Category: Public Info

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Trailside Nature and Science Center are pleased to offer an evening nature trail ride on horseback for adults, ages 18 and older, on Thursday, June 2, at Watchung Stable in Mountainside at 6 p.m. Rides are approximately 45 minutes in length and are suitable for beginner riders.

“This evening trail ride offers adults a unique opportunity to see part of the Union County park system from a different perspective – on horseback,” said Freeholder Chairwoman Deborah Scanlon. “Participants will learn about local plants and animals while enjoying a leisurely trail ride through the scenic 2,060-acre Watchung Reservation.”

Riders are encouraged to arrive at Watchung Stable approximately 15 minutes prior to their scheduled ride for a brief orientation followed by the horse assignments. After mounting their horse, riders will enjoy a meandering trail ride through the woods and fields on their way to Lake Surprise. A park naturalist from the Trailside Nature and Science Center will interpret sights and sounds and identify interesting trees, plants and wildlife along the way.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. This program fills quickly, so register early. The fee is $35 per person for Union County residents and $45 for out-of-county riders. Participants are requested to wear sturdy shoes with a heel and a helmet if they have one. Riding experience is not necessary.

In the event of inclement weather, call Watchung Stable at 908-789-3665 on June 2 to find out if the program has been cancelled. Trailside is located at 452 New Providence Road (at Coles Ave.) in Mountainside. Watchung Stable is located at 1160 Summit Lane in Mountainside. Trailside Nature and Science Center and Watchung Stable are services of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. For additional information about the Nature Trail Ride or for information on upcoming programs and special events at Trailside, please call 908-789-3670 or check us on the web at www.ucnj.org/trailside

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MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – Adults, ages 18 and older, enjoy horseback riding while learning about the local flora and fauna on a scenic tour through the Watchung Reservation offered by Trailside Nature and Science Center and Watchung Stable. Pre-registration is required as space is limited. For information about this program or for a complete listing of adult, family or children’s workshops please call Trailside at 908-789-3670. Trailside Nature and Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside. Watchung Stable is located at 1160 Summit Lane in Mountainside. Trailside and Watchung Stable are services of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Union County – Veterans and active duty military personnel are reminded to take part in Union County’s Veterans Job Fair and Resource Event on Thursday, May 30th from 9a.m. to 1p.m. at VFW Post 2230 located at 33 S. 21st St in Kenilworth.

The upcoming job fair will bring veterans together with employers like Barnabas Health, NJ Transit, Helmets to Hardhats, Trinitas Regional Medical Center, JFK Medical Center, Walmart, PSE&G, A. Duie Pyle, Maximum Quality Foods, Meadowlink, Frito Lay Inc.,  Joule Staffing Solutions, Inc., Shop-Rite and Renewal by Anderson in an effort to network and make connections for new employment opportunities

Sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, in connection with the Union County Department of Human Services, the Office of Veterans Affairs, One-Stop Career Centers and the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development the Job Fair is being offered free of charge to veterans, active duty military personnel, and their families.

Representatives will be on site with information on veterans’ benefits, the GI Bill, as well as other State and County sponsored services.

For additional information on the Veteran’s Job Fair please contact Elizabeth L. Sebring of the Union County Department of Human Services at (908) 527-4890 or via email at esebring@ucnj.org.

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ELIZABETH, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi reminds registered voters that sample ballots for the Primary Election on Tuesday, June 4, may be reviewed on-line by visiting the County Clerk’s website.

The names of candidates running in the Primary Election for the Republican or Democratic nominations for Governor, State Senators, General Assembly Members, County Sheriff, County Freeholders, and Municipal Officers in the November General Election are posted at https://ucnj.org/sample-ballots. Also listed are candidates for seats on the Republican and Democratic State Committees, and the Union County Democratic Committee.

“As a former school board member, Mayor and Freeholder myself, I know the importance of an informed electorate,” Ms. Rajoppi said. “My website is designed to help voters familiarize themselves with their local candidates in all 21 Union County municipalities before Primary Election Day.”

The County Clerk’s responsibilities include administering election laws within and for the County of Union and its 21 municipalities for primary, general, school board and special elections including acceptance of nominating petitions, designing ballots, mailing “Vote By Mail” ballots and tabulating voting results for the public record.

More information about sample ballots for the Primary Election can be obtained by calling the County Clerk’s Office at 908-527-4996 or by visiting the office at 2 Broad Street, Room 113, Elizabeth NJ 07207. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, email: ucvote@ucnj.org .

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CLARK, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that its next mobile paper-shredding program for confidential personal documents will be available on Wednesday, June 5, at the Township of Clark DPW facility in Clark.

