Category: Public Info

RAHWAY, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that its next mobile paper-shredding program for personal documents will be available on Thursday, July 12, at Rahway River Park in Rahway.

“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 July 12th shredding event will take place in the Rahway River Park service yard, off St. Georges Avenue in Rahway. 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. The next shredding event will take place Saturday, August 11th at Kean University in Union.

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 Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889 or visit us online at www.ucnj.org/recycle .

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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 at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

It is really simple. Pay attention when behind the wheel.

Don’t talk on a cell phone while driving. And, more importantly, don’t text while driving. Don’t use your phone at all while driving. The distraction could be deadly.

Driving safely requires a person’s constant attention to the road and to everyone and everything outside of the car. Many things can distract a driver, like adjusting the radio or sipping coffee, but since texting requires visual, manual and cognitive attention simultaneously, it is by far the most alarming distraction.

Almost 5,500 people were killed in accidents involving driver distraction nationwide in 2009, and another 448,000 people were injured, according to the latest figures analyzed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Recently, a newspaper reported that there are more than 3,000 accidents involving cell phones in New Jersey every year. People are injured or die in these crashes. And the numbers are not going down.

The NHTSA also reports that using a cell phone while driving delays reaction time as much as being legally drunk with a blood alcohol concentration of .08. Drivers who use a hand-held device are 4 times more likely to get into an accident serious enough to cause injury, according to the agency. Texting drivers are 23 times more likely to be involved in such a crash.

Our youngest and most inexperienced drivers are most at risk. In 2009, 16% of teen drivers involved in a fatal crash were reported to have been distracted, reports the NHTSA.

Half (52%) of cell-owning teens ages 16-17 say they have talked on a cell phone while driving, according to a survey of 800 young drivers conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. That translates into 43% of all American teens ages 16-17.

Forty per cent of those surveyed say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put themselves or others in danger.

Leading by example is a great way to show our young people that distracted driving is dangerous. If parents don’t use a cell phone in the car, the kids will be less likely to. But our best chance of ending distracted driving is to educate everyone, especially the teenagers, about the danger it poses. The NHTSA offers a lot of important information on their website, distracton.gov.

Distractions in everyday life outside of the car can be dangerous as well. There are plenty of other activities that don’t mix with texting.

Recently, a young man riding a bicycle nearly crashed into my car as I was driving because he was texting as he rode along. Don’t text while riding a bike either.

Also, there is no shortage of video of people texting while walking and ending up falling into a water fountain or blindly strolling smack into a wall. Those lucky enough not to get hurt must be at least really embarrassed.

Pay attention to the world around you, especially when you are behind the wheel of a car, and it will be a safer place for everyone.

Ralph Froehlich Union County Sheriff

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

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella (L) watches as Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr cuts the ribbon officially opening the new open-air pavilion at LaGrande Park in Fanwood. They are joined by Fanwood Recreation Director Bob Budiansky (2nd R) and Joe Valente, Chairman of the Fanwood Recreation Commission. The new pavilion and other recent improvements at the park were made possible in part by grants through the Union County Kids Recreational Trust Fund.  (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 Freeholder Vice Chairman Linda Carter (far left) congratulates the 2012 Plainfield High School Hall of Fame inductees during the Plainfield High School Alumni Association’s induction ceremony on June 23 in Plainfield. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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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

The Union County Summer Arts Festival concert series begins its 52nd season of music on Wednesday evening, July 11, with a performance by “Tusk” – a band that recreates the greatest hits of Fleetwood Mac. The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, led by Chairman Alexander Mirabella, invites the public to attend this free concert that begins at 7:30 p.m. in Echo Lake Park in Mountainside.

Tusk covers the music of Fleetwood Mac to perfection. The group is made up of incredible musicians, including Kathy Phillips, a New Jersey singer/songwriter who captures the essence of Stevie Nicks, along with Kim Williams on keyboards and vocals, Scott McDonald on guitar, drummer Tom Nelson and bassist Randy Artiglere. Expect to hear great songs like “Landslide,” “Rhiannon,” “Go Your Own Way,” and “Don’t Stop Thinking about Tomorrow” and see a memorable show that will impress even the most diehard Fleetwood Mac fans.

