Borough of Watchung
Bulletin Board
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WATCHUNG RECREATION’S
ANNUAL COMMUNITY
PICNIC 2008
Sunday,
MAY 25TH
Rain date May 26th
12:00-3:00PM
MOBUS FIELD
Please join the Watchung
Recreation Commission for a fun day of activities for the entire family.
Refreshments including hot dogs, pizza,
desserts, ice cream and water ice will be served!
Demonstrations, golf, music
and games throughout the day
Giant inflatable jumpers,
train rides, raingutter boat races and
The famous DUNK TANK!
Call Watchung Recreation
908-756-0080 for more information.
This is a free event for all Watchung residents.
www.watchungnj.com
Register to Vote
by May 13 for the June 3 primary election. In Somerset County, call (908) 231-7086 or visit www.co.somerset.nj.us
NOTICE TO WATCHUNG RESIDENTS
BE ADVISED THAT THE SECTION OF VALLEY ROAD SIDEWALK FRONTING BEST LAKE HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY CLOSED TO PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC BECAUSE THIS AREA OF THE WALKWAY IS PART OF THE BEST LAKE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
NO ALTERNATE ROUTE WILL BE PROVIDED DURING CONSTRUCTION
WALKERS ARE DIRECTED NOT TO ENTER THE ROADWAY AS AN ALTERNATE ROUTE!
IMAGES OF WATCHUNG!
The Watchung Historical Committee is pleased to announce that the book “Images of America, Watchung” is again available for purchase for $20.00. This is a great collection of wonderful photographs and captions which provide a unique perspective of our town.
A new project of the Historical Committee is now available for the first time. Bill Titus’s paintings, which hang in both the Police Station and Borough Hall, have been reproduced to make a beautiful color set of note cards. Each set of note cards contains eight different paintings of scenes of old Watchung. Each set costs $15.00
Both of these items can be purchased at Borough Hall. Make checks payable to the Borough of Watchung or bring cash.
Looking for information after work, school, or the weekend?
A reference librarian is now available in the evenings from 5 pm to 9 pm and on Saturdays
Current Book Discussion – Mondays, 7:30 pm
Watchung Book Discussion –Thursdays, 7:00 pm
Social Action Book Club – Thursdays – every other month
For More Information, call 561-0117 or
Visit the Website at www.somerset.lib.nj.us
The Friends of the Watchung Public Library is a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to increasing awareness, and expanding the breadth and depth of the programs and services offered by our town library. To accomplish this mission, the Friends organization relies, in large part, upon private contributions.
Tax-deductible contributions to the Friends provide essential funding for children’s programming, adult workshops and special performances.
With your support, the Friends of the Watchung Library can continue to offer outstanding programs to you and your family. Please take this opportunity to enrich the lives of the children and adults in our community by becoming a Friend.
Thank you for your support!
___ Friends Benefactor $100 ___Individual Member $15
___ Friends Sponsor $50 ___Senior Citizen Member $5
Watchung Book Club Discussion Group
Second Thursday of the Month at 7:00 PM
PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE WATCHUNG PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL LOCATION HAS BEEN CHANGED FROM CHANNEL 22 TO CHANNEL 15.
Watchung Educational Foundation
(Click above link to access the WEF website)
Driven by a passionate interest in our children’s educational experience and success, the Watchung Educational Foundation was established in response to a national challenge to keep our young people well equipped and productive in an increasingly competitive, complex, and changing world. The ever-changing funding formulas and curriculum requirements have made it almost impossible for our district to afford any extra programs and projects that leave an indelible positive impact on our students.
The Watchung Educational Foundation is composed of a volunteer Board of Trustees who are committed to the children of our community. The members of the Watchung Educational Foundation Board of Trustees will raise money for Bayberry and Valley View Schools. This will provide an ongoing, centralized source of additional funds and resources to assist the Watchung Schools in maintaining and enhancing the quality of education in Watchung.
Watchung Arts Center Events
For more information, please call The Watchung Arts Center at (908) 753-0190
Website: www.WatchungArts.org
Radon Testing kits available to Somerset County residents for $10 starting in January. First-come, first served basis. Call county Health Department at 908-231-7155 for a kit and information.
Tire Drop-off Available to
Somerset County Farmers & Residents
May 19-23 in Peapack
Peapack - The Somerset County Division of Solid Waste Management is partnering with the Somerset County Road Department to collect old scrap tires, with or without rims.
County farmers and residents will be able to drop off used tires at the Peapack Garage, located at 5 Holland Ave. in Peapack. Tires, with or without rims, will be accepted between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Monday, May 19, through Friday, May 23.
