County of Union, New Jersey

Union County, NJ – In recognition of Women’s History Month, the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to present a free performance of the play In Their Footsteps on Saturday, March 30, at 1:30 p.m., at the Union County Performing Arts Center’s Hamilton Stage, located at 360 Hamilton Street in Rahway.

The Hamilton Stage production of In Her Footsteps is presented through the Union County Department of Economic Development, Office on Women. Admission is free of charge but seating is limited and pre-registration is required at ucnj.org/women. 

In their Footsteps honors five American women who served in the Vietnam War, using their own words to tell the story. One of the five women featured in the play is Judy Jenkins Gaudino, a resident of Summit.

 “Over 50 years ago, thousands of young American women went to Vietnam to serve their country. For the most part, these women’s stories remain untold,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “In Their Footsteps recovers this lost chapter of women’s history in vivid detail.”

“On behalf of the Freeholder Board, I would like to thank Ms. Gaudino for her participation in this project, and for her efforts to raise awareness about the lives and experiences of women in war,” Freeholder Chair Kowalski added.

The afternoon includes:

• A short talk and introduction by Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski.
• Debut of the Union County Women Making History Video, featuring Judy Jenkins Gaudino.
• Showing of the play In Their Footsteps.
• Question and Answer session with Judy Jenkins Gaudino and actors.

In Their Footsteps was created by the non-profit theatre company Infinite Variety Productions, through interviews with five women who served in Vietnam: Ann Kelsey (Special Services Librarian), Judy Jenkins Gaudino (Special Services Recreation Employee), Jeanne “Sam” Christie (Red Cross, Donut Dollie), Lily Adams (US Army Nurse), and Doris “Lucki” Allen (US Army Intelligence Specialist).

Infinite Variety Productions was established in 2011, and is dedicated to sharing the many unknown stories from women’s history.

The Union County Office on Women was created in 2016. As the first county-based office of its kind in New Jersey, the Office on Women aims to help ensure that women connect with services and programs that enable them to reach their full potential at every stage of their lives, including education, employment, business, health, and in the social fabric of Union County, as well as raise awareness of the many contributions that women make in Union County.

For additional details contact Jennifer Erdos, Union County Office on Women jerdos@ucnj.org, or 908-527-4216, or use the online contact form.

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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 Chair Bette Jane Kowalski joined U.S. Congressman Tom Malinowski in presenting flags to members of the Model Railroad Club in Union. Rep. Malinowski presented an American flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. while Freeholder Chair Kowalski gave the club a Union County flag.

The Model Railroad Club, founded in 1949, is one of the largest model railroad clubs in North America and features HO scale and N scale layouts, as well as other model railroad and industrial exhibits.

Located in a mixed-use section of Union County’s Lenape Park in Union, the club is an activity of the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation with a mission to educate the general public and the club’s members about the railroads, and the industries they served, in the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania area.

For more information about the Model Railroad Club visit www.themodelrailroadclub.org. 

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski presents a resolution to Mary Leonard, President of the Crane’s Ford Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, past President Barbara Krause and chapter member Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi congratulating the chapter on its 75th anniversary.

The Daughters of the American Revolution is a volunteer women’s service organization. Membership is open to any women 18 years and older who can prove lineal bloodline descent from an ancestor who aided in achieving American independence.

The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution was formed in 1896 by an Act of Congress to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism.

The Crane’s Ford Chapter was chartered by the National Society on March 7, 1944 in Cranford, NJ. The Chapter took its name from a ford in the Rahway River where light horseman stood guard while General Washington’s army encamped at Morristown.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County, NJ– The Union County Rape Crisis Center will offer a free training program for volunteer advocates to assist victims of sexual violence beginning April 2, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Training will be held at the Rape Crisis Center office in the Colleen Fraser Building, located at 300 North Avenue East in Westfield.

“Volunteers at the Rape Crisis Center provide knowledgeable, judgment-free support for victims who face a life crisis. All too often, victims of sexual violence feel they cannot turn to family or friends for help. So our volunteers fill a truly urgent need in the community,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski.

All volunteers are trained, mentored, and supported by professional staff at the Rape Crisis Center. Upon completion of the training program, volunteers are certified as Confidential Sexual Violence Advocates.

Volunteers must be Union County residents at least 18 years of age, 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 attend all training sessions.

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

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.

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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 – As the winter season comes to an end, pothole season is just beginning. The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders would like you to know there are resources you can use to report them to the proper agency.

“We encourage drivers and pedestrians alike to report any pothole they come across, so repair crews can act as quickly as possible,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “Even if you think someone else already reported it, please take a few minutes to fill out the online form or call our hotline number.”

To report a pothole or any other issue with a Union County road, use an online form available through the Union County Department of Public Works and Facilities Management at ucnj.org/pot-hole.

County roads are identified by their blue route signs, which include the letters “CR” followed by a three-digit number.

Persons without Internet access can report potholes on Union County roads by calling 908-789-3660.

For potholes on state highways, call the New Jersey Department of Transportation at 1-800-POTHOLE or use the online form at state.nj.us/transportation.

For local roads, contact the municipality in which the road is located. Links for all 21 Union County municipalities are available through the County website, ucnj.org/municipalities.

To plan a commute around major road projects that may disrupt traffic patterns in Union County, visit the “Road Construction Update” page at ucnj.org/traffic.

For all transit information in Union County including car, bus, rail, aircraft, bicycle and Paratransit, visit Union County ConneXions at ucnj.org/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 – In recognition of Women’s History Month, the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to sponsor “Virginia Apgar, Newborn Babies and the March of Dimes” at the Westfield Memorial Library on Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at 7:00 pm. David Rose, the National Archivist of the March of Dimes, will be the presenter at this free event.

“Dr. Apgar was a pioneer in her field, and her findings and work are still used by physicians today when welcoming a newborn into the world. She provides us with a powerful reminder of the impact that women have on our quality of life, through their contributions to science and medicine,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski.

Born in Westfield, NJ, Virginia Apgar was an anesthesiologist. She was best known for creating the Apgar Score, a clinical system for evaluating the physical condition of newborns at birth by measuring their pulse, skin color, reflex, muscle tone and respiration to determine medical needs.

Dr. Apgar assisted in the delivery of over 17,000 infants and was the first woman to hold a full professorship at Columbia University. At the March of Dimes, she directed programs of research in the causes, prevention, and treatment of birth defects.

The presentation by David Rose celebrates Women’s History Month and will focus on the life of Dr. Apgar and her lifelong quest to improve the health of babies.

The 2019 Women’s History Month Celebration is sponsored by the Freeholder Board through the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs in the Department of Parks and Recreation, and is funded in part by a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a Division of Cultural Affairs in the Department of State.

For more information on all Cultural and Heritage programs visit ucnj.org, email jprescott@ucnj.org or call 908-436-2912.

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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.