Tag: chairman granados

Bonus: “Mercury Bounty”$5.00 gift card for residents turning in mercury thermostats

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is offering a simple way for everyone to pitch in and help improve environmental health. Residents can safely dispose of unwanted household chemicals and other special waste by bringing these items to Union County’s free Household Hazardous Waste recycling event on Saturday June 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., rain or shine, at the Union County College campus in Cranford, at 1033 Springfield Avenue.

As a bonus, the company Covanta is partnering with the Freeholder Board to offer $5.00 Home Depot gift cards for residents turning in old mercury thermostats.

“Our Household Hazardous Waste events provide every Union County household with a convenient way to dispose of harmful chemicals and other items in a safe and responsible manner,” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados. “It’s one of the easiest and most effective ways for everyone to help create a more healthful environment in their homes and in our community.”

“Covanta is proud to partner with Union County for a ‘Mercury Bounty’ take back event,” said Covanta’s Director of Environmental Science and Community Affairs Kenneth Armellino. “Covanta will be offering $5 Home Depot gift cards to any resident who turns in a mercury-containing thermostat.”

Household hazardous wastes that can be brought to the event include mercury thermostats, propane tanks, and automobile tires among many other items such as oil-based paint and varnish, antifreeze, aerosol cans, pool chemicals, corrosives, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, thinners, fire extinguishers, motor oil and oil filters, gasoline, batteries, thermostats, fluorescent bulbs (unbroken) and mercury switches.

Residents need only drive to the site with their items for disposal. Workers at the site will unload the vehicles.

Only materials in original or labeled containers will be accepted. No containers larger than five gallons will be accepted. There is a limit of eight automobile tires, without rims, per household.

Please note that latex paint is not accepted. Residents wishing to dispose of latex paint are advised to use it up, donate it or share with a neighbor. If those options are not available, the paint can be dried in the can, and/or mixed with kitty litter or newspaper, then disposed with regular household garbage.

For a complete list of the materials that will be accepted on June 9 as well as all Union County recycling event dates and locations, please visit ucnj.org/recycle.

The household hazardous waste collection will be held rain or shine for Union County residents only, not for businesses. Proof of Union County residency is required. For more information, please call the Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889.

Chairman Granados’s 2018 Moving Union County Forward “Plant a Seed” initiative includes programs that enhance the County’s recycling, conservation and environmental education, including grants for school and community gardens, a new Earth Day discount for compost bins and rain barrels, and support for statewide recycling initiatives.

For quick links to all Union County environmental programs and activities visit The Green Connection at ucnj.org/green-connection.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

Connect with Union County on social media.

 

 

 

 

 

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that prize winning artworks by Union County employees and their family members are on display through July 10 in the Freeholders Gallery, located on the 6^th floor of the Union County Administration Building, at 10 Elizabethtown Plaza in Elizabeth. The gallery is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays.

The exhibit presents 17 pieces selected from among the 162 works judged at the recent 17^th Annual National Arts Program Exhibit for County of Union Employees. The full exhibit was on display at Liberty Hall Center through May 22 in partnership with Elizabethtown Gas and the National Arts Program Foundation, which provides prizes and support for artists from all walks of life.

“The works on display at the Administration Building demonstrate the rich diversity of Union County with an inspiring range of creative emotion, imagination and skill, said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados. “We are fortunate to have the support of the National Arts Program and Elizabethtown Gas, for providing outstanding artists in our community with the opportunity to bring their works to the public.”

Including the 17 works at the Freeholders Gallery, the following artists received prizes from the Annual National Arts Program (listed alphabetically by municipality):

Berkeley Heights: Linda Brazaitis (Third Place, Intermediate) and Sergei Kent (Honorable Mention, Amateur)

Clark: Ryan Frees (First Place, Amateur)

Cranford: Dianna Strom (Honorable Mention, Professional)

Edison: Ruth Brown (Honorable Mention, Professional)

Elizabeth: Alessandra Alma (First Place, Professional), Natalie Barrueco (Honorable Mention, Intermediate), Natalie Gregorio (Honorable Mention, Intermediate), Thomas Osorio (First Place, Youth 12 and Under) and Dario Scholis (Second Place, Professional)

Garwood: Sophia Malcolm (Honorable Mention, Youth 12 and Under) and Kelly Sullivan (Honorable Mention, Amateur)

Georgetown: Judith Gault (Honorable Mention, Amateur) and Tatiana Gault (Art Education Award, Teen 13-18)

Hillsborough: James Caratozzolo (Honorable Mention, Amateur)

Hillside: Ivelisse Inglefield (Second Place, Youth 12 and Under)

Jersey City: Hadieh Afshani (First Place, Professional)

Leonardo: Eryn Knapp (Second Place, Teen 13-18)

Linden: Charisse Cosby-Hurling (Honorable Mention, Youth 12 and Under) and Christine Marti-Millward (Art Education Award, Teen 13-18)

