County of Union, New Jersey

 

Union County, NJ —   The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders reminds residents that financial assistance is available for adult residents with physical disabilities who need supportive services to live independently while they are employed, enrolled in post-secondary training, or involved in a volunteer activity of at least 20 hours per month.

The program, called the New Jersey Personal Assistance Services Program (PASP), is funded by the New Jersey State Department of Human Services and administered by the Union County Department of Human Services.

“This program enables adults with physical challenges to live independently at home and realize their goals for employment, education and community service,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “It has been making a meaningful difference in the lives of people with disabilities for more than 30 years, and we hope that more Union County residents take advantage of this opportunity.”

Participants in PASP use the program to engage personal assistants who help with the many essential tasks of daily living, including bathing, meals, light housekeeping, shopping and transportation. PASP also covers assistance with bill paying and other correspondence.

“Funding from PASP strengthens the social fabric throughout Union County by enabling more residents to participate in the community and build financial security,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, who is the Freeholder Board Liaison to the Human Services Advisory Board.

To be eligible, an individual must reside in Union County, be an adult between the ages of 18 and 70, and be capable of providing directions to an assistant. Participants in the program must contribute toward the cost of the service, based on their household income.    

For further information about the Union County Personal Assistance Services Program and other services for people with disabilities, contact the Union County Department of Human Services Office for the Disabled, at 908- 527-4840.

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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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MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Recreation invite families with children of all ages and adults alike to climb aboard a variety of public safety vehicles at this year’s “Touch A Truck” event on Sunday afternoon, May 1.  The event will run from 12:00 P.M. until 5:00 P.M., rain or shine in the Lower Loop Parking Lot of the Watchung Reservation. There will also be a quiet hour, from 11:00 A.M. until 12:00 P.M. where children sensitive to noise will be able to enjoy the vehicles on display.

“Once again we are happy to host Touch A Truck at the Loop in Watchung Reservation to give youngsters an opportunity to not only see these magnificent machines, but to actually climb abroad and experience the excitement of being behind the wheel,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.

Among the vehicles on display at this year’s event will be the Union County Police Department’s SWAT vehicle, nicknamed “The Bear.” The department will also have a patrol SUV on site.

Hazmat will offer its big rig, and the Union County Department of Public Works will return with its mammoth white milling machine which is used to strip the top off of roads to prepare them for paving. The companion vehicle, the paver, will also be there, along with a bucket truck used for high tree trimming.

Attendees can also see multiple trucks with snow plows, payloaders, backhoe, and hook/flatbed tow. And of course, fire truck department equipment from the Mountainside Fire Department is also planned for display.

Admission to the Touch A Truck event is $4 per person, with children 6 years old and under admitted free.

The Loop Area is located just off Tracy Drive in Mountainside, in between Glenside Avenue and Summit Road. It features a very popular playground area for the kids, and the concession stand will be open.

Visitors may also visit the Watchung Stable and the Deserted Village of Feltville/Glenside Park. Also, Lake Surprise is just a short walk where residents can see the new damn.

For more information on Touch A Truck, or any event in the Union County Parks System, please visit our website at ucnj.org/parks.

 

Union County, NJ – Union County residents and visitors who are looking for Earth Day activities can find a range of events this weekend, including the annual Wild Earth Fest celebration at the Trailside Nature and Science Center.

“This year, we are stepping up our environmental programming with the Union County Means Green initiative, in addition to offering a full slate of our popular recycling events and other traditional favorites such as Wild Earth Fest,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “Please join us to celebrate Earth Day this weekend and throughout the year.”

Following is a sample of spring environmental events sponsored by Union County:

April 23: Free hazardous household waste recycling in Scotch Plains. For a complete Uhnion County recycling schedule visit ucnj.org/recycling.

April 24: Annual Wild Earth Fest featuring music by The Nerds at the Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside. For a complete list of all Trailside environmental education activities visit ucnj.org/parks.

April 29: (Arbor Day): Free personal paper shredding and recycling in Plainfield.

Now until May 6: Civic groups are invited to apply for a Union County Means Green Community Garden Grant.

May 15: The Master Gardeners Annual Garden Fair and Plant Sale at the Union County Demonstration in Mountainside.

May 21: Free household electronics recycling in New Mountainside.

June 10-11: Annual Bio-Blitz 24-hour flora and fauna survey in County parks.

