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News

Linden COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic – May 21st & May 27th

Mayor Derek Armstead has partnered with Super Health Pharmacy to provide Linden residents with both Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccinations. Walkups permitted, but you must first fill out the consent form online by clicking here.

Click here to view and/or download the informational flyer for this event.

Linden Man Charged with Committing Lewd Acts in Front of Children at Public Park

Press Release – from Union County Prosecutor’s Office

  • For Immediate Release
  • May 25, 2021
  • Contact: Mark Spivey, Union County Prosecutor’s Office
  • 732-236-9849; Email

A Linden man has been arrested and criminally charged with performing lewd acts in front of children at a city park, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo and Linden Police Chief David Hart jointly announced Tuesday.

Paul J. Schappe, Jr., 68, is charged with second-degree sexual assault, third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, and two counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

A joint investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Victims Unit and the Linden Police Department determined that at approximately 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 2, Schappe allegedly approached a juvenile under the age of 13 who was playing basketball in Clifford Lawson Memorial Park and directed comments of a sexual nature toward him while touching himself inappropriately over his clothing, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Bruce Holmes, who is prosecuting the case. The investigation further revealed that Schappe had been seen allegedly masturbating in the park while partially nude on at least one other occasion, when multiple children were present.

Schappe was arrested Monday evening without incident and lodged in the Union County Jail pending a first appearance and detention hearing to take place in Union County Superior Court.

Anyone with any information about this matter is being urged to contact Prosecutor’s Office Detective Jessica Tattoli at 908-341-5418 or Linden Police Department Detective David Nolasco at 908-474-8521.

Convictions on charges of this nature can result in sentences of 5 to 10 years in state prison.

These criminal charges are mere accusations. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

To view and/or download a PDF of this press release, please click here.

Governor Murphy Lifts Major COVID-19 Restrictions, Moves Forward with Most Significant Reopening Steps to Date

Governor Phil Murphy today signed Executive Order No. 242, lifting major COVID-19 restrictions and moving forward with the state’s most significant reopening steps to date. Effective on Friday, May 28, the indoor mask mandate in public spaces will be lifted, as well as the six-foot social distancing requirement in both indoor and outdoor spaces, the prohibition on dance floors at bars and restaurants, and the prohibition on ordering and eating/drinking while standing at bars and restaurants. Additionally, effective Friday, June 4, indoor gathering and capacity limits will be lifted. 

For the full press release, please click here.

Need a Ride?

New, national program to get seniors rides to vaccination sites via Lyft.

NCOA is partnering with Lyft to provide access to reliable, affordable transportation to older adults who need a ride to get their COVID-19 vaccine. Lyft has provided ride codes with a value of up to $25 each to travel to and from COVID-19 vaccination appointments for both the first and second doses. This effort is part of Lyft’s Universal Vaccine Access campaign, which is mobilizing a coalition of partners to provide access to rides to and from vaccination sites across the country. 

How to use the NCOA-Lyft vaccine ride codes

The Lyft promo codes we’re offering can be used for a roundtrip ride for each dose of the COVID vaccine. Each code below covers up to $50 per round trip ($25 to the vaccine appointment, and $25 back home). There are no location restrictions, and the vaccine ride codes are valid through December 31, 2021.

  • Dose 1 Code (to and from their appointment): SENIORVAX1
  • Dose 2 Code (to and from their appointment): SENIORVAX2

Learn more about how to set up an account and request a ride.

All older adults who use the Lyft codes will be required to follow Lyft’s Health Safety policies, which include staying home if they are sick, wearing a mask, keeping the car and their hands clean, sitting in the back seat, and keeping the car windows open when possible. To help ensure you are well equipped to help your older adult clients, NCOA is hosting a free informational webinar about this offer on Monday, May 24 at 2pm EST to walk through the details. Get the log-in details here.

Emergency Food Distribution Event – Tuesday, May 25th @ 10am

The Union County Board of County Commissioners, the Village Super Market of Springfield Township, and Gargiulo Produce are providing a walk-up food distribution event to all Union County residents affected by COVID-19 on Tuesday, May 25th. Click here or text “FindFood” for English, or text “Comida” for Spanish to 908 224 7776 to find helpful information quickly.

