(lr) Celebrating Arbor Day in Union County, N.J. are: New York City Chinese Consulate Consul Baoguang Li, Deputy Consul General Pine Gu, Union County Freeholder Chairman Linda Stener, County Manager Ann Baran, Vice Consul Shiren Szao of the People's Republic of China, three members (unidentified) of the Master Tree Steward Program of Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County, Freeholders Henry Kurz, Donald Goncalves, Freeholder Vice Chairman Daniel Sullivan, and Freeholder Frank Lehr.
The Public Risk Management Association has awarded the Alaska Municipal League Joint Insurance Association one of its 1997 Risk Management Achievement Awards.
The group won in the "pool" category for its member underwriting system, which documents exposure data for all participants, premium calculation for all lines of coverage and a poolwide summary of both exposure and premium information.
Similar to a price war between two gas stations, two counties in California lowered their prices on trash disposal until one cried "uncle," according to a recent feature in the Wall Street Journal.
SAN DIEGO COUNTY has decided to sell its garbage dumps because it can't compete with its neighbor to the north, ORANGE COUNTY, which charges a cut-rate $18 a ton to dispose of trash at its dumps.
Orange County lowered its prices to attract more business so it could pay off debts from its bond-trading losses in 1994.
San Diego had hiked its prices to $55 per ton in attempts to pay for a $134 million trash-sorting plant. With the price hike, the county lost customers and revenue. The county hopes to raise $100 million from the sale of its garbage dumps.
FULTON COUNTY recently opened an employee childchare cooperative. The cooperative provides childcare services to county employees' families on public school teacher work-days, which number about 15 for the whole year.
To use the service, employees register their children, pay a one-time fee of $10 (to cover games and activities for the children) and agree to provide two hours of service per school year. Parents are responsible for their children's lunch, and a snack is provided. The center, located next door to the Government Center's Assembly Hall, accommodates up to 22 children, ages 512. The space used for the childcare center is actually the press room, which is converted to the childcare center when needed.
"It makes such a difference for employees to know that their children are in a safe and protective environment when they are not in school," said Nancy Boxill, county commission vice chair.
(For more information, contact Gail Mozley in Boxill's office, at 404/730-8260.)
COOK COUNTY recently arrested 60 criminal offenders in a county-wide crackdown on fugitives wanted for domestic violence and other family-related crimes.
The three-day sweep, dubbed "Operation Family Matters," targeted felons who faced charges ranging from domestic battery to child abduction to failure to make child support payments.
OAKLAND COUNTY has seen an 82 percent increase in child immunizations, higher than the national average of 75 percent.
The county credits the combined efforts of its Immunization Action Program, Oakland County Health Division staff, volunteer community organizations, area merchants and several county school districts for working together to spread the word on the importance of immunizations.
(For more information, call Patricia White at 810/858-1413.)
The Michigan Association of Counties (MAC) has a new Web site. The site includes information on the association's goals, the role of county government and its commissioners, past presidents, MAC staff, affiliate members, board of directors, committees, legislative information and commissioner listings. Check it out at <www.miaco.org>.
What started as a meeting about legislative issues has blossomed into a series of meetings for officials in DOUGLAS, LANCASTER and SARPY counties.
The officials are crossing county lines to meet and examine whether they might share services or combine programs. "We spent a lot of time talking about juvenile-related issues," Lancaster County Commissioner Linda Steinman told Countyline magazine.
Other hot topics for the three neighboring counties, which are the state's most densely populated: the use of credit cards for paying fees and improving communications within county government.
From 9 to 5, Maurice Catarcio is chairman of the CAPE MAY COUNTY Bridge Commission. But when he's not on the job, you might find Catarcio, 68, bending steel bars into U shapes or lifting a refrigerator - with three women on it.
The Magnificent Maurice (as he calls himself) became obsessed with fitness after beating prostate cancer and a heart attack.
"It shows people with the same adversities I've faced that if they're honest [about improving their health], they can do it," he told the Associated Press.
UNION COUNTY officials recently hosted dignitaries from the Chinese consulate in New York to recognize the third anniversary of the special relationship between the county and Wenzhou, China.
The group planted three Eastern Red Buds on Arbor Day (see photo, this page).
"These trees celebrate the interests of the Chinese and American cultures to nurture our common bonds of community and our commitments to peace, harmony and the environment," said Freeholder Chairman Linda Stender.
The Public Risk Management Association has awarded FAIRFAX COUNTY one of its annual Risk Management Achievement Awards. Fairfax County Public Schools won the Program Category for its fire evacuation plan, which provides comprehensive training and preparation for evacuating students and employees with physical disabilities during fires.
(News From the Nation's Counties is compiled by Mary Ann Barton, senior staff writer.)
Does your county have news it would like to share? Mail it to County
News, 440 First St., NW, Washington, DC 20001 or contact Barton at 202/942-4210
or mbarton@naco.org.