County of Union, New Jersey

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to partner with the Union County Performing Arts Center to host the second annual Union County Light Up The Night TEEN PRIDE event for LGBTQ and ally high school students on Friday, June 14 from 6:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Hamilton Stage, located at 360 Hamilton Street in Rahway.

The evening’s entertainment includes dancing, DJ, drag queen emcee, food and refreshment, comedy and much more.

Admittance for high school students only with valid high school I.D., parental consent, and advance ticket. No tickets sold at door. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at ucpac.org.

“The Freeholder Board is proud to offer LGBTQ and ally teens from throughout Union County an opportunity to celebrate PRIDE in a space where all teens are welcome regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation, how they dress, or any other reason,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “According to Human Rights Campaign, four out of ten LGBTQ youth say they live in a community that doesn’t accept their sexual orientation. The Freeholder Board is proud to support acceptance and inclusion among our young people.”

“Union County’s TEEN PRIDE provides an opportunity for diverse groups of LGBTQ students from different schools throughout Union County to celebrate their individuality together in an environment that affirms who they are,” said Freeholder Rebecca Williams, liaison to the Freeholder’s LGBTQ Ad Hoc Committee. “We are proud to lead New Jersey’s County government in supporting the LGBTQ community with programs and services that directly impact quality of life.”

Teens are invited to glam it up, or come as you are to celebrate Pride! Come on your own, with a date, or with a group of friends to enjoy an affirming celebration that promotes equality amongst young people.

Security will uphold a strict no tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol. Bags will be checked upon arrival. High School Student ID, with parental consent and photo release, is required to be admitted with each ticket.

For more information about all PRIDE events and activities hosted by the Freeholder Board visit ucnj.org/pride.

Union County’s Pride month events are organized by the Office of LGBTQ Affairs, and presented in partnership with WellCare Health Plans, Xfinity and Atlantic Health System.

Union County’s TEEN PRIDE is presented with additional support from the City of Rahway and the Rahway Arts and Business Partnership.

Union County’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, under the Department of Economic Development, was established by the Freeholder Board in 2018 and is the first and only county government office of its kind in the State of New Jersey.

The Office of LGBTQ Affairs provides a platform for leadership and collaboration to support equality, and serves as a catalyst for advocacy, awareness and action on current and emerging issues that impact the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals.

For more information about the Office of LGBTQ Affairs, contact Danni Newbury, Coordinator, at 908-527-4742 or dnewbury@ucnj.org or visit ucnj.org/LGBTQ.

 

 

 

 

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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.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders presented Rhythm and Blues by the Brook music festival at Cedar Brook Park in Plainfield. They were joined by Assemblywoman Linda Carter and members of the Plainfield City Council. The annual free outdoor concert featured Sheila E., Thomas McClary and the Commodores Experience, Dean Shot and the Solidsenders tribute to Howlin’Wolf and Plainfield’s own Bindi Liebowitz of NBC’s The Voice, Season 11. (Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union) 

Bonus: “Mercury Bounty”$5.00 gift card for residents turning in mercury thermostats

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is offering a simple, easy way for everyone in Union County to pitch in and help improve the environment. Residents can safely dispose of unwanted household chemicals and other chemical wastes, by bringing these items to the next Household Hazardous Waste recycling event on Saturday June 8th, rain or shine from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Union County College Cranford Campus, 1033 Springfield Avenue.

As a bonus, the company Covanta is partnering with the Freeholder Board to offer $5.00 Home Depot gift cards for residents turning in old mercury thermostats (thermometers are not included in this program).

“Union County’s Household Hazardous Waste events provide a free, convenient opportunity for residents to remove unwanted chemicals and other potentially hazardous items from their homes and yards, and dispose them safely,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski.

“Covanta is proud to partner with Union County for a ‘Mercury Bounty’ take back event,” said Covanta’s Director of Environmental Science and Community Affairs Kenneth Armellino. “Covanta will be offering $5 Home Depot gift cards to any resident who turns in a mercury-containing thermostat.”

The Household Hazardous Waste Collection event provides Union County residents with a free, environmentally safe way to dispose of outdated or unwanted household chemicals, mercury thermostats and thermometers, propane tanks, and automobile tires among many other items.

Other examples include oil-based paint and varnish, antifreeze, aerosol cans, pool chemicals, corrosives, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, thinners, fire extinguishers, motor oil and oil filters, gasoline, batteries, thermostats, fluorescent bulbs (unbroken), and mercury switches.

Residents need only drive to the site with their items for disposal. Once at the site, residents stay in their vehicles while workers unload the items.

Only materials in original or labeled containers will be accepted. No containers larger than five gallons will be accepted. There is a limit of eight automobile tires, without rims, per household.

Please note that latex paint is not accepted. Residents wishing to dispose of latex paint are advised to use it up, donate it or share with a neighbor. If those options are not available, the paint can be dried in the can, and/or mixed with kitty litter or newspaper, then disposed with regular household garbage.

For a complete list of the materials that will be accepted on June 1^st as well as all recycling event dates and locations, please visit ucnj.org/recycle.

