Author: Web Site Administrator

Union County residents seeking information about services for seniors age 60 and older can attend any of six Aging Services Kiosk (ASK) events in April to speak with experienced staff from the county’s Department of Human Services, Division on Aging.

The ASK events will be held in Clark, Westfield, Fanwood, Mountainside, Linden, and Union.

“The ASK program brings our knowledgeable, experienced Division on Aging staff to convenient locations throughout Union County, to reach more residents with helpful resources,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, who is the Freeholder Board liaison to the Human Services Advisory Board.

The Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection is based in Elizabeth.

The ASK community outreach program provides for members of the staff to travel throughout Union County to help connect residents with information about services such as home delivered meals, respite care, home care, adult day care and support services for caregivers.

The ASK program also enables residents to obtain assistance with completing applications and forms at convenient locations.

The April 2017 dates and locations will be:

Wednesday, April 5
Linden Public Library
31 E. Henry Street
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Monday, April 10
Clark Public Library
303 Westfield Avenue
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Thursday, April 13
Westfield Community Center
558 West Broad Street
10:30 am to 12:30 pm

Tuesday, April 18
Union Public Library
1980 Morris Avenue
12:00 pm to 2:00 pm

Wednesday, April 19
Fanwood Public Library
5 Forest Road
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Friday, April 27
Mountainside Municipal Building
1385 Route 22 East
11:30 am to 1:30 pm

All Union County residents are welcome to attend any of these ASK events.

The mission of the Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection is to promote wellness, independence, dignity and choice for seniors and their families. It is one of 670 “Area Agencies on Aging” nationwide established under the federal Older Americans Act.  The division has information printed in both English and Spanish.

“The ADRC model, a state initiative that Union County has embraced since 2012, is designed to improve service for seniors and the disabled,” said Chairman Bergen. “These services can enable seniors and the disabled to remain in their homes and communities.”

Check for the upcoming schedule of stops for an ASK kiosk coming near you as dates and locations are posted in local newspapers, the Senior News, Facebook, Twitter and the Union County website, www.ucnj.org.

For further information about the Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection, call the division’s toll-free number: -1-888-280-8226 or 908-527- 4870 or 4858 or visit the Union County government website at www.ucnj.org.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce children’s music band Michael & The Rockness Monsters will perform at the Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic on Saturday, June 17, 2017 at Rahway River Park.

“All families are invited to join LGBTQ family equality advocates and allies from throughout the state to come out to the park and celebrate family and marriage equality,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “The Freeholder Board is proud to feature children’s funk inspired rock band Michael & The Rockness Monsters with their playful and honest music the entire family will enjoy.”

Come for a full day of free family-fun celebrating PRIDE starting at 12:00 noon, and stay for the children’s music concert. Michael & The Rockness Monsters, an interactive, super galactic – funk inspired, rock-n-roll experience for families, will take the stage around 2:30 p.m.

“As a band our goal is to spread love and write music that celebrates diversity and equality,” said Michael Napolitano of Michael & the Rockness Monsters. “We support one reoccurring message: Be yourself, be good to others and most of all, have fun!  We can not wait to rock at the Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic!!”

The children’s music concert will cap off a full day of entertainment, including a PRIDE family equality Rally that kicks off at 1:00 p.m. with special guest speakers and performances. Families are invited to bring hand-held signs that celebrate their family.

In 2013, New Jersey became the 16th state with marriage equality, granting same-sex couples the security of marriage in New Jersey. Since the federal marriage equality ruling in 2015, thousands of same-sex couples have married state-wide and across state lines. A Chairman’s Initiative event, the free Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic event aims to reach beyond the Union County borders and invites all families across the state to join us to celebrate family and marriage equality.

A celebration of all families, Union County’s first Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic will feature music, arts and crafts, family field day games, inflatable bounce houses, playground fun, and many other family activities. Families are invited to pack a picnic, a blanket or lawn chairs and head out to the park for an afternoon of fun! Food trucks will also be on site for those who wish to purchase lunch.

Families are invited to visit the vendor and resource tables for giveaways and information. Equality and family advocacy organizations will also set up tables alongside the Freeholder Board Information van with general information, and support and networking resources.

For more information visit ucnj.org/Pride, or find the UC Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic event page at Facebook.com/CountyOfUnion, or call the Union County Office of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4900.

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados spoke with youth applicants for summer jobs at United Airlines during information and prescreening session at the Union County Workforce Innovation Business Center at The Mills at Jersey Gardens in Elizabeth. The United Airlines Summer Assist Program is cosponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Union County Workforce Development Board and Union County College.

Union County Freeholders Vernell Wright, Linda Carter, Bette Jane Kowalski and Alexander Mirabella congratulate the 10 recipients of the 2017 Women of Excellence Awards. They were joined by Union County Sheriff Joe Cryan, Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano.

The Union County Commission on the Status of Women honored the awardees at the 25th annual Women of Excellence dinner at the Clubhouse at Union County’s Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth.

