COUNTY — A Union County Sheriff’s Officer is being lauded for his assistance in saving the lives of eight children and two adults who narrowly escaped a school-bus explosion last month. On Wednesday, the Union County Board of County Commissioners presented Sergeant Jorge Vazquez, of Sayreville, with an honorary resolution in recognition of his quick thinking.
OnMay14,SergeantVazquezpicked his 8-year-old son, Ethan, up from the bus stop before turning around to realize thatwhitesmoke,whichwasquickly turning black, was pouring out from under the bus’ hood. He ran back to the bus and alerted the driver to the situation before helping to evacuate all of the children, the driver, and an adult aide to safety by bringing them into his backyard.
Moments later, the bus exploded. Video footage, shared by News12 New Jersey, captured by a passerby, 10year-old Bryce, shows how quickly the fire spread.
“SergeantVazquez’spromptandselfless actions helped to ensure that all passengers were safely escorted off the vehicle moments before it was completely consumed by fire,” Commission Chair Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded said. “His heroism that day is a testament to his lifelong dedication to public service.”
Union County Sheriff Peter Corvelli thanked the board for taking the time to recognize Sergeant Vazquez.
“We don’t usually get a lot of accolades in our line of work. This is what the men and women of our department do even when they’re off duty, though, and we appreciate the opportunity to congratulate SergeantVazquez on a job well done,” Sheriff Corvelli said.
The board also heard from several residents on Wednesday regarding the county’s upcoming plans for the Clark Reservoir, a project which neighboring property owners say may lead to unintended complications for the local area.
As was previously reported in The Westfield Leader and Union County HAWK, the county, which has owned the reservoir since 2008, intends to dredge the reservoir, clean up its shorelines and implement multiple changes designed to turn the currently underutilized space into a community recreation area. Initial plans for the property include a motorized train ride, an ice rink, a playground, a concession stand, a picnic area, a boathouse, a carousel, a fishing pier, a small county administration building, new athletic fields and five parking areas totaling 140 spaces.
“This reservoir is a natural habitat and a wildlife preserve,” said Clark resident Diana Gonzalez, who currently isspearheadinganadhoccitizensgroup, The Clark Reservoir Committee, that has grown up around the project over the course of the past several weeks. “If it were up to me, I would advocate for dredging and aeration of the reservoir and stop there.”
Other residents echoed Ms. Gonzalez’s sentiments and asked the commissioners to consider a more scaled-down, environmentally-friendly version of the project that would omit such elements as the train ride, a carousel and a section of the proposed walking path that would bring visitors within a short distance of neighboring property lines.
The Commissioner board did not respond to residents’ comments on Wednesday night, but County Manager Ed Oatman has promised to coordinate a public community meeting about the project at some point in the near future.
The project will likely be moving ahead in some form or fashion, however, now that certain legal complications have been resolved.
Last week, Mr. Oatman told The Leader/HAWK that the county has reached an agreement with the New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF), a nonprofit organization that has held an easement around the reservoir’s shoreline since the mid-1900s.
“The NJCF has endorsed the project and has signed the necessary documents,” Mr. Oatman said. “This will allow the County of Union to proceed with the necessary permit application to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.”
ThenextmeetingoftheUnionCounty Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, June 19, at 6 p.m., in the County Administration Building in Elizabeth.