Monroe: Richa Wadhawan (First Place, Teen 13-18) and Rishabh Wahaden (Honorable Mention, Teen 13-18)

Old Bridge: Allana McQueen (Third Place, Teen 13-18)

Rahway: Arianna Lespinasse (Honorable Mention, Youth 12 and Under) and Danni Newbury (Honorable Mention, Intermediate)

Roselle: Anthony Waldmann (Honorable Mention, Teen 13-18)

Scotch Plains: Kyree Brown-Cook (Honorable Mention, Youth 12 and Under), Marilyn Espinoza (Third Place, Professional), Debra Livingston (Honorable Mention, Professional) and Niyati Shah (Third Place, Youth 12 and Under)

Somerset: Tiina Nummela (Third Place, Amateur)

Springfield: Kat Block (Best in Show, Professional)

Summit: Jeffrey Hankinson (Second Place, Amateur)

Westfield: Mary Paynter (Honorable Mention, Professional), Shane Strano (Second Place, Intermediate) and Barbara Uhr (Honorable Mention, Professional)

Additional support for the exhibit was provided by a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Exhibits at the Freeholders Gallery are coordinated by the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs. For more information about this exhibit and other programs and services related to the arts and Union County history, contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at culturalinfo@ucnj.org or call 908-558-2550 (Relay users dial 711).

 

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

Connect with Union County on social media.

Union County Sheriff Peter Corvelli announced today that the Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health, will offer training on traumatic events in the workplace, Peer-to-Peer Counseling, and mental health wellbeing for Officers and Supervisors.

The trainings, led by Princeton House professionals, are the first in their kind in New Jersey offered at a Sheriff’s Office. They are being offered free of charge, in conjunction with the PBA and are voluntary for rank-and-file members (approximately 200 Supervisors and Officers) of the Sheriff’s Office. The trainings are expected to begin in September (on-site at the County complex in Elizabeth), and last two months.

“Union County Supervisors and Officers are the first on scene at many tragic and violent incidents,” said Sheriff Corvelli. “They make decisions in split seconds under stressful conditions in order to protect the citizens and courts of Union County. By offering this training, we hope to help promote balance and enhance the wellbeing of those who protect and serve.”

The trainings, which are being led by Michael Bizzarro, Ph.D., Director of First Responder Treatment Services at Princeton House (and a former Police Officer and military veteran) and Ken Burkert, a retired Union County Corrections Officer who was the State PBA Vice President (and a Chairman of the Peer Assistance Response Team for the PBA), offer tools for officers to help manage stress and trauma of the job.

“The training is also designed to assist officers in identifying signs of stress in their peers. In a group of individuals who always run toward danger to protect others, there is often an inability to notice when troubling events have taken their toll. Our training can help officers detect problems before they become tragedies,” said Dr. Bizzarro.

Mike Heller, Union County Sheriff’s Officer and the Union delegate to the PBA, added:

“This program gives our Officers and Supervisors an important tool in dealing with the stress in their jobs,” said Heller, who is also a member of the Peer Assistance Response team for the PBA, which among its programs, provides a counseling component for its members. “The stress and trauma is a side of the job no one likes to talk about—and having this program which encourages them to talk and share their issues, will not only assist our men and women in their jobs, but in their daily lives and overall mental health.”

First Responder Treatment Services at Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health provides customized care for law enforcement officers, firefighters, military personnel, EMTs, and other first responders while they are in treatment at Princeton House, an inpatient hospital for those with mental health and substance use disorders. Princeton House intensive outpatient and partial hospital programs also feature trauma tracks for men and women in Princeton, Eatontown, Hamilton, Mooresetown and North Brunswick.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites residents and visitors of all ages to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of National Trails Day at the Watchung Reservation on Saturday, June 2, with a volunteer trail restoration project in the morning followed by an afternoon of special programs and activities.

The trail restoration project will take place rain or shine from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Participants will be treated to a continental breakfast and learn how to repair a section of trail bed. The project also involves removing invasive plants.

“Walking the peaceful, rustic trails of the Watchung Reservation is a rare pleasure in today’s bustling world,” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados. “Our volunteers work hard to keep the trails in shape for all to enjoy, and we truly appreciate their efforts.”

Trail work participants must be seven years of age or older and children must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration is required by contacting bkelly@uncj.org.

In the afternoon, Union County’s Trailside Nature & Science Center will offer a full slate of activities and programs for all ages, including four guided walks. Each walk has a different theme: sensory awareness, geocaching, leading a hike through blazed trails, and basics of birding.

This year marks the 50^th Anniversary of the National Trails System Act, signed into law by President Johnson on October 2, 1968.

For full schedule of National Trails Day activities and other programs at Trailside, call 908-789-3670 or visit online at ucnj.org/trailside.   

The Trailside Nature & Science Center is located in the Watchung Reservation in Mountainside, at 452 New Providence Road.