Union County also supports the Master Gardeners and the Master Tree Stewards, two environmental volunteer programs run by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County.

Individuals, civic groups and businesses can also volunteer for conservation projects through the Union County Adopt-a-Park program.

Union County Means Green is one of Bergen’s 2016 Chairman’s Initiatives. It includes outreach to businesses, schools and the general public and the new Community Garden Grants program.

Find events in your town: ucnj.org/municipalities.

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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.

ELIZABETH, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to present an exhibit of paintings by Agnieszka Solawa of Summit in the gallery space at the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, located in the historic St. John’s Parsonage at 633 Pearl Street in Elizabeth. A selection of her work entitled “The Art of Agnieszka Solawa” is on display at the Pearl Street Gallery through June 10. The public is invited to enjoy the exhibit during regular gallery hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

“The talent and diversity of our county artists assure an inspiring variety of exhibits at the Pearl Street Gallery,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, liaison to the Union County Cultural and Heritage Advisory Board. “We are pleased to display Ms. Solawa’s beautiful paintings.”

Agnieszka Solawa was born in Krakow, Poland, where she grew up surrounded by art. Her mother was an artist, actress and ballerina. Her father was chief architect of the city of Krakow and a professor at Krakow Polytechnic. Agnieszka’s family immigrated to South Africa to escape from communism. She earned a Diploma of Fine Art and a BA in Architecture from the University of Cape Town. While working in Paris, France, she studied Graphic Arts at the “Atelier 17.” She later won a scholarship to study art and Italian language at the University of Urbino in Italy.

In 1987, Agnieszka Solawa moved to the United States and ultimately settled in Summit, New Jersey, with her husband Sam, who also is an architect and photographer. Throughout her career, Agnieszka participated in many exhibitions in Italy, France, South Africa and the United States. Her paintings and photographs are in many private collections. Her recent exhibits include: Solo Exhibition of Photography, Millburn Public Library; Solo Exhibition of Paintings, Westfield Memorial Library; Solo Exhibition of Jewelry, New Providence Memorial Library; “Holy Lives,” Juried Show, Therese A. Maloney Art Gallery, Morristown; and “Seasons,” 3^rd Annual Photography Contest, The Donald B. Palmer Museum, Springfield, NJ.

Agnieszka continued her photography and painting while working as an architect/interior designer at Donghia Associates in New York City and later as an architect at the Port Authority. She also is a jewelry designer and a singer. To see her work, visit her website www.solawa.com .

Union County artists (whose works can be hung on a wall) interested in exhibiting in the gallery space are welcome to apply. For more information about the Pearl Street Gallery or other programs, please contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth NJ 07202. Free on-site parking is available. Telephone 908-558-2550. NJ Relay users can dial 711. Send E-mail to: culturalinfo@ucnj.org.

 

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders sponsors students from Union County high schools to participate in the first annual Drama Festival next week in Rahway.

High school students from Rahway High School, Union County Academy for the Performing Arts, and Abraham Clark High School, as well as students from Montclair and Bound Brook, are registered to participate in the day-long Drama Festival.  Produced by American Theater Group, a nonprofit professional theatre company, the event is scheduled to be held at UCPAC’s Hamilton Stage in Rahway on Thursday, April 28.

“The new Drama Festival will provide a unique opportunity for students to develop their craft, learn from trained theatre professionals and educators, and perform on a professional stage,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “The entire experience is a great opportunity to enhance student learning and creative thinking, explore imagination, and promote teamwork and collaboration.”

Each school participating in the Drama Festival will have the opportunity to present a scene from a play or musical to a panel of working members of the Broadway theatre industry who will offer in-depth critiques of the student presentations.

Students will also have an opportunity to participate in a workshop with Tony-Award winning actress Michele Pawk and preeminent Broadway Fight Choreographer Rick Sordelet.

In addition, after the day’s events, students will attend a performance of ATG’s production of Crossing Swords.  This world premiere musical is about a group of high school students who attempt to put on a play, and end up seeing life imitate art as passions ignite and jealousies fly.  The day’s events culminate with a post-performance Q&A with the cast and creative team of Crossing Swords, including writer and composer Joe Slabe.

