennis and basketball courts.
13. Roselle — $88,000 for improvements to Cristiani Park.
14. Scotch Plains — $10,000 for 16 tables for day camp.
15. Springfield — $66,000 for improvements to Chisholm Recreation Center.
16. Summit — $50,000 for improvements to bocce court and Wilson Park.
17. Union — $88,000 for a tractor and improvements to Rabkin Park.
18. Westfield — $88,000 for turf at Houlihan and Fay fields.
(Total: $1,027,534.00)

Greening Union County Grants:
Berkeley Heights — $1,304
Cranford — $4,250
Elizabeth — $17,200
Fanwood — $1,356.50
Linden — $11,250
New Providence — $4,800
Plainfield — $12,005
Rahway — $1,500
Springfield — $2,000
Summit — $6,250
Union — $4,700
(Total: $67,615.50 for approximately 688 trees)

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

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Community Renewal invite local crafters and artisans to market their wares at the 30th Annual Holiday Nature Craft Show on Sunday, December 8. The show will be held at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

This Holiday Nature Craft Show includes more than 40 vendors selling handcrafted items. A limited number of openings are still available for crafters who make natural wreaths, ornaments,

handmade gift baskets, and hand-painted or stenciled home décor. Also sought are vendors who create garden art, live green arrangements, basketry, unique children’s toys, stained glass, and gift items with wildlife, gardening, nature, or recycling themes. Interested crafters should contact Christi Lorenson at Trailside at 908-789-3670, ext. -3427.

The Holiday Nature Craft Show will be held in conjunction with the Union County Menorah and Tree Lighting Celebration. The festive gathering will offer numerous other activities, including caroling, children’s face painting, and a visit from Santa. A charity drive will also be conducted for the collection of canned or dry food and new toys for distribution through local charities.

For additional information about this event please call Trailside Nature and Science Center at 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.

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NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that its next mobile paper-shredding program for personal documents will be available on Saturday, November 2, at Alcatel-Lucent in New Providence.

“Union County’s mobile document-shredding service helps residents fight identity theft and eliminate clutter in their homes,” said Freeholder Vice 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 Nov. 2nd shredding event will take place at the Alcatel-Lucent Technologies facility, located at 600 Mountain Avenue in New Providence. NEXCUT Shredding of Teaneck 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. This will be the final Union County-sponsored shredding event for this year.

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 .

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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 19 at Nomahegan Park in Cranford, including free family activities and a family fun walk. The rain date for the event will be Saturday, October 26 at the same time and location.

“The Red Ribbon Walk is a great opportunity for parents to start talking about healthy living in a positive, welcoming environment. The Freeholder Board is very proud to support this valuable community service,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter.

The Red Ribbon Drug Prevention Walk is held from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 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 12:30, at the conclusion of the Formal Ceremony.

Organizations can also raise funds for the Red Ribbon Drug Prevention Walk through a unique 50/50 fundraiser where a charity or group of your choice receives half of the donations you collect. For information visit Prevention Links, a Red Ribbon sponsor, at preventionlinks.org or call 732-381-4100.

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 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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Surrounded by young athletes, Union County Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter cut the ribbon officially opening the new turf field in Phil Rizzuto Park in Union. She was joined by Freeholders Vernell Wright, Sergio Granados, Bette Jane Kowalski, Mohamed Jalloh and Angel G. Estrada. Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, Union Mayor Cliff People and Elizabeth Councilman Manny Grova also attend the opening ceremony.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Alexander Mirabella (2nd L) present a resolution to Peter and Arthur F. Sobilo honoring and recognizing their late father Arthur Sobilo of Summit for his outstanding military service during World War II. Mr. Sobilo served as a 1st Sergeant in the 101st Signal Battalion, and saw action in the Pacific during the war.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski (3rd L) attends the ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony of the Jack and Margaret Myers Senior Residences in Rahway. She is joined by Father Kelly of the Newark Archdiocese (left) , Rahway Mayor Samson Steinman (2nd L), Domus Corporation C.E.O. John Westervelt (2nd R) and Archbishop of Newark John J. Myers (Right). The Myers Senior Residence is named in honor of the parents of the Archbishop, the late “Jack” and Margaret Myers. The fifty, one-bedroom, affordable apartments are a project of the Domus Corporation, an affiliate of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark. The project was funded in part  through the allocation of Neighborhood Stabilization Program and HOME Investment Partnership funds through the County of Union. (photo courtesy of Brandon Givens, County of Union)

Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski at the 5th Annual Apple Fest with Westfield Historical Society Board member Nancy Priest (L) and Sherry Cronin, Executive Director of the Downtown Westfield Corporation. The event was organized by the Westfield Historical Society at the Reeve Historical and Cultural Resource Center on Mountain Avenue. (Photo Courtesy of County of Union)

Union County, NJ – To honor the military service of Union County recipients of the Medal of Honor, the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce the commemoration of a permanent Medal of Honor Memorial at the County Complex in Elizabeth. The memorial will be dedicated in a public ceremony at the County Courthouse on 2 Broad Street on Friday, October 25, at 2:00 p.m.