“Bring the entire family for an entertaining evening in Echo Lake Park,” said Freeholder Chairman Mirabella. “Pack a picnic basket, bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on, and enjoy the sounds of summer under the stars.”

The Union County information van will be at the concert site with personnel from the Union County Office of Veterans’ Affairs and the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs and other knowledgeable staff to answer questions and offer information about interesting programs and recreational activities that are available to Union County residents.

The Summer Arts Festival concerts continue throughout July and August on Wednesdays beginning at 7:30 p.m. This summer’s concerts will be held at Echo Lake Park on the Mountainside-Westfield border and at Oak Ridge Park in Clark. Lawn chairs, blankets and picnic baskets are encouraged. Refreshments and snacks will be available from vendors.

The other free concerts in the Union County Summer Arts Festival series include:

July 18 – Rob Paparozzi & Etruscan Soul; at Echo Lake Park.
July 25 – The Sensational Soul Cruisers; at Echo Lake Park.
Aug. 1 – Classic Rock Revue with Rick Cantor Band & The Broadcasters; at Oak Ridge Park.
Aug. 8 – American Rapture; at Oak Ridge Park.
Aug. 15 – JoBonanno & The Godsons; at Oak Ridge Park.
Aug. 22 – The B Street Band (The Original Springsteen Tribute); at Oak Ridge Park.

For rain information call the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal at (908) 558-4079 after 3 p.m. on the day of the scheduled concert, or visit the Union County web site: www.ucnj.org

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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 at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella (R) joins Westfield Mayor Andy Skibitsky (L) and U.S. Army Brig. General (Ret.) Vincent Stahl (2nd L) in congratulating Sgt. Ennio John Viglianti on receiving the Bronze Star with the “V” for valor device for his service in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 during World War II. An administrative error delayed the honor for almost seven decades. Viglianti, 97, of Westfield, was presented with the medal during a ceremony at American Legion Post 209 in Scotch Plains on June 24.

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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 – 4-H Club members Moenika Chowdhury of Fanwood, Leann Manna of Linden, and Neeraj Shekhar and Joseph Stokes of Westfield, represented the Union County 4-H Program at the 4-H State Presentation Contest at Rutgers University on June 9th.

“Over 160 4-H members from throughout the state participated in the competition,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “The Freeholder Board is extremely proud of the Union County members for their hard work and dedication.”

Each of the participants advanced to the State Presentation Contest after having scored “excellent” at the Union County 4-H Presentation Contest in March.

For her presentation, Chowdhury performed Mozart’s Concerto No.1 on her flute, while Manna gave a demonstration of how to make colonial era cookies and Stokes presented a talk on the benefits of running. Shekhar, who won Best in Room, gave a talk entitled “Are We Too Thirsty,” about world water use.

Each of the talks was eight minutes in length and the presenters were evaluated on voice projection, eye contact, appearance and attitude.

The quality of their material was judged based on accuracy, timeliness and organization, as well as the use of visual aids.

The 4-H youth development program is part of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County, and provides informal, educational programs for youth in grades K-13 while encouraging responsibility, community awareness and character development.

For more information about the Rutgers Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Program please contact 4-H Agent James Nichnadowicz at 908-654-9854 or via email at Nichnadowicz@njaes.rutgers.edu.

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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 at http://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 – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that the county’s Communications Center has begun providing emergency dispatch services for more municipalities, under a shared services initiative. The new arrangement is designed to help first responders in the Union County area continue to operate efficiently and effectively within the context of tight local budgets.

“This shared services program brings Union County’s state of the art technology and experienced personnel to municipalities that would find it difficult if not impossible to marshal these resources on their own,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “The Freeholder Board is very pleased that more residents will be served by the Communications Center.”

The initiative began in 2010, when Fanwood entered into a shared services agreement with Union County to have its police, fire and emergency medical service (EMS) calls routed through the Union County Communications Center.

Earlier this year, Roselle, Springfield, and Hillside entered similar agreements to have their fire and EMS calls routed to the Communications Center, and the Scotch Plains Rescue Squad contracted with the County for emergency medical dispatch services.

