County of Union, New Jersey

Union County – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announced that the 2015 Union County Advancing Community Theater (UCACT) Season will continue at the Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) this month with Hairspray and Legally Blonde Jr.

Both groundbreaking musicals were chosen as part of the first ever UCACT Program that to date has co-produced Rent, Dreamgirls, and the original work- Mandela: Apartheid to Die For.

Presented by Vanguard Theater Company Hairspray is a family-friendly musical piled bouffant high with laughter, romance, and deliriously tuneful songs. It is the winner of 8 TONY Awards including Best Musical. The show runs at the Mainstage at the UCPAC August 21^st and 22^nd at 8:00 p.m., August 23^rd at 3:00 p.m.; and will feature a special performance on August 19^th at 12:00 p.m. for children, and summer camps at a discounted rate.

Also running on the same dates is Legally Blonde, Jr., presented by The Theater Project Jr. at Hamilton Stage. The show is based on the film of the same name. This version is adapted for a younger audience. The award winning musical follows Elle Wood’s transformation as she learns about snobbery and stereotypes, and eventually finds her true self. The show runs on August 21^st and 22^nd at 8:00 p.m. and August 23^rd at 2:00 p.m.

Tickets for both performances are available now and can be purchased online at ucpac.org or through the UCPAC Box Office at 732-499-8226. Tickets for Hairspray are $15 for adults and $10 for children and senior citizens. Tickets for Legally Blonde, Jr. are priced at $12 across the board.

UCACT grants funding to cover the hard costs associated with putting up at production at the Union County Performing Arts Center. Through creative partnership and a holistic approach, the program creates a successful business model for Community Theater, allowing them to provide quality performances while also thriving financially.

For more information on UCACT, please contact Victoria Durbin Drake, Chief of Staff, Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, at 908-558-2278 or visit ucnj.org/ucact.

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Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce Plainfield as the fourth municipality to participate in the County’s first Art Outside The Box public art project.

Art Outside The Box is a new countywide creative placemaking project created to support Union County visual artists by offering a nontraditional exhibition opportunity that broadens and diversifies public exposure to art murals.

Visual artists are invited to submit original artwork for consideration to cover traffic control boxes at four different locations in Plainfield.

“The Freeholder Board is pleased to include Plainfield in this year’s collaborative creative placemaking pilot project,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “By integrating visual art with public spaces, Art Outside The Box seeks to provide our communities with opportunities that celebrate creativity, enhance community identity, and encourage cultural tourism.”

This call for entries is open to all 2D visual artists (painters, photographers, printmakers, graphic and computer/digital artists) residing in or working in Union County. Artists are invited to submit up to four different designs for project consideration. The deadline to submit artwork for consideration at each of the four Plainfield locations is August 24, 2015.

The theme for this submission of Art Outside The Box entries is diversity. Artists should submit work that is uplifting, colorful, and appropriate for people of all ages.  There is no fee required to participate.

Offered as part of Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh’s Building A Community of the Arts initiative, a total of four original artworks will be selected to cover traffic control boxes in Plainfield, NJ. Each artwork will be reproduced on a special vinyl adhesive film and professionally applied to the exterior of the pre-selected traffic control boxes. 

Funded by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Art Outside The Box project will provide a $200 honorarium for each artist whose work is selected.  Details about the project, including entry form, traffic control box locations, reference samples, and artist agreement are available online at www.ucnj.org/artoutsidethebox.

Deadline to submit artwork for consideration at each of the four Plainfield locations is August 24, 2015.

Entries will be juried and selected for the program based on artistic excellence, technical merit, the ability to complement the setting and how well it translates into large-scale viewing.

For further details about how to participate, please call the Union County Department of Cultural Heritage at (908) 558-2550 or visit our website at:  ucnj.org/artoutsidethebox.

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On the evening of Wednesday, July 22^nd, the County of Union with the NJ Clean Communities Council held a “Litter-free” event at the Summer Arts Festival, Oak Ridge Park in Clark. It is a “green event” because it promotes the concept of leaving the grounds free of litter after the concert with announcements from the stage and the appropriate receptacles in place.

Learn more about the County’s many free recycling events at www.ucnj.org/recycling.

 

Union County, NJ – A national fitness campaign called “Go4Life” is aimed at helping people to improve their health and fitness while aging. Union County parks offer many opportunities to get healthy exercise at all levels of ability, during the summer and throughout the year.

“In addition to a wide range of team sports, the many activities available in our County parks include hiking, swimming, boating, biking, horseback riding, fishing, golf, tennis, archery, ice-skating and cross-country skiing,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh, “And if a leisurely stroll is your pleasure, we also have miles of paved pathways and rustic trails to explore.”

Go4Life offers exercise and fitness guidance for older persons age 50 and up. The program is based on research showing that even light exercise can help prevent debilitating conditions associated with aging and a sedentary lifestyle.

“The central message of Go4Life is that it is never too late to enjoy better health through exercise,” said Freeholder Vernell Wright, who is a member of the Union County Advisory Council on Aging. “Even if you have not exercised for years, starting a mild fitness routine can improve your mobility and lead to better health as you grow older.”

The Go4Life program was developed by the National Institute of Aging, a division of the National Institutes of Health, to help reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, stroke, diabetes and other chronic conditions associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

Regular activity has been found to make a positive difference even after many years without exercise, as demonstrated by a study of sedentary seniors in their 70’s and 80’s who achieved more mobility and better health after exercise.

In addition to opportunities for active seniors, Union County parks also provide light, low-impact ways for persons with less mobility to enjoy the out-of-doors.