American Theater Group (ATG) is one of New Jersey’s newest nonprofit professional theatre companies.  Founded by New Jersey natives Jim Vagias, Joe Mancuso and Rick Sordelet, and under the Board leadership of Tony-Award winning actress Michele Pawk, ATG’s mission is to produce works by American Playwrights, with an emphasis on the development of new works and undeservedly neglected classics, and to nurture the audiences and artists of tomorrow by strong arts-in-education programming.  Now in its fourth season, ATG produces in the new state-of-the-art facility, Hamilton Stage, an intimate 199 seat theater that is operated by the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway.

 

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that a total of 19.4 miles of County roads will be repaved this season. The work, approved at the Freeholder Board’s regular public meeting on April 14, is the latest in an annual series of road resurfacing programs. Work will begin later this spring.

“Union County is responsible for 174 miles of roads, including many main arteries that help move people and goods throughout our region,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “Our roads are one of the main drivers of economic and social activity, and taking good care of them is a top priority.”

In recent years the Freeholder Board has also approved major intersection improvement projects on County roads, including a new project in Plainfield funded by a $1.1 million federal grant. The new project involves three intersections on East Front Street, which will receive traffic signal upgrades, audible pedestrian countdown signals and high visibility crosswalks

“These new improvements will ease congestion for motorists. They will also help make the busy Plainfield business district more inviting for people on foot or bicycle, and for people with disabilities” said Freeholder Linda Carter, who chairs the Board’s Public Works and Facilities committee.

Under Chairman Bergen’s 2016 Move-Connect-Grow transportation initiative, the Freeholder Board has also focused on bridge replacement and reconstruction projects. This year, design work is moving forward on the Elm Street Bridge in Westfield, the West Tracy Drive Bridge in Mountainside, the Hussa Street Bridge in Linden, and the Irving Street Bridge in Rahway.

Move-Connect-Grow also includes an Infrastructure Grant Program providing County funding for municipal road repaving and other infrastructure projects, along with new bike paths, continued advocacy for mass transit improvements, and completion of the Transportation Master Plan, a key planning tool. More information about the Master Plan is available at ucnj.org.

The roads scheduled for resurfacing in 2016 are:

Summit

Morris Avenue from River Road to Springfield Avenue

Chatham Road from River Road to the County line

 

New Providence

Mountain Avenue from Diamond Hill Road to Division Avenue

 

Berkeley Heights

McMane Ave from Diamond Hill to Glenside Ave

 

Mountainside

Coles Avenue/ Sky Top Drive from Glenside Avenue to New Providence Road

 

Plainfield/Fanwood/Scotch Plains

Terrill Road from Somerset County line to LaGrande to 7^th Street

 

Plainfield

West 7^thStreet from Park Avenue to Middlesex County line

 

Union

Burnet Avenue from Morris Avenue to Essex County line

Chestnut Street from Galloping Hill Road to West Chestnut Street

 

Elizabeth/Union

Magie Avenue from Orchard Street to Galloping Hill Road

 

Kenilworth/Union/Elizabeth/RosellePark

Galloping Hill Rd from Kimberly Rd to Magie Ave

 

Hillside

Hillside Avenue from Chestnut Avenue to North Broad

 

Rahway

Madison Hill Road from Westfield to the Bridge/Dam

 

Elizabeth

Jefferson Avenue from Magnolia Avenue to North Avenue

Elizabethtown Plaza from Rahway Avenue to Caldwell Place

Jersey Avenue from West End Avenue to Roselle Borough Line

 

Linden

Elizabeth Avenue from Stiles Street to Park Avenue

 

Clark

Ross Street and Valley Road from Route 27 to Stiles Street

For up-to-date information on road closures and other travel advisories related to County road and bridge projects, visit the interactive Road Construction Update page at ucnj.org/traffic.

To report potholes on County roads, use the convenient online form at ucnj.org/pothole.

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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 – Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Christopher Hudak joined Groundwork Elizabeth Board of Directors President Gregory Waga and Executive Director Jonathan Phillips at the Liberty Hall Farm at Kean University last week for the launch of MORE P.E.A.S., a new state funded community initiative run by Groundwork. P.E.A.S — Permaculture Education Agricultural Systems — promotes care for the earth, care for people, and return of surplus. Groundwork is also the Freeholder Board’s partner for the new Union County Community Garden Grants program. For more information about Groundwork visit groundworkelizabeth.com or call 908-289-0262, ext. 203. (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.