Recycling Events
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MLK Day of Service
The Union County Electric Vehicles Infrastructure Study is looking for new potential locations for Electric Vehicle (EV) Chargers
The Study anticipates the expansion of the charging network so owning an EV will be as convenient as having a gas-powered vehicle and this means having a charging network spread over the County
Join the Master Tree Stewards of Union County
Learn how to help the environment and teach about the importance of trees – no experience necessary.
Union County residents who are looking for a fun and rewarding civic service project can join the 4-H Master Tree Steward program and learn how to “speak for the trees.”
Master Tree Stewards are community volunteers who visit 4th-grade classrooms each spring to present an interactive lesson on trees. No experience is needed. All training and classroom materials are provided by the Master Tree Steward program.
Master Tree Stewards can also organize additional projects, such as the educational “Tree Trails” in Union County park
Volunteering in Union County Parks is Easier than Ever
Each year, hundreds of community volunteers fan out through Union County parks to clean up litter, clear debris, repair trails and improve natural habitats. Now volunteering is easier than ever before, thanks to free tools and other assistance provided by the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation and the Bureau of Recycling.
“We are very grateful for the many individuals, environmental groups, Scouts, schools, businesses and other organizations that dedicate their time and energy to help keep our parks beautiful and welcoming, year in and year out,” said Union County Commissioner Chair Rebecca Williams. “By coordinating the resources of our Parks and Recycling offices, we aim to make organizing a volunteer project easy and hassle-free for everyone.”
The Union County parks system hosts four main types of volunteer programs:
Adopt-a-Park: Beautification and restoration projects including clearing litter and debris, restoring native plants and removing invasive plants.
Adopt-a-Trail/Trail Stewards: Help remove encroaching vegetation from trails and paved pathways; help repair eroded sections and clear debris from culverts.
Chainsaw Crew: Help remove fallen trees from trails and paths (training required to participate).
Clean Communities: This program focuses on litter cleanups with support from the statewide Clean Communities program. Organizers only need to bring themselves and their volunteers. Work gloves, litter grabbers and bags are all provided free of charge.
Individuals or groups that are interested in organizing a volunteer project in any of these four areas can contact the Department of Parks and Recreation by email at park.env.services@ucnj.org to start the process.
For more information: https://ucnj.org/press-releases/public-info/2022/07/14/volunteering-in-union-county-parks-is-easier-than-ever/
Senior Services – Just “ASK” information kiosk
Residents seeking information about services for seniors and their care givers can come to Union County’s Aging Services Kiosk events and meet in person with professional staff for guidance on senior programs and resources, including help with filling out applications and forms.
ASK is a program of the Union County Department of Human Services through the Division on Aging and Disability Resources, serving seniors age 60-plus and their care givers. Staff at the ASK events can help seniors and care givers connect with a variety of services including home delivered meals, respite care, home care, adult day care and support services for caregivers.
Any Union County senior or care giver can visit any ASK event, regardless of their hometown. No appointment or pre-registration is needed.
Visit ucnj.org/aging for upoming dates.
Full Time Emergency Medical Technicians
Job benefits include free training opportunities and HazMat cross-training through the Union County Fire/EMS Academy.
Union County has full time job openings for certified Emergency Medical Technicians. The full-time benefits package includes free career development through the Union County Fire/EMS academy.
All applicants must be residents of Union County.
“We are very proud of our EMTs, who work to meet the daily needs and extraordinary demands for life saving services in our community. We are looking forward to meeting the newest members of our emergency services team,” said Union County Commissioner Chair Rebecca Williams. “
For more information: https://ucnj.org/press-releases/public-info/2022/04/26/union-county-is-hiring-full-time-emergency-medical-technicians-apply-today/
Union County Host Donation Drive for the people of Ukraine
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has uprooted families, injured citizens, and left thousands of Ukrainian refugees without access to basic necessities. To date, nearly 1.5 million Ukrainians have fled their homes, many leaving behind necessary supplies.
To support individuals in need, the Union County Board of County Commissioners and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office have partnered to organize a county-wide donation drive for the people of Ukraine.
Beginning today, a donation box will be available in the lobby of Union County law enforcement agencies, twenty-four locations in all. Members of the public are invited to bring donations of first aid supplies, toiletries, flashlights, blankets, batteries, clothing, shoes, diapers, formula, and more. The program will run for the foreseeable future, as long as continued aid is needed. This donation drive is made possible through a partnership with law enforcement and local Polish and Ukrainian organizations.
For more information: https://ucnj.org/press-releases/public-info/2022/03/15/union-county-to-host-donation-drive-for-people-of-ukraine/
Cultural Events Around the County
Jan. 31
7 pm
POETRY & MUSIC (Free event)
Langston & Beethoven: Black & Proud
The Union County Board of County Commissioners is pleased to present Langston & Beethoven: Black & Proud, a free evening of poetry and music exploring the life and times of the poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist Langston Hughes — featuring and created by WQXR Radio host Terrence McKnight. In the cultural history of Union County, Langston Hughes is an important voice, having lived in Westfield in the 1930s.
Mr. McKnight pairs poems by Hughes with music by Beethoven, providing a unique perspective on the creative threads that intertwine music and poetry. The evening will also include works by other composers. Mr. McKnight will speak and narrate the performance, joined by musicians Kyle Walker, David Norville and Chauncy Packer performing.A full-orchestra version of Langston & Beethoven: Black & Proud will be presented at Lincoln Center in New York City in February. This program is presented through the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs.
