County of Union, New Jersey

Union County, NJ — Union County residents seeking information about services available for senior adults age 60 and older will have a choice of eight dates and locations in January 2019 to speak with staff from the county’s Department of Human Services Division on Aging through ASK, the Aging Services Kiosk community outreach program.

Staff will be present at public libraries in Elizabeth, Cranford, Clark, Garwood, Mountainside, Rahway, Summit, and Union. The Rahway session will have bi-lingual (Spanish speaking) staff on hand.

“The purpose of ASK is to help residents obtain information about programs and services available to seniors and their caregivers,” said Sergio Granados, Chairman of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. “The ASK program brings our knowledgeable, experienced Division on Aging staff, based in Elizabeth, to locations throughout Union County to make it easier for residents to get expert assistance close to home.”

Through the ASK program, staff from the Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection have been traveling throughout Union County providing information about home delivered meals, respite care, home care, adult day care and other support services for seniors, family members and caregivers.

Assistance with completing applications and forms is also provided.

All Union County residents are welcome to attend any ASK event. The January 2019 dates and locations are:

Monday, January 7
Elizabeth Public Library – LaCorte branch
418 Palmer Street, Elizabeth, 07202
10:00 am – 12:00 noon

Wednesday, January 9
Cranford Public Library
224 Walnut Avenue, Cranford, 07016
10:00 – 12:00 noon

Thursday, January 10
Rahway Senior Center
Bi-lingual staff will be available at this site
1306 Esterbrook Avenue, Rahway, 07065
10:00 am – 12:00 noon

Monday, January 14
Clark Public Library
303 Westfield Avenue, Clark, 07066
10:00 am to 12:00 noon

Thursday, January 17
Garwood Public Library
411 Third Avenue, Garwood, 07027
10:00 – 12:00 noon

Friday, January 18
Mountainside Public Library
Constitution Plaza, Mountainside, 07092
10:00 – 12:00 noon

Monday, January 28
Summit Public Library
75 Maple Street, Summit, 07901
10:30 – 12:30

Tuesday, January 29
Union Public Library
1980 Morris Avenue, Union, 07083
11:30 am – 1:30 pm

The goal of the Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection is to promote wellness, independence, dignity and choice for seniors and their families. It is one of 670 “Area Agencies on Aging” nationwide established under the federal Older Americans Act. The division has information printed in both English and Spanish.

Check for the upcoming schedule of stops for an ASK kiosk coming near you as dates and locations are posted in local newspapers, the Senior News, Facebook, Twitter and the Union County website, ucnj.org.

For further information about the Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection, call the division’s toll-free number: 888-280-8226 or 908-527- 4870 or 4858. Spanish speakers may call 908-527-4863.  Information may be viewed on the Union County government website at ucnj.org. 

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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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Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that award of grants for elementary and middle schools in 15 school districts through the new Union County STEM Scholars grant program. The program launched this year under Freeholder Chairman Granados’ “Moving Union County Forward” Plant-A-Seed initiative with the goal of enabling local school districts to enhance STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs for younger students.

“This year we set forth a series of “Moving Union County Forward” initiatives working together with the school districts across Union County, to help our residents excel in educational and career goals,” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados. “The new STEM Scholars program helps open up more opportunities for elementary and middle school students to practice foundational STEM skills like teamwork and leadership, and prepare them to take on the challenging curriculum of high school STEM topics.”

“Providing STEM lessons in an inclusive and supportive environment helps younger students develop self-confidence, curiosity and innovative thinking,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “The next generation of STEM leaders is growing up before our eyes, and we want to ensure that every child has an opportunity to explore STEM topics in their schools and communities.”

The inspiration for the grant program comes from the Freeholder Hudak’s mother, Susan L. Hudak. Ms. Hudak was a dedicated member of the educational community of Union County for many years, both as a member of the Linden Board of Education and as a volunteer. Her work included the establishment of a Monthly Friday Family Science Night, a program that ran for 25 years at School No. 6 in Linden for students and their families.

