County of Union, New Jersey

Top photo, Left: Maria Carvalho, Police Officer, Nelson Pereira, 2nd Runner up Claudia Ribeiro, Princess Karina Amaral, Grand Marshal Leonel Cardoso, Union County Recreation Department , Daniella Andrade, Ashley Batista , Manny Grova III Joao Pinto Past Grande Knight, Freeholder Angel Estrada, Police Officer Claudia Amador, Little Princess Cristina Esteves, Little Prince Patrick Piadade,  1st runner up Pedro Vale , Walter Piadade, 2nd runner up Jaden Canelo

Pilot program part of Chairman Jalloh’s “Families First” Initiative to serve children up to age 12, and special needs children to 18

UNION COUNTY, NJ— The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders last night voted to authorize a pilot program with Community Coordinated Child Care of Union County (CCCC) to serve those who don’t meet eligibility for State subsidized child care with affordable child care. The program is part of Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh’s “Families First Initiative,” announced in January.

The pilot program, which is scheduled to start in June and end in December, will assist approximately 40 families with up to 25% of the cost of child care, and is targeted toward low income working parents, or those in school full-time who do not receive other child care subsidies to secure child care for children up to 12 years of age, or children with a documented “special need” up to age 18. Please note the program is expected to be set up within the next few weeks, and additional information will be forthcoming from the County and CCCC in Rahway on how and when to sign up.

“Obtaining quality, affordable Child care is a glass ceiling for many working class families and single parents,” Freeholder Chairman Jalloh said. “The benefits of child care are many, including better health, and better socialization and improved behavioral attributes. Children in childcare also tend to score slightly higher on measures of academic and cognitive achievement years later as in comparison to their peers without child care, according to long-running Federal studies.”

The program will permit families living on low income, or suffering from catastrophic illness, homelessness, domestic violence crises to access child care for pre-school before/after school and summer camp. Under the terms of the $50,000 contract with CCCC, the organization will also assist parents with inquiries, screens, maintain all records and documentation and refer them to licensed child care providers in the geographic location that is preferred. (Please note CCCC will not directly administer child care, but rather serve to process and refer parents.)

“We are excited to partner with Union County in helping parents and families obtain affordable, quality child care,” said Pat Mennuti, CCCC Executive Director. “Child Care provides a great start to a successful future for many children.”

Community Coordinated Child Care of Union County is a not for profit agency, whose goal is to meet the wide range of needs families face as they raise young children.

As part of its mission, the organization believes all families should have good child care that they can afford. CCCC works with parents, community, business, and government, and helps parents find services to help them. The agency helps the early childhood centers and family child care providers by giving training and other help to improve their programs.

Union County, NJ – More than 1,000 volunteers spent a total of 5,501 hours picking up litter, planting trees and shrubs, clearing fallen trees from walking paths, removing invasive species, and performing other acts of kindness in Union County parks last year. The volunteers were recently honored for their efforts at the eighth annual Union County Adopt-a-Park/Adopt-a-Trail award ceremony and dinner, at Maskers Barn in the Deserted Village of Feltville.

“Whether you volunteer for a few hours or make a long term commitment, the Freeholder Board values each and every one who donates their time to help make our parks more pleasant for all to enjoy,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Every little bit counts when it comes to conserving the unique legacy of our County parks, and together you all make a big difference.”

Adopt-a-Park volunteers can join in one-time cleanup and restoration events, which are often organized by local businesses and other civic groups. Adopt-a-Trail Stewards sign up to take care of a trail over the course of a year. 

The 2014 accomplishments included:

• 20 school, scout and corporate groups helped to maintain and beautify trails and parks.
• 1051 volunteers spent 5,501 total hours working in County parks.
• 52 Adopt-A-Trail stewards worked on trail maintenance and monitoring. They spread gravel, woodchips, installed erosion control measures, removed invasive species, picked up litter, repaired and replaced fencing, planted native trees, shrubs and other vegetation, removed graffiti and performed many other tasks.
• The specially trained Adopt-a-Trail Chainsaw Crew removed 160 fallen trees in Watchung Reservation and other parks.
• Groups that volunteered more than once in 2014 included:

Kean University Center for Service and Leadership

Kean University School of Environmental & Sustainability Sciences

Merck

Haitian Flag Day Committee

• Jersey Cares has continued to bring many business and individual volunteers to County parks for a variety of projects.
• The North Plainfield Shade Tree Advisory Board has been adopting a section of Green Brook Park located in North Plainfield for nine years, keeping the area clear of litter and managing invasive plants.

• Morgan Stanley and Phillips 66 Bayway donated $1,000 and $1500, respectively, for a stream and wildflower meadow project in Warinanco Park (scheduled for 2015).
• Friends of Battle Hill Area joined the AAP program in 2014.  This group has been removing litter for many years in the Union section of Rahway River Parkway and will continue its work.

Union County parks also host mandatory community service programs. Participants in these programs spent a total of 90 hours working on projects in Green Brook Park and Warinanco Park.

To join Adopt-a-Park or Adopt-a-Trail, call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation, 908-789-3683, or visit online at ucnj.org.

Maskers Barn is available to the public to rent for weddings and other gatherings. For more information call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation, 908-527-4900 or visit online at ucnj.org.

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More scenes from the 2015 Recognition Dinner recognizing the efforts of volunteers in 2014. Many thanks to all who contributed!

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders honored members of the Park Elite Cheerleading group of Cranford for an outstanding and successful season during a recent Freeholder meeting in Elizabeth.

Pictured l. to r. Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski (also a resident of Cranford) and Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh with members of Park Elite Cheerleading.

Photo by Lamar Mackson, County of Union

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce another job partnership with AirServ for 200 new full time positions, building on a relationship that has already resulted in significant new Union County hires for the company.

AirServ provides ground services at Newark-Liberty International Airport, including cargo, cleaning, transportation, passenger services, ramp handling and security. It is a unit of ABM, one of the largest facilities management companies in the U.S.

“These are the kind of solid positions that can help our residents build a better future for themselves and their families,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “I’d like to thank AirServ and Union County College for forming this productive partnership with our One Stop Career Centers and the Workforce Investment Board, and working together to help strengthen the entire Union County community.”

Jalloh also noted that Martin C. Blake, Jr. Senior Vice President of AirServ “shared with us that ‘good Union County residents are securing good jobs,’ and ‘AirServ will support this initiative until every vacancy in the company is filled.’”

Union County’s One-Stop Career Centers match employers with job seekers, partly by pre-screening pools of qualified applicants. The pre-screening service saves local businesses time and expense in the hiring process.

Two earlier pre-screening partnerships between One-Stop and AirServ have resulted in just over 150 new job offers for Union County residents since last fall.

“Strong work skills build strong citizenship, and it is very gratifying to see that our stepped-up workforce development efforts are bearing fruit so quickly,” said Freeholder Sergio Granados, who is the liaison to the Workforce Investment Board (WIB). “We are not waiting for employers to ask us for help. We are training County residents in high-demand fields, and we are being proactive in matching them with local businesses. Now more than ever our residents need us and we are here for them.”

In this third round of hiring, AirServ asked WIB to provide a pool of 200 applicants qualified for passenger services and aircraft cleaning.

The process began with a job fair at the One-Stop Career Center in Elizabeth earlier this week. Those interested in applying will fill out their applications and undergo a background check with drug testing today and tomorrow at the Union County College campus in Elizabeth.

Next month, qualified applicants will begin a soft skills training course in preparation for employment, through the 40-hour Employability Skills Curriculum developed at Union County College.

The course is designed to help Union County residents enter the workforce with foundational skills that apply across a wide range of positions, including work ethics, time management, attention to detail, written and oral communication skills, teamwork, decision-making and problem solving.

In addition to savings during the hiring process, AirServ will also benefit from an “earn while you learn” on-the-job training program offered by the Union County Workforce Innovation Business Center.

The program provides a wage subsidy of up to 50% during the first six months on the job, to help defray the cost of training new employees. It is funded by the Freeholder Board through the Workforce Investment Board. 

Businesses looking for qualified job applicants in Union County can contact Antonio Rivera, Director of the Union County Workforce Investment Board, at 908-527-4195 or arivera@ucnj.org, or visit online at ucnj.org/wib.

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A major, multi-agency emergency response exercise and a new temporary approach ramp will affect travelers heading east from Union County to the Goethals Bridge starting this Sunday, May 3.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has passed along the following information:

1. Emergency Response Exercise (bridge will be fully closed for 8 hours):

A full-scale emergency drill at the Goethals Bridge on Sunday, May 3, 2015 will require the closure of the Bridge (both directions) from 1:00am until 9:00 am.  The exercise will kick-off at 4:00 am and end approximately three hours later.  The Bridge will reopen for drivers at 9:00 am. During the exercise and closure, motorists will be advised to use the Outerbridge Crossing or Bayonne Bridge.

2. New Temporary Approach Ramp (not expected to cause delays or affect traffic):

Beginning May 3, Goethals Bridge motorists traveling eastbound to Staten Island will be re-routed to a new temporary approach ramp as construction continues on the Goethals Bridge Replacement Project.

Motorists exiting the New Jersey Turnpike at Interchange 13 and motorists travelling on I-278 will be diverted on to this temporary ramp leading to the Staten-Island bound Goethals Bridge. Local traffic using the ramp at Cole Place, in Elizabeth, N.J., will be detoured westbound to I-278 and then follow a newly constructed U-turn connecting to I-278 eastbound and the new approach ramp.

Motorists are not expected to experience delays or any significant traffic impacts as a result of the new approach ramp. The temporary ramp and new traffic pattern for access to the New York-bound Goethals Bridge will permit significant construction to proceed on the Goethals Bridge Replacement Project. It will remain in place for approximately two years.

More details about the emergency drill and the new ramp are available at ucnj.org/goethals-bridge-project, or visit the Port Authority online at panynj.info.

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Union County’s Sensory Friendly Theatre series brings Cinderella – the enchanting fairy tale of everlasting love – to life on stage at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway on Sunday, May 3 at 2:00 p.m.

All tickets are $8 per person and can be purchased through the Union County Performing Arts Center at ucpac.org or by calling the Box Office at 732-499-8226.

“From adjustments to the production, accommodations in the theatre environment, and special training for the staff and volunteers, the sensory-friendly performance series is designed to offer a relaxed and safe theatre environment for children and adults with sensory sensitivity, developmental and learning disabilities,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “The Freeholder board is proud to offer an opportunity for families of all abilities to experience one of New Jersey Ballet’s most popular ballets for families.

Directly from the pages of the enduring tale, Cinderella delights audiences with the beauty and majesty of classical ballet, wrapped in the promise of “happily ever after,” and generously sprinkled with a wonderful dose of humor. Complete with a fairy Godmother, a handsome prince, an unforgettable ball, and a pumpkin that turns into a carriage before your very eyes – the magnificent staging, music and costumes make this production a delight for all ages. This full two-act ballet is accompanied by original ”storyteller” narration so even the littlest ones can keep up with ease.

Implementing the supportive atmosphere at the performance is the organization Autism Friendly Spaces, which provides specialists to train staff and volunteers on working with children with autism and other special needs during Sensory Friendly Theatre performances, while providing comfort and help to families.

For each of the special performances in the Sensory Friendly Theatre series, the theatre environment at the Union County PAC will be adjusted to provide a sensory-friendly, comfortable and judgment-free space that is welcoming for all families. For more information on what to expect at a Sensory Friendly Theatre performance visit ucpac.org.

The Sensory Friendly Theatre series is presented by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. The performance of New Jersey Ballet’s Cinderella is made possible in part by funding from the NJ Department of Community Affairs through a Recreational Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities Grant.

The next performance in the Sensory Friendly Theatre series is a rollicking family concert featuring a two-time Grammy nominees Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could performing songs that celebrate children of all abilities on Sunday, July 31 at 10 AM and 1PM.

For more information or to purchase tickets call the Union County Performing Arts Center, 732-499-8226 or visit ucpac.org. The UCPAC Box Office, located at 1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM and is also open late on Thursdays until 8:00 PM.

For information on additional Union County recreational programs for people with disabilities age five and up, call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4806 or visit ucnj.org.

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Union County, NJ – There is still time to register for the third annual Union County Women Mean Business summit on Wednesday May 13, 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. at the Clubhouse at Union County’s Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth.

Hundreds of participants attended the first two events in the series, which is designed to help women grow their business networks and build critical skills.

This year the Union County Women Mean Business summit includes a full day of workshops covering critical topics for success including leadership and public speaking, networking via social media, and negotiating. Kristina Hahn, head of packaged consumer goods at Google, will deliver the keynote speech.

The ticket price of $40.00 per person includes the full program, lunch, a networking cocktail hour (cash bar), and prize opportunities including round trip air fare.

To register online visit ucnj2.org/ucmb, or call 908-659-7412 if you have any questions about the event.

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