Author: Web Site Administrator

As the winter season rapidly approaches Union County senior residents age 60 and older are reminded that they can receive a warm nutritious meal at any Senior Café of their choice.

“The Senior Café provides an opportunity for our senior residents to get out and enjoy a nutritious meal as well as educational and social programs,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “The Freeholder Board is proud to support this program.”

All Senior Café lunches include juice or soup, meat, fish, or poultry, potatoes, pasta, or rice, vegetables, a choice of a hot or cold beverage, and is complete with desert.

The Senior Café has delicious meals designed by a registered dietitian. Each meal is nutritionally balanced to meet the dietary and health needs of mature men and women.

The suggested donation is $1.75 per meal, but for those under age 60 there is a $4.00 fee. All donations collected go directly back to the program to help provide more meals to those in need.

To reserve lunch residents are asked to contact the café of their choice at least two days in advance. Lunch is served every Monday through Friday unless otherwise noted.

The Union County Senior Nutrition Program is made possible by a grant from the United States government under the Older American’s Act. The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders also provides support for the senior Nutrition Program.

For more information and a list of Senior Café locations visit https://wp.me/P4sLwl-cZH or call the Division on Aging toll free at 1-888-820-8226.

For further information about nutrition programs offered by the Division on Aging, contact Kathleen Malkiewicz by phone at 908-527-4877 or by email at kmalkiewicz@ucnj.org.

For information about all services and programs for seniors and their families visit ucnj.org/aging.

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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.

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Union County residents who are interested in improving environmental health in their communities are encouraged to join the Rutgers Environmental Stewards of Union County. The Environmental Stewards program helps residents learn to take specific steps leading to effective action. 

“The Environmental Stewards program empowers residents who are passionate about making a difference. It equips residents with an understanding of the issues that impact our area, enabling them to work effectively for environmental progress in their communities,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski.

The Environmental Stewards of Union County is an all-volunteer program of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County. The Extension also runs the popular Master Gardeners and Master Tree Steward’s programs for adults and 4-H clubs for youth in Union County.

The Environmental Stewards program is designed to help non-scientists learn more about the science behind the environmental issues impacting their communities.

The Environmental Stewards will hold weekly classroom training sessions on Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. beginning January 30 through early June. Classes are held at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County office located at 300 North Ave. East in Westfield.

The training sessions include weekly classes on environmental issues including habitat conservation in public parks, pollinator preservation, climate change and its impacts on the Union County region, soil health, protection of the Rahway River watershed, solid waste and recycling issues, and environmentally sound practices for yards and gardens. 

Field trips are a part of an interactive experience. Previous trainees have visited the Union County’s Warinanco Park to learn about invasive plant species and pond restoration, the Hawk Rise sanctuary in Linden to learn about wetland restoration, and to the Pinelands in southern New Jersey to learn about threatened and endangered species.

The training will also include sessions on making environmental policy at the local level, including guidance on reading Master Plans and site plans for new developments.

As part of the Environmental Steward training, participants will spend the summer working on internship projects of their choice. 

In addition to experts from Rutgers University, instructors are drawn from the Association of Environmental Commissions and the nonprofit organization Sustainable New Jersey. Experts from the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation and the Bureau of Planning and Recycling were also part of the instructional team.

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County is part of the national Extension system, established more than 100 years ago under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. From its initial aim of assisting rural communities, the Extension has grown to embrace urban and suburban life, youth development and family health. In New Jersey, Rutgers University runs Extension programs in each county through the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and is supported in Union County by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

The Freeholder Board provides administrative support and office space in Westfield, land for the Demonstration Garden in the Watchung Reservation in Mountainside, and funding for special projects among other support for the Extension.

For more information about the Rutgers Environmental Stewards program, visit envirostewards.rutgers.edu or contact Michele Bakacs, County Agent and Associate Professor for the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County at bakacs@njaes.rutgers.edu or 732-398-5274.

Quick links to all Union County environmental programs and activities are available at The Green Connection, ucnj.org/green-connect.

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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.

