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The NJ Turnpike southbound exit to Interchange 13 – Goethals Bridge/Elizabeth – and the southbound outer roadway (the truck lanes) will be closed for two nights to allow for the demolition of the original Goethals Bridge over the NJ Turnpike.

The closure will only affect southbound NJ Turnpike traffic.  Northbound NJ Turnpike traffic and local traffic destined for the Goethals Bridge will not be affected.

Traffic on the Goethals Bridge itself will not be affected. The dates and times of the closures are: Wednesday June 28 – 9:00 PM-5:00 AM, Thursday June 29 – 9:00 PM-5:00 AM.

Signed detour routes will be provided to Interchange 12.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to announce the third annual Shakespeare in the Park tour featuring three free performances of Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy The Taming of the Shrew at three Union County parks this summer during July and August.

“This summer’s tour of Shakespeare’s classic romantic-comedy The Taming of the Shrew in our parks provides an opportunity for residents of all ages to experience the most remarkable storyteller the world has ever known,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.

Featuring the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s Next Stage Ensemble, The Taming of the Shrew is a zesty version of Shakespeare’s classic comedy complete with bawdy humor. It’s too fun to miss.

The summer tour of the outrageously fun comedy kicks off at the Shakespeare Garden at Cedar Brook Park in Plainfield on Sunday, July 16 at 1 p.m.

Additional performances include:
Sunday, July 23 at Raymond Wood Bauer Promenade (amphitheater) in Linden at 7 p.m.
Friday, August 4 at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside at 7 p.m.

Admission is free to each of the three performances.

Pack a picnic and bring a blanket or lawn chairs and head out to Union County parks to enjoy The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s Next Stage Ensemble’s abridged performance of the time-honored romantic comedy of male chauvinism and women’s rights in the 16th century. Petruchio, a poverty-stricken gentleman from Verona, journeys to Padua in search of a wealthy wife. There, he encounters the fiery Katharina, a self-willed shrew who leads Petruchio on a merry chase before he successfully circumvents her attempts to avoid marriage. Their honeymoon becomes a humorous battle of wit and insult with Kate as determined to maintain her independence as Petruchio is to “tame” her.

The Next Stage Ensemble, the Shakespeare Theatre’s summer touring company of early career actors, is part of the Theatre’s Summer Professional Training Program which offers students working toward a career in the performing arts clear instruction, individual attention, and thoughtful and candid evaluation in a professional theatre environment. The Next Stage Ensemble works with The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s resident and guest directors to fully develop abridged productions of classic plays. The troupe tours to various locations throughout the state – including libraries, retirement homes and community centers.

Now in its 54^th season, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is an independent, professional theatre company located on the Drew University campus. One of the leading Shakespeare theatres in the nation, serving 100,000 adults and children annually, it is New Jersey’s largest professional theatre company dedicated solely to Shakespeare’s canon and other world classics. Through its distinguished productions and education programs, the company strives to illuminate the universal and lasting relevance of the classics for contemporary audiences.

For more information or for a complete listing of summer events visit ucnj.org.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that a free training course is available for persons interested in becoming Confidential Sexual Violence Advocates (CSVAs) for victims of sexual violence.

The Union County Rape Crisis Center (RCC) will offer a free training program for volunteer Confidential Sexual Violence Advocates.  Training sessions begin Tuesday, August 15th and conclude Thursday, September 28th.  Classes will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the RCC office in Westfield located within the Colleen Fraser county services building, 300 North Avenue East.

“Volunteer advocates help guide victims through legal and medical systems while providing emotional support, respecting the strict confidentiality of each case”, said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.  “CSVA volunteers serve Union County residents during a physical and emotional crisis and we are grateful for their dedication to helping victims through a traumatic experience.”

Volunteers must be Union County residents at least 18 years of age.  They must hold a valid driver’s license and have their own vehicle. Prior to training, each volunteer must come to the Rape Crisis Center for an informal interview. Volunteers must also attend all training sessions.

For further information about volunteering, and to schedule an interview, call the Union County Rape Crisis Center at 908-233-7273.  In addition, information may be obtained from the Rape Crisis Center’s blog, unioncountyrapecrisiscenter.blogspot.com.

The Rape Crisis Center is part of the Union County Department of Human Services, Division of Planning, and has been serving Union County residents since 1984.

This summer the Office of Continuing Education at Union County College is offering the 2017 College for Teens program sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. The application deadline for the College for Teens program is Wednesday, July 5, 2017.