Location

Event Details

  • First 500 people will receive dairy, shelf-safe food and fresh produce on a first come, first served basis.
  • One food distribution per household, while supplies last.
  • Bring a cart for the walk-up.
  • Refrigerate any perishable items shortly after distribution.
  • Bring one (1) proof of NJ residency, such as a utility bill, driver’s license, ID card, etc.
  • Event will take place rain or shine.

Click here to view and/or download the event flyer in English and Spanish. With any questions, or for more information, please email the DHS Action Line or call them at 908 558 2288.

2021 Linden Summer Concert Series

The Linden Summer Concert Series is back starting June 1st at the Raymond Wood Bauer Promenade! The 2021 Linden Summer Concert Series is sponsored by Mayor Derek Armstead, Linden City Council, the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Buildings and Grounds. For more information and the updated schedule, click here.

  • Concert Start Time – 7:30pm
  • Comedy Night Thursdays – 8pm

Food Distribution Event on Saturday, May 22nd @ 8am

The Union County Board of Commissioners, the Village Super Market of Springfield Township, New Jersey, CMC, and Gargiulo Produce are providing a drive through food distribution event to all Union County residents affected by COVID-19 on Saturday, May 22nd. Click here or text “FindFood” for English, or text “Comida” for Spanish to 908 224 7776 to find helpful information quickly.

Event Details

  • First 1,000 vehicles will receive boxes of produce and shelf-stable food on a first come first served basis.
  • One food distribution per vehicle, while supplies last.
  • Please make sure to clear out the vehicle’s trunk prior to arrival to make room for food bags.
  • Refrigerate any perishable items shortly after distribution.
  • Bring one (1) proof of NJ residency, such as a utility bill, driver’s license, ID card, etc.
  • Event will take place rain or shine.
  • Click here to view and/or download the original event flyer in English and Spanish.
  • With any questions, or for more information, please email the DHS Action Line or call them at 908 558 2288.

Linden Police to Participate in Click it or Ticket Enforcement Campaign May 24th through June 6th

Linden — The Linden Police Department is reminding drivers about the lifesaving benefits of wearing a seat belt this spring, during the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort. The national seat belt campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs from May 24th until June 6th, 2021.

“We want the act of buckling up to become automatic to all drivers and passengers,” said Police Chief David Hart. “It’s not just a safe thing to do; it’s the law. During the Click It or Ticket campaign, we’ll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the loss of life. So often, it could have been prevented.”

For this year’s Click It or Ticket seat belt mobilization effort, NHTSA is asking all states to participate in the kickoff event, Border to Border (B2B), a one-day, 4-hour national seat belt awareness event on May 24 that is coordinated by participating state highway safety offices and their respective law enforcement liaisons. The B2B program aims to increase law enforcement participation by coordinating highly visible seat belt enforcement and providing seat belt fact sheets for drivers at heavily traveled, highly visible state border checkpoints.

According to NHTSA, in 2019, there were 9,466 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. In that same year, 55% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts. That’s why one focus of the Click It or Ticket campaign is nighttime enforcement. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night. In New Jersey, the penalty for a seat belt violation is $46.

“You may think you’re safe in a certain vehicle, or on a certain road, but the truth is, you’re safest when you buckle up, no matter what,” said Chief Hart. “Unfortunately, many families are suffering because their loved ones refused to follow this simple step.” Almost twice as many males were killed in crashes as compared to females, with lower belt use rates, too. Of the males killed in crashes in 2019, more than half (51%) were unrestrained. For females killed in crashes, 40% were not buckled up.

“If the enforcement effort wakes people up to the dangers of unrestrained driving, then we’ll consider our mission to be a success,” said Chief Hart. “If you know a friend or a family member who does not buckle up when they drive, please ask them to consider changing their habits. Help us spread this lifesaving message before one more friend or family member is killed as a result of this senseless inaction. Seat belts save lives, and everyone — front seat and back, child and adult — needs to remember to buckle up.”

  • For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, please click here.
  • To view and/or download a PDF of this press release, click here.