There is no charge to county residents, although there is a limit of eight tires per household. The drop-off program is funded through a grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Proper disposal of tires benefits our communities and by taking advantage of this free service, residents and farmers will be removing unwanted items from their property that have the potential to collect standing water and attract mosquitoes, which may carry the West Nile virus.
Tires also may be dropped off at the county Recycling Center, located at 40 Polhemus Lane in Bridgewater, as part of the First Saturday of the Month drop-off program. If you miss the tire drop-off date in May, the next First Saturday Drop-off will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 2.
For more information, contact county Recycling Coordinator Melissa Harvey at (908) 231-7109 or harvey@co.somerset.nj.us
Donate used prescription eyeglasses for the needy through April.
Somerset County Office for the Disabled, Somerville.
Call Mark Malone at 908-704-6334 for details.
Somerset County Bureau of Criminal Identification is available to assist with fingerprinting for a myriad of reasons, based upon specific need. Please check with your local Police Department to ascertain if they can assist you before contacting us for an appointment. Often, your local Police Department will be able to assist you quickly and efficiently with your needs.
Should you need to make an appointment with the BCI Unit for fingerprinting, please contact us at 908-231-7137 to make an appointment.
Fingerprinting Appointment Times can be scheduled as follows:
Monday – 9:00am – 2:30pm
Tuesday – 9:00am – 2:30pm
Wednesday – 9:00am – 2:30pm
The Somerset County Bureau of Criminal Identification is also available to provide Attorney ID’s for qualified persons. If you fit the criteria, please make an appointment during one of the following times and be sure to bring identification with you to the appointment.
Attorney ID Appointment Times:
Monday - 7:30am – 2:30pm
Tuesday - 7:30am – 2:30pm
Wednesday - 7:30am – 2:30pm
Appointments and information can be obtained by contacting the Bureau at 908-231-7137.
Somerset
County Launches All-Hazards Mitigation Plan Web Site
Take the Online Citizen Survey
Somerset County residents can learn more about a comprehensive
hazards-mitigation plan for the county and its 21 municipalities and also
complete an online citizen questionnaire at
www.co.somerset.nj.us/hazard/index.htm.
Earlier this year, through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA), the Board of Freeholders contracted with Tetra Tech EM Inc. of
Rockaway, N.J., to work with county staff and municipal representatives to
create the All-Hazards Mitigation Plan.
Background information about the plan is now on the county's Web site,
and residents are being encouraged to complete the online questionnaire that
will help the study team better assess the nature, extent and probability of
various hazards in Somerset County. Web visitors also can sign up for free email
bulletins as the hazard-mitigation pages are updated in the future.
The 23-question survey will take about five minutes to complete.
Printed copies of the questionnaire have been made available to libraries,
municipal buildings and the county's senior centers and will also be available
at this month's Somerset County 4-H Fair.(See below to download form)
"The creation of this plan will allow the county and its participating
municipalities to be eligible for future mitigation funding from FEMA," said
Freeholder Rick Fontana, liaison to the
county Office of Emergency Management. "We're very eager to get the public's
input to help us create a detailed plan that will address a variety of potential
hazards that could affect some or all of our citizens."
The goal of the plan is to identify projects that can reduce damages from
future natural hazards. The plan will include a risk assessment and a
hazard-mitigation strategy. The risk assessment will include four phases:
identifying hazards that may impact the county and its municipalities; profiling
the relevant hazards and their potential consequences; identifying assets that
are subject to losses or damage, including physical structures, functions and
populations; and estimating the potential losses that could result from each
type of hazard. Following the risk assessment will be the development of a
hazard-mitigation strategy, including a prioritized list of actions designed to
reduce losses. The primary hazard in Somerset County is flooding, but other
potential hazards to be analyzed include drought, extreme cold, extreme heat,
snow, ice, hail, windstorms and tornadoes, among others. The county's and towns'
vulnerability to various hazards will be determined in terms of existing and
future buildings, infrastructure and critical facilities that might be impacted.
Critical facilities include shelters and hospitals; infrastructure includes
power-generation facilities, water utilities, roadways, railroads and
communication systems.
Want to know the latest from Somerset County Government?
Sign up for FREE e-mails of updated agendas, news, emergency info & more.
Visit www.co.somerset.nj.us .
