Category: Public Info

Union County Freeholders Christopher Hudak (2nd L) and Angel G. Estrada (2nd R) join Rabbi Mordechai Kanelsky (L) and Rabbi Avremy Kanelsky in lighting a Menorah in Phil Rizzuto Park in Elizabeth celebrating Chanukah.  (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 Alexander Mirabella (R) congratulates Scott Maloney (2nd L) of the Linden Fire Department on earning the Chief Anthony Schepis Award for Excellence in Firefighter 1, Fall Semester upon graduating from the Union County Fire Training Academy. They are joined by Linden Fire Chief Joseph Rizzo (2nd R) and Capt. Charles Wisnowski. Twenty-four firefighter recruits from the Hillside, Linden and Union Fire Departments graduated in the Fall 2011 Class. (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 Alexander Mirabella (R) congratulates Nicholas Crosta
(2nd L) of the Hillside Fire Department on earning the Battalion Chief Ken Nocera Memorial Award for Outstanding Excellence in Fire Fighter 1, Fall Semester upon graduating from the Union County Fire Training Academy. They are joined by Hillside Fire Chief Dominick Naples (2nd R) and Capt. Tom Mateer. Twenty-four firefighter recruits from the Hillside, Linden and Union Fire Departments graduated in the Fall 2011 Class. (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 – Students from the Union County Vo-Tech Schools received a resolution of “Outstanding Accomplishment” from the American Cancer Society this week, for their 2011 Relay for Life event that raised more than $180,000 for cancer research. More than 700 students participated along with adult volunteers and cancer survivors. In the nationwide Relay for Life competition, Vo-Tech came in 2nd place for per capita fundraising and 3rd place in the Top Youth Event category. Pictured with the awards (l-r): Vo-Tech advisors/teachers Ginny Oels and Adam Moskowitz, Academy of Performing Arts sophomore Amber Chabus, Magnet High School senior Meghan Emmons, Academy for Allied Health Sciences sophomore Caroline Culp, Academy for Information Technology senior Chris Sprague, UCVTS Board of Education Member Jane Lorber, and Deirdre McGuinness of the American Cancer Society.

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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.

The Union County Baseball Association will induct four new members into the Union County Baseball Hall of Fame during award ceremonies on Sunday afternoon, February 12. The four inductees will be honored for their outstanding contributions to our national pastime on the baseball diamonds of Union County, New Jersey.

Dennis McCaffery of Cranford, Ed Murzinski of Linden, Bob Riesener of Linden, and Jamie Shriner of Roselle Park will be honored with induction into the Union County Baseball Hall of Fame at the 76th Annual Hot Stove League Baseball Dinner on Feb. 12, which begins at 1:00 p.m. at the L’Affaire Banquet Center, 1099 Route 22 East, Mountainside. The dinner is sponsored by the Union County Baseball Association, in cooperation with the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal.

“We’re delighted to welcome four extremely deserving new members into the Union County Baseball Hall of Fame,” said Freeholder Chairman Deborah Scanlon. “We hope that family members and friends of all the honorees will enjoy the Sunday afternoon ceremonies and support youth baseball in Union County.”

In addition to the new Hall of Fame inductees, the Hot Stove League Baseball Dinner also will honor young athletes from local baseball leagues for their achievements in 2011.

Tickets for the dinner are $40.00, with proceeds going to help fund the Union County Summer Youth Baseball League for youngsters 8 to 15 years, and the Fall Teen League.

Since 1937, the Hot Stove League Dinner has been the primary fund-raising effort for the Union County Baseball Association’s summer and fall programs. Over the years, the awards dinner has honored many local and national baseball luminaries – including Phil Rizzuto of Hillside, Don Newcombe of Elizabeth, Joe Collins of Union, Jeff Torborg of Mountainside, Willie Wilson of Summit, Jake Wood of Elizabeth, and Elliott Maddox of Union.

Tickets for the 76th Annual Union County Baseball Association Hot Stove League Dinner on Feb. 12th are available by mail for $40 from the Union County Baseball Association, PO Box 176, Fanwood, New Jersey 07023.

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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 is pleased to introduce ConneXions, a new travel and transit information service available through the Union County website at ucnj.org. ConneXions is a one-stop portal for getting all the travel and transit information available in Union County and the New Jersey-New York metro region, including emergency notifications and weather related alerts.

The direct link to the ConneXions page is www.ucnj.org/connect.

“When you’re planning a daily commute, running errands or taking a trip, ConneXions gives you a quick, convenient way to check out all the options and choose the one that works for you,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Deborah Scanlon. “ConneXions is a valuable addition to the Union County website.”

The ConneXions page features user-friendly links for travel by car, train, bus, air, and bicycle. Along with all the major systems in New Jersey and New York such as NJ Transit, New York City mass transit systems, Newark Liberty Airport and JFK Airport, ConneXions includes:

• Traffic information and camera feeds
• Union County construction-related road closures
• EZ-Pass information
• EZ Ride shuttles serving parts of Union County
• Stewart International Airport
• Bike routes including the East Coast Greenway

“I’d also like to draw attention to the Union County Paratransit bus service,” said Chairman Scanlon. “Since its inception more than 30 years ago, Paratransit has helped thousands of Union County residents to get out and about, who would otherwise be isolated and shut in due to age, disabilities or economic circumstances. We are very proud of this award winning service.”

The Union County Paratransit service provides affordably priced trips for medical appointments and other beneficial purposes. To find out about your eligibility or to schedule a trip, call the Paratransit Dispatcher, 908-241-8300.

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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.

PLAINFIELD—The Young Men of Resilience and Daybreak Community Development Corporation held a holiday celebration for families in need this weekend at Plainfield High School. Their mission is to provide gifts to 100 families on this year. The families they assist is comprised of single parent households, foster parent households, low income households and households that have been affected by the absence of parent in home due to illness and/or incarceration.

In these photos, Donna Albanese of Dairy Queen of Plainfield, in collaboration with the Union County Freeholder Board, was able to provide refurbished, donated bicycles to children as gifts for the holidays. Freeholders Alexander Mirabella, of Fanwood, and Linda Carter, of Plainfield, were on hand for the presentation. (photos by Manuel Ramirez, Union County)

Union County — Union County Freeholder Chairman-elect Alexander Mirabella will announce his chairman’s initiatives during County Government’s Reorganization at the County Courthouse on Sunday, January 8th at noon.

Freeholder Angel Estrada, of Elizabeth, will be sworn to a new term; Freeholder Christopher Hudak, of Linden, will be sworn into his first full term, and Vernell Wright, of Union, will be sworn into her first term as Freeholder. Freeholder Linda Carter, of Plainfield, is also anticipated to become Vice Chairman of the Board.

Freeholders will also vote to fill numerous positions on county advisory boards and to adopt the board’s 2012 schedule and procedural rules.

TIME: Sunday, January 8th, Noon
PLACE: UNION COUNTY COURTHOUSE,
2 BROAD STREET
JUDGE CASSIDY’S CHAMBERS
ELIZABETH, NJ

Each year, FEMA’s Ready Campaign promotes Resolve to be Ready, a public awareness drive that encourages individuals and community leaders to make the resolution to put together a family communications plan, and take other simple steps to be prepared.

Roughly half of all Americans make New Year’s resolutions and commit to improving their lifestyles or reaching a long-term goal. This year, why not make a resolution that is easy to keep – and can save lives and protect property. For 2012, Resolve to be Ready for emergencies by taking simple steps to prepare your family, your home, your business, and your community in the face of potential disaster.

Our Resolve to Be Ready Toolkit contains ways you can engage your family, friends, employees and constituents to make this important New Year’s resolution. We encourage you to utilize the enclosed products for your office’s Website, posters, sample e-mails and articles that you can share. So why not make a Resolution that can make a difference when disaster strikes. Learn how at www.Ready.gov/Resolve.

2011 has seen more billion-dollar natural disasters than any year on record, according to the National Climatic Data Center. Major storms from Hurricane Irene, which battered the U.S. East Coast, to the spring tornadoes that brought devastation from Wisconsin to Texas, we don’t know where or when emergencies or disasters will strike. During the first 11 months of this year there have been 97 major disasters declared.

Now is the time to think about basic needs you, your family and your pets will need in advance of an emergency; how will you communicate, what supplies you need to keep in your home, car or office. The more you know about what to do in an emergency, the more confident and secure you will feel in your abilities to manage through a disaster.

You can start by taking these simple steps:

> Be informed. Know the hazards and risks in your area. And learn what you need to do to get ready for them.

> Make a family emergency plan, so you know how you would communicate with and find your loved ones if a disaster hit. For example, think about how you would reach your kids at school. Your spouse at work. If you had to evacuate, where would you go. Thinking this through in advance will make a big difference.

> Build an emergency supply kit – both at home and in the car – that includes water, food and first aid supplies to help you survive if you lose power or get stranded in your car. This is especially important for dealing with icy roads and snowstorms this winter.

> Get Involved – Be an advocate and educator for safety and emergency preparedness within your community. Contact your local Citizen Corps.

Using modern-day technology can help individuals and families prepare, adapt and recover from disruptions brought on by emergencies or disasters. FEMA reminds all Americans to implement the following in advance of an emergency:

> Learn how to send updates via text and internet from your mobile phone to your contacts and social channels in case voice communications are not available;

> Store your important documents such as personal and financial records in the cloud or on a secure and remote area or flash or jump drive that you can keep readily available so they can be accessed from anywhere; and

> Create an Emergency Information Document at Ready.gov by using the Family Emergency Plan template in Google Docs or by downloading the Ready Family Emergency Plan to record your emergency plans.

History has shown us that the government can’t do it alone when it comes to preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters. FEMA is only part of our nation’s emergency management team – along with our other federal partners, state and local governments, non-profit and voluntary organizations, the private sector and most importantly: the public.

Learn more by visiting Ready.gov or Listo.gov.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Rahway, N.J. – Union County and participating municipalities are about to see millions of dollars in savings and direct budget relief under the terms of a deal between the Union County Utilities Authority and Covanta Energy, officials announced today.

An extended lease approved by the Union County Utilities Authority will reduce its waste disposal costs and will pass on those dramatic savings to the county government and the 14 municipalities that use the authority for their communities’ waste disposal. Under the deal Covanta Energy will continue to manage its energy-generating solid waste incinerator facility here until 2031.

Because the lease deal is in effect retroactively as of January 1, 2011, municipalities will receive rebate checks for their waste disposal costs during 2011.

“We are thrilled to have been able to strike a deal that puts money immediately back into the budgets of municipalities during tough economic tough times and ensuring those continued savings into the future,” said Daniel Sullivan, acting executive director of the Union County Utilities Authority.

According to the Authority, the following municipalities will immediately be receiving direct reimbursements, Elizabeth, $658,000; Garwood, $16,000; Hillside, $101,000; Kenilworth, $30,000; Linden, $148,000; New Providence, $41,000; Plainfield, $235,000; Rahway, $158,000

Roselle, $95,000; Roselle Park, $54,000; Springfield, $67,000; Summit, $90,000; Union, $269,000; Winfield, $9,800.

“Union County has taken an innovative approach by maximizing an asset to deliver taxpayer savings,” Freeholder Chairman Deborah P. Scanlon said. “This is a win-win situation. At the same time, we are guaranteeing that our municipalities maintain low disposal rates at the Resource Recovery Facility.”

The extended lease will reduce the towns’ costs by $12 per ton of waste, which will amount to a combined $100 million over the length of the lease, or $4 million per year. The authority will also provide $500,000 in solid waste grants to waste generators in the seven non-contract municipalities equating to an additional savings of $3 per ton.

That savings will go towards the municipalities’ continuing services such as fire and police departments. It will help the cash-strapped towns avoid potential layoffs and other cost-saving measures recently instituted.

Union County itself will see a savings of $1.5 million per year from the authority that will be used to provide tax relief to citizens.

“I would like to thank the leadership of the Union County Utilities Authority and Covanta for recognizing the potential benefits this opportunity presented and then working together to bring real and significant financial relief to the people of Union County” said John Kulish, chairman of the Union County Utilities Authority. “This is a great example of how governments and their private partners can provide results rather than rhetoric.”

“Covanta is proud to be part of a successful collaboration with 14 Union County municipalities and the Union County Utilities Authority resulting in an agreement that directly benefits their residents. The lease extension not only secures long term sustainable solid waste disposal for the County, but will also save taxpayers millions of dollars,” said Seth Myones, president, Covanta Americas.

“In addition to the financial benefits this transaction brings to municipalities, the deal ensures that the Union County Energy-from-Waste Facility will continue to supply reliable, renewable electricity to thousands of County homes while reducing greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change,” added Paul Stauder, senior vice president of business management, Covanta Americas.

The Union County Utilities Authority is a public body corporate and politic of the State, which was created in accordance with the provisions of the Act, by ordinance of the Board of Chosen Freeholders of the County, adopted on June 5, 1986, as amended on December 11, 1986. The Authority has been designated by the County as the implementing agency for theUnion County District Solid Waste Management Plan. As the implementing agency for the Plan, the Authority is empowered to plan, acquire, construct, maintain and operate (or cause to be planned, acquired, constructed, maintained and operated) facilities for the processing, disposal and/or recycling of solid waste in an environmentally sound manner. To learn more, visit the Union County Utilities Authority online at www.ucua.org .