Category: Public Info

Union County, NJ – The Union County Foreclosure Task Force is reminding residents whose homes were undergoing a foreclosure process in 2009 and 2010 that they may be eligible for a free, comprehensive review of their case.

“If you were unfairly exposed to foreclosure in 2009 or 2010, Federal agencies have arranged a process that could help you seek redress,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “I urge you to take this opportunity to find out if your case can be reviewed.”

The free review process is the result of an enforcement action against more than a dozen mortgage servicing companies and vendors undertaken last spring by the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Office of Thrift Supervision.

Under the terms of the enforcement action, those companies are required to engage independent consultants to review cases that were in a foreclosure process in 2009 and 2010.

The review is designed to reveal whether borrowers suffered financial injury through errors, misrepresentations, or other deficiencies in the process, and to determine appropriate remediation for those customers.

To be eligible for a review, the mortgage must have been active in the foreclosure process between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2010. In addition, the property securing the loan must have been the primary residence, and the mortgage must have been serviced by one of the following mortgage servicers:

• America’s Servicing Company
• Aurora Loan Services
• Bank of America
• Beneficial
• Chase
• Citibank
• CitiFinancial
• CitiMortgage
• Countrywide
• EMC
• Everbank/Everhome
• Freedom Financial
• GMAC Mortgage
• HFC
• HSBC
• IndyMac Mortgage Services
• Metlife Bank
• National City
• PNC
• Sovereign Bank
• SunTrust Mortgage
• U.S. Bank
• Wachovia
• Washington Mutual
• Wells Fargo

The companies were required to send informational mailings to their customers, with instructions on how to apply for a review.

“If you have not received a mailing you may still be entitled to a review,” said Mirabella. “If you have any questions about your eligibility, don’t hesitate to call the federal hotline for more information at 1-888-952-9105.”

Persons seeking information on their eligibility can call the Independent Foreclosure Review toll free, 1-888-952-9105, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information is also available online at IndependentForeclosureReview.com.

All requests for review must be received by April 30, 2012.

For Union County residents who are not eligible for the Independent Foreclosure Review process, the Union County Foreclosure Task Force has free, reliable information and guidance that can help homeowners avoid foreclosure, or can help them cope with a foreclosure more effectively. Information for tenants is also available.

Visit the Task Force online at www.ucnj.org or call the toll free hotline at The Home Ownership Preservation Foundation, a Task Force partner, 888-995-HOPE (4673).

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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 athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Tina Casey

Deputy Director

Union County Office of Public Information

908-527-4346

tcasey@ucnj.org

Men and women who enjoy the game of softball can be a part of the game by becoming certified Amateur Softball Association (ASA) softball umpires. The Greater Union County ASA Softball Umpires Association, in cooperation with the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal, will conduct its annual softball umpires training program beginning Monday, February 27.

The training classes will take place from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Monday evenings from Feb. 27 through April 2 at the Union County Administration Building in Elizabeth. The cost of this six-week umpiring course is $150. The classes are open to men and women, 18 years of age and older, who are interested in umpiring softball games.

For more information and registration details, please contact the Union County, New Jersey, Amateur Softball Association office of  Keith Benovengo at (908) 313-0983, email: commissioner@asasoftballucnj.org; or Bill Smith at (908) 259-0154, email: willsmith43@comcast.net; or visit: www.asasoftballucnj.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 athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Community Renewal are pleased to announce a new series of programs for adults at Trailside Nature & Science Center in Mountainside. “Audubon Lecture: Owls of New Jersey” is the first of the Winter 2012 Adult Program Series. This lecture, for adults 18 and older, will run on Thursday, Feb. 9, from 7-9 p.m. The fee is $8 per person for Union County residents and $10 per person for out-of-county participants. Pre-registration is required.

“Trailside’s Winter Adult Program Series offers a unique opportunity for residents to learn new and interesting facts on a myriad of nature-related and historical topics,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “The Audubon Lecture: Owls of New Jersey, the first topic in the series, is sure to be an informative and engaging program.”

Owls are among our most fascinating wildlife. There are eight species of these raptors living in New Jersey, four of which commonly nest in the Watchung Reservation. Dorothy Smullen, teacher/naturalist with the New Jersey Audubon Society will present an illustrated program that explains the adaptations that make these birds successful hunters. The audience will have an opportunity to view mounted specimens, listen to owl calls and learn to identify their pellets.

For additional information about the Audubon Lecture: Owls of New Jersey, or other programs for adults or special events at Trailside, call 908-789-3670 or visit www.ucnj.org/trailside.  Trailside Nature & Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

A Barred Owl is one of the owls that will be discussed during the program for adults, “Audubon Lecture: Owls of New Jersey” at Trailside Nature & Science Center on Thursday, Feb. 9, from 7-9 p.m. The fee for this program is $8/person for Union County residents and $10/person for out-of-county residents. Pre-registration is required. For information on this lecture, call Trailside at 908-789-3670 or visit www.ucnj.org/trailside. Trailside is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

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 .

