County of Union, New Jersey

Union County Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski, Linda Carter, Alexander Mirabella and Vernell Wright joined Union County Manager Alfred Faella at the Union County Means Business Expo at Union County’s new Warinanco Park Sports Center in Roselle. The Expo is designed to help local businesses and entrepreneurs build their networks and grow their brands in a stylish, contemporary environment. For more information about Union County Means Business visit ucnj.org/ucmb or contact Deana Mesaros at 908-659-7412 or dmesaros@ucnj.org (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that former US Ambassador to Uruguay Julissa Reynoso will present “Challenges for a New Leadership,” a free lecture and Q&A session that leads off National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations in Union County.

Challenges for a New Leadership is scheduled for Wednesday, September 27 in Room N4 of the Nomahegan Building, at the main campus of Union County College, 1033 Springfield Avenue in Cranford. Entrance to the Nomahegan Building is through the Student Development Building.

The program begins at 12:00 p.m. with the music of classical guitarist Edison Pereyra. The lecture follows from 12:30 to 1:30.

“It is truly an honor to welcome Julissa Reynoso to Union County,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “Her life story of public service is remarkable, and she is an inspirational model for the whole Union County community.”

“Since its inception our nation has been enriched by immigrants. Ms. Reynoso is a shining example of the strength we all gain when every person is valued and encouraged to reach their fullest potential,” said Freeholder Angel G. Estrada.

Ms. Reynoso was born in the Dominican Republic and immigrated to America with her family, settling in the Bronx.

While finishing high school she was encouraged to aim high and continue her education. She went on to earn degrees from Harvard, the University of Cambridge and the Columbia University School of Law.

In addition to receiving awards and citations during her service as US Ambassador to Uruguay during the Obama Administration, Ms. Reynoso has received public service awards from Columbia University, New York University, the North Star Fund, the Legal Aid Society and the Hispanic National Bar Foundation among others.

She has also received the Order of the Quetzal from Guatemala and the Order of Del Valle from Honduras – both are the highest honors awarded by each country – and she has been recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

Ms. Reynoso has written extensively on regulatory reform, community organizing, housing reform, immigration policy, and Latin American politics.

She currently serves as an attorney at the law firm of Winston and Strawn at their New York office.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed throughout the U.S. this year from Friday, September 15 to Sunday, October 15.

Challenges for a New Leadership is sponsored by the County Board of Chosen Freeholders through the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs.

For more information on this event and all Cultural and Heritage programs call 908-588-2550 or visit online at ucnj.org/parks.

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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 – Union County seniors and caregivers are invited to participate in a public meeting on Monday, September 25 at 10:00 a.m. at the O’Donnell-Dempsey Senior Center, 622 Salem Avenue in Elizabeth, to express their views on the service needs of seniors.

“This public hearing is a good opportunity for residents to request services in areas such as caregiver support, utility assistance, affordable housing, transportation — especially assisted transportation – and more,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H.  Bergen.

The meeting will be conducted the Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource (ADRC), which will provide the state with a report on the needs of seniors, including priorities identified by seniors participating in the meeting.

The state service plan will list service needs, establish service priorities, and explain how the federal Older Americans Act and state funding will be used. States must submit their plans to the federal Administration on Aging every four years.

ADRC was formerly known as the Division on Aging, one of 670 “Area Agencies on Aging” nationwide established under the federal Older Americans Act of 1973. A division of the Union County Department of Human Services, it was reorganized as ADRC in accordance with a 2012 state initiative aimed at improving services for the elderly and persons with disabilities.

ADRC provides services to promote wellness, independence, dignity and choice for seniors and their families, and it provides printed information in both English and Spanish. The division’s other services include information and assistance, the state Respite Program, and nutrition programs including home-delivered and congregate meals, the Farmers Market food voucher program and nutrition education.

For more information about ADRC call 908-527-4870 or toll free at 888-280-8226, or visit online at ucnj.org/departments/human-services.

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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 Rape Crisis Center will offer a free training program for volunteer advocates for victims of sexual violence.  The program begins on Tuesday, October 3 and concludes on Thursday, November 16.  Classes will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Rape Crisis Center offices in the Colleen Fraser Building, located in the Union County complex at 300 North Avenue East in Westfield,

“Volunteer advocates help guide victims through legal and medical systems while providing emotional support, respecting the strict confidentiality of each case,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “These volunteers serve Union County residents during a physical and emotional crisis in their lives and the Freeholder Board is proud to support their service on behalf of victims who need support in the aftermath of a traumatic experience.”

