County of Union, New Jersey

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that Farmland Fresh Dairies, a dairy distributing company in New Jersey, is holding an information session for 30 full time Warehouse Associates, CDL Drivers Class A, a Bilingual Human Resource Specialist (English and Spanish), and a Logistics Analyst for their facility.

The information sessions will be held at the Union County Workforce Innovation Business Center, at The Mills at Jersey Gardens, 651 Kapkowski Road in Elizabeth on Wednesday June 28, 2017 at 10:00 am. Pre-registration is required, and attendance at the session is mandatory for job seekers to be eligible to apply for a position.

“The WIB Center continues to be an economic engine for Union County, helping to match high quality local employers with qualified job seekers,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “If you are an employer, I encourage you to get in touch with us, and let our experienced staff help you find the right people for the right jobs.”

“These positions are good quality jobs with well-established employers,” said Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados, who is in his third year as the Freeholder liaison to the Union County Workforce Development Board. “The WIB Center has worked with the private sector to provide over 2,000 job opportunities for Union County residents.”

Previous WIB Center hiring rounds have matched Union County job seekers with top employers including Whole Foods, Blue Apron, FedEx, PGK Clubhouse, OTG Management, and AirServ among others.

All candidates interested in attending the June 28 session must email their resume to isaias.rivera@ucc.edu and indicate their desired position (Warehouse Associate, CDL Driver Class A, Bilingual Human Resource Specialist, Logistics Analyst), then call Susan Gomez at 908-355-4444 to reserve a spot.

For additional information visit the WIB Center online at ucnj.org/wdb/wib-center.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to welcome over a dozen LGBTQ advocacy and ally organizations to the first Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic, celebrating marriage equality in New Jersey. The event is this Saturday, June 17 at Rahway River Park in Rahway from Noon until 4:00 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 set up tables, alongside the Freeholder Board information van, with general information and resource material. Some of the advocacy and ally organizations registered for the event include: Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Social Justice Matters, Inc., New Jersey State Division of Child Protection and Permanency, Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar-22 North Plainfield, Union County College’s Gay Straight Alliance, and Human Rights Campaign of New Jersey, among others.

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

A Family Equality Rally will kick off at 1:00 P.M. with special guest speakers and performances. Parents and children are invited to bring hand-held signs that celebrate their family (sticks and poles are not permitted). Bring a Rally sign or join us at the Rally Poster Making Station between noon and 1:00 p.m. to create one.

Family field day team games will kick off at 2:00 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.

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

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 inside the Rahway Recreation Center, located at 275 East Milton Ave, Rahway. Special thanks to the City of Rahway for providing the rain location.

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 Rutgers Master Gardeners of Union County are on a mission to help gardens flourish all over Union County, and this summer they are offering a free Vegetable Garden Series of classes and garden tours available to all gardeners from beginner to expert. The series is held in the Union County Demonstration Garden.

The Demonstration Garden, located in Union County’s Watchung Reservation by the Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside, is the centerpiece of the Master Gardeners’ many community service programs.

“The Master Gardeners are one of the most active volunteer organizations in Union County, and they have touched the lives of many Union County residents with their willingness to share their expertise and time,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “The Freeholder Board is very proud to support their efforts.”

The first class and tour of the Vegetable Gardening Series will be on Thursday, June 22 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.  The program includes a class titled “Starting a Vegetable Garden” along with a tour of the Sharing Garden beds at the Demonstration Garden.

The Sharing Garden features 24 raised beds of vegetables commonly grown in home yards and community gardens.  All produce from the garden is donated to local food pantries.   The class will cover site selection, planting tips, maintenance and budgeting aimed at smoothing the path to a successful vegetable garden. 

Other topics and dates in the series are:

Tuesday, July 25: Keeping Pests Out of the Garden — Insect and Disease Management

Wednesday, August 9: Harvesting and Food Safety in the Vegetable Garden

Thursday, September 7: Keys to Successful Composting

All programs include a tour of the Sharing Garden that relates to the topic of the evening’s class.

The program is free but pre-registration is required at tinyurl.com/Rutgers-Vegetable-Series.

Free parking is available in the Trailside Nature and Science Center parking lot, located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside. 

