By Peter Fiorilla on UNION
UNION, NJ — When motorists cross over from Interstate Highway 78 to the Garden State Parkway, for the better part of a decade they’ve seen a “blighted area” at 750 Union Ave. representing Union, said Ronald Manzella, the township of Union’s administrator. Many residents refer to the location as “the old Tuscan Dairy site.” Tuscan Dairy […]
By Peter Fiorilla on UNION
UNION, NJ — A record 300 participants walked, jogged and bolted across a brand-new course at the fifth annual Mayor’s Run on Sunday, Sept. 20, each finishing on the synthetic red track at Union High School. A handful of competitive runners were done in under 22 minutes, while others were still making their way around the […]
By Peter Fiorilla on UNION
UNION, NJ — In her nine years living in the township of Union, Republican Karen Slawson has enjoyed the diversity in local cultures and views. The township has got “a kind of vibrancy to it,” said Slawson, “and I want it to succeed.” But that sense of diversity has been missing from the five-person Township […]
By Peter Fiorilla on UNION
UNION, NJ — Of the candidates running for positions on the Union Township Committee, at least one will be a familiar face to voters. Manny Figueiredo, a six-year member and Democrat on the committee, and the current mayor of Union, is up for re-election this November, and his running mate, veteran city planner and first-time […]
By Peter Fiorilla on LINDEN
LINDEN, NJ — In a Service Learning Project that led them 4,500 miles away from Linden, and more than 1,000 meters above sea level, Linden High School students spent this past summer in remote, picturesque villages in Italy, where they taught English to local students while learning to appreciate a different way of life. For […]
By Peter Fiorilla on RAHWAY
Residents turn out in high numbers for public meeting on Rahway River Park renovations
RAHWAY, NJ — Not long into Rahway’s public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 15, when residents spent five minutes each objecting to proposed Rahway River Park renovations, speaker Thomas Mulvihill ran out of time reading his prepared statements. Mulvihill, a Clark resident, had used up his allotted five minutes, so he asked if anyone else in […]
By Peter Fiorilla on LINDEN
LINDEN, NJ — The off-duty Linden police officer who allegedly killed two passengers in his car in Staten Island after apparently driving under the influence on the wrong side of a major highway, recently made bail and pleaded not guilty to a 43-count indictment, which charged him with aggravated vehicular homicide, vehicular manslaughter and more. […]
By Peter Fiorilla on ELIZABETH
ELIZABETH, NJ — Multicolored swirls and fluid, shape-less strokes are at the center of “The Clown,” a graphic artwork created by Elizabeth artist Suree Minnatee, which at first glance vaguely resembles a man’s face. But the red, white and black swirls leave the content of the art up to the eye of the beholder. Does […]
By Peter Fiorilla on COUNTY NEWS
Prosecutor says 550 police officers in eight towns will have body cameras by late October
UNION COUNTY, NJ — Citing public transparency, community relations and increased accountability in a press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 15, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office announced that it has partnered with eight local municipalities to kickstart the Body Camera Pilot Program. One third of all uniformed police officers in the county, or 550 officers from those […]
By Peter Fiorilla on LINDEN
Superintendent dances with students in flash mob to kick off 2015-16 school year
LINDEN, NJ — For the first time ever, all staff members of the Linden Public School system gathered in the same building on Friday, Sept. 4, to celebrate the beginning of the school year and the district’s vision for the future. Teachers, aides, secretaries, custodians, administrators and others crowded into the bleachers of the Linden […]