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

For more information about volunteering, and to schedule an interview, call the Union County Rape Crisis Center at 908-233-7273.  Additional details are available online at the Rape Crisis Center blog, unioncountyrapecrisiscenter.blogspot.com.

The Rape Crisis Center is part of the Union County Department of Human Services, Division of Planning. It has been serving Union County residents since 1984.

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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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The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to welcome more than twenty LGBTQ advocacy and ally organizations to the first Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic, celebrating marriage equality in New Jersey, this Saturday, September 16 at Rahway River Park in Rahway from Noon until 5:00 p.m.

“All families are invited to join LGBTQ family equality advocates and allies from all over the Garden State in the park on Saturday to celebrate the strength of our diversity and to honor the great strides we’ve made in the movement for equality,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.

LGBTQ family and marriage equality advocacy and ally organizations will be set up on site all day with general information, as well as support and networking resources. Some of the advocacy and ally organizations registered for the event include:
CASA of Union County, Inc.
Human Rights Campaign (Greater NY / New Jersey)
Hyacinth AIDS Foundation
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency
Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central, & Southern NJ
Prevention Links
Rahway Family Success
Social Justice Matters, Inc.
Union County College Gay Straight Alliance
Union County Office on Women
Union County Sheriff’s Office
Union County Youth Services
WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
YWCA Union County

A celebration of all families, the free Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic will include arts and crafts (featuring a “LOVE Makes a Family” poster making station), inflatable bounce houses for all ages, face painting, music and much more.

The Family Equality Rally will kick off at 1:00 P.M. with special guest speakers as well as powerful renditions of songs that celebrate unity and equality by the voices of Union County’s own Mystic Vision Players. Speakers include local elected officials as well as representatives from the State of New Jersey Division of Children Protection and Permanency, Union County College’s Gay Straight Alliance, and Human Rights Campaign (Greater NY / New Jersey). Parents and children are encouraged to show family Pride with a sign or banner.

Esteemed children’s music band, Michael and the Rockness Monsters will join in the day’s celebration with a live family concert starting at 2:30 P.M.

Family field day team games will kick off at 3:30 P.M. Families and individuals of all ages (adults, teens, and children are all welcome) interested in participating in the field day competition should register online at ucnj.org/Pride so that teams can be formed.

Families are invited to pack a bag lunch and head out to the park with blankets and lawn chairs for an afternoon of fun. Food trucks will also be on site for those who wish to purchase lunch.

In the event of inclement weather the Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic will be held at the Warinanco Sports Center, Warinanco Park in Elizabeth/Roselle.

The Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders with additional support from WellCare Health Plans, Inc., Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar (North Plainfield), CASA of Union County, PepsiCo (Piscataway), ShopRite (Clark), Sam’s Club, Smarties Candy Company, Hillside Candy, and Fusion D’Lite (Garwood).

For more information visit ucnj.org/Pride, or find the Union County Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic event page at Facebook.com/CountyOfUnion, or call the Union County Office of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4900.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will present a free workshop on cultural advocacy on Monday, September 25 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Liberty Hall Wagon Shed Building, located at 1003 Morris Avenue in Union Township.

The workshop is designed for arts, cultural and history organizations. Participants are invited to learn how advocacy can support an organization, the community and cultural life in general.

“This informative session is an excellent opportunity for non-profits to learn the key essentials of cultural advocacy to benefit their organizations and our region at large,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, liaison to the Union County Cultural and Heritage Programs Advisory Board.

Adam Perle, the President and CEO of ArtPride New Jersey Foundation, will host the session. He will covers a variety of topics including what advocacy is and how it differs from lobbying; the value of relationship-building and storytelling; getting to know your elected officials; and differences between federal and state issues.

ArtPride New Jersey is a statewide arts service organization representing the interests, accomplishments and needs of more than 600 non-profit arts and cultural organizations whose work supplies more than $1.5 billion annually in economic activity. ArtPride advances, promotes and advocates for the arts as essential to the quality of life of every citizen and to the economic vitality of our state.

The workshop is funded in part by a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a division of the New Jersey Department of State and a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. It is presented through the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs in the Department of Parks and Recreation.

The workshop is free but pre-registration is required by September 23.

To register, contact the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs by email at culturalinfo@ucnj.org or call 908-558-2550 (NJ Relay users dial 711).

The Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs is located at 633 Pearl Street in Elizabeth. For more information on all programs and activities visit online at ucnj.org/parks-recreation/cultural-heritage-affairs

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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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Students enrolled in four-year sequence of courses grounded in criminal justice and legal fields

SCOTCH PLAINS, UNION COUNTY, NJ—The Union County Board of Freeholders joined students, teachers and administrators of the Union County Vocational Technical in marking the opening of the new Law and Justice Mini Academy, a four-year program designed to prepare students for careers in public service, law, and criminal justice and as proactive citizens.