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The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that grants have been awarded to 20 municipalities in Union County for improvements to recreation resources for children, and to 18 municipalities for new trees to be planted on municipal property. In addition, the Freeholder Board has awarded grants to nine municipalities and non-profit organizations for preserving and improving local historic sites.

The awards were funded through the Union County Open Space, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Trust Fund.

“Since first established in 2000, the Open Space Trust Fund has enabled the people of Union County to enjoy continued improvements in public recreation resources, along with aesthetic and environmental improvements related to trees,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “The Freeholder Board is very proud to carry on this mission as the Trust Fund approaches its 20^th year of service.”

The Open Space Trust Fund was established by popular referendum in 2000, with an initial focus on expanding and improving Union County parks.

In 2004 the mission of the Trust Fund was broadened to include Kids Recreation annual matching grants to municipalities for improving local children’s recreation resources, as well as annual Greening Union County “tree for tree” matching grants to plant trees on municipal properties.

The Trust Fund also includes grants from the Preserve Union County program, which provides funding to municipalities and non-profit organizations for historic preservation projects.

The following municipalities received 2019 Kids Recreation Trust Fund grants totaling $999,697.25:

• Berkeley Heights – $43,500
• Clark – $42,000
• Cranford – $46,000
• Elizabeth – $112,000
• Fanwood – $40,000
• Garwood – $16,000
• Hillside – $8,121
• Kenilworth – $48,000
• Linden – $70,000
• Mountainside – $31,000
• New Providence – $40,000
• Plainfield – $74,676.25
• Rahway – $73,000
• Roselle – $46,000
• Roselle Park – $42,000
• Scotch Plains – $63,000
• Springfield – $30,000
• Summit – $62,000
• Union – $60,000
• Westfield – $52,400

The following municipalities received 2019 Greening Union County matching “tree-for-tree” grants totaling $107,072:

• Berkeley Heights – $3,000
• Clark – $3,500
• Cranford – $4,500
• Elizabeth – $13,600
• Fanwood – $1,322
• Garwood – $5,000
• Hillside – $2,100
• Kenilworth – $3,000
• Linden – $9,400
• New Providence – $2,500
• Plainfield – $13,200
• Rahway – $4,500
• Roselle Park – $5,000
• Scotch Plains – $3,750
• Springfield – $5,000
• Summit – $13,000
• Union – $4,700
• Westfield – $5,000

The following historic sites received 2019 Preserve Union County grants totaling $300,315:

• Littel-Lord House in Berkeley Heights – $85,000
• Crane-Phillips House in  Cranford – $2,500
• Fanwood Carriage House in Fanwood – $2,000
• Oswald J. Nitschke House in Kenilworth – $21,000
• Cultural Arts Center in Plainfield – $19,715
• duCret School of Art in Plainfield – $45,000
• Merchant & Drovers Tavern in Rahway – $30,000
• Rotary Frazee House in Scotch Plains – $85,000
• Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit – $10,100

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to present an exhibit of paintings by Francesca Azzara in the gallery space at the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, located at 633 Pearl Street in Elizabeth.

A selection of her work entitled “An Artist’s Journey” is on display at the Pearl Street Gallery until December 27^th. Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

“We are pleased to have Francesca Azzara’s work on display at the Pearl Street Gallery,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “Ms. Azzara is a talented artist who expresses herself beautifully through the unique medium of encaustic wax painting.”

Francesca Azzara earned a BFA in Studio Art from Kean University, and an Associate of Applied Science in Design from FIT in New York City.

For over 20 years Ms. Azzara has worked with encaustic paints and is often asked to do demonstrations and lecture on this challenging yet forgiving medium. She has taught numerous classes at the Newark Museum, NJ Center for Visual Arts, the Arts Guild of NJ and the Old Church Cultural Center in Demarest. She is also a past recipient of two HEART grants. Today she works out of her studio in Westfield and shows extensively throughout NJ and occasionally in NYC.

Ms. Azzara’s artwork has been on display in local galleries and exhibits throughout New Jersey. Her “Imagined Landscapes & Encaustic Workshops” are available on YouTube. To learn more about Francesca’s artwork, visit francescaazzara.com .