The STEM Scholars program awarded grants in the following areas of concentration:

• Project Based Learning: Creative, STEM-integrated, educational programming.
• Afterschool STEM: Projects and programming that focus on extra-curricular learning, including science fairs, STEM clubs, monthly labs and workshop.
• Out-of-School STEM: Creative STEM experiences out of the classroom, to better prepare students for STEM work in the classroom, and in the workforce.

List of awardees:

Towns	School	Area Requested	Award Granted
Berkeley Heights	William Woodruff Elementary School	Project Based Learning	$482.41
Berkeley Heights	William Woodruff Elementary School	Project Based Learning	$2,500.00
Clark	Frank K. Hehnly School	Project Based Learning	$494.98
Cranford	Hillside Avenue School	Project Based Learning	$520.00
Cranford	Walnut Avenue School	Project Based Learning	$520.00
Cranford	Livingston Avenue School	Project Based Learning	$520.00
Cranford	Orange Avenue School	Project Based Learning	$520.00
Cranford	Brookside Place School	Project Based Learning	$500.00
Elizabeth	George Washington Academy	Afterschool STEM	$1,647.80
Elizabeth	J. Christian Bollwage Academy	Afterschool STEM	$500.00
Elizabeth	Terence C. Reilly # 7	Out of School STEM	$500.00
Elizabeth	John E. Dwyer Technology Academy	Afterschool STEM	$1,000.00
Elizabeth	Frank J. Cicarell Academy HS	Afterschool STEM	$1,235.85
Hillside	Hurden Looker School	Project Based Learning	$500.00
Hillside	George Washington Elementary	Afterschool STEM	$354.00
Hillside	Calvin Coolidge Elementary School	Project Based Learning	$440.00
Hillside	Walter O. Krumbiegel Middle School	Project Based Learning and Afterschool STEM	$438.00
Hillside	A.P. Morris Early Childhood Center	Project Based Learning	$1,385.70
Hillside	Hillside High School	Project Based Learning	$473.60
Kenilworth	Saint Theresa School	Project Based Learning	$500.00
Linden	School 8	Afterschool STEM	$500.50
Linden	School # 2	Afterschool STEM	$500.00
Linden	School # 5	Afterschool STEM	$500.00
Linden	School # 9	Afterschool STEM	$500.00
Linden	School # 1	Out of school STEM	$500.00
Linden	Elementary School # 6	Afterschool STEM	$500.00
Linden	Highland Avenue School # 10	Afterschool STEM	$500.00
Linden	Linden School 4	Afterschool STEM	$500.00
Mountainside	Deerfield School	Project Based Learning	$1,000.00
New Providence	Salt Brook Elementary School	Afterschool STEM	$480.00
New Providence	Morris-Union Jointure Commission	Project Based Learning	$500.00
Plainfield	Plainfield Acamdemy of Arts and Advance Studies	Project Based Learning	$500.00
Rahway	Franklin & Madison Elementary Schools	Project Based Learning	$1,199.00
Roselle	Washington Elementary School	Project Based Learning	$500.00
Scotch Plains	Park Middle School 1	Afterschool STEM	$800.00
Scotch Plains	Park Middle School 2	Project Based Learning	$500.00
Scotch Plains	Terrill Middle School	Project Based Learning	$500.00
Springfield	Jonathan Dayton High School	Afterschool STEM	$500.00
Springfield	St. James the Apostle	Afterschool STEM	$800.00
Summit	Brayton Elementary School	Project Based Learning	$316.21
		Total	$26,628.05

Photo credit: US Department of Education.

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 new Union County Office of Community Engagement and Diversity finished its first year of activity with two Holiday Giving drives that collected more than 500 toys for children across Union County, and more than 1,000 pounds of food for the Community Foodbank of New Jersey.

“We launched the new Office of Community Engagement and Diversity this year, to increase our engagement with local non-profit and volunteer organizations, and also to support new opportunities for our employees and residents to join together and collectively make a difference for those in need,” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados. “The office’s first year of coordinating the Holiday Giving toy and food drives was a success, and I would like to thank all of those who contributed to these efforts.”