Quick links to more information about Trailside, Union County parks, and all of Union County’s environmental programs and activities are available at The Green Connection, ucnj.org/green-connection

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

Connect with Union County on social media.

Study addresses flooding in Cranford, Kenilworth, Garwood, Rahway, Springfield and Union and surrounding counties

Key federal legislation that would among other items, address flooding concerns in Union County and other central New Jersey locations is advancing—thanks in part to the efforts of Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker.

Freeholder Vice Chair Bette Jane Kowalski (of Cranford) and Freeholder Bruce Bergen (of Springfield) have been long advocating for the completion of the Rahway River Basin Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study, which  provides a blueprint on how to protect central New Jersey communities from Rahway River flooding—including Cranford, Kenilworth, Springfield, Union, Rahway and Garwood in Union County.

“The study is designed to provide a long-lasting solution to a problem that has plagued many of our municipalities for years, if not decades, causing tens of millions in property damage,” said Freeholder Vice Chair Kowalski. “We applaud the efforts of Senators Bookers and Menendez that have brought this important issue for a final vote.”

Freeholder Bergen, who has long worked with a Union County Mayor’s Committee to address flooding, also thanked both Senators, adding: “The bill not only expedites the completion of the study, but would also urge the Secretary of the Army to proceed directly through the Army Corps of Engineers to project preconstruction, engineering, and design.”

Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados also expressed his appreciation to both Senators—and to Freeholders Bergen and Kowalski for their diligence in staying on the issue through the years on the Board.

“While there is still a final vote pending,  I would like to thank both my colleagues—Freeholders Bergen and Kowalski for their perseverance and efforts with our Senators to advance such critical legislation that would protect Union County residents and their homes from flood damage,” Chairman Granados said.

Support for the funding, completion and implementation of the study is included in America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018—bipartisan legislation that includes provisions both Booker and Menendez fought for to expedite critical flood mitigation projects, strengthen the nation’s aging water infrastructure, and help boost the water utility workforce. The bill now heads to the full Senate for a vote after being passed by the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee, which Booker is a member of.

“Investing in our water infrastructure is critical to the health and safety of our state’s residents, and to New Jersey’s and our nation’s economic success,” said Senator Booker. “This legislation will help protect New Jersey communities from flooding and extreme weather, provide the necessary job training to strengthen our water utility workforce, rebuild our crumbling drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, and create jobs. I look forward to continuing our bipartisan work to move this bill through the full Senate.”

In 2016, Booker and Menendez successfully included several New Jersey priorities in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) authorization, including the Rahway River Basin Flood Risk Management, Hereford Inlet to Cape May Inlet, Hudson Raritan Estuary, and the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders presents a resolution to Assemblywoman Linda Carter (D-22) of Plainfield commending her for her outstanding leadership as a former Union County Freeholder since being sworn into her first term in 2010. In 2013, Assemblywoman Carter made history as the first African-American woman to Chair the Union County Freeholder Board. The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders commends former Freeholder Carter for her years of service to the County of Union and its residents and wishes her many years of success in the New Jersey State Assembly. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholders Angela R. Garretson and Mohamed S. Jalloh present a resolution to the players and coaches of the Roselle Catholic High School Lady Lions Girls Basketball Team congratulating them on winning the 2018 Union County Tournament Championship. They were joined by Assemblywoman Linda Carter. The Lady Lions, under the guidance of Head Coach Joe Skrec, captured their sixth championship in school history as the second seed in the tournament. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholder Alexander Mirabella present a resolution to the players and coaches of the Westfield High School Blue Devils Football Team congratulating them on winning their third straight North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 Championship with a 20-7 victory over Bridgewater-Raritan. They were joined by Assemblywoman Linda Carter. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholder Angel G. Estrada present a resolution to members of the Elizabeth Portugal Day Committee congratulating Grand Marshal Leonilde Mateiro, Marshal Manuel Pinho (posthumously) and Honorary Marshal Marie Costa while recognizing the longest-running Portuguese Parade in the State of New Jersey. The 40th annual Portuguese Day Parade on June 3, 2018 in Elizabeth. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County, NJ – Members of the Union County 4-H Teen Service Club volunteered as docents at the Rutgers Geology Museum last Saturday for a National Science Foundation program called In Search of Earth’s Secrets: A Pop-Up Science Encounter.

The students helped visitors navigate the interactive exhibits, as part of a collaborative project including the Rutgers University Department of Marine & Coastal Science, the New Brunswick Free Public Library, and the Girl Scouts of Central & Southern New Jersey.

Pictured here, Union County 4-H member Michael Laumbach of Scotch Plains explains plate tectonics to visitors.

Union County 4-H is a learn-by-doing youth development program run by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County, supported in part by the Freeholder Board. To join a club or to get more information contact Union County 4-H Agent Jim Nichnadowicz at jnichnadowicz@ucnj.org or visit online at ucnj.org/rce.

Photo credit: Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

Connect with Union County on social media.