Union County artists interested in exhibiting in the Pearl Street gallery space are welcome to apply. Artists’ works must be able to be hung on a wall.

For more information about the Pearl Street Gallery or other programs, please contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 908-558-2550 or email culturalinfo@ucnj.org. NJ Relay users can dial 711.

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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.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that the final 2019 mobile paper shredding event for personal and confidential documents will be held on November 2^nd in New Providence.

“Union County’s mobile document shredding service helps residents fight identity theft by providing a convenient way to shred your confidential documents,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “It promotes our County recycling efforts and ties in with other Green Initiatives in Union County.”

The shredding event will take place Saturday, November 2^nd at the Nokia corporate campus, located at 600 Mountain Avenue in New Providence, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The shredding event will take place rain or shine. Shredding events end before 1:00 p.m. if the shredding trucks reach capacity.

All Union County residents are eligible to use the paper-shredding service. In an effort to accommodate everyone, there is a limit of four, 10-pound bags or boxes per person. It is preferred that you bring your material in paper bags. 

Residents are reminded that documents should not be bound and plastic binders as well as paperclips should be removed. Paper that is wet/damp will not be accepted. Please note that paper that is already shredded will not be accepted. Residents should continue to recycle non-confidential documents and paper through their municipal recycling program.  

Documents are put into 96-gallon containers provided by the shredding company. The items are then placed onto a conveyor belt and shredding is done on site. Participants are welcome to view the shredding process via a closed-circuit television. The shredded documents are then recycled via local paper mills. 

The mobile shredding program is paid for through New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Recycling Enhancement Act Grant Funds. For more information about future events or directions please call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889 or visit us online at www.ucnj.org/recycle.

The Freeholder Board also reminds residents to download the free Recycle Coach app for the latest news and information on all countywide and local recycling programs, located at www.ucnj.org/recycle.

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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.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites residents to two upcoming Sensory Friendly Theatre events at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway. The Sensory Friendly series, sponsored by the Freeholder Board, showcases exciting live performances in an environment tailored to audiences with autism and other sensory sensitivities.

“The sensory friendly theatre allows residents, families, and children to enjoy all of the excitement that comes with live theatre while feeling comfortable in an environment tailored to their specific needs,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski.

The next performance in the Sensory Friendly Theatre series is childhood favorite Max and Ruby: Musical Playdate. There will be two performances on Sunday, November 10 at 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Admission includes a character parade in the theater, which will take place 15 minutes prior to the 1:00 p.m. show and after the conclusion of the 2:30 PM show.

On Sunday, November 24 at 1:00 p.m., Sensory Friendly Theatre will present the beloved ballet classic Nutcracker, performed by the American Repertory Ballet.

 The Sensory Friendly Theatre series began as an initiative of Freeholder Alexander Mirabella when he served as Chairman in 2012. It is designed according to guidelines that help reduce disturbances for youngsters who experience heightened sensory sensitivity. It has been supported by the Freeholder Board every year since then.

For each of the Sensory Friendly performances, the 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 the performances. For more information on what to expect at Sensory Friendly Theatre visit ucpac.org/sensory-friendly-theatre.

All tickets for are $8.00 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.

The Union County Performing Arts Center and box office are located at 1601 Irving Street in Rahway.

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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 Vice Chairman Alexander Mirabella and Freeholder Sergio Granados this morning joined Union County Sheriff Peter Corvelli in congratulating the winners of the Union County Sheriff’s Office 9th Annual Pistol Competition at the Sheriff’s range in Springfield. Officer Richard Brattole of the Union County Sheriff’s Office won first place. Sgt. Sean Dougherty of the Union County Police Department took second place. Lt. Carlo Caparruva of the Union County Sheriff’s Office took third place. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski and Freeholder Rebecca L. Williams, Freeholder Andrea Staten and Freeholder Angel G. Estrada joined State Senator Nicholas Scutari and Union County Manager Ed Oatman at a performance of the renowned play, “The Colored Museum,” at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway. The Freeholder Board sponsored this special event as part of a nationwide effort to commemorate the 400th year anniversary of the first Africans who were forcefully brought to the United States as slaves. (Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)