Author: Web Site Administrator

Union County residents age 16 and older can contact the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation Department for information about becoming a certified Lifeguard this summer at the Walter Ulrich Memorial Pool in Rahway.

“Generations of Union County residents have enjoyed working as lifeguards while gaining valuable experiences for college applications and resumes,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “The Freeholder Board is proud to continue offering this opportunity to residents in search of a rewarding summer experience.”

Applicants must be 16 years of age or older by completion of their training.  The starting pay is $11.00 per hour.

The 2017 season begins on June 24 and ends on September 4.

To find out about certification and physical requirements, email the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at Warinanco@ucnj.org or call 908-298-7849 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholders Angel G. Estrada and Bette Jane Kowalski joined Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage, Union County Manager Alfred Faella, Union County Sheriff Joe Cryan, Assemblyman Jamel Holley and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano at a press conference regarding possible harmful cuts to Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) by the federal government.

Also in attendance were Elizabeth Council President Carlos Torres, Councilman Kevin Kiniery, Kaitlin McGuinness from US Senator Cory Booker’s office, Zachary Rynar from US Senator Robert Menendez’s office, Elizabeth Director of Planning and Community Development Eduardo Rodriguez and Linda Flores-Tober, Executive Director of the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless.

The Community Development Block Grant, one of the longest-running programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, funds local community development activities such as affordable housing, anti-poverty programs, and infrastructure development.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholders Christopher Hudak and Angel G. Estrada present a resolution to Michele Dabal, Sue Quiroga and Elizabeth Stamler of NJ Sharing Network recognizing April as National Donate Life Month in Union County. NJ Sharing Network, based in New Providence, is the non-profit organization responsible for the recovery and placement of donated organs and tissue for those in need of a life-saving transplant. For more information, visit www.njsharingnetwork.org. 

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that sixteen Union County organizations will receive a total of $22,000 from the 2017 Union County History Grants Program, made possible from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State. These grants will be used to support special projects or general operating expenses for the county based non-profit history organizations and units of local government, including libraries and schools.

“This grant program gives us the opportunity to help local non-profit groups develop and present important history programs or projects to a wide-ranging audience,’’ said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.

A variety of programs and projects are being developed and presented by the 2017 grant recipients:

• The Clark Library will receive $1,400.00 for digitization of historic newspapers.
• Fanwood-Scotch Plains will use $1,000.00 for the development and design of print marketing materials for the Frazee House.
• The Garwood Historical Committee will use $250.00 for digitization of a World War II newsletter “Gar-words.”
• The Hillside Public Library will use $1,000.00 to transfer Hillside Times microfilm to web portal access.
• The Historical Society of Elizabeth will use $2,000.00 for research and media production staffed by students from Kean University and NJIT.
• The Historical Society of Plainfield will use $2,000.00 for administrative assistance and grounds upkeep.
• Merchants and Drovers Tavern in Rahway will use $1,600.00 for staffing cost and to keep the facility up and running four days a week.
• The Mountainside Historical Preservation Committee will use $1,000.00 for monthly costs, including phone, insurance, and cleaning artifacts.
• The New Providence Historical Society will use $1,000.00 for a Community Lecture Series and workshops.
• The Old First Historic Trust will use $2,000.00 to develop public tour programs.
• The Reeves-Reed Arboretum of Summit will use $2,000.00 for operating costs, marketing and public outreach for programming.
• The African-American Heritage and Learning Center in Rahway will use $1,250.00 for office furniture, a computer and a scanner.
• The Fortnightly Club of Summit will use $500.00 for operating sevices.
• The Union County Historical Society will use $1,000.00 for conservation and preservation of Military and Wedding clothing as well as Quilts.
• The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, located in Summit will use $2,000.00 to produce a walking guild of the Watchung Reservation.
• And the Westfield Historical Society will use $2,000.00 for administrative and operational costs.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to offer the Union County History Grant Program through the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation, Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs. 

Organizations interested in learning more about the History Grant Program or other programs and services should contact the Division of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl St., Elizabeth, NJ 07202. Telephone: 908-558-2550.  Relay users dial 711. Or E-mail: culturalinfo@ucnj.org.

Assemblyman Jamel Holley led the groundbreaking and was joined by Union County Freeholders Chairman Bruce H. Bergen, Vice Chairman Sergio Granados, Freeholders Alexander Mirabella and Vernell Wright and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano at the site of Roselle’s “Mind and Body Complex,” a multi-use facility that will house a new public library, a pre-K and Kindergarten and a recreation center. Also in attendance were Borough Council and Board of Education members, library officials and representatives of the Union County Improvement Authority.

The $56 million project, located between Harrison and Chandler Avenues, has undergone nearly three years of careful planning and community vetting and has been lauded for its cross-agency planning and financing that includes Roselle, Roselle Public Schools, the Union County Improvement Authority and the County of Union.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Please note that due to last week’s cancellation, the regular meeting of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will be held this Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 7 p.m.  The following Thursday, April 27, 2017 will be a double meeting (agenda meeting and regular meeting.) Also, please note that proposed resolution 2017-329 regarding the Watchung Reservation Trails master Plan has been pulled from the agenda and will not be voted on Thursday, April 20, 2017.

Due to potential health and public safety issues caused by a water main break on Elizabethtown Plaza in Elizabeth, tonight’s Union County Freeholder meeting has been canceled. The rescheduled date will be announced on Monday.

A water main break has shut down traffic on Elizabethtown Plaza outside of the County Courthouse Annex, Jail and Administration Building. Drivers are advised to avoid the area. Pedestrians are advised to use caution due to street flooding.

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