Category: Public Info

Union County, NJ – FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has opened a Disaster Recovery Center in Plainfield 400 East Front Street, to help eligible residents connect with resources that can help them recover from the effects of the superstorm Sandy. It is open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. seven days a week and it may be used by any resident of New Jersey.

Residents can also use the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center that opened last week at the Chisholm Community Center, 100 South Springfield Avenue in Springfield. It is also open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

“Many people and businesses in our community suffered the impact of this storm, so if you have any questions at all about your eligibility for disaster relief, please come in and talk to a FEMA representative,” said Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Linda Carter, a lifelong Plainfield resident. “A face-to-face conversation is often the best way to get helpful information.”

Residents can visit the Plainfield and Springfield locations any time during the hours of operation. No appointment is necessary.

For more information about FEMA disaster recovery services and Hurricane Sandy, call 800-621-FEMA (3362) or visit fema.gov/sandy.

For information about all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org.

#  #

For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release.   Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Children of All Ages Can Visit with Santa & Mrs. Claus

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – Usher in the holidays with the sights and sounds of the season at the 29th Annual Holiday Nature Craft Show at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside.  The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Community Renewal are pleased to present this seasonal craft show and charity drive in conjunction with the Union County tree and menorah lighting celebration at Trailside on Sunday, Dec. 2, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The price of admission is an item of dry or canned food or a new, unwrapped toy to be distributed through local charities.

“While shopping at the Nature Craft Show for unique gifts for friends and family, visitors will be treated to a festive afternoon of activities, including greetings from Santa and Mrs. Claus,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “Adding to the holiday atmosphere, carolers will entice visitors to join them in a sing-along and decorated trees will be on display.”

Staff from various Union County departments and community organizations will decorate trees in the Trailside Visitor Center.  All the trees, ornaments, and gift cards collected will be distributed to Union County families in need. Visitors are encouraged to stop by each holiday tree and vote on their favorite decoration theme for this year.

With a large selection of handcrafted items available at the show, you will certainly be able to check some names off your gift list. More than 40 vendors will be selling nature-themed items such as ornaments, home décor, jewelry, pottery, stained glass, recycled items, and much more.   Light refreshments will be available for purchase throughout the day.

Children will be able to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus from noon to 4:30 p.m., and free children’s face-painting will be offered to keep the little ones entertained. The day’s activities in Trailside’s auditorium will include the Union County tree and menorah lighting at 4:30 p.m.

For additional information about the Holiday Nature Craft Show please call Trailside at

908-789-3670, or go to 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.

-end-

A VISIT WITH SANTA – Mitch and Jocelyn Zuber of Cranford visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus at last year’s Holiday Nature Craft Show at Trailside Nature & Science Center in Mountainside. This year’s show will be on Sunday, Dec. 2, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The price of admission is an item of dry or canned food or a new, unwrapped toy to be distributed through local charities. For information call Trailside at 908-789-3670, or visitwww.ucnj.org/trailside.

BEST DRESSED TREE – Freeholders Deborah Scanlon and Linda Carter congratulate the winners of last year’s Tree Decorating Contest at the Holiday Nature Craft Show at Trailside Nature & Science Center in Mountainside. The 2011 award went to the Watchung Junior Hunt Club, the Watchung Stable’s youth organization for riders ages 9-17. Pictured are (left to right): Freeholder Scanlon; Meghan Foley of Clark; Janine Puhak of Cranford; Melissa Shendell of Westfield; Candice Mason of Clark; and Freeholder Vice Chairman Carter. This year’s Nature Craft Show is Sunday, Dec. 2, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The price of admission is an item of dry or canned food or a new, unwrapped toy to be distributed through local charities. For information call Trailside at 908-789-3670, or visit www.ucnj.org/trailside.

###

For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella (3rd R) and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski (L) and Vernell Wright (C) joined State Assembly Members (from 2nd L) Jerry Green, Linda Stender, Jon Bramnick and Nancy Munoz at a Hurricane Sandy Recovery Information Session for the public on November 14 on the Cranford campus of Union County College. The session was hosted by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and Assemblyman Bramnick. Experts on recovery following a Hurricane were present as well as representatives from FEMA and the insurance industry.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

###

For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release.   Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org. On Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook. On Twitter at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj

Union County, NJ – Mealtime is an important family routine that promotes good eating habits and all-around wellness, but today’s hectic schedules often make it difficult to bring everyone to the table together. A new class called “Family Meals, Anytime, Anyplace” provides expert tips and the latest updates designed to help you fit nutritious family meals into your lifestyle. The class, taught by a nutrition professional with Rutgers University, will be held on Thursday December 13, 7:00 pm. to 9:00 p.m. at the Rutgers Extension meeting room in the Union County Services Building, 300 North Avenue East in Westfield. A fee of $5.00 will be collected at the door. Pre-registration is required by December 6, by calling the Extension office at 908-654-9854.

