County of Union, New Jersey

Union County, NJ — Union County’s senior citizens, and residents of any age with a disability, can receive one-on-one help from the Union County Department of Human Services when applying for county, state and federal assistance programs. This service will be available at community outreach events in Elizabeth on February 11, and in Plainfield on February 26.

“We want to make sure that seniors and persons with disabilities who need help with food, shelter, and other necessities can connect with all of the programs available to them,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “If you or anyone you know could use some extra help in determining your eligibility, I encourage you to attend one of these two events.”

Bi-lingual (English/Spanish) outreach staff from the Union County Department of Human Services, Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC), will be in Elizabeth at the O’Donnell Dempsey Senior Center, 622 Salem Avenue, on Tuesday, February 11 beginning at 10:30 a.m.

On Wednesday, February 26, a second outreach event will be held at the Plainfield Senior Center, 400 East Front Street, beginning at 11:00 a.m.

No appointments are needed to attend the events.

Programs that can help eligible seniors and the disabled include gas and electric support, prescription drug/pharmaceutical assistance, and home energy assistance.

Referrals for the Senior Health Insurance Program will also be provided.

“This outreach is part of the ADRC model, a state initiative that Union County has embraced since 2012,” Hudak explained. “The goal is to help seniors and persons with disabilities to remain comfortably in their homes and keep engaged with their communities.”

Union County ADRC provides care management services for the state’s Medicaid Waiver Programs, Global Options, and the Jersey Assistance for Community Caregiving Program.  The Statewide Respite Care Program provides assistance to caregivers, giving them a needed break from their care giving responsibilities.

The Division’s other services include general information and assistance, home-delivered and group meals, and nutrition education for seniors.

Union County ADRC is one of 670 Area Agencies on Aging, a nationwide initiative established under the federal Older Americans Act.

For more information about the outreach events and Union County ADRC, call the Union County Division on Aging, 888-280-8226 (toll free), or visit online at ucnj.org.

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Please join the County of Union online at ucnj.org, on Facebook at ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter attwitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Temporary Change in Treatment for 
Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset & Union Counties

As part its annual pipeline maintenance program, New Jersey American Water will temporarily change the water treatment process at its Raritan-Millstone Water Treatment Plant in Bridgewater and at its Canal Road Water Treatment Plant in Somerset from a chloramine (a combination of ammonia and chlorine) to free chlorine.

The change will begin on January 21, 2014 and last until through March. During this time period, customers may notice an increase in the taste and smell of chlorine in their water. This is normal and will only be temporary until the system maintenance is complete. New Jersey American Water will continuously monitor water quality to ensure that it meets or exceeds federal and state drinking water standards.

The temporary treatment change applies to New Jersey American Water customers in the following communities:

Bedminster, Belle Meade, Bound Brook, Branchburg, Bridgewater, Chester, Clark, Cranbury, Cranford, Dunellen, Elizabeth, Edison, Fanwood, Flemington, Franklin, Garwood, Green Brook, Hillside, Hillsborough, Jamesburg, Kenilworth, Kingston, Lawrence, Linden, Manville, Martinsville, Middlesex, Millstone, Montgomery, Mountainside, North Plainfield, Peapak/Gladstone, Piscataway, Plainfield, Plainsboro, Pottersville, Princeton, Raritan, Roselle, Roselle Park, Readington, Scotch Plains, Somerville, South Bound Brook, South Brunswick, South Plainfield, Tewksbury, Union, and Westfield.

During the change, customers’ water will continue to meet or exceed state and federal standards, however some may not prefer the taste of chlorine: Here are some helpful tips to remove the taste of chlorine:

• Place water in a glass container in the refrigerator overnight uncovered. This will allow the chlorine to dissipate at a faster pace.
• Bring your water to a rolling boil for five minutes and allow the water to cool.
  This should reduce the chlorine taste and smell in the water.
• Add a lemon slice or a few drops of lemon juice to a glass of drinking water.

 

For more information visit http://www.amwater.com/alerts/alert17292.html

 

NEWARK – Union County Freeholder Angel Estrada was elected Second Vice Chairman of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) at today’s Board of Trustees meeting. The NJTPA oversees regional transportation planning and annually authorizes more than $1 billion in federal surface transportation funding for 13 counties in northern and central New Jersey.

“A well-functioning transportation network is essential to our quality of life here in northern New Jersey,” said Estrada, who joined the NJTPA Board of Trustees in 2012 and also serves as Vice Chairman of the NJTPA’s Freight Initiatives Committee. “I look forward to working in my new capacity to improve mobility and infrastructure for residents in Union County and throughout the region.”

At the meeting, the NJTPA Board selected four other members of its Executive Committee. In addition to Estrada, the elected members of the Executive Committee are: Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise, Chairman; Ocean County Freeholder James F. Lacey, First Vice Chairman; and Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., Secretary. In keeping with the NJTPA bylaws, DeGise appointed Somerset County Freeholder Peter S. Palmer to the position of Third Vice Chairman.

The Executive Committee provides guidance and leadership to the full Board on a wide range of planning, policy and administrative issues. It meets as needed to review financial, personnel and policy matters. Board membership is an uncompensated position.

