County of Union, New Jersey

Update: July 27, 2020: please note that the August 14 and 15 events will feature the movie Onward instead of Scoob.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announced the schedule for a series of free Walk-up and Drive-up movies to be held throughout the summer.

“The Freeholder Board is pleased to offer this opportunity for our residents to enjoy a ‘night out at the movies’ with their families while staying safe during the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella.

The Summer 2020 movie schedule is as follows:

Walk-up movies:

July 14th – Warinanco Park in Roselle, NJ – Abominable

August 4th – Rahway Park in Rahway, NJ – Secret Life of Pets 2

August 11th – Watchung Reservation in Mountainside, NJ – The Lion King (2019 version)

Drive-up movies:

July 21st – Union County Vo-tech in Scotch Plains, NJ – Frozen 2

August 14th – Union County Vo-tech in Scotch Plains, NJ – Onward (replacement for Scoob)

August 15th – Union County Vo-tech in Scotch Plains, NJ – Onward (replacement for Scoob)

All movies are free and begin at dusk.  Attendees must bring their own snacks and drinks. There will not be any food or drink available for purchase. These events will run in compliance with state COVID-19 orders, regarding social distancing and other protocols.

For Walk-up movies, social distance of 6 feet must be maintained between groups. Masks are strongly encouraged and must be worn where social distancing is not possible. Masks are required when using port-o-johns.

Drive-up movies are open to Union County residents and will require pre-registration. One registration is required per car. To pre-register for Drive-up movies, residents can visit https://tinyurl.com/DriveUpMovie. Registration for each Drive-up movie will be open at 9 a.m. one week prior to each movie date. Due to space limitations, reservations will be available on a first come, first served basis.

To help promote social distancing during Drive-up movies, no walk-ups, bikes or chairs are permitted at drive-up movies. Vehicles will be arranged at least 6 feet apart with adequate social distancing. Port-o-johns and wash stations will be available. Masks and gloves will be required when using the port-o-johns. Attendees must stay in their vehicles (unless they need to use the port-o-johns).

Further details will be available to residents upon registration.

For more information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including guidance for the free Drive-Through Test Center at Kean University, visit ucnj.org/coronavirus-update.

For general information about COVID-19 and phone contacts for 24/7 assistance with questions, visit the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.

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The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to invite all residents of Union County, age 6o or older, to register for the Union County Senior Citizens’ Virtual Art Exhibit. Qualifying works of art will be displayed online this fall from October 12 to December 30. This year’s Senior Art Exhibit is being held entirely online due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The deadline to register is Friday, Sept. 4, 2020. Registration online is required, and a digital image of the artwork entry must be submitted to complete the registration.

“Each year the Senior Art Exhibit provides senior residents with an opportunity to share their view of the world through their artwork,” said Freeholder Chairman Mirabella. “Although we are doing things virtually this year we are proud to support this program, which highlights the skills and insights of senior artists in the County.”

The Senior Art Exhibit is an annual program presented and coordinated by the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs. Artists at any level of skill or experience are invited to register, including amateurs, non-professionals and working professionals. To qualify, the artwork must have been created within the past three years and must be an original creation of the artist.

Registrants can enter a work in a variety of categories: acrylic painting, oil painting, watercolor, pastel, works on paper (drawing), photography, digital art (excluding digital photography), mixed media, printmaking, sculpture, and craft.

All artworks entered will be judged by a panel of professional artists. In each art category, separate awards will be given to professionals and non-professionals. First-place winners in all categories will go on to compete at the state level in the New Jersey Senior Citizens Art Show, also being held online this fall.

For complete information and to register, visit the Union County website at www.ucnj.org/senior-art.

For seniors who do not have internet access, a relative or friend with an email address may assist and register on behalf of the artist, or staff at the Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs will assist the artist with registration by phone. For assistance or questions, or to receive complete instructions by mail or email, call 908-558-2552, or email culturalinfo@ucnj.org. Relay users dial 711.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

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This morning Union County Freeholder Andrea Staten, Rebecca Williams and Assemblywoman Linda S. Carter joined the United Way of Greater Union County and members of County Government at the Kenilworth Veterans Center to distribute food donated by Amazon.com through the United Way to various social service organizations throughout Union County. (Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The Union County Freeholder Board is pleased to announce a new virtual education initiative aimed at teaching children about animals and the important role they play in the environment. 

