Category: Public Info

CRANFORD, NJ – The County of Union will sponsor a recycling event for electronic equipment on Saturday, May 21, so Union County residents can get rid of unwanted computers, televisions and other electronic equipment in an environmentally proper manner.

The special recycling event will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the campus of Union County College at 1033 Springfield Avenue in Cranford, opposite Nomahegan Park.

All residents of Union County are eligible to participate at no cost. There is a limit of six electronic items per car.

“Computer monitors, old televisions and other electronic devices are the source of a considerable amount of dangerous material, including lead, mercury, cadmium and PCBs – and it is unlawful to dispose of them with the regular garbage,” said Freeholder Christopher Hudak, liaison to the Union County Solid Waste Advisory Board. “Up to 95 percent of most electronic appliances can be recycled. This is a responsible way to keep hazardous heavy metals out of our environment.”

Electronic equipment that will be accepted on May 21 includes computer monitors, hard drives, modems, keyboards, CPU’s, mice, printers, scanners, speakers, televisions, VCR’s, fax machines, telephones, and circuit boards.

All that residents need to do is drive to the site with their unwanted electronic equipment. Workers at the site will unload the vehicles.

Pre-registration is not required for this special Saturday collection.

Refrigerators, washers and dryers, microwaves, and air conditioners will not be accepted.

A complete list of the materials that will be accepted on May 21 is available at the Union County Bureau of Environmental Conservation website: www.ucnj.org/recycle.

The electronics collection will be held rain or shine, for Union County residents only and not for businesses. There is a limit of six electronic items per vehicle. Proof of Union County residency is required.

In addition to the special May 21 recycling event sponsored by the County of Union, there are other local opportunities for residents to recycle electronic equipment. Visit www.ucnj.org/recycle or call your municipal recycling coordinator for more computer and electronics recycling options.

Goodwill and Dell have teamed up to recycle computers. Goodwill in Union County is located at 126 Route 22 West, Springfield 07081, next to Macy’s Furniture. Call Goodwill at 973-912-0156 for more details or visit their web site: www.reconnectpartnership.com.

Best Buy stores now offer electronics recycling, including TVs, computer monitors, DVD players and other consumer electronics. Visit their website (www.bestbuy.com) for store locations, or call toll-free for information about electronics recycling: 1-888-237-8289.

Staples also offers a computer recycling program seven days a week. For more information, visit the Staples web site for store locations: www.staples.com.

Waste Management accepts “covered electronics” (televisions, monitors, computers, etc.) at 629-647 Amboy Ave., Elizabeth 07201, Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; (908) 629-9270.

An alternative drop-off program for recycling electronics equipment is available Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at Newtech Recycling, located at 600-A Apgar Drive, Somerset NJ 08873; (732) 564-3110. www.newtechrecycling.com.

For more information about recycling events, please call the Union County Recycling Hotline at (908) 654-9889.

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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 Sierra Leone Parade and ensuing festival, which was held on Saturday, April 23rd at Naaman Williams Park in Somerset, N.J drew thousands of enthusiastic supporters. The event was sponsored by the Sierra Leonean Community of New Jersey (SLCNJ) in partnership with Hamilton Street Business & Community Corporation (HSBCC). Jalloh is a native of Union County whose father Ben is a native of Kabala in the Northern region of Sierra Leone. Jalloh served with Assemblyman Upendra J. Chivukula as Grand Marshalls. Jalloh made history by being the first African-American with Sierra Leonean roots to hold the position of Freeholder in Union County.

The festival featured Sierra Leonean artistic exhibits, various ethnic group performances, children’s activities and ethnic foods, showcasing various aspects of African culture to the public. Several thousand attended, including government officials, business executives, community leaders, foreign dignitaries, and cultural groups participating in this event.

ELIZABETH, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to present artworks by the members of the Scotch Plains and Fanwood Art Association (SPFAA). The exhibit is on display through June 1 at the Freeholders Gallery located on the 6th floor of the Union County Administration Building, Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth. Gallery hours are Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“These talented artists based in Scotch Plains and Fanwood work in various media including photography, watercolor, pastel, and sculpture,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, liaison to the Cultural and Heritage Programs Advisory Board. “We’re happy to share their images with a larger audience by exhibiting their work at the Freeholders Gallery.”

The SPFAA members featured are Bill Connolly, Marion Derrett, Tracy Farrell, Sylvie MacDonald, Mike McKenna, Paula Pearl, Connie Pinkowski, Donna Stein, and Steve Willis.

Bill Connolly studied drawing at the duCret School of Art, the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, and the Montclair Art Museum. He is a native of Scranton, PA and a resident of Garwood. Connolly is a trustee of the Millburn-Short Hills Arts Center and a member of the Livingston and Westfield Art Associations.

Marion Derrett is a native of England who studied to be a teacher. She has won various awards for her paintings of landscapes, still life, and portraits. Her inspiration comes from traveling to many countries. Derrett is a juried associate member of the Pastel Society of America and the American Artists Professional League.

Tracy Farrell is a resident of Union County. She began seriously taking digital photographs in 2010. Her photos have been shown at local and international juried shows in New Jersey and New York as member of both SPFAA and the Milburn-Short Hills Art Center.

