All across the country, large numbers of voters are taking part in this year's election, and Alameda County is no different. Besides helping elect a new president, voters in Union City will decide the fate of Measure UU, the Public Safety Parcel Tax. Please vote as early in the day as possible to avoid long lines and to ensure your vote is counted.

• All polling place locations are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Your polling place is printed on your sample ballot
• If you need help finding your place to vote, click on Polling Place Locator
• Registered voters must vote at their assigned polling place.  Attempting to vote at a polling place other than your assigned polling place will necessitate you having to vote a “provisional ballot.”
• If you still have your absentee ballot in hand, don’t mail it because it’s now too late. You can deliver it to any polling place on Election Day. If you fear that you mailed your absentee ballot too late, go to any polling place on Election Day and ask to cast a provisional ballot.
• Call (510) 267-8683 for questions about voting.

Measure UU is on the November 4 ballot and calls for an extension of the Public Safety Parcel Tax first approved by Union City voters in 2004.  The tax expires next March, and unless it is extended, the City of Union City will lose $2.7 million that currently supports Police and Fire services in Union City.

If you're a telephone subscriber in Union City, you may be eligible for a refund from the City. Until recently, Union City required telephone companies to charge a 911 fee on all phone bills. The money collected was to be used to pay for the costs of providing emergency police and fire dispatch communications. The fee was successfully challenged in court and as a result the City has initiated a process to refund any City-imposed 911 fees to those residents who paid the fee over the past 12 months.

Share your favorite pictures and get recognized as part of the 4th Annual Union City Photography Contest. Open to any Bay Area resident ages 10 years or older. The deadline to submit an entry is Friday, December 19, 2008.

Union City's Economic Development Department is hosting an Investor Roundtable titled, "The Changing Landscape of Investment & Innovation. It takes place on Thursday, November 6th at 9:00 at the Union City Civic Center.

"Tie the knot" at City Hall. Call to make an appointment and we'll provide an official deputy marriage counselor to perform your civil marriage ceremony. You must bring a marriage license issued by Alameda County, picture IDs, and a check or money order for $50, made payable to the City of Union City.

Union City residents now have another option for properly disposing of household hazardous waste. Free drop-off of paints, car batteries, garden-related items, sharps and other hazardous waste is now available at the new HHW facility located at the Fremont Transfer Station, 41149 Boyce Road in Fremont.

You can help plan Union City's 50th Anniversary Celebration for the year 2009. Organizing committees meet monthly to coordinate over 10 major events for the biggest birthday party in the history of the City. Everyone is welcome, so come and join the fun! For more information, visit www.unioncity50.com

Do you know of a parent who feels frustrated with their child or whose kid is having problems at school and/or at home? The Parent Project program is specifically designed for parents of strong-willed or out-of-control kids. Registrations are now being accepted for upcoming classes for families with teens and families with children 5 to 10 years of age.

Abandoned shopping carts are an eyesore to Union City neighborhoods and can be dangerous to the children who play in and around them. We need your help to keep Union City beautiful. Please do not remove shopping carts from parking lots of local stores and report abandoned carts on city streets and sidewalks by calling (510) 675-5308.

So you can't afford the $2.7 million it costs for 30 seconds of commercial time on the Super Bowl? Well, have we got a deal for you! For the bargain price of only $25 per week, you can advertise your upcoming event with a banner display at one of Union City's busiest intersections.

A groundbreaking ceremony in Union City celebrated the the construction of what’s being billed as a future “transportation hub for the region and landmark for the City.” Years in the planning, the vision for the Union City Intermodal Station is that of a key connection point for commuters and other travelers -- a point where they will be able to board and transfer between BART, passenger rail (Capitol Corridor, Dumbarton Rail, ACE) and bus (AC Transit and Union City Transit) services.