As county and local governments continue to explore shared services and other avenues to reduce spending, I would like to highlight a program from the Union County Sheriff’s Office that has been saving taxpayers money every year while benefiting towns and charities throughout the county.

The Union County Sheriff’s Labor Assistance Program (SLAP) is essentially a supervised public work program for people who have received mandatory sentences in municipal and superior courts. Non-violent criminal offenders work off their sentences instead of serving costly jail time. The participants are carefully screened and must meet stringent eligibility requirements in order to take part in the program.

Since 1993, Sheriff’s Officers have directed SLAP details in all 21 Union County municipalities that have involved roadside cleanup, park maintenance, painting of municipal buildings and other community oriented projects. Last year was no different.

SLAP crews assisted the Township of Cranford in clean-up efforts in the wake of Hurricane Irene. Immediately after the flooding, the crews helped remove files from the municipal building. During the weeks that followed, SLAP workers were also involved in removing debris from neighborhoods throughout Cranford.

In November, SLAP workers cleaned out the Winfield Municipal Building so repairs and waterproofing could be done after the building was damaged by Hurricane Irene and the October snow storm. They also provided cleaning services to the Winfield Volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance Squad.

Last year SLAP details cleared debris from parks and roads in Fanwood and Linden as well as helped with the clean-up after festivals in Westfield and Cranford. Crews also assisted the Fanwood Department of Public work with curb painting last summer.

SLAP continued to provide services to county facilities such as the Union County Courthouse Complex in Elizabeth and the John H. Stamler Police Academy in Scotch Plains as well as being active throughout the Union County Parks System.

Several charities and civic organizations continued to benefit from the SLAP program during 2011. Crews worked cleaning building and grounds for several groups including the Knights of Columbus, the American Cancer Society, the Lupus Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity.

While towns and other groups received valuable services, the offenders also benefitted because they were able to keep their jobs and remain at home with family instead of experiencing an unproductive period of incarceration. The experience also serves as a deterrent to future criminal behavior.

The violator pays his or her debt to society while doing a productive job for our community rather than being jailed at the taxpayers’ expense. It is a win/win program that will continue to benefit the people of Union County.

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

Union County, NJ — If you own or manage a business in Union County, or if you are planning to start one, be sure to come to the free Union County Means Business networking breakfast series. The series is designed to help business owners learn about grants, loans, social media, employee recruitment, and other resources that can help them grow and succeed.

The kickoff session will feature Caren S. Franzini, CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. It will be held on Wednesday, February 1, 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. at the Kean University STEM Building, 1000 Morris Avenue in Union Township.

All sessions are free but pre-registration is required by visiting the Union County website athttps://ucnj.org/UCMeansBusiness or call 908-527-4200.

“We wanted to start right out of the box in 2012 with a program that helps our local businesses connect with all of the resources at their disposal,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mirabella. “By coming to our breakfast networking sessions, you can meet directly with people who can help you get to the information you need.”

Union County Means Business, an initiative of Chairman Alexander Mirabella, is designed to provide Union County businesses with information that can help them increase productivity and achieve profitability.

The series is sponsored by the Freeholder Board in partnership with the Union County Alliance, Union County Economic Development Corporation, Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce, Suburban Chambers of Commerce, Union Township Chamber of Commerce, Kean University, and Union County College.

“All business owners and managers are welcome to the series, but we are especially reaching out to those who are feeling overwhelmed by some of the obstacles in their path,” said Mirabella. “We want this to be a welcoming experience where everyone can come to learn and grow together.”

All Union County Means Business breakfast networking sessions are open to owners and managers of businesses in Union County, and to prospective owners who are considering starting a business in Union County. Union County residency is not required.

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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 athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

(From left) Union County Freeholders Daniel Sullivan, Bette Jane Kowalski, Christopher Hudak and Deborah Scanlon present a check from the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders to the 2012 Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade General Chairman Michael J. Panella, Adjutant Kerry Ricci and Grand Marshal Bill Dugan during the parade committee’s Celebrity Bartenders fundraiser at the Kenilworth Veterans Center. The 2012 Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 10 on Morris Avenue in Union. For more information please visit www.unioncountystpatricksdayparade.com. (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

Do you like working with artists, teachers and students? The Union County Teen Arts Festival provides an opportunity for volunteers to get involved.

The Union County Teen Arts Festival, sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders through the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs in the Department of Parks and Community Renewal, is a two-day celebration of the arts held annually at Union County College in Cranford. The event, scheduled for March 15 and 16, is open to all students from public, charter, private and parochial middle and high schools in Union County.