Sylvie MacDonald was born in France. Her witty and whimsical artwork is influenced by her heritage and culture. She has developed a love for folktales from her travels around the world. Also a Spanish and French instructor, she loves to combine learning with humorous visual materials.

Mike McKenna is a self-taught photographer who has honed his art by reading, trial and error, and by studying the masters of landscape photography: Ed and Brett Weston, Ansel Adams, and Art Wolf. He has won awards with his own style based on natural lighting and heavy contrast.

Paula Pearl has a background in photography which she feels has a strong influence on the lighting and composition of her paintings. She is drawn to scenes with water. Many of her paintings show quiet, serene, ethereal places that come from her love of nature and the beauty around us.

Connie Pinkowski earned a BFA in photography at Rochester Institute of Technology. She also studied photography and silkscreen printing at duCret School of Art in Plainfield and at LBI Foundation of Arts and Sciences in Long Beach Island. She taught photography at the Scotch Plains Library and has conducted art workshops for teens and adults.

Donna Stein, after a 40-year teaching career, has become a pastel painter, drawn to pastels because of the immediacy of the medium. She holds a BS from Southern Connecticut University plus a BS and an MA from Seton Hall University.

Steven Willis is the owner/operator of a bicycle shop in Scotch Plains and has been interested in art as far back as he can remember. His wife helped re-inspire him to pursue art. He started with graphite and progressed to other media, now focusing on portraits.

For further information about the Scotch Plains & Fanwood Art Association, please visit www.spfaa.org or contact Paula Pearl at (908) 322-2590. To learn about exhibiting at the Freeholders Gallery, please contact the curator, Teya David, at the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs. Telephone (908) 558- 2550 or email culturalinfo@ucnj.org. NJ Relay users dial 711.

UNION, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that its next mobile paper-shredding program for personal documents will be available on Wednesday, May 18, at the Township Public Works facility in Union.

“Union County’s mobile document-shredding service helps residents eliminate clutter in their homes and also fight identity theft,” said Freeholder Chairman Deborah P. Scanlon. “It is a cost-effective way to assist our recycling efforts and it ties in with our other Go Green Initiatives.”

The May 18 shredding event will take place at Union Public Works, off Vauxhall Road and Stahuber Avenue, in Union. NEXCUT Shredding of Teaneck will be shredding documents at the site from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., rain or shine. The shredding event will end before 1:00 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 all participants, there is a limit of four, 10-pound bags or boxes per person. Documents should not be bound. Please remove plastic binders and paperclips. 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 put through the shredder. 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 on Thursday, June 9, at Rahway River Park in Rahway.

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.

Union County Freeholder Daniel Sullivan (L) presents a resolution to members of the Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Association recognizing and honoring them for their efforts in preserving the outdoor shooting sports, giving back to the community and maintaining stewardship of the lands and waters in the State of New Jersey. The Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Association was formed during the construction of the Oak Ridge Archery Range in Scotch Plains in 2009. (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 Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski (4th L) and Christopher Hudak (R) congratulate the Linden High School Consumer Bowl Team on winning the 2011 Union County Consumer Bowl. The team includes Captain Angelika Drozd, Angelo Monaco, Dan Ortiz, Milena Drozd, Zak Modrak Manessa Lormejuste and Mwakulomba Juma. They are joined by Union County Consumer Affair Director Florence Peterson (L). (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 Bette Jane Kowalski (L) congratulates the winners of the 2011 Union County Arbor Day Poetry Contest. The winners are (from left) Monica Archer of Garwood, Meghan Kelly of Union, Rebecca LaQuaglia of Union, Caitlin Haggerty of Union, Vienna Holmes of Springfield, Terrell Boccia of Elizabeth and Jessica Gannon of Clark. Contestants, ranging from grades 6 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. (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 – Reacting to the announcement last night that Osama bin Laden has been killed in an operation carried out by U.S. forces, Freeholder Chairman Deborah Scanlon stated:

“This mass murderer of innocents has now answered for his crimes. On behalf of the Freeholder Board, I congratulate President Obama and all those who worked to achieve this milestone, especially those service members who carried out an extremely dangerous mission with great courage. The death of Osama bin Laden removes an obstacle in the path of cooperation among nations. In honor of the memory of those who suffered at his hands, let us pledge to use this opportunity to build a more peaceful and compassionate future.

“As we pause to reflect on this historic event, we reaffirm Union County’s role as a core emergency responder for our region, and we renew our commitment to vigilance and readiness.”

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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 – “How to Enjoy a Balanced Diet on a Balanced Budget” is a free two-hour course that covers all the basics of planning, shopping, and cooking to save money and eat healthier, tastier food. The class, offered by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County, will be held on Wednesday, May 18, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., in the new County building at 300 North Avenue East in Westfield. The class is free but pre-registration is required by contacting Digna Torres at the Extension offices, 908-654-9854 ordtorres@ucnj.org.

Food bills can be sky high when too many prepared, processed foods are included in the shopping list. These same foods are typically high in unhealthy ingredients like sugar, bleached white flour, and fat. Participants in the class will learn how the switch to healthier foods can help save money, trim waistlines, and lead to better nutrition and overall wellness.

Topics include planning menus around low-cost foods, cutting down on waste in the kitchen, and spotting the best deals in supermarkets.

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County is supported in part by the Freeholder Board. For all Extension programs visit call 908-654-9854 or visit 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 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.