Recently, the County Communication’s Center assumed dispatch responsibilities for two paramedic units operated by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway, along with Roselle Park’s Fire Department and EMS. In addition, the County will be providing emergency medical dispatch to the Township of South Orange.

Some of these new clients previously had their emergency calls routed through the CENCOM dispatch center at Overlook Medical Center in Summit. CENCOM is in the process of transferring its services to a dispatch center located in southern New Jersey.

“We offered an alternative and we found that, aside from any bottom line savings, our local officials appreciate the peace of mind that comes from having a dispatch facility located right here in Union County,” said Mirabella.

“The Union County area is a very complex, challenging environment for emergency response, and we believe that dispatchers who are focused primarily on our local conditions will achieve the best possible outcomes,” said Andrew Moran, Director of the Union County Department of Public Safety.

The Union County Communications Center is located in the Ralph J. Froehlich Public Safety Building, at 300 North Avenue East in Westfield.

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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 at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that Watchung Stable and Mosaico Restaurant are cooperating again to offer “Date Night at Watchung Stable” on two Sundays, July 1 and August 12, at 2:45 p.m. in Mountainside.

“Couples, ages 18 and older, are invited to go out on a date in a new and exciting way – on horseback,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “You’ll visit Lake Surprise and meander through the woods and fields to discover the wealth of wildlife active in the picturesque Watchung Reservation.”

Participants must arrive at Watchung Stable by 2:45 p.m. to sign in. The rides, which last approximately one hour, will leave at 3:00 p.m. After the ride, couples may want to head over to Mosaico Restaurant for a Northern Italian dinner since each couple will receive a $20 gift certificate, courtesy of Mosaico.

No riding experience is necessary; the rides will involve a leisurely walk only.

Pre-registration and pre-payment is required, as space is limited (there are no refunds for these rides). The fee for the Date Night Trail Ride only is $56 per couple for Union County residents and $78 per couple for out-of-county participants. Those wishing to participate should stop by Watchung Stable, 1160 Summit Lane, Mountainside, and sign up,

Mosaico Restaurant is located at 1072 Route 22 West in Mountainside (www.mosaico22.com).

Watchung Stable is a facility of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Any couples wishing to find out about space availability for the “Date Night” trail ride, directions to Watchung Stable, or information about other riding programs, please call 908-789-3665 during normal office hours; visit the web site www.ucnj.org/stable or email questions to stablequestions@ucnj.org.

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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 at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks & Community Renewal are happy to announce the schedule of “Family Fun and Flix” – the free summer entertainment and film series on Tuesday evenings that gives families a chance to enjoy an outdoor activity and catch a movie under the stars in a Union County park.

“Family Fun and Flix begins at dusk, but come early to the park to enjoy interesting preview activities at 7:30 p.m. that are fun for the whole family,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “Bring a blanket or beach chair to claim your spot on the lawn or save a seat in the bleachers – either way, the early birds are sure to like the preview activity before each movie.”

Come to Warinanco Park, on the border of Elizabeth and Roselle, on Tuesday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. when naturalists from Trailside Nature & Science Center will display some of the natural wonders found in Union County’s Watchung Reservation. Then sit back at dusk and watch as a clumsy panda and his friends learn how to protect the Valley of Peace, in the 2011 animated action comedy film, “Kung Fu Panda 2,” featuring the voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Michelle Yeoh and Gary Oldman.

The other dates and locations for this summer’s Family Fun and Flix are:

• Tuesday, July 17 at Warinanco Park: The Trailside Ecovan will display natural artifacts before the showing of the animated musical adventure, “Happy Feet Two.”
• Tuesday, July 24 at Warinanco Park: The Trailside Ecovan will display pelts, gemstones and other natural wonders before the animated action comedy, “Puss in Boots.”
• Tuesday, August 7 at Meisel Park in Springfield: Take part in National Night Out, starting at 6 p.m., before viewing the concert film, “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.”
• Tuesday, August 14 at Conant Park in Hillside: The Trailside Ecovan will feature a program about reptiles, before the animated action comedy spy film, “Cars 2.”

All movies start at dusk, weather permitting. For more information, call the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal at 908-527-4900. For program and rain information call 908-558-4079 after 3:00 p.m. on the day of the show.

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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 at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .