County of Union, New Jersey

ELIZABETH, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to present an exhibit of six different fabric and found object creations by Paula Borenstein 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 “Girls” is on display at the Pearl Street Gallery through August 14. The public is invited to enjoy the exhibit during regular gallery hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Paula Borenstein was the Artist in Residence at the Elizabeth Public Library in the Fall of 2014. During that time, she conducted workshops, exhibited fabric collages, and created a room-sized installation entitled “Sanctuary” that traced her family’s history as refugees in the United States following World War II. Her program was made possible in part by a HEART Grant (History, Education, Arts Reaching Thousands) from the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

“Paula has been an active participant in all things artistic and historical in Elizabeth for many years,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, liaison to the Union County Cultural and Heritage Advisory Board. “It’s a great pleasure to display her beautiful collages.”

Paula Borenstein is a founding member, past-president and current vice president of the Elizabeth Arts Council. The EAC was founded in 1999 and Paula has participated in every show, exhibiting mainly photographs and creating art installations. She is affiliated with the Elizabeth Landmarks and Preservation Committee, the Newark Historical Society, the Newark Landmarks and Preservation Committee, and the Union County Historical Society.

Ms. Borenstein earned a B.A. in History from Rutgers University in Newark and a Masters in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin School of Library and Information Science.

As a curator, Paula has put on many exhibits in Elizabeth, including an exhibit on James Thurber at the Elizabeth Public Library; the exhibit “Elizabeth through Artists’ Eyes” at Boxwood Hall Historic Site; and “Cool Art in June” and other exhibits sponsored by the Elizabeth Arts Council at various venues.

 

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.

 

Union County, NJ  –  The school year has barely come to a close, and students from high schools across Union County have already provided a giant assist for next year’s classes. They collected more than 19,000 school supplies and raised $3,000 in cash to help ensure that every child can start the next school year properly equipped, and ready for success.

The countywide project, called “Donate to Educate – Schools Supplying Schools” was created and carried out by students who participated in the Freeholder Board’s UC-STEP youth development summit last year.

“These young people showed a lot of character, and they engaged the whole Union County community in a project that will give a helping hand to students from families in need,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “They have provided an inspirational demonstration of the great things that happen when we all pull together for a good cause.”

UC-STEP (the Union County Student Training and Enrichment Program) began in 2013 as an initiative of Freeholder Linda Carter, who was Freeholder Chairman that year. It is a daylong summit that brings high school sophomores and juniors together from all walks of life, to practice leadership skills and engage in personal development activities.

The summit culminates in the creation and selection – by popular vote – of a countywide civic engagement project to be carried out in the spring, with the support of the Freeholder Board and other community sponsors.

The first UC-STEP campaign, called Support 4 Soldiers, enlisted the Union County community to collect “care package” items for active duty military members serving overseas. A total of 250 care packages were assembled through the efforts of that campaign.

The co-sponsors of this year’s Donate to Educate” – Schools Supplying Schools campaign were The Boys and Girls Clubs of Union County and Ivy Visions Inc. of Plainfield.

This year, 14 high schools participated: Academy for Performing Arts, Academy for Allied Health Sciences (both part of the UC Vo-Tech school district), Arthur L. Johnson, Barack Obama Green Charter, Cranford, Governor Livingston, Jonathon Dayton, Linden, Plainfield, Roselle Catholic, Summit, UC TEAMS, Union, and Union Catholic.

The campaign also included a friendly competition between the schools, based on the number of donations raised. Union Catholic High School of Scotch Plains was the first place winner and was awarded the Freeholder Board’s $1,000 START NOW grant for collecting an impressive total of 14,841 items.

UC TEAMS of Plainfield and Governor Livingston High School of Berkeley Heights came in second and third, respectively. They each received a grant of  $500.

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Reposted from Patch.com

A company that supplies several New Jersey stores with bottled water has issued a recall because one of its source springs may be contaminated with E.coli.

New Jersey stores that sell the recalled products include including Wegmans, ShopRite, 7-Eleven, Acme and more, according to recall notices.

According to Niagara Bottling, the water was produced at the Hamburg and Allentown, Penn. facilities between 3 a.m. June 10 and 8 p.m. June 18.