#  #

For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release.   Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity program provider and employer. Contact your local Extension Office for information regarding special needs or accommodations. Contact the State Extension Director’s Office if you have concerns related to discrimination, 732-932-5000, ext. 584.

Union County, NJ – Members of the public are invited to submit their nominees for the 21st annual Women of Excellence awards program, sponsored by the Union County Commission on the Status of Women and the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

In particular, the Commission on the Status of Women invites residents to submit nominations that reflect an extra effort to assist others in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

The Women of Excellence program recognizes the many contributions that women make to life in Union County. Women who live, work or volunteer in Union County are eligible to be nominated.

“As the Union County community has pulled together to overcome the worst of Hurricane Sandy, this year’s Women of Excellence nominees will reflect the strength and spirit that so many women displayed in the face of the crisis,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella.”

The Women of Excellence who are selected from the pool of nominees will be honored at a celebratory dinner to be held on March 22, 2013 at Galloping Hill Caterers in Union Township.

The nomination process is simple and is open to women ages 21 years or older. To obtain a nomination form, contact Madeline Brigantino at 908-527-4144 or mbrigantino@ucnj.org, or visit https://ucnj.org/women-of-excellence-award/ to download the form.

The completed form should be mailed to Jane O’Hara, Union County Commission on the Status of Women, 708 Newark Avenue, Westfield, NJ 07090.

Nominations must be postmarked by December 1, 2012.

#  #

For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release.   Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

ELIZABETH, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi announces that free copies of property documents are available at her office in Elizabeth for Union County residents who lost their property documents during Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath.

“My office will assist Union County property owners who lost documents necessary to process insurance claims or apply for FEMA assistance at no charge,” Ms. Rajoppi said.

For a limited time, copies of property documents will be available at the County Clerk’s main office in the Union County Courthouse at 2 Broad Street, Room 115, in Elizabeth.

The Elizabeth office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

When contacting the County Clerk, please provide the property owner’s name, the property address and the approximate date of deed transfer.

For more information about obtaining property documents, please call (908) 527-4787.

– end –

For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

Alexander Mirabella, Chairman
Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders
November 2012

This has been an extraordinary time in Union County history, and we’ve seen some extraordinary things.

We’ve seen the worst of the damage and destruction that a powerful storm can bring, first with Hurricane Sandy and then with the nor’easter Athena.

We’ve also seen the best of human nature, as Union County residents pulled together to keep each other safe at the height of the danger.

So many people have been involved in the response and recovery that it’s impossible to thank them all, so I’d just like to say that as a lifelong resident of Union County I could not be more proud to say that this place is my home.

We’re not out of the woods yet. Tragically, two deaths in Union County have been attributed to the storm, and people are still suffering.

But we’re getting there.

And now, as we put our communities back in order, it is time to take a look at how we pulled through, and how we will prepare for the next time.

From the perspective of County government, one thing that stands out is the cooperation we received from local officials, which helped us to get our resources out quickly to communities in need.

That included extra help from County first responders and tree crews as well as fuel, fuel pumps, generators and light towers, to name just a few examples.

We also worked together to assist local emergency shelters, and we opened the Union County Regional Shelter in Cranford with the Red Cross and Salvation Army.  Special thanks go to the town of Cranford, its citizens and government officials, for making their community center available.

Communication was another critical endeavor. We mobilized the County website and social media, reverse 911, FirstAlert and other lines of communication to stay in constant touch with local officials and reporters as well as individual citizens.

Those efforts also assisted County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi and her staff, as they overcame unprecedented circumstances during a presidential election to keep residents informed and ensure that every Union County voter who wanted to cast a ballot, could do so.

On a nice note, right between the two storms a pair of EMTs with our new countywide ambulance service delivered a baby girl in Rahway, who was in such a big hurry to enter this world that she could not wait for mom to get to the hospital.

Clearly, one focus moving forward will be a redoubling of efforts to develop an even more vigorous county-local shared services network. We need to identify what worked and move swiftly to fill any gaps.

Just as clearly, we also need to expand our attention outward to the state and federal level.

There is no question that fuel shortages and long-running power outages added overwhelming burdens to Union County residents and first responders. While some limited solutions may be available locally, the root of the problem can only be addressed through a coordinated national energy policy.

Union County will conduct a series of “after action” planning sessions to learn what was done well and when could have be improved.  We learned a lot and are better prepared as a result.

By working together and planning ahead, we can ensure that Union County will be prepared to meet the next “storm of the century,” withstand its blows, and keep moving forward.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is sponsoring a special science program that will visit grammar schools, high schools and community groups to discuss watershed ecology. This free, 30-45-minute, in-house science presentation relates watershed and environmental concepts in a fun and meaningful way.