Please note that Union County’s Household Hazardous Waste events are for residential use only, not for businesses. Proof of Union County residency is required. For more information, call the Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889.

For quick links to all Union County environmental programs and activities visit The Green Connection, ucnj.org/green-connect.

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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, NJ — If you missed the April exhibit on Guillermo Thorn and his wanderings through what would become the Watchung Reservation, you have another chance to view some of the photographs taken by this 19^th Century photographer this Saturday.

As part of the National Trails Day celebration at Trailside Nature & Science Center, local historian Richard Palmatier will be exhibiting some of  Thorn’s works and discussing the Plainfield photographer’s explorations that ultimately documented the mills that once lined the Blue and Green Brooks on the border of Union and Somerset Counties.

“This exhibit explores a time in history that is almost unknown,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “For over a century, these brooks provided the power to drive these mills, creating everything from lumber to gunpowder.  And it’s also fascinating to see Thorn’s photographs, which really mark the beginnings of photography itself.”

The Thorn exhibit and presentation is just part of the festivities planned for National Trails Day this Saturday, with special programs throughout the day for all ages. The event is free, and ample free parking is available.

At 2 p.m. guest speaker Don Weise will speak about the Best Hiking Trails in New Jersey.  The talk will cover health and fitness on the trail, hiking with families and wildlife awareness. Weise is the Director of Development and Membership with the NY-NJ Trail Conference.  In addition to having led close to 1,000 hikes since the 1990’s, he is an environmental advocate and author.   His latest hiking books will be available for purchase and signing.   

Free themed hikes for families will take place throughout the afternoon.  At 11:30 a.m. join Pete Axelrod, Educational Outreach Coordinator, from Wild Birds Unlimited in Scotch Plains.   The Watchung Reservation has several different habitats including woodlands, lakes, streams, wetlands, and meadows which make it an ideal area for birding.  Remember to bring binoculars if you have them or borrow a pair from Trailside as you learn how to identify common birds by sight and sound.

Visitors can join a Trailside Naturalist on the Sensory Trail at 12:30 p.m. for a “Sensory Hike.”  This hike introduces families with young children to the wonders of the outdoors and wildlife. Attendees will use their senses to observe the natural world. Smell sweet flowers, onion grass and mugwort and listen for animal sounds.  Feel nature’s textiles.  Learn how to identify poison ivy before it’s too late.  Learn how to stay safe on the trail while looking for signs of local wildlife, checking out their homes and hideouts. 

At 3:00 p.m. the “Stream Hike” offers participants a hike down to the Blue Brook to look for crayfish, salamanders, and aquatic insects.  Hikers will carefully collect, identify, and release these tiny creatures. It is advised to wear shoes that can get wet. 

Ongoing activities will continue throughout the day from 12 to 4 p.m. Participate in nature-inspired crafts located under the gazebo on the sensory trail. Join in the ongoing geocaching hikes which is now the rage with day hikers. With the help of the Northern New Jersey Cachers, a non-profit geocaching organization, work as a team to find geocaches around the reservation.  Throughout the day there will be opportunities to learn how to safely view the sun, with presentations by Amateur Astronomers, Inc. a member of the Miller Sperry Observatory in Cranford.

Reproductions of Thorn’s work will be on display in the Trailside atrium, with Palmatier explaining Thorn’s adventures through the area and the photographs he left behind, including a series of stereographs, the precursors to what would lead to Viewmasters and today’s virtual reality headsets.

Thorn was born in 1837, two years before the invention of the photograph. He would grow up to see photography infiltrate every aspect of 19th-century life. 

Thorn gave up a brief career as a drawing and painting teacher and opened his first studio in Saugerties, NY, before moving to Plainfield in 1864. 

While he quickly established himself as a professional photographer, taking portraits and scenics of the area, his personal life was marred by tragedy. By 1870, disease claimed the lives of his wife, Alice, and their five children. He eventually remarried, with his later children becoming muses for his pictorial work.  

As part of Palmatier’s presentations on Sunday, he will share old photographs of the foundations of long forgotten mills along the Green and Blue Brooks. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, these waterways were the industrial hub for this area, producing everything from lumber to paper to gunpowder, grist, material for hats and crushed stone. There were upwards of 12 mills along these two brooks. In some spots, you can still see remnants of the dams, sluices, and spillways that provided the water power to drive the machinery. 

With miles of trails, Union County’s hiking, bridle, and multi-use trails need the valued help of dedicated trail volunteers. Interested volunteers are needed for the Trail Maintenance portion of the National Trails Day. Included will be a free continental breakfast for all pre-registered trail work participants.  No experience is necessary and jobs are open to volunteers ages 12 years and up (children must be accompanied by an adult).  Projects may include working to reroute a trail, pruning vegetation growing into the trail bed and more. Volunteers should wear long pants and long sleeved shirts and sturdy shoes or hiking boots. Hats and a backpack for a re-usable water bottle are advisable. Preregistration is required by contacting trailside@ucnj.org. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. and trail work goes from 9 to 11:15 a.m.

For more information about National Trails Day or other activities at Trailside, call 908-789-3670 or visit www.ucnj.org/trailside. The facility is open 7 days a week from 12 to 5 p.m. Trailside Nature and Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a facility of the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation. 