The honorees for 2017 are: Arielle Cassidy of Garwood ( Health and Wellness), Sally Curci of Cranford (Special Needs Advocate), Maria C. Del Cid of Union (Government), Terri L. Freeman, Esq. of Westfield (Law), Amy B. Herber of Westfield (Lifetime/Education), Marianne Kranz of Fanwood (Volunteerism), Dr. Nell Maloney-Patel of Westfield (Medicine), Kelly Rieder of Rahway (Law Enforcement), Nakera Sherman of Plainfield (Children’s Advocacy) and Ruth Yablonsky of Cranford (Environmentalist).

The Commission on the Status of Women is sponsored by The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Each year, awards are given in different fields including education, health care, the arts, government, business, law, community service, technology, humanitarianism, public service, women’s advocacy, and lifetime achievement.

 

(Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

 

Bring the entire family this Sunday, April 2 at 1:00 P.M. to the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway to experience the majestic ballet performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Presented as part of Union County’s Sensory Friendly Theatre series, this this abridged, one-hour sensory-friendly ballet performance by American Repertory Ballet is adapted especially for children and adults with sensory sensitivities and other special needs.

Available now, 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.

“Adapting productions to help reduce disturbances at live performances, the sensory-friendly series seeks to increase access to the arts for children and adults with sensory sensitivities,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “The Freeholder Board is proud to help make this Shakespeare classic accessible to families with children and adults of all abilities and needs.”

Set to an enchanting score by Felix Mendelssohn, the ballet brings to life the wit and splendor of one of William Shakespeare’s most popular comedies. Featuring colorful choreography, costumes and sets, the story portrays the weaving tales of cunning fairies, quarreling lovers and a hilariously amateur acting group as their paths cross in a magical forest.

For each of the performances in Union County’s Sensory Friendly Theatre series the theatre environment at the Union County Performing Arts Center is adjusted to provide a sensory-friendly, comfortable and judgment-free space that is welcoming for all families.

Autism Friendly Spaces implements the supportive atmosphere at each of the sensory-friendly performances. For more information on what to expect at a Sensory Friendly Theatre performance visit ucpac.org/sensory-friendly-theatre.

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 908-527-4781 or visit ucnj.org.

 

 

 

 

Get ready, get set, and mark your calendar so you don’t miss the month-long series of Walks, Strolls & Rolls in Union County Parks in April.

As a way of introducing the public to parks they may know little about, Union County Parks & Recreation staff and volunteers will be leading walks, strolls and rolls in four parks, and include everything from birding to a swamp trek.

“The Union County Park system includes 36 parks, with well over 6,000 acres, scattered across the county.  But there is a tendency for people to only know the parks near them,” said Bruce Bergen, Chairman of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

“We would like folks to experience some parks that they may know little about and learn more of what our wonderful Parks system has to offer, from miles of paved paths that can accommodate strollers and wheelchairs, to Nature’s unveiling of spring in the Ash Brook Reservation, where the plants are just beginning to poke their shoots through the ground,” Bergen said.

The April hikes, which will last about an hour, will be on different days and times, depending upon the park. No registration is required and there are no age restrictions. Participants should bring a bottle of water and dress appropriately.

So mark your calendars, and please note that walks are cancelled in inclement weather.  For more information and detailed directions, go to ucnj.org/Aprilwalks or drop a note to parksinfo@ucnj.org.

Walks, Strolls & Rolls will be held at:

— Lenape Park, The Boulevard, Kenilworth. If you’ve ever considered taking up birding, or would just like to spend a morning seeing our winged friends, this is the perfect time of year because many species stop off in Lenape on their Spring migration north. Ed Zboyan, a member of the Friends of Lenape, will lead the walks, which will start from the parking lot at the old skeet range. Walks are scheduled for 9 a.m. and will be held on Saturdays at the beginning of the month, and Tuesdays later in the month, for folks who find their weekends already overloaded.  The walks will be April 1,8,15,18,25.

— Watchung Reservation, Trailside Nature & Science Center, 452 New Providence Rd., Mountainside. Ever wonder what mysteries await in the Res?  Join Trailside Naturalist Roslyn Dvorin on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. to find out.  These walks are scheduled for April 1,8,15,22.  Why no April 29? Because you are cordially invited to come the following day, April 30, for Wild Earth Fest and Touch A Truck, so it will be all hands on deck to get ready.

— Echo Lake Park, between Mountain & Springfield Avenues, Mountainside.  While these Wednesday morning walks at 10 a.m. are open to all, these Stroll & Rolls are open to friends and family who use strollers, walkers, wheelchairs, or any other wheeled conveyance.  The path through Echo Lake is paved and part of the County’s greenway system, so participants will get a chance to see some of the beautiful areas in the parks system that are so easily accessible. The meet-up for these walks will be at the gazebo and will be led by parks staffer Nicole DeAugustine, who works with the disabled, on April 5,12,19, & 26.