“Union County’s mobile document-shredding service helps residents fight identity theft and eliminate clutter in their homes,” said Freeholder 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 June 5th shredding event will take place at the Department of Public Works facility in Clark, located at 315 Westfield Avenue. 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 dumped onto a conveyor belt and shredded on site. Participants are welcome to view the shredding process via a closed-circuit television. Shredded documents are then recycled, shipped to paper mills and used as pulp. The next shredding event will take place Sunday, June 23, at the Union County Vo-Tech campus in Scotch Plains.

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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4th Grade

Union County Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter (C) joined Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Bruce Bergen in congratulating the 4th grade winners of the 2013 Union County Arbor Day Poetry Contest. Zanajah Wilson from the Roosevelt School in Rahway took first place; Austin Zielenbach from Harding Elementary School in Kenilworth came in 2nd place and Aydin Graves from St. Genevieve School Elizabeth placed third. Contestants, ranging from grades 4 through 8, had to prepare an original work in an effort to promote Arbor Day and creatively show the importance of trees in Union County.

5th Grade

Union County Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter (R) joined Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Bruce Bergen in congratulating the 5th grade winners of the 2013 Union County Arbor Day Poetry Contest. Dianelys Garcia from School #9 in Linden took first place; Zachary Radler from Hamilton Elementary School in Union came in second place and Felicia Chislum-Campbell from Nicholas Murray Butler School #23 in Elizabeth placed third. Contestants, ranging from grades 4 through 8, had to prepare an original work in an effort to promote Arbor Day and creatively show the importance of trees in Union County.

6th Grade

Union County Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter (C) joined Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Bruce Bergen in congratulating the 6th grade winners of the 2013 Union County Arbor Day Poetry Contest. Amerely Lokko from the Burnet Middle School in Union took first place; Matthew Herrada from the Burnet Middle School in Union came in second place and Sophia Iacona from Terrill Middle School in Scotch Plains placed third. Contestants, ranging from grades 4 through 8, had to prepare an original work in an effort to promote Arbor Day and creatively show the importance of trees in Union County.

7th Grade

Union County Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter (2nd R) joined Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Bruce Bergen in congratulating Annie Langan from the Kawameeh Middle School in Union on winning third place for 7th graders in the 2013 Union County Arbor Day Poetry Contest. (Not pictured) Kelly Floyd took first place and Renee Barbosa came in second place. Both attend the Columbia Middle School in Berkeley Heights. Contestants, ranging from grades 4 through 8, had to prepare an original work in an effort to promote Arbor Day and creatively show the importance of trees in Union County.

8th Grade

Union County Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter (2nd R) joined Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Bruce Bergen in congratulating the 8th grade winners of the 2013 Union County Arbor Day Poetry Contest. Annie Zhou from New Providence Middle School took first place; Kaanita Iyer from the Burnet Middle School in Union came in second place and Madison Law from the Lincoln School in Garwood placed third. Contestants, ranging from grades 4 through 8, had to prepare an original work in an effort to promote Arbor Day and creatively show the importance of trees in Union County.

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – With miles of hiking and bridle trails crisscrossing the Watchung Reservation, maintenance and repair is an important, on-going task. The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders has the perfect opportunity for trail users who want to “give something back” to the trails they enjoy.

“If you love the great outdoors and love to hike or ride horses in the Watchung Reservation, then you can show your appreciation on National Trails Day,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter. “The 2,060-acre forest preserve is Union County’s largest park and it offers a variety of trails and scenery for all ages to enjoy.”

You can celebrate our local trails on National Trails Day, Saturday, June 1, by signing up to take a guided hike and/or participate in a trail work project in the Watchung Reservation. Participants should dress to get dirty and/or wet. Meet at the Scout Camping Area behind the greenhouse at Trailside Nature & Science Center’s Visitor Center, 452 New Providence Road, Mountainside.

National Trails Day begins at 8:30 a.m. with a continental breakfast for all pre-registered project volunteers. Anyone interested in doing some trail work should call 908-789-3683 to register, or e-mail: bkelly@ucnj.org.

From 8:45 to 10:00 a.m., a Trailside Nature & Science Center naturalist will take hikers along one of many marked trails in the Watchung Reservation in search of wildlife sights and sounds, animal tracks and interesting plant life along the way. Listen and look for migratory birds that use the Reservation as a rest stop along their trip north.

A trail work project from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. will offer volunteers the chance to repair the trail bed and remove invasive plants along a section of hiking trail. Volunteers will learn new skills, meet other trail users and have fun while working in the out-of-doors. Bring gloves, a shovel, loppers, pruning shears and/or pick axe if you have them. Some tools will be provided. The event will be held rain or shine. Trail work participants must be seven years of age or older and children must be accompanied by an adult.