According to the company’s notice, here’s the full list of brand names under which the water was sold:

• Acadia
• Acme
• Big Y
• Best Yet
• 7-Eleven
• Niagara
• Nature’s Place
• Pricerite
• Superchill
• Morning Fresh
• Shaws
• ShopRite
• Western Beef Blue
• Wegmans

To determine if your water is affected, look at the code on the bottle. Only codes that begin with the letters A or F are affected.

“The first digit after the letter indicates the number of the production line. The next two numbers indicate the day, then the month in letters, the year, and then the time, based on a 24-hour clock,” the notice said.

For example, A610JUN15 2000 means the water was produced at Allentown on line 6, and manufactured on June 10, 2015 at 8 p.m. Products made between 3 a.m. June 10 and 8 p.m. June 18 should not be consumed, the notice said.

Some 16.9 oz. bottles of Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Spring Water are being recalled “out of an abundance of caution,’’ Wegmans said on its website.

No illnesses have been reported and “this bottled water is treated with a continuous ozonation process, a proven kill step for E.coli,’’ the website said.

Additionally, only the following products are part of the recall:


• Wegmans FYFGA Spring Water, 16.9 oz UPC 7789018860
• Wegmans FYFGA Spring Water, 16.9 oz, 12-pack UPC 7789010085
• Wegmans FYFGA Spring Water, 16.9 oz, 24-pack UPC 7789028768
• Wegmans FYFGA Spring Water, 16.9 oz, 35-pack UPC 7789029365

No other sizes or code dates are affected by the recall issued by Niagara Bottling. All products may be returned for a full refund. For more information, call Wegmans Consumer Affairs at 1-855-934-3663, Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“As the spring source did not notify us in a timely manner, we have discontinued the use of this source,’’ the notice from Niagara Bottling said.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to present Shakespeare in the Park featuring The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s Next Stage Ensemble performing Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and directed by Illana Stein. Admission is free at each of the six performances.

“Shakespeare’s works have survived the test of time and remain undeniably some of the most significant words ever written,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “This summer’s tour of Romeo and Juliet in our parks provides an opportunity for residents of all ages to experience the most beloved playwright who ever lived.”

The tour of Shakespeare’s most popular romantic tragedy kicks off in the Shakespeare Garden at Cedar Brook Park in Plainfield on Sunday, July 12 at 2 p.m.

Additional tour performances include:

Thursday, July 23        Echo Lake Park, Mountainside                                   7:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 26           Raymond Wood Bauer Promenade, Linden              7:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 30        Oak Ridge Park, Clark                                                7:00 p.m.
Monday, August 3      Echo Lake Park, Mountainside                                   7:00 p.m.
Friday, August 7         Oak Ridge Park, Clark                                                7:00 p.m.

Pack a picnic and a blanket or lawn chairs and head out to Union County parks to enjoy the most famous love story ever written.

In the words of the Bard himself, “For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and Romeo.”

Written around 1594, Romeo and Juliet has been a favorite of audiences for over 400 years.

In the hot summer streets of Verona, two idealistic teens discover love in a society consumed by senseless brutality. Filled with witty wordplay, lyric poetry, and flashy swordfights, Romeo and Juliet remains one of the most gripping and moving tragedies by William Shakespeare.

The Next Stage Ensemble, the Shakespeare Theatre’s summer touring company of early career actors, is part of the Theatre’s Summer Professional Training Program which offers students working toward a career in the performing arts clear instruction, individual attention, and thoughtful and candid evaluation in a professional theatre environment. The Next Stage Ensemble works with The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s resident and guest directors on two fully developed productions of abridged classic plays. The troupe tours to various locations throughout the state – including libraries, retirement homes and community centers.

The acclaimed Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is an independent, professional theatre company located on the Drew University campus. One of the leading Shakespeare theatres in the nation, serving 100,000 adults and children annually, it is New Jersey’s largest professional theatre company dedicated solely to Shakespeare’s canon and other world classics. Through its distinguished productions and education programs, the company strives to illuminate the universal and lasting relevance of the classics for contemporary audiences.

For more information or for a complete listing of summer events visit ucnj.org.

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