“This memorial is a legacy for future generations of Union County residents, to foster renewed appreciation for the bravery and dedication of our fellow citizens who received the Medal of Honor, and to inspire us all to do our best for our country and our communities,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter.

Relatives, friends, and historians have been invited to contribute to the dedication ceremony and to an accompanying exhibit, by sharing their memories, knowledge and memorabilia.

The guest speaker for the event will be Dr. Ralph Oriscello, who served in Vietnam with Medal of Honor recipient Charles Joseph Watters.

The Medal of Honor recipients from Union County are:

• Julian Scott, a Civil War drummer and one of the youngest ever to be awarded the Medal of Honor.  Mr. Scott was also a prominent 19th century artist. His work can be seen at the Drake House Museum in Plainfield.

• Rufus King, an Army Major during the Civil War.

• James Madison Drake, an Army Lieutenant during the Civil War.

• William J. Brant., Jr., an Army Lieutenant during the Civil War.

• John Williams, II, a veteran of the Civil War.

• Theodore F. Smith, an Army private who served in the Indian Wars.

• Alan Louis Eggers, a World War I veteran who served in France.

• Thomas E. O’Shea, a World War I veteran who served in France.

• William Fred Stockham, a World War I veteran who served in France.

• Charles Joseph Watters, a US Army Chaplain who served in Vietnam, where he was killed in action in 1967.  He served as a parish priest at St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church in Cranford.

The Medal of Honor is the highest military honor in the United States. It was created in the early years of the Civil War to recognize extraordinary acts of personal valor above and beyond the call of duty.

The Union County Medal of Honor Memorial ceremony will take place in the chambers of Judge Karen Cassidy. At the conclusion, attendees are invited to view the memorial, located at the southwest corner of the Courthouse (intersection of Elizabethtown Plaza and Rahway Avenue), where photographs may be taken.

For more information about plans for the memorial, or to share any information or memorabilia about the Medal of Honor recipients, call the Union County Office of Veterans Affairs at 908-659-7407 or contact Elizabeth Sebring, 908-527-4890 or esebring@ucnj.org.

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Union County, NJ – Union County seniors and their families will have an opportunity to receive reliable guidance on wills, estates and related matters, at a free seminar conducted by County Surrogate James S. LaCorte on Tuesday October 29, at 2:00 p.m. The seminar will be held in the auditorium at the Union County Trailside Nature and Science Center, 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside.

As part of the seminar, a representative from the Freeholder Board will also be present to explain the new Union County Prescription Drug Discount Card.

“Settling an estate has become increasingly difficult, as the banking community and their providers impose new rules covering tax forms, leases, reverse mortgages, safe deposit boxes and custodial accounts,” said LaCorte. “This seminar is designed to answer your questions and help to make the process works smoothly for Union County families.”

The seminar also includes a full range of topics related to Probate matters, including banking, estate taxes, joint tenants, surviving spouses, and right of survivorship.

“Spouses and children who assume that everything held in trust passes to the survivor without going through probate, but that may not always be true. The contract between you and the provider, such as a bank or mortgage, also plays a key role in settling estates,” said LaCorte.

In addition to reviewing the importance of having a valid will, Mr. LaCorte will also discuss the duties of an Executor, and explain the difference between Power of Attorney and Advanced Directive.

He will also field questions related to real estate issues and the transfer of assets from the decedent’s name.

James S. LaCorte has been Surrogate of Union County since January 1, 2000. He has been a member of the Member of the Surrogate Judiciary Liaison Committee since 2008 and is a Former Section Chief of the Surrogates Section of the Constitutional Officers Association, State of New Jersey. In 2009 he received the William J. McCloud Award for outstanding service in the protection of families in Union County. Prior to his election to Surrogate, his practice focused on probate law and general equity as well as criminal and civil Matters.

The Union County Surrogate is a New Jersey State constitution office responsible for administering the Probate of Wills, Appointment of Estate Administrators, and Appointment of Guardians for minors. The Surrogate is also responsible for the Administration of Adoptions, and for filing Superior Court, Chancery Division, and Probate Part Complaints. In addition, the Surrogate is the Judge and Clerk of the Surrogate’s Court and the Deputy Clerk of the Superior Court Chancery Division, Probate Part.

The seminar is expected to last approximately one hour, and pre-registration is not required. For more information on the seminar and all other County Surrogate programs and services, call 908-527-2480 or visitucnj.org/surrogate.

To contact the Trailside Nature and Science Center, call 908-789-3670 or visit ucnj.org/parks.

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