Snow has begun to blanket Union County, and will ultimately become a wintry mix later on tonight that could cause hazardous travel conditions. The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders remind you to take the necessary precaution and take it slow if you need to travel.
Report any issues on municipal roads to the respective municipality. If there are any issues on County roads, please call County Police at 908-654-9800.
Also, to report downed power lines or outages, contact your utility company. PSE&G customers call 1-800-436-7734. JCP&L customers call 1-800-545-7738 or use the automated reporting line at 1-888-544-4877.
For questions about your gas service, call Elizabethtown Gas at 800-492-4009.
Please tell your friends and neighbors about First Alert, and stay informed by visiting the Union County Webpage at www.ucnj.org. Also find us on Facebook and Twitter.
Brought to you by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed Jalloh (2nd R) and Freeholders Bruce Bergen (L) and Alexander Mirabella (R) present a resolution to Union County Vocational-Technical Schools Superintendent Peter Capodice, Future Farmers of America (FFA) advisor and horticulture instructor Bonnie Baldasare, FFA member Aaron Etnine and FFA president Margaret Hopkins designating the last week of February 2015 as Future Farmers of America Week in Union County. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
(From left) Union County Freeholders Vernell Wright and Christopher Hudak and Freeholder Chairman Mohamed Jalloh present resolutions to the 2015 Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin, General Chairman Tony Brennan and Adjutant Kathleen Holmes congratulating them on the 19th annual parade. The 2015 Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 14 on Morris Avenue in Union. For more information please visit www.unioncountystpatricksdayparade.com. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed Jalloh (3rd R) and Freeholders Bruce Bergen (3rd L) and Alexander Mirabella (R) present a resolution to Union County Vocational-Technical Schools Superintendent Peter Capodice (2nd R) and UCVTS students designating February 2015 as National Career and Technical Education Month in Union County. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that the County has received a total of $4,498,918 in new federal grants for homeless housing and service programs, covering 28 programs and initiatives.
The new funds represent a significant part of $1.8 billion in total funding made available nationwide and in Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands through the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
“Given the brutal winters we’re experiencing, it is more important than ever to ensure that everyone in Union County has a safe place to call home,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “These funds will go a long way toward fulfilling that goal.”
The new grants come under the HUD “Continuum of Care” program, which is designed to help reduce chronic homelessness and to prevent individuals and families in need from living in unsafe conditions.
The funding goes only to existing programs that have been proven to work, and to innovative new programs that show exceptional promise. In New Jersey, only Essex and Hudson counties were awarded more funds than Union County.
“This is a competitive grant program, so the large size of the Union County award is a good testament to the dedication and professionalism of our grant applicants,” said Jalloh. “In particular, I would like to thank Union County Human Services Director Frank Guzzo and his staff for their work in obtaining these new funds.”
The Department of Human Services will administer the new HUD funding for transitional and permanent housing services sponsored by Bridgeway Rehabilitation Services, Community Access Unlimited, Community Access Institute, Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless, Homefirst, Volunteers of America, Gateway YMCA, Covenant House and YWCA of Eastern Union County.
Jim Silk demonstrates flint-knapping and stone tool making techniques.
MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ—The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and the Department of Parks and Recreation are pleased to invite the public to a free program on Sunday, March 8, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Trailside Nature and Science Center.
The featured presenter, Jim Silk, a lithic specialist, will lecture and demonstrate flint-knapping and stone tool making techniques, accompanied by a discussion relating to the cultural and historical significance of their technologies. For over 20 years Jim, a published author on the subject, has researched stone tool making methodologies, demonstrated, instructed, and participated in reconstructive archaeology.
“We are pleased to welcome this noted author and expert on flint-knapping and stone tool making techniques to the list of educational programs available to the public at Trailside Nature and Science Center,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh.
The presentation will be approximately 90 minutes, followed by refreshments. Adults and families with children 12 years of age and older are welcome to attend.
The Trailside Nature and Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road, in Mountainside, NJ. For further information call: Joan Hoeckele at 908-232-2831.
Union County – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to announce its first Union County Advancing Community Theater (UCACT) grant program award recipient, Mystic Vision Players of Linden. The grant has been awarded for their March, 2015 production of DREAMGIRLS.
“We are proud to see UCACT off to such a great start, and happy to give such talented people the opportunity to bring their craft to the Mainstage,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed Jalloh.
Mystic Vision Players, created in 1992, is the resident theatre company of the Linden Cultural & Heritage Committee and has consistently received critical & audience acclaim and nominations as “Outstanding” in areas of Choreography, Acting, Music, and Overall Productions by the NJ Association of Community Theaters.
DREAMGIRLS, a groundbreaking musical, loosely based on the career of The Supremes, is set to run at the UCPAC’s Mainstage, March 6,7,13 and 14th at 8:00 p.m. and March 8th and 15th at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 with discounted rates for students and seniors, and are available via UCPAC.org.
Through UCACT, the Board of Chosen Freeholders plans on sponsoring and promoting five or more Union County theatre events at the Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC). The program, which grants funding to cover the hard costs associated with putting up at production at the Arts Center, builds on the recent success of RENT- a pilot of this program that was initiated in November through a partnership with the UCPAC that sold over 2000 tickets.
2015 grant applications are still being accepted and can be downloaded at ucnj.org/ucact. For additional information, please contact Victoria Durbin Drake, Chief of Staff, Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, at 908-558-2278.
Airserv Coordinates Hirings Through Union County’S Workforce Innovation Business Center As Part Of Chairman Jalloh’S 2015 Initiatives
Job seekers at the Union County Workforce Innovation Business Center’s job fair for positions at Liberty International Airport held today at Union County College in Elizabeth.
UNION COUNTY—For AirServ, it started last fall with a phone call inquiry to the Union County Workforce Innovation Business Center: how can we collaborate with Union County to hire residents for full-time jobs at Liberty International Airport in Newark?
Fortunately, the call resulted in the hiring of 66 residents for new jobs last year, and just a few weeks ago it continued with another commitment from the airport services company to hire 150 more County residents for jobs in cargo, cleaning, ground transportation, passenger services, ramp handling and security sectors at the airport.
The Workforce Innovation Business Center, a program of the Union County Freeholder Board through the Union County Workforce Investment Board and Union County College, held a successful job fair to screen applicants this past Thursday and Friday at Union County College in Elizabeth.
“We’re excited to partner with AirServ in helping place Union County residents in jobs at the airport and we thank them for their consideration,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh, who as part of his “Investing in Union County” initiatives for 2015 announced an expansion of the County’s Workforce Investment operations to facilitate increased employment opportunities and training for its residents.“Overall, the economy is picking up steam, and the Freeholder Board’s focus on workforce investment is timed to maximize this expansion into jobs for County residents.”
The Innovation Business Center not only coordinated the job fair and screening for the latest round of jobs, but will also provide subsequent training to the new hires through Union County College’s Employability Skills Curriculum, a 40-day program.
Union County Workforce Investment Board, AirServ and Union County officials gather before job fair: Union County Workforce Investment Board Chairman Glenn Nacion (of Trinitas Regional Medical Center), Salvador Garcia, member of the Union County Workforce Investment Board (MAS Development), Freeholder Sergio Granados (Freeholder Liaison to the Workforce Investment Board), Martin C. Blake, Senior Vice President for AirServ, Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh (Freeholder Liaison to the Workforce Investment Board), Antonio Rivera, Director of the Union County Workforce Investment Board, and William Reyes Jr. , Union County Deputy County Manager.
Designed with demands of today’s business environment in mind, the terms “Employability skills” refer to a cluster of personal qualities, habits and attitudes that constitute a good employee at all levels of the workforce, and include skills such as work ethics, time management, attention to detail, written and oral communication skills, teamwork, decision-making and problem solving.
This state-of-art Employability Skills Curriculum is a critical component of Chairman Jalloh’s announcement. The curriculum has been developed to ensure successful entry and retention within a very competitive economy.
Freeholder Sergio Granados, a resident of Elizabeth who also serves as a liaison to the Workforce Investment Board, thanked AirServ for their partnership and hailed the creation of new jobs.
“One of our highest priorities is providing jobs for residents and this is an outstanding example of how the public sector can work with the private sector in not only coordinating job placements but also providing the proper training,” Granados said. “We certainly urge businesses looking to hire residents to coordinate their efforts through the Workforce Investment Board.”
Businesses looking to hire should contact Antonio Rivera, Director of the Union County Workforce Investment Board, at 908-527-4195 or email arivera@ucnj.org. and/or visit the website: https://ucnj.org/wib
AirServ, whose 8,000-plus employees support the world’s leading airlines and freight companies at airports throughout the United States and United Kingdom, announced the hirings as part of a plan creating 500 new positions.
“We had a very positive experience and outcome with coordinating our first round of hirings through the County, and we are pleased to continue this partnership,” said Martin C. Blake, Jr., Senior Vice President for AirServ. “The Union County Workforce Innovation Business Center acted quickly, efficiently and effectively in fulfilling our requirements.”
Once the latest round of Union County employees are hired, AirServ will realize another benefit through the Innovation Business Center’s On-The-Job (OJT) program, which allows for employers to have the wages of the new hires subsidized up to 50% during the first six months on the job. Under the OJT program, this can go on for up to 26 weeks to help defray the costs of their employment training. The goal is simple – to allow workers to earn while they learn. The OJT initiative is funded by the Freeholder Board through the Workforce Investment Board.
ELIZABETH, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi is urging local businesses to team-up with her in an effort to help veterans of the United States Armed Forces. The County Clerk’s Office is compiling a booklet that will list all of the local stores, agencies and businesses that offer special discounts on products, food, entertainment and services for military veterans.
“I urge local businesses and service providers to send information to me about discounts they offer to veterans,” Rajoppi said. “I will add their information to the growing list that my office makes available to veterans groups and individuals seeking an Honorable Discharge ID card.”
“My office was one of the first in the state more than ten years ago to issue free honorable discharge identification cards for veterans as proof of service in the U.S. Armed Forces,” Ms. Rajoppi said. “The ID card program assists veterans in receiving educational benefits, death benefits, licenses, local property tax rebates and retail discounts intended just for them.”
“Veterans living in Union County can receive a free identification card by bringing their original discharge papers to the County Clerk’s Office in either Westfield or Elizabeth,” Rajoppi added. “This ID card service is just one way to say thank you and make veterans’ lives a little easier.”
The Veterans ID Card Act was signed into law in 2012. The card is available to veterans whose original Certificate of Honorable Discharge and/or DD-214 form are recorded at the Union County Clerk’s office. If a veteran’s discharge papers have never been recorded, the original documents must be presented at either one the Union County Clerk’s offices.
The County Clerk’s Office in Westfield, located in the Colleen Fraser Building at 300 North Avenue East, is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday; and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Clerk’s Office in Elizabeth, in the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Room 114, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. If additional information is needed, please call 908-659-7403.
MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce a lecture for adults, 18 years and older, on the bee colony crisis at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside on Tuesday, March, 3 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Bee colony collapse disorder has had a deleterious impact on many agricultural crops worldwide. In our own country the decline of the bee population has significantly increased the cost to farmers. Tim Schuler, New jersey State Apiarist, will lecture on three causes of trauma to the European honey bee. Enhanced by a power point presentation, the lecture will define the ecological problems we face, the impact on the bee-keepers industry and how professional bee keepers and hobbyists have responded to this crisis. The program is free, but donations are welcomed. Pre-registration is recommended, but walk-ins are welcome.
“This is a great opportunity to learn about this much-publicized crisis and how New Jersey is responding to the problem,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh.
Trailside Nature and Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of chosen Freeholders. For more information about his lecture or other activities at Trailside, please call 908-789-3670 or visit us on our website at www.ucnj.org/trailside.