The program is offered for two sessions. Each session will be held for two weeks and will meet from Monday through Thursday. During the session students have the chance to explore and research careers in criminal justice and healthcare, while experiencing life on a college campus. Students will learn about relevant career opportunities from prominent guest speakers. The morning session will be held July 10 to 20, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The afternoon session will be held July 17 to 27, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

To apply for the College for Teens program, students must be enrolled in a Union County high school by September 2017 and possess a grade point average of C or better. In addition to the application, students will need to submit a copy of their recent report card.  The completed application package can be faxed to (908) 709-7070, emailed to youthprograms@ucc.edu or delivered to the Office of Continuing Education at 1033 Springfield Avenue in Cranford. Please submit the application by Wednesday, July 5, 2017.

For additional information about the College for Teens Program and the application form, visit http://www.ucc.edu/nonCredit/ForDown.aspx or call (908) 709-7600 option #3.

Hamilton’s remarkable American journey began in 1772 when he arrived in Elizabethtown to pursue his formal education at the Academy of Elizabethtown, on the very spot where The Snyder Academy of Elizabeth, NJ stands today.

“Alexander Hamilton and His Elizabethtown Friends” explores historic sites associated with Alexander Hamilton’s time in the Elizabethtown, New Jersey area.  The events in Elizabeth are designed to give the public a deeper understanding of Alexander Hamilton, from his formative teen years as a student in Elizabeth to his early adult years during the Revolutionary War as a military hero, architect of our financial system, influential writer and thinker and George Washington’s advisor and confidant.   “Alexander Hamilton and His Elizabethtown Friends” is part of the annual CelebrateHAMILTON program held by the Alexander Hamilton Awareness (AHA) Society.

The program begins on July 6 with tours of Boxwood Hall at 10:00AM and 11:00AM and continues with tours of the Liberty Hall Museum at 1:00PM and 3:00PM.  Hamilton was a frequent visitor at both Boxwood Hall and Liberty Hall and the tours will focus on his ties to these historic homes and their owners, Elias Boudinot and William Livingston.  Visitors will have the opportunity to meet and mingle with actors depicting Alexander and Eliza Hamilton.  A series of special events are planned at The Snyder Academy on July 7, including a talk entitled Alexander Hamilton: The Man v. The Musical by AHA President Rand Scholet; Hamilton 101 in Spanish; a presentation by Hamilton scholar Michael Newton on Hamilton and His Associates in Elizabethtown During the Revolutionary War; a Colonial Music concert; and a staged reading of the writings of Hamilton, Livingston, Boudinot and Dayton.  Alexander and Eliza Hamilton will visit The Snyder Academy in the afternoon.  The tours and programs at Boxwood Hall and The Snyder Academy are free. 

“The Broadway sensation Hamilton has generated tremendous interest in the life of Alexander Hamilton and in our early history as a country,” noted Union County Freeholder Alexander Mirabella.  “CelebrateHAMILTON 2017 will give people the opportunity to learn about Hamilton’s formative years in colonial Elizabethtown and the remarkable individuals here in Union County who worked with him to establish the institutions and ideals that we hold dear as a country today.  The Freeholder Board is proud to sponsor CelebrateHAMILTON 2017 and invites residents to come to Elizabeth on July 6 and 7 to explore and savor our rich history.”  Additional sponsors for CelebrateHAMILTON in Elizabeth include Elizabethtown Gas and PSE&G. 

Visitors for “Alexander Hamilton and His Elizabethtown Friends“ will receive special offers to experience Elizabeth’s many outstanding historical attractions and cultural restaurants.  New Jersey’s newest destination, just minutes from NYC, Elizabeth’s rich authentic history draws tourists to its historic landmarks and sites as well as to its high-end outlet shopping mall The Mills at Jersey Gardens (0% tax on clothes and shoes) and entertainment districts.  For a full schedule of CelebrateHAMILTON programs please visit www.celebratehamilton.com. To discover more about Elizabeth, New Jersey and to access hotel accommodations with exclusive room rates for CelebrateHAMILTON, please visit www.goelizabethnj.com/HamiltonTour.

Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen and Freeholders Alexander Mirabella and Angel Estrada joined Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr and other local officials at a groundbreaking of a housing development in downtown Fanwood.

Left to right: Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen; Former Fanwood Planning Board member Greg Cummings; Freeholder Al Mirabella; Fanwood Councilman Jack Molenaar; Freeholder Angel Estrada; Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr; Mark Gottlieb, Landmark Companies Owner; Matt Leshetz, Landmark Companies VP of Construction; Jeff Weinflash, Landmark Companies Senior VP; Benjamin Harvitt, Landmark Property Manager.