Visit ucnj.org/parks-recreation or call 908-527-4900 for information about all Union County parks and recreation facilities.

Quick links to all Union County environmental programs and activities are available at The Green Connection, https://ucnj.org/green-connection.

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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.

Please refer to www.ucnj.org/recycling for 2020 event info and dates. 

Press release removed to prevent confusion with updated information.

Union County Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski, Freeholders Sergio Granados and Angel G. Estrada and Union County Surrogate James LaCorte joined Pedro Monteiro, Consul-General of Portugal in Newark, and Portuguese American Leadership Council of the United States (PALCUS) Vice Chair Katherine Soares at the first annual Union County Portuguese flag raising ceremony in commemoration of the Day of Portugal, Camões and the Communities. The Portuguese-American Community will be celebrating what has come to be known as “Portugal Day” throughout the month of June with various celebrations in several municipalities. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County, NJ – Union County residents seeking reliable information about services for adults age 60 and older can come to convenient locations throughout the County and speak in person with experienced staff from the Union County Aging and Disability Resource Connection, a division of the Department of Human Services.

The community visits are scheduled every month through Union County’s ASK (Aging Services Kiosk) program. In June, the ASK program will come to public libraries in Westfield, Plainfield, Clark, Garwood, Elizabeth and Union, and to the Rahway Senior Center.

“Our goal is to help senior residents access the resources they need to stay connected with their communities,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “The ASK program helps seniors, their families, and their caregivers get expert guidance in person, in a comfortable setting close to home.”

Guidance offered through the ASK program includes home delivered meals, respite care, home care, adult day care, and support services for caregivers.

Assistance with completing applications and forms is also provided.

All Union County residents are welcome to attend any ASK event. Please note that due to a staff vacancy, bilingual assistance at the ASK events is temporarily unavailable. The dates and locations for June are:

 Monday, June 3

Westfield Memorial Library

550 E. Broad Street

Westfield, 07090

10:00 – 12:00

 

Thursday, June 13

Rahway Senior Center

1306 Esterbrook Avenue

Rahway, 07065

10:00 – 12:00

 

Friday, June 14

Plainfield Public Library

800 Park Avenue

Plainfield, 07060

10:00 – 12:00

 

Monday, June 17

Clark Public Library

303 Westfield Avenue

Clark, 07066

10:00 – 12:00

 

Thursday, June 20

Garwood Public Library

411 Third Avenue

Garwood, 07027

10:00 – 12:00

 

Tuesday, June 25

Union Public Library

1980 Morris Avenue

Union, 07083

11:30 – 1:30

 

Friday, June 28

Elizabeth Public Library – Elmora Branch

740 W. Grand Street

Elizabeth, 07202

10:00 – 12:00

 

The Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection is modeled on a national initiative aimed at promoting wellness, independence, dignity and choice. In addition to ASK and other outreach events, printed information is available in English and Spanish.

For more information about the Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection, visit the Department of Human Services online at ucnj.org/departments/human-services or call 888-280-8226 (toll free), 908-527-4870, or 908-527-4858. Spanish speakers may call 908-527-4863. 

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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, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders in partnership with the Union County chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America invites residents to join a rally and march in observance of Gun Violence Awareness Day on Saturday, June 8 at Nomahegan Park, 1107 Springfield Avenue in Cranford, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

“The County of Union supports the fight against senseless gun violence in our communities and we will do whatever is necessary to make sure that our community is safe for our children and all residents,” said Freeholder chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “We are proud to partner with Moms Demand Action and fight for common sense gun reforms.”

The June 8 event will begin at 9:00 a.m. with a rally featuring faith leaders, victims of gun violence, and local officials, followed by a march to honor the lives lost due to gun violence.

Attendees are asked to show their support by wearing the color orange.

Just one week after performing at President Obama’s second inaugural parade in 2013, Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed in Chicago at the age of 15. Orange is the color that friends wore in her honor. After her death, her loved ones asked Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America to stand up, speak out, and wear orange to raise awareness about gun violence.

Orange has been the color of the gun violence prevention movement ever since. The color orange honors the more than 100 lives cut short and the hundreds more wounded by gun violence every day.

Moms Demand Action was founded by stay-at-home mom, Shannon Watts, on December 15, 2012, in response to the devastating shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The organization quickly flourished into a leading force for gun violence prevention, with chapters in all 50 states and a powerful grassroots network of concerned citizens that has successfully effected change at the local, state and national level.

In 2018, mayors from 14 Union County municipalities in signed a Statement of Principals against illegal guns at an event in Rahway co-sponsored by the Freeholder Board and Moms Demand Action.

For more information about the national Moms Demand Action organization visit online at momsdemandaction.org. To join the Union County chapter of Moms Demand Action, email pficoucmoms@gmail.com.

National Gun Violence Awareness Day is formally observed on the first Friday in June each year.

For more information about this event contact Nathalie Hernandez, Coordinator, Union County Office of Community Engagement and Diversity at nahernandez@ucnj.org or 908-527-4880.

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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.