“Examples of our low-impact offerings include swimming, hiking, fishing, bird watching, nature photography and fitness trails that you can adjust according to your ability,” said Jalloh. “Our special event programming also provides some great opportunities to get out-of-doors, and our paved trails are accessible to wheelchairs and walkers,”

Union County’s summer outdoor events programming includes the free Summer Arts and Family Flix music and movies series, UC-FIT community exercise programs for adults and children, and the new Shakespeare in the Park live theatre series.

Volunteering in Union County parks also provides opportunities for residents of all ages to enjoy outdoor activities. Every year hundreds of volunteers participate in the County’s Adopt-a-Trail and Adopt-a-Trail programs.

In addition, the Freeholder Board supports volunteer programs run by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County, including Master Gardeners and Master Tree Stewards, that involve outdoor activities.

Another fitness resource is the Small Steps to Health and Wealth guide. This free program, developed by Rutgers University nutrition and financial experts, features simple, easy-to-follow guidance designed to foster healthy habits one step at a time.

To find Small Steps to Health and Wealth online, and to get more details about Master Gardeners and Tree Stewards, visit the County website at ucnj.org/rce, or call the Extension office Westfield, 908-654-9854.

To find Union County parks, hiking trails, walking/biking paths and events near you, visit ucnj.org/parks-activities or call the Department of Parks and Recreation, 908-527-4900.

To volunteer with Adopt-a-Park/Adopt-a-Trail visit ucnj.org or call 908-789-3683.

Volunteers are also welcome at the County’s Trailside Nature and Science Center (ph. 908-789-3670) and at the historic Deserted Village of Feltville (ph. 908-789-3682).

For sample exercises, success stories and other information about Go4Life visit go4life.nia.nih.gov.

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Union County, NJ – The Deserted Village of Feltville is a historic jewel tucked away in Union County’s Watchung Reservation. Earlier this month it received a polish from a hardworking group of volunteers organized by the Linde Group of Berkeley Heights.

“It is truly inspiring to see local businesses and residents give their time and energy to help preserve one of Union County’s most unique and cherished historic landmarks,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohammed Jalloh. “The Linde Group has set a wonderful example of community service.”

As participants in Union County’s Adopt-A-Park program, the Linde Group volunteers came to the Deserted Village of Feltville on Friday, July 17. With the help of Union County staff, they cleaned floors, roofs and gutters at the church/general store, planted a wildflower meadow to control erosion, removed invasive plants, cleared weeds, and installed split rail fencing.

Located within Union County’s Watchung Reservation, the Deserted Village still retains 10 of its 22 original wood frame buildings, including the church/store and a former carriage house called Masker’s Barn.

Its origins have been traced to 1736, when Peter Willcocks built a sawmill along the Blue Brook to produce lumber for farmers settling the frontier in the area of present-day Berkeley Heights and New Providence.

New York businessman David Felt bought the site in 1845, in order to expand his printing and book finishing business. He built a town for his workers and named it Feltville.

By 1850, the population of Feltville had grown to 175 people and business was booming. But David Felt retired in 1860 and sold his property. Six other businesses were tried at the site over the next 20 years. As all of them failed, the residents of Feltville moved away and the former mill town earned the title, “Deserted Village.”

In 1882, Warren Ackerman bought the property and converted it to a summer resort that he called Glenside Park.  The resort was popular for more than three decades. It closed in 1916 after vacationers, enabled by the invention of the automobile, discovered a new summer spot called the Jersey Shore. 

A new era for the Deserted Village began in 1921, when the Union County Park Commission was established to form one of the first county park systems in the entire nation.  Glenside Park was purchased for inclusion into the Watchung Reservation, which became one of the first parks in the new Union County Park System.

Today the Deserted Village is the scene of guided tours and other history programs, educational and cultural activities, and the County’s annual “Haunted Hayride” event.

Several buildings have been restored with the help of Union County and State historic preservation grants. The Church/Store is open as a Visitor Center from noon to 5 p.m. on most Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Masker’s Barn was fully renovated in 2011.  It is used for lectures, meetings and public programs, and is also available for private events such as birthday parties, bridal and baby showers, and weddings.

Directions and more historical details about the Deserted Village are available on the Union County website at ucnj.org/dv.

For information about booking an event at Masker’s Barn, visit the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation online at ucnj.org/dv or call 908-654-9805.

Individuals as well as school, community, and corporate groups can find out more about Union County’s Adopt-A-Park Program by calling Parks and Recreation at 908-789-3683 or by visiting ucnj.org.

Photo caption (all photos): Volunteers from the Linde Group of Berkeley Heights spruced up the Deserted Village of Feltville for the Union County Adopt-a-Park program in July. Photo credit: Betty Ann Kelly/County of Union.

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Union County Freeholders Sergio Granados, Christopher Hudak and Bette Jane Kowalski congratulate (from 3^rd left) Omar Nunez of Elizabeth, Jonathan DeDomenico of Westfield and Matt Scalise of Kenilworth on being named outstanding players in the Union County Baseball Association’s 2015 summer youth leagues during the end-of-season picnic in Warinanco Park in Roselle. They each received the John “Butch” Henry Award for their respective leagues.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholders Sergio Granados, Christopher Hudak and Bette Jane Kowalski congratulate Andrew Dolan of Cranford (center ) and Elgin Ebbesen of Hillside on being named the Most Valuable Players in their respective leagues in the Union County Baseball Association’s 2015 summer youth leagues during the end-of-season picnic in Warinanco Park in Roselle.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)