Wildlife Wednesdays kicks off on Wednesday, July 22^nd with a program entitled “Frogs, Toads and Turtles” which will explain the difference between frogs and toads and turtles and tortoises.   The second program, Mammals, will be the following Wednesday, July 29^th.  The presentations will begin at 7:00 p.m. and last approximately 45 minutes. 

Participation is free and open to all county residents.   Pre-registration is required and capacity is limited to the first 100 families who sign up.  The programs will be held on Zoom so a valid email and Zoom access are necessary to participate.

Wildlife Wednesdays is a collaboration of efforts between the Departments of Parks and Recreation and Engineering, Public Works and Facilities.  Rizzo’s Wildlife World has been invited to bring the classroom to you and present a myriad of wildlife critters.  The Bureau of Recycling is utilizing clean communities grant funds to sponsor programs of this nature in an effort to raise awareness on how litter can harm wildlife.  These programs aim to discourage littering to protect the diverse wildlife found in County parks.

“The Freeholder Board is pleased to offer these virtual presentations of wildlife to our residents,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “With parks reopening and outdoor activities resuming, it’s important to remember to keep our parks clean and litter free so that we can enjoy the space while respecting the wildlife by keeping their habitats safe.”

Residents wishing to pre-register can do so by visiting ucnj.org/ww. Once registered, attendees will receive a confirmation and Zoom login information via email.                               

For more information on programs and facilities within the Union County Parks and Recreation System, please visit: https://ucnj.org/parks-recreation/.  For more information on recycling events, please visit www.ucnj.org/recycling. 

For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

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Union County, NJ – Berkeley Heights Junior Girl Scout Troop 96330 prepared a video presentation about environmental awareness entitled “The Human Footprint.” This project helped them earn the Bronze Award, the highest award a Junior Girl Scout can achieve.  While maintaining social distancing, the Junior Girl Scouts proudly received their Bronze Award on June 15 during an outdoor ceremony.

“The Freeholder Board is proud to congratulate Troop 96330 on achieving the Bronze Award, in recognition of the effort they made to reach out to the community as a team,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “I encourage everyone to take a look at The Human Footprint and learn how they can take steps to reduce their impact on the environment in our community and beyond.”

The group was scheduled to present their project in person at Union County’s Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside, as part of the 50^th anniversary celebration of Earth Day at the County’s annual Wild Earth Fest event in April. However, Wild Earth Fest was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. In order to share their findings with others, the girls prepared a video presentation, which can be viewed online through the Trailside home page at ucnj.org/trailside.

As part of their project, the scouts learned about pollution, global warming and deforestation. Each participant chose a different animal and taught viewers about the negative environmental impacts that particular animal is facing.

Through the use of dioramas, posters and puppets, the girls offered ways that residents could help reduce their impact on the environment. The suggestions include reducing the use of single-use plastics, using less fossil fuels and properly disposing of trash. Their findings teach viewers that even small changes can have an impact.

Trailside Nature and Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

For more information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including guidance for the Test Center, visit ucnj.org/coronavirus-update.

For general information about COVID-19 and phone contacts for 24/7 assistance with questions, visit the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

Connect with Union County on social media.

Union County Freeholder Chris Hudak, Freeholder Andrea Staten, Freeholder Angela Garretson, Freeholder Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded and Assemblywoman Linda S. Carter joined the United Way of Greater Union County and members of County Government at Union County’s Wheeler Park in Linden to distribute food donated by Amazon.com through the United Way to various social service organizations throughout Union County. (Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Please join us tomorrow, Tuesday June 30th at 4:00 pm for the third annual Union County Academic Excellence Program – The Quest for Academic Excellence – A County Conversation with 2020 Graduates — live streamed on the County’s Facebook page – ucnj.org/facebook