For directions, go to http://goo.gl/maps/WG4g5 or call Trailside: 908-789-3670.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter and Vice Chairman Christopher Hudak (R) joined Freeholders Dan Sullivan (2nd L) and Mohamed Jalloh (2nd R) in presenting resolutions to the Roselle Catholic High School Boys Basketball Team congratulating them on winning the 2013 Tournament of Champions (TOC) crown. Their roster includes: Kevin Bostic, Matt Bullock, Kameron David, Kyle Elliot, Asante Gist, Kory Highsmith, Omari Hurston, Rob Lewis, Rick Mixson, Ryan Quinn, Malachi Richardson, Tyler Roberson, Hakim Saintil and Chris Silva. Head Coach Dave Boff worked with his assistants John Giraldo, Tom Sax, Mike Skrec and Kevin Fallon and Scorekeeper Christian Fabregas.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County, NJ – The Union County 4-H STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Club earned an Environmental Heroes award earlier this month at the annual Wild Earth Festival at Watchung Reservation in Mountainside, for their Earth Day clean-up activities and tree planting efforts. Pictured with Freeholder Vernell Wright (far l) after accepting their award are (l-r) Asa Coleman of Westfield, Sandeep Mukherjee of Scotch Plains, James Brodowski of Cranford, Joseph Touris of Scotch Plains, Joseph Marta of Scotch Plains, Brian Noonan of Fanwood, Cassie Hansen of Rahway, and club leader TJ Marta of Scotch Plains (not in photo: Nathan Lam, Marcelina Krowinska and Eric Elizes all of Westfield, Dylan Kiell of Fanwood and 4-H club co-leader Melissa Stryker of Scotch Plains). 4-H is a program of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, supported in part by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Information: contact James Nichnadowicz, 908-654-9854 or jnichnadowicz@ucnj.org.

Union County, NJ – Volunteer 4-H Master Tree Stewards of Union County gathered to receive an Environmental Hero award at Watchung Reservation earlier this month, in recognition of their community projects and educational programs reaching thousands of school children each year. Joined by spouses, County staff, Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter (3rd from r.) and Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski (4th from r.), the group included Dean Talcott of Fanwood, Lena Golden of Gillette, Claire Minick of Mountainside, Joan Burns of Elizabeth,  Jean Crichton of Summit, Linda Jacks of Cranford, Gail Sweeney of Clark, Sandy Ciasco of Westfield, Sue Sabo-Innocenti of Watchung, Ken Ilgavizis of Mountainside, Dolores Batz Culp of Scotch Plains, Martha Mahady of Vernon, Sheila Godbee of Elizabeth, and Rutgers Extension 4-H Agent James Nichnadowicz (with certificate). Master Tree Stewards is a program of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, supported in part by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Information: contact James Nichnadowicz, 908-654-9854 or jnichnadowicz@ucnj.org.

Union County – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that Karen Kessler, Chairman of the Board of Atlantic Health and founding partner of the public relations firm Evergreen Partners, Inc., will be the keynote speaker at the highly anticipated Union County Women Mean Business Summit on June 19th at the Clubhouse at Galloping Hill Golf Course.

“We are overjoyed that Karen Kessler has agreed to come and join us for this event,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter. “The goal of the Women’s Summit is to inspire and empower women to compete in the business world, and Karen is a powerful and engaging example of the potential that we all have.”

A frequent speaker for business audiences, Kessler’s work has received many awards including the Gold Key Award from the Public Relations Society of America, the YWCA Achievers Award, and the Crisis Management Award from PR NEWS. She has been recognized as one of “50 Most Powerful Non-Profit Board Members,” “50 Most Powerful Women,” and Jewish Women International’s “10 Women to Watch in the USA.” She is more recently famed for her role as technical consultant to the CBS television show, “The Good Wife” and the ABC television show “Nashville”.

Kessler will speak during the luncheon at the Union County Women Mean Business Summit which is expected to draw attention from women across the far reaches of Union County.

In addition to Kessler’s address the program will also feature breakout sessions on topics such as starting a business, re-entering the workforce, enhancing your business through social media, breaking the glass ceiling, and networking.

For a full schedule of events or to register for the Summit, visit https://ucnj.org/ucmb-register; a $25 registration fee is applicable, and pre-registration is required. The first 50 women to register will receive a complimentary golf lesson at 11:00a.m.the day of the event.

The Union County Women Mean Business Summit is a part of the Union County Means Business networking series and is sponsored by the Board of Chosen Freeholders in partnership with the Union County Alliance, Union County Economic Development Corp., Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce, Suburban Chambers of Commerce, Union Township Chamber of Commerce, Kean University, and Union County College. Additional sponsors include SouthWest Airlines, PSE&G, Brown & Brown Metro, Inc., Suplee Clooney & Co., The Alternative Press, and Jude Connally.

For additional information on the Summit or the Union County Means Business Series, please visitwww.ucnj.org/UCMeansBusiness or contact the County Manager’s office at 908-527-4200.