Estrada was first elected as a freeholder in 1999 and has more than 30 years of business and public service experience. He is currently a Board of Trustees member at Meadowlink, a Transportation Management Association. Freeholder Estrada previously served on the Elizabeth Board of Education, the Elizabeth Housing Authority, and is a former vice president of the National Association of Hispanic County Officials.

Freeholder Estrada emigrated from Cuba to the United States over 50 years ago and has made Elizabeth his home ever since. He earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in history and Spanish from Kean College (now Kean University) in Union.

The NJTPA is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for 13 northern New Jersey counties.  Under federal legislation, MPOs provide a forum where local officials, public transportation providers and state agency representatives can come together and cooperatively plan to meet the region’s current and future transportation needs.  It establishes the region’s eligibility to receive federal tax dollars for transportation projects.

 

The NJTPA Board consists of one local elected official from each of the 13 counties in the region (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren), and the cities of Newark and Jersey City.  The Board also includes a Governor’s Representative, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the Executive Director of NJ TRANSIT, and the Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

 

Men and women who enjoy the game of softball can be a part of the game by becoming certified Amateur Softball Association softball umpires. The Greater Union County ASA Softball Umpires Association, in cooperation with the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation, will conduct its annual softball umpires training program beginning Tuesday, February 18.

After the initial meeting, the training classes will take place from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Monday evenings from Feb. 24 through March 31 at the Union County Administration Building in Elizabeth. The cost of this six-week umpiring course is $150. The classes are open to men and women, 18 years of age and older, who are interested in umpiring softball games.

For more information and registration details, please contact the Union County, New Jersey, Amateur Softball Association office of Joe Massaro at (732) 558-3375; email: commissioner@asasoftballucnj.org; or Bill Smith at (908) 259-0154; email: willsmith43@comcast.net; or you can log on to:www.asasoftballucnj.org.

Union County, NJ – Get your school or youth group garden off to a great start by attending the “Get Your School Garden Growing” conference on Saturday, February 22, at the Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside. The full day of gardening workshops includes STEM and nutrition lesson planning, all conducted by experts from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension with support from the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. A fee of $25 includes lunch and all materials. Pre-registration is required by February 14. Information: visit ucnj.org/rce, call the Union County Extension office in Westfield, 908-654-9854 (press “2”), or email Judith Laganga, jlaganga@ucnj.org.

Union County, NJ – Get your school or youth group garden off to a great start by attending the “Get Your School Garden Growing” conference on Saturday, February 22, at the Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside. The full day of gardening workshops includes STEM and nutrition lesson planning, all conducted by experts from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension with support from the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. A fee of $25 includes lunch and all materials. Pre-registration is required by February 14. Information: visit ucnj.org/rce, call the Union County Extension office in Westfield, 908-654-9854 (press “2”), or email Judith Laganga, jlaganga@ucnj.org.

 

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Please join the County of Union online at ucnj.org, on Facebook at ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter attwitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Union County, NJ – Sensory Friendly Theater, a performing arts series especially for children and adults with autism and other sensory sensitivities, kicked off its third year at the Union County Performing Arts Center with a record crowd for the sensory friendly percussion extravaganza “Things That Go Bang.” Joining the percussionists on stage were Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski (far left), Vernell Wright (3rd from left), and Linda Carter (far right). The series, which is supported in part by the Freeholder Board, continues on March 16 with the New Jersey Ballet performing Sleeping Beauty. For more information visit ucpac.org or call the box office, 732-499-8226.   (photo: Karen Napier/UCPAC)

ELIZABETH, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to present an exhibit of artworks from the “Art from the HEART” fine arts program. The exhibition is a partnership between The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey and Sage Eldercare in Summit, NJ. The Freeholders Gallery is located on the 6th floor of the Union County Administration Building, Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. The exhibit will run through Friday, January 31.

The “Art from the HEART” is in its thirteenth year. Led by instructor Lela Kometiani, the program encourages self-expression, increases self-esteem by recapturing the joy of creativity, and helps keep participants’ minds sharp. “Art from the HEART” is made possible in part by a HEART (History, Education, Arts Reaching Thousands) Grant from the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Additional funding is provided by the Summit Area Public Foundation.

The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey is the state’s largest institution dedicated exclusively to viewing, making and learning about contemporary art, comprising a renowned studio art school and a thriving education, exhibition and programming schedule. Its service mission includes a commitment to creating access to the arts for a range of constituents, from at-risk children and youth to people with special needs and senior adults. To learn more about Art Center programs, visit www.artcenternj.orgor call 908-273-9121.

SAGE Eldercare supports the independence, well-being and quality of life of older adults, their families and caregivers, through the provision of client-centered health, social and support services. SAGE is proud to offer a wide range of programs and services that support seniors in the challenges they face during the later stages of life. For more information about SAGE, visitwww.sageeldercare.org or call 908-273-5550.

For further information about this exhibit or to find out about exhibiting at the Freeholders Gallery, please contact the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07202; telephone, 908-558-2550; or email: culturalinfo@ucnj.org. NJ Relay users may dial 711.