The Master Gardeners of Union County is a volunteer community service organization run by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County and supported in part by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

For more information about the Vegetable Garden Series, or to find out how to join the Master Gardeners, call the Extension at 908-654-9854, option 4. The Extension offices are located in the Colleen Fraser County Services building in Westfield, at 300 North Avenue East.

For more details about the Demonstration Garden and other Master Gardeners program visit mastergardeners-uc.org.

Links to Master Tree Stewards, 4-H youth clubs and all other Extension programs are available at ucnj.org/rce.

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity program provider and employer. Contact your local Extension Office for information regarding special needs or accommodations. Contact the State Extension Director’s Office if you have concerns related to discrimination, 848-932-3584.

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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.

Join the Union County Rain Garden Bus Tour this Saturday, June 17 and learn the landscaping tricks that cut down water bills and help reduce flooding, while adding color and greenery to a property.

Home owners, businesses, nonprofits, religious institutions and government agencies are all welcome.

Public works can qualify for three technical credits.

For details contact Michele Bakacs, Union County Environmental Agent at 732-398-5274 or mbakacs@rutgers.edu, or register online at tinyurl.com/raingardentour.

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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 is pleased to announce WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (WellCare) as a “Community” sponsor of the Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic, celebrating marriage equality in New Jersey, on June 17 at Rahway River Park in Rahway from Noon until 4:00 p.m.

“All families are invited to join LGBTQ family equality advocates and allies from all over the Garden State to come out to the park and 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. “The Freeholder Board is proud to welcome WellCare of New Jersey as a top sponsor of the County’s first Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic.”

Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing health care services, through NJ FamilyCare, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. WellCare serves approximately 3.9 million members nationwide as of Dec. 31, 2016.

“We are extremely pleased and excited to be part of such an important event,” said Clarissa Robles, Senior Community Relations Specialist for WellCare of New Jersey. “WellCare is committed to offering health care plans to everyone – we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.”

A celebration of all families, the free Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic will feature music, arts and crafts, inflatable bounce houses, playground fun, and much more.

A Family Equality Rally will kick off at 1:00 p.m. with special guest speakers and performances. Families are invited to bring hand-held signs that celebrate their family (sticks and poles are not permitted).

Family field day team games will kick off at 2:00 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.

Esteemed children’s music band, Michael and the Rockness Monsters will close out the day’s celebration with a live family concert in the park starting at 2:30 p.m.

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.

LGBTQ family and marriage equality advocacy and ally organizations will also set up tables, alongside the Freeholder Board information van, with general information and resource material.

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 Freeholders Angel G. Estrada, Christopher Hudak and Alexander Mirabella this morning joined New Providence Mayor Al Morgan, NJ Sharing Network President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Roth and NJ Sharing Network Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Elisse Glennon at the NJ Sharing Network 5K Celebration of Life in New Providence.

More than 10,000 participants gathered at the event to honor those who gave, paid tribute to those who received, offered hope to those who continue to wait and remembered the lives lost while waiting for a do
nation.

The exhibit will be on display until July 10 at Liberty Hall Center which is located at 1085 Morris Avenue in Union. Viewing times are from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Alexander Mirabella present Dr. Thomas Ombrello, Ph.D with a resolution congratulating and commending him for his work to continue the legacy of the Basking Ridge White Oak Tree. They were joined by Union County College President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.

A Senior Professor of Biology at Union County College, Dr. Ombrello began the historic tree project at the college in 1995, collecting seeds or cuttings of noteworthy historic trees around the New Jersey.

As part of that project, he collected acorns from the historic Basking Ridge White Oak Tree on the grounds of the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church as its life came to an end after 600 years. It is believed to have been one of the oldest White Oak trees in America.

On the college’s Cranford campus, Dr. Ombrello of grew progeny of the historic tree.

Union County College recently donated the 16 year old offspring of the deceased Basking Ridge White Oak Tree. It was transplanted from the college to the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church in April.

Union County Freeholder Linda Carter presents ShonTe Smith of Plainfield with a resolution congratulating and commending her for organizing a book drive to benefit a library in Ho, Ghana.

Smith, a preschool teacher, went to Ghana last year on a volunteer teaching mission where she met a group of high school girls and promise them to send 3,000 books to their library. On May 15 Smith proudly sent 3,000 books off to Ho, Ghana.