A watershed is a specific land area that drains into a river system or other body of water. Since 1999, these interactive, “hands-on” earth science presentations incorporating a three-dimensional land use model have been receiving positive reviews from students and teachers alike.

“This is a full period of interesting material for students, scouts and ecology clubs,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “Kids love coming to the watershed model and participating.

Teachers, students and community members will discover how human behavior can impact the land and water around them. Most importantly, the program offers easy, practical solutions that everyone can implement to reduce pollution and improve water quality, such as eliminating or minimizing the use of pesticides on lawns, picking up pet waste, and not feeding waterfowl such as ducks and geese.

The presentations are offered by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Community Renewal in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassadors Program. Additionally, the Watershed Ambassador Program offers stream assessment training for individuals and groups. To schedule a free presentation or training, call Matthew Popin, the Watershed Ambassador for Watershed Management Area #7, at 908-789-3209.

###

Matthew Popin, watershed ambassador from Union County’s Department of Parks and Community Renewal and the New Jersey AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador Program, prepares for upcoming watershed presentations using the Enviroscape, a 3-D model. To schedule a free watershed presentation in your community, please call 908-789-3209.

-end-

For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

Event to be held Wednesday, Nov. 14th, 7 p.m. at Union County College in Cranford

CRANFORD – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and Assemblyman Jon Bramnick will host a Hurricane Sandy Recovery Information Session for the public on Wednesday, November 14, at 7:00 p.m. in the Roy Smith Theater on the Cranford campus of Union County College. The College is located at 1033 Springfield Avenue in Cranford.

“We need to provide clear and concise information on how to file claims.” said Assemblyman Bramnick, who  represents the 21st District, which includes 10 municipalities in Union County.

“We are scheduling this information session as a means of directly communicating with residents who suffered any impacts during the storm,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella.  “They can obtain the advice and information they need from FEMA and other specialists in order to access aid.”

Experts on recovery following the Hurricane will be present. The session will include representatives from FEMA and the insurance industry. All are welcome to attend.

Residents may also visit the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center, which is already up and running at 100 South Springfield Avenue in Springfield, at the Chisholm Community Center and operating seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Two others will also open soon in Union County.

To find the one closest to you call FEMA or use the Disaster Recovery Center locator at fema.gov.

The types of financial assistance offered by FEMA to eligible residents include:

• Temporary rental help or a stipend for hotel lodging.
• Repairs or replacement for a home or business damaged by the storm (for damage not covered by existing insurance; property owners should also contact their insurance company).
• Help with medical, dental or funeral expenses.
• Help with mental health counseling.

One important form of help that FEMA can offer is disaster unemployment assistance. This program is designed for persons who have lost their jobs due to the storm, but who are not eligible to receive conventional unemployment insurance payments.

In addition, FEMA can help connect eligible residents with legal services, for example in settling landlord-tenant issues that may arise as a result of storm damage.

A complete description of FEMA assistance programs for individuals and households is available for download at the “Help After a Disaster” page at fema.gov or call 1-800-621-FEMA.

–30–

ROSELLE, NJ – Bring the family and join in the excitement at the Warinanco Ice Skating Center on Saturday, Nov. 24, at 3:00 p.m. as the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders presents the “Turkey Broom Bowl Challenge,” a combination of the games of broomball and bowling. No hockey or skating skills are required.

“Come to the skating center for some family fun and let your children try their luck at our version of broom bowling,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “After the Turkey Broom Bowl Challenge, sit by the fire and warm up with a snack and a cup of hot chocolate from the snack bar.”

Registration for the Turkey Broom Bowl Challenge begins at 3:00 p.m. on Nov. 24. There is a $2 registration fee per participant. Regular admission and skate rental fees do not apply; this is not a skating event.

There is no public skating during this event. The Turkey Broom Bowl Challenge will begin at 3:30 p.m. Children ages 4 through 17 years who are competing in the challenge will be divided into three age groups. Prizes will be awarded.

The Warinanco Ice Skating Center is located off Thompson Avenue in Warinanco Park, located near the border of Roselle and Elizabeth. For more information call the Skating Center at 908-298-7850 or the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal at 908-527-4900, or visit www.ucnj.org

– END –

For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

ROSELLE, NJ – Bring the family and join in the fun at the Turkey Broom Bowl Challenge, a version of broom bowling, on Saturday, Nov. 24, at the Warinanco Park Ice Skating Center in Roselle. Registration begins at 3 p.m. There is a $2 fee for each participant. Children ages 4 through 17 years will be divided into three age groups. Prizes will be awarded. For more information call the Skating Center at 908-298-7850 or the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal at 908-527-4900, or visit www.ucnj.org