“Nearly 4,000 students participate in performances, critiquing seminars, master classes and workshops with a staff of 55 professional artists in every discipline – visual art, music, creative writing, theater and dance,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “Volunteers are needed to assist artists with workshops, manage performance sites and staff information stations. We appreciate the invaluable assistance of our county residents with this exciting program.”

If you are interested in any of these activities, contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth, New Jersey 07202. Telephone: (908) 558-2550; NJ Relay Users call 711. Or e-mail us at: culturalinfo@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 athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

ELIZABETH, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee announce the opening of an exhibit to commemorate Union County’s role in the Civil War of 1861-65. The exhibit is scheduled to open on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 2 p.m. in the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street in historic midtown Elizabeth.

“This exhibit of Civil War artifacts and photographs will focus on the unique contributions of Union County citizens to the war effort,” said Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi, chairman of the Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee. “We’ll place special emphasis on the experiences of Union County residents in the areas of the home front, the military, and the economic and political life of the County.”

Speakers at the opening event will include Karen Cassidy, Assignment Judge, Superior Court New Jersey; Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella; the Rev. Robert Higgs, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth; and Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi. There will be entertainment and refreshments. The public is invited to the opening of the exhibit, but you are asked to call Ms. Rajoppi’s office at 908-527-4787 to reserve a seat.

The Civil War commemorative exhibit will be on display until 2015 and the displays will change from time to time. Anyone wishing to loan historical artifacts from the Civil War era for the exhibit can contact committee member Katherine Craig at 908-282-7617. All objects will be secured, locked and acknowledged.

The Civil War monument in Fairview Cemetery in Westfield was “Erected by the citizens of Westfield and Vicinity to commemorate the services of the soldiers and sailors of Union County who served in the war for the Union,” its inscription reads. A series of photographs featuring Civil War monuments throughout Union County will be part of the exhibit that opens at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth on Thursday, February. 9, at 2:00 p.m. The public is invited to the opening of the exhibit, but you are asked to call 908-527-4787 to reserve a seat. (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, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

SCOTCH PLAINS – The Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal has released details of the Ash Brook Reservation Deer Management Program, which will begin on Thursday, January 19 and continue through Saturday, February 11.

This program is intended to reduce the white-tailed deer population in the Ash Brook Reservation and Golf Course in an attempt to minimize overbrowsing of the forested parkland, reduce browse damage on the landscape plantings of surrounding homes, reduce the incidence of deer-related motor vehicle accidents, and lessen the occurrence of Lyme disease.

A wildlife management contractor hired by the Township of Scotch Plains removed 241 deer from the Ash Brook Reservation between 2006 and 2009. In 2010, licensed hunters from the Cranford Rod & Gun Club removed eight deer, and in 2011 they harvested 22 deer.

This year, seven members of the Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Association have been authorized to participate in this program and have completed a marksmanship test. Those hunters, using shotguns at baited sites, will remove deer from various areas of the park, including the Golf Course. The venison that is processed from some of the harvested deer will be distributed to the needy and homeless through the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.

Weather permitting, hunters may be in the Ash Brook Reservation every day except Sunday.  Shooting may only occur during daylight hours.

Participation in this program is limited to the seven members of the Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Association. Anyone else found hunting on this Union County park property outside the terms of this program will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Citizens observing any illegal activity at any time are urged to immediately contact the Union County Police at 908-654-9800.

The public should note that the Ash Brook Reservation and the Ash Brook Golf Course will not be closed during the deer management program. Park users and neighbors are encouraged to stay out of the wooded areas during that time period and to keep pets restrained on a leash.

Click here to view the program guidelines.

For further information, contact the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal at (908) 789-3682.

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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 athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announced that Union County will receive a grant of $3,426,758 from the Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  These federal dollars provide permanent and transitional housing for homeless individuals and families as well as support services such as job training, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and child care.

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced the grant in a statement released December 20, 2011.

“According to a January 2011 survey, 584 children were counted among 1,471 homeless people in Union County,” Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella said. “The Freeholder Board is thankful that the County will be receiving these funds, and hopeful that with them we can improve the quality of life for these members of our community.”

Each year the Department of Human Services works closely with community partners like Bridgeway Rehabilitation Services, Inc., Community Access Unlimited, the Community Access Institute, the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless, Homefirst Interfaith Housing and Family Services, Inc., and the YMCA and YWCA of Eastern Union County, to accurately gauge the County’s needs and resources, in order to submit a comprehensive joint application to the federal government.

“This high degree of professionalism and cooperation enables Union County to obtain additional funding for vital programs like these on a competitive basis,” noted Frank Guzzo, Director of the Union County Department of Human Services.

Since 1998 this collaborative cooperation has resulted in Union County receiving $35.3 million in federal grants to help support the operation of programs that serve the homeless. Nationwide, for fiscal year 2011, HUD awarded $1.47 billion in homeless grants for renewal projects.

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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 athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.