The Somerset County Department of Public Works (or DPW) Watch Program
Is a community service program that can provide emergency assistance to
persons in need through the efforts of Somerset County Department of Public Works
personnel. All county public works vehicles are equipped with two-way radios that
can be used to report accidents, to quickly summon emergency assistance, to report
suspicious activity or to convey important information. If an employee sees a questionable
situation or incident, instant contact can be made with 9-1-1 Communications, which in
turn will notify the proper authorities. Accidents, fires, hazardous road conditions,
street crimes, suspicious activity or any other unusual circumstances are justifiable
situations to contact 9-1-1 Communications.
A total of 250 employees will be participating in the program,
including 9-1-1 Communications. Employees from Roads & Bridges, Engineering, Traffic
Safety, Transportation and Recycling will be trained. Look for the blue Somerset
County DPW Watch decal on any of 150 vehicles traveling urban, suburban and rural areas of
Somerset County on a daily basis.
Co-sponsors of the program are the Somerset County Chiefs of Police
Association, represented at the press conference by Hillsborough Police Chief Robert
Gazaway. Prosecutor Wayne Forrest also was on hand to lend
their support on behalf of the law enforcement community.
Any organization that would like to have someone speak about this
program may contact the county Department of Public Works at 908-231-7024 or
publicworks@co.somerset.nj.us.
Other Links and Information
Go to www.LeadSafeNJ.org for free lead test kits and program applications. There is detailed information on the Emergency Lead Poisoning Relocation Program and the Lead Hazard Control Assistance Fund.
Amateur Astronomers, Inc.
invites you to view the Open to the public
every Friday from 7:30pm to 10:30pm
Sperry Observatory at
Union County College, Cranford
Free admission, free talks and demos, free parking
Schedule and directions at
American Legion Auxiliary Offers Military Phone Cards
The American Legion Auxiliary, Unit 293, has military phone cards available to send to service men and women serving overseas.
"This is a wonderful service for our military personnel," said Freeholder Rick Fontana, liaison to the county's veterans memorial plaza project. "Unlike the phone cards you can buy in a store, which may work for only a few minutes from overseas, these cards provide 25 to 50 minutes of phone time for anyone calling from Iraq or Afghanistan."
Somerset County residents with family members who are serving overseas may request a phone card by calling Betty Grossweiler of the American Legion Auxiliary at (908) 755-7029.
The auxiliary unit also is accepting donations toward purchase of the phone cards from Fort Dix, as well as donations of items that the unit packages and sends to active-duty military personnel as part of Warren Supports Our Troops (WSOT).
There are two WSOT drop-off points in Warren Township: at the Municipal Building at 46 Mountain Blvd. and at Weichert Realtors at 61 Mountain Blvd. Extension.
Catch The Cat!
Community Access Transit
This shuttle service runs Monday to Friday in Somerset County and follows a different route each day of the week. Residents will have access to several locations, including the County Complex, the Somerset Medical Center, the Somerset County Library in Bridgewater and the Bridgewater Commons Mall. The bus can hold 24 passengers and 2 wheelchairs. The cost is $1.50 per one-way trip. CAT was made possible by Somerset County's Division of Transportation and Somerset County's Board of Chosen Freeholders. For more information call the Somerset County Transportation Division at (908)231-7151. Click on the links below for maps and more information:
ICE - In Case of Emergency -
A campaign encouraging people to enter an emergency contact number in their mobile phone's memory under the heading ICE (In Case of Emergency), has rapidly spread throughout the world as a particular consequence of last week's terrorist attacks in London.
Originally established as a nation-wide campaign in the UK, ICE allows paramedics or police to be able to contact a designated relative / next-of-kin in an emergency situation.
The idea is the brainchild of East Anglian Ambulance Service paramedic Bob Brotchie and was launched in May this year. Bob, 41, who has been a paramedic for 13 years, said: "I was reflecting on some of the calls I've attended at the roadside where I had to look through the mobile phone contacts struggling for information on a shocked or injured person. Almost everyone carries a mobile phone now, and with ICE we'd know immediately who to contact and what number to ring. The person may even know of their medical history."
By adopting the ICE advice, your mobile will help the rescue services quickly contact a friend or relative - which could be vital in a life or death situation. It only takes a few seconds to do, and it could easily help save your life. Why not put ICE in your phone now? Simply select a new contact in your phone book, enter the word 'ICE' and the number of the person you wish to be contacted.
WEB RESOURCES AVAILABLE
FOR INFLUENZA INFORMATION
There are a number of Web-based resources the public can access to get up-to-the-minute information about the current influenza season, avian influenza and the risks for a flu pandemic
Official U.S. Government Web Site www.pandemicflu.gov
Centers for Disease Control www.cdc.gov
World Health Organization www.who.int