“We are proud of our investment in our award-winning Vocational Technical Schools, and the Law and Justice Mini Academy is yet another innovative step that will train future generations for upstanding and established careers,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen, who is a liaison to the Union County Vo-Tech School Board of Education.

The mini-academy is a 2017 initiative of Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen on behalf of the Board and County government. It falls under the umbrella of the Union County Vocational-Technical High School academy or UCTECH.

“Law and Justice is a great career path and can be tremendously fulfilling for those who endeavor to be in this field,” said Freeholder Alexander Mirabella, also a liaison to the Vo-Tech School Board, and whose late father, Gene, enjoyed a distinguished career in law enforcement as a Police Chief for the City of Elizabeth. “The Vocational Technical Schools provide an outstanding education for our students, and are part of the reason why Union County remains such a great place to raise a family.”

Union County Vocational Technical Schools Superintendent Pete Capodice noted that the academy is accepting 20 students per year and was started due to the success of the school’s

Criminal Justice program, Capodice adds there are future plans to expand the Law and Justice Mini Academy, which is located in the West Hall Building of the Vo Tech campus in Scotch Plains.

“We are close to partnering with an institution of higher learning for Law and Justice students to earn college credits and even spend their senior year on the college/university campus,” said Capodice. “As always, we thank the Freeholder Board for their support for this program, and the Vo-Tech as a whole.”

Students enrolled in the Law and Justice Mini Academy are immersed in courses grounded in the criminal justice and legal fields. Students participate in authentic and rigorous learning experiences designed to explore social issues, human relations, law, and government while developing critical thinking and analytical skills.

In addition to the Law and Justice Mini Academy, UCTECH offers five other innovative and exciting Career Academies under the umbrella of the Union County Vocational-Technical High School: Academy of Clinical Care Sciences,  Exercise, Physiology & Related Sciences, School of  Design, School of Sustainable Sciences and Teacher Education Academy.

Caption: Union County Freeholders Alexander Mirabella (l.) and Angel G. Estrada (c.) speak with students at the new Law and Justice Mini Academy at Union County Vocational Technical School in Scotch Plains. They were joined by Union County Vocational Technical Schools Superintendent Pete Capodice. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County, NJ – Almost 100 new students at Kean University celebrated the beginning of their freshman year by cleaning up the habitat along stretch of the Elizabeth River near the campus in Union Township last week. The group pictured here took a break to pose with part of the day’s “catch.” Many donned boots and waders to snare trash and debris from the water while others cleared invasive Japanese knotweed from the banks. The cleanup was supervised by Professor Daniela Shebitz as part of the Union County Adopt-a-Park Program. To find out how to volunteer with Adopt-a-Park, and to learn about other volunteer opportunities, environmental programs and activities sponsored by the Freeholder Board, visit The Green Connection, 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.

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Union County, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi announces that the New Jersey gubernatorial candidate statements are now available on her website or can be obtained by mail.

The statements are available in English and Spanish.

Until this year, state law provided for gubernatorial candidate statements of up to 500 words to be included on the sample ballots mailed to each voter before Election Day.

A new law lifts that requirement, and voters must now go online to view the candidate statements at unioncountyvotes.com/statements.

“As a courtesy to help ensure that every voter has equal access to this important information, my office will mail gubernatorial statements to any voter who requests them,” said Ms. Rajoppi.

Union County voters can request candidate statements from the Elections Division of the County Clerk’s office by calling 908-527-4996, writing to the Elections Division at 2 Broad Street in Elizabeth, NJ 07207, or sending an email to ucvotes@ucnj.org.

Seven candidates for governor will be on the ballot for the November election.  Six of the seven have submitted gubernatorial candidate statements.

For more information on all Union County Clerk programs and services call 908-527-4787 or visit online at ucnj.org/county-clerk. 

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Visit the County Clerk’s new elections website, unioncountyvotes.com.

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Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Vice Chairman Sergio Granados present a resolution to Marc and Lauren Weissberg and their sons Reid and Holden of Springfield commending “Team Weissberg” on their efforts to raise awareness about Dup15q Syndrome and the efforts of the Dup15q Alliance.

Dup15q Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes an individual to have extra genetic material from chromosome 15, causing a variety of symptoms, from autism to low muscle tone to cognitive impairment and seizure disorders.

The Freeholder Board also extends its best wishes for the success of the September 16, 2017 Hope for Holden Benefit for the Dup15q Alliance. For information about the benefit, please visit www.dup15q.org/events/fundraisers/hope-for-holden.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)