Union County Performing Arts Center
1601 Irving St., Rahway
FREE – but registration is recommended at ucnj.org/black-history-month/
For more information, email culturalinfo@ucnj.org or call 908-558-2550.
Ample parking in the nearby public lot at Hamilton Stage, or on local streets.
Feb. 5
3 pm
CONCERT (FREE performance)
Chinese New Year concert
The Chinese American Music Ensemble perform traditional songs of celebration, as well as pop songs sung in Chinese – a joyful musical event to welcome the Year of the Rabbit.
This concert is free.
New Providence Memorial Library
377 Elkwood Ave., New Providence
908-665-0311
Wheelchair-accessible venue.
Feb. 3
8 pm
CONCERT
Get The Led Out
From the bombastic and epic, to the folky and mystical, Get The Led Out (GTLO) captures the essence of the recorded music of Led Zeppelin and brings it to the concert stage at UC PAC.
Utilizing multi-instrumentalists, GTLO re-creates the songs in all their depth and glory, with the studio overdubs that Zeppelin themselves never performed.
When you hear three guitars on the album…GTLO delivers three guitarists on stage. No wigs or fake English accents. GTLO brings what the audience wants…a high-energy Zeppelin concert with honest and heart-thumping intensity.
Tickets: $29-$45
Union County Performing Arts Center
1601 Irving St., Rahway
732-499-8226
ucpac.org/event/get-the-led-out/
To purchase accessible seating, call the UCPAC Box Office: 732-499-8226.
Feb. 18
8 pm
CONCERT
Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive
Before he was an Emmy-winning TV star, Mandy Patinkin was already a Tony-winning Broadway legend. Mandy Patinkin in Concert: BEING ALIVE, presents the acclaimed actor / singer / storyteller in his most electrifying role: concert performer. “Mandy Patinkin is in the business of showstopping,” raves The New Yorker, and that’s exactly what he does in this powerful, passionate evening of song. BEING ALIVE is a collection of many of Mandy’s favorite Broadway and classic American tunes. From Irving Berlin to Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter and Harry Chapin, Mandy Patinkin takes you on an unforgettable, dazzling musical journey.
Tickets: $59 – $87
Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC)
1601 Irving St., Rahway
732-499-8226
To purchase wheelchair-accessible seating, call the UCPAC Box Office: 732-499-8226.
Feb. 11
7:30 pm
FILM – 35mm Film Series
Do The Right Thing
Enjoy free popcorn, an organ concert on the “Biggest Little Wurlitzer” at 7 p.m., the short- “Betty Boop & Henry,” and Do The Right Thing, widely considered one of the greatest films of all time, on the big screen in 35mm. Spike Lee produced, wrote and directed Do the Right Thing, the comedy-drama released in 1989. “Are we gonna live together? Together are we gonna live?”
Starring Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, and Samuel L. Jackson, it was also the film debut for Martin Lawrence and Rosie Perez. The story explores a Brooklyn neighborhood’s simmering racial tension between African-American residents and the Italian-American owners of a local pizzeria, culminating in tragedy and violence on a hot summer day. Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress, it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. (Rated R | run time: 2 hours)
Tickets: $8
Union County Performing Arts Center
1601 Irving St., Rahway
732-499-8226
ucpac.org/event/35mm-film-series-do-the-right-thing/
To purchase accessible seating, call the UCPAC Box Office: 732-499-8226.
Feb. 12 – Mar. 10
Monday – Friday: 1 to 4 pm
Opening reception: Sunday, Feb. 12 (1 to 4 pm)
ART EXHIBIT (FREE)
Cultural Connection: the 5th Annual Celebration of African American Artists
This art exhibit showcases works by African American artists Mikel Elam, Aaron Fisher, Donchellee Fulwood, Yazmine Graham, Jamarr Neyland, Oscar Peterson, Martryce Roach and Amira Rogers.
The exhibit focuses on the experiences of these artists, reflecting values, traditions and family, as well as social and political activism.
The Gallery Space
1670 Irving St., Rahway
732-827-2210
galleryspacerahway.com
The Gallery floor is wheelchair accessible. Rear parking lot has a handicap parking space and ramp for wheelchair access to building.
Ongoing
ART EXHIBIT
56th Annual New Jersey Art Show (2022 Virtual Exhibit – view any time)
The New Jersey Senior Art Show is an exhibit of artworks created by both professional and non-professional artists, ages 60 and up, from all 21 counties across the state. The show comprises all first-place artworks (in each media category) from every county’s senior art show, previously held this year. The 2022 NJ Senior Art Show includes works by 16 Union County artists. Ten of these Union County artists received a state-level award.
See the New Jersey Senior Citizen Art Show here.
The NJ Senior Citizen Art Show is a co-sponsored project of Mercer County’s Division of Culture and Heritage and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
2022 CONCERT Performance
Video (watch any time)
Steeple Concerts – Masterworks at St. Paul’s
Enjoy a beautiful pre-recorded concert conducted by Mark Hyczko, with orchestra and chorale performing Symphony No. 2 for Chorus and Orchestra, “Lobgesang,” by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1837).
This concert was performed live at St. Paul’s Church, Westfield.