The Office of Community Engagement and Diversity works with other agencies to identify volunteer opportunities, coordinate events, and create a network of volunteer organizations to build relationships with the County’s different communities. It is the heart of Chairman Granados’s 2018 “Moving Union County Forward” initiative for Union County, aimed at providing opportunities for individual empowerment and community service.

The toy drive continues a Union County tradition. In this year’s effort, Union County employees joined with residents and community partners to donate more than 500 toys. Some of the toys were delivered by County personnel to more than 120 families. Others were donated to the Coalition to House the Homeless, Children’s Specialized Hospital, the YWCA and other community partners for distribution to additional children.

The food drive was the first such effort undertaken as a Union County initiative. The Office of Community Engagement and Diversity partnered with the grassroots organization Foodstock in a broader effort to support the Community FoodBank of New Jersey during the holiday season.

The 1,000-pound donation from Union County employees was part of a total of 100,000 pounds of food donated to the Community FoodBank under the umbrella of the Foodstock holiday food drive.

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

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Photo caption: Union County Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholders Angel G. Estrada, Christopher Hudak, Rebecca Williams, Bruce H. Bergen and Alexander Mirabella joined Union County Deputy County Manager Amy Wagner, Union County Office of Community Engagement & Diversity Coordinator Nathalie Hernandez and Division of Strategic Planning and Intergovernmental Relations Division Director Phil Kandl in reviewing the toys donated by Union County employees and residents with the help of outside organizations during this year’s toy drive. Toys were collected to provide holiday cheer to families across Union County. For the food drive, Union County employees donated over 1,000 pounds of food to the Community Food Bank of Hillside NJ. This year’s Union County Holiday Giving Drives were organized by the Union County Office of Community Engagement & Diversity. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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 – Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce the restoration of the Rahway Memorial Grove, a World War II memorial located in Union County’s Rahway River Park in Rahway. A ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the restoration was held on Thursday morning, December 20.

 “With this restoration project, we honor the words engraved on the memorial: ‘May their sacrifice not be in vain,’” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados. “World War II created an enormous impact on Rahway and communities like it throughout our nation. I hope that the restoration will provide visitors to our park with a new appreciation for the sacrifices made by our military and their families in the past, present and future.

The memorial was established in 1947 by the families of 58 Rahway residents who lost their lives in World War II. They planted total of 58 oak trees in various places in the park, and placed a stone memorial holding a plaque that lists the names of each of the 58 who gave their lives.

The restoration was coordinated by the Office of Veteran Services, which was established as one of Chairman Granados’s initiatives for 2018 to expand Union County’s engagement with veterans, active duty military, and military families.

A total of 34 mature oak trees remain from the original 58 plantings. As part of the restoration project, this year 24 new trees were planted to replace the missing ones.

The stone memorial was also moved to a new location in the park where it is more visible to passers-by. The new location, which also holds the David Fisher World War II memorial marker, includes landscaped features to draw the eye and a paved area to improve accessibility. Benches will also be added to provide for restful contemplation at the site.

The location of each of the original 58 trees is indicated on a historical map dated 1947. The map also assigns an individual tree to each name on the memorial plaque. An updated version of the map will be available online as part of the restoration project.

Local Boy Scout Brian Esteves has also contributed to the effort. He is installing tree markers, so that visitors can easily identify trees that belong to the memorial grove. Each marker is engraved with the corresponding name listed on the original map.

The Rahway Memorial Grove and David Fisher memorial markers are located just east of the swimming pool complex, off Rahway Park Drive in Rahway River Park.

For more information about the Union County Office of Veteran Services contact Janna Williams, Office Coordinator, at jwilliams@ucnj or 908-527-4918 or visit online at ucnj.org/uc-hero.

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.

 Photo caption: Union County Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados joined Union County Office of Veteran Services Coordinator Janna Williams and military veterans at the ribbon cutting marking the restoration of the Rahway Memorial Grove, a World War II memorial located in Union County’s Rahway River Park in Rahway. The restoration was coordinated by the Office of Veteran Services, which was established as one of Chairman Granados’s initiatives for 2018 to expand Union County’s engagement with veterans, active duty military, and military families. For more information about the Union County Office of Veteran Services, visit www.ucnj.org/uc-hero. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)