–Ash Brook Reservation, Raritan Road, Scotch Plains. Boots are advised because of the extremely wet ground in some areas of Ash Brook.  The hikes will be on Thursdays, at 10 a.m. and are scheduled for April 6, 13, 20, & 27. Trail Steward Marc Grobman will lead the way through the undiscovered country and explain the amazing environment that also played a role in the 1777 Battle of the Short Hills.

Ash Brook Reservation may well be one of the county’s least-known and most natural parks. In just over a mile you’ll walk up and over forested Horse Hobble Hill, cross Ash Brook Swamp, and suddenly ascend strikingly different Red Hill, an arid meadow reminiscent of the South Jersey Pine Barrens.

Grobman, an Adopt-A-Trail volunteer, has helped maintain the trails here for years and will share much of what he has learned, including the berries that Civil War soldiers used to produce ink for writing letters, a tree once used to make root beer and is still used to make gumbo, and point out the skunk cabbage that produces such an awful, disgusting smell.

 

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

Connect with Union County on social media.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Vice Chairman Sergio Granados present a resolution to Valerie Latona and Dave Contract of Westfield commending them on their effort to remind the community that even during divisive times the nation continues to be bound by love; love of country, love of friends and neighbors and love of communities.

In February, for Valentine’s Day, the couple invited friends and neighbors to post hearts on their fence, each with its own message of love, hope and inspiration. There are now more than 300 hearts, each with its own positive message, posted on their fence, a symbol of unity in the community and the nation.

The Freeholder Board noted its support and appreciation to Valerie Latona and Dave Contract and requested to add their names to the fence, to demonstrate their support and commitment to this project.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders would like to remind you of several free recycling events coming up this month. 

Union County will host three Mobile Paper Shredding Events in April.  The first is  Saturday, April 1^st at the Union County Vocational Technical School located at 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains, followed by Friday, April 7th in Warinanco Park in Roselle in the skating center parking lot and then on Friday, April 28^th at Cedar Brook Park in Plainfield.  All events run from 9 am to 1 pm or until the truck(s) get filled.  Residents can bring up to four bags of confidential documents for shredding.

On Saturday, April 22^rd, there will be a Household Hazardous Waste Program at the Union County Vo-Tech School located at 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains.  The event will be held from 9 am to 2pm.  Items for drop off include old pesticides & herbicides, pool chemicals, gasoline, oil-based paints and deck stain. 

On Saturday, April 29^rd, there will be a Computer and Electronics Recycling Event at the Union County Vo-Tech School located at 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains.  The event will be held from 9 am to 1pm.  Items for drop off include televisions, computers, monitors, printers, fax machines and DVD players. 

Union County’s Scrap Metal Recycling program also starts up again this month.  The events are the first Thursday and Third Saturday of each month so Thursday, April 6^th and Saturday, April 22^nd (this event was moved to the fourth Saturday due to the holiday).    There are two (2) locations in Union County for residents to drop off their metal for recycling, one in Cranford and Rahway.  All locations will be open from 9 am to 12 pm.  Residents can drop off old appliances, microwaves, air conditioners, and metal lawn furniture to name a few.

Please visit www.ucnj.org/recycling for more information or directions.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will sponsor its first Household Hazardous Waste Collection event of 2017 on Saturday, April 22^nd. Union County residents are invited to use this opportunity to can get rid of outdated or unwanted household chemicals, mercury thermostats, propane tanks, and automobile tires in an environmentally safe manner. The household hazardous waste collection will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Union County Vocational Technical School located at 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains. Please note that latex (water-based) paint will not be accepted. Residents should dry the paint out and discard with their regular garbage. This program is free to all residents of Union County.

“The household hazardous waste program for Union County residents is particularly important as we become more aware of the need for proper disposal of old or unwanted hazardous items that are found around the home,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “This is also a great opportunity to recycle tires, propane tanks and fluorescent bulbs. The result of our effort is safer homes and a cleaner environment for our families and our neighbors.”

Upon arrival at the UC Vo-Tech School with household special waste items, residents should remain in their vehicle while professional workers at the site unload the waste materials for disposal.

“Household hazardous waste” includes oil-based paint and varnish, antifreeze, aerosol cans, pool chemicals, corrosives, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, thinners, fire extinguishers, motor oil and oil filters, gasoline, batteries, thermostats, fluorescent bulbs (unbroken), and mercury switches. Only materials in original or labeled containers will be accepted. No containers larger than five gallons will be accepted. There is a limit of eight automobile tires (without rims) per household.

Latex (water-based) paint and empty cans will not be accepted. Leftover latex paint can be air-dried or kitty litter and/or newspaper can be added to hasten the drying. Empty or dried out cans should be disposed of with the regular garbage.

A broader list of the materials that will be accepted on April 22^nd as well as future event dates and locations are available at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning web page at ucnj.org/recycle.

The household hazardous waste collection will be held rain or shine, for Union County residents only and not for businesses. Proof of Union County residency is required. For more information, please call the Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889.