Author: Web Site Administrator

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.

# #

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.

#  #

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.

# #

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)

Freeholder Andrea Staten attended the 1st Annual Oktoberfest in Roselle Park and visited with Mayor Joseph Signorello and Second Ward Councilman Joe Petrosky.​

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office is joining forces with the Union County Human Relations Commission to host a forum on elder abuse prevention as part of a continuing series of public events presented as part of the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General’s 21-County, 21^st-Century Community Policing Project, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo and Commission Co-Chairs Mark Spivey and Jo Ann Hamilton jointly announced Wednesday.

The forum is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, October 28, at Union Public Library, 1980 Morris Avenue in Union. Admission is free, and citizens of all ages, caregivers, as well as local representatives of social service agencies and other organizations serving seniors, are encouraged to attend.  

A panel of subject matter experts will serve as the centerpiece of the forum, with Prosecutor’s Office Special Prosecutions Unit Supervisor Melissa Spagnoli moderating. Panel participants will also include New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs Outreach Director Melanie Hazim, New Jersey Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Detective Danielle Han, Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection Director Frances Benson, and Peter Jacob, LSW, of Jewish Family Service of Central New Jersey, which is co-sponsoring the forum along with the Union Public Library. Jacob is also the Program Manager for Project CEASE: Combating Elder Abuse through Services and Education, developed by the Jewish Family Service of Central New Jersey and the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ to promote education about elder abuse. Also appearing on the panel will be Prosecutor’s Office Assistant Prosecutor Patricia Cronin and Detective Dennis Donovan, both of whom have years of experience investigating and prosecuting incidents of elder abuse.

“Attorney General Gurbir Grewal has shined a light on elder abuse here in New Jersey. Often, victims of these heinous crimes suffer in silence. When law enforcement, service providers, and community leaders join together to publicly discuss prevention of elder abuse crimes, we break that silence,” said Ruotolo.

“This program is designed to provide inspirational and interactive dialogue to identify issues, strategies, and resources to protect our senior citizens from the debilitating results of elder abuse, which can range from financial loss to physical and emotional injury, pain, anguish, and even death,” Hamilton added.

Elder abuse can present in the form of physical, emotional, psychological, and/or sexual abuse, and it can also feature patterns of exploitation, neglect, confinement, and/or abandonment, according to the National Council on Aging, which reports that while 1 in 10 American adults age 60 or over have experienced such abuse, it is estimated that only 1 in every 14 cases is actually reported to authorities. Perpetrators can include children, other family members, and spouses, as well as staff at nursing homes, assisted living centers, and other facilities.

Light refreshments will be served at the forum. Free parking is available, and the facility is wheelchair-accessible. Pre-registration is requested, but not required; register online at www.ucnj.org/uchrc, or for more information, please call 908-527-4621.

Union County has a High Wind Warning until 6pm tonight (Thursday).  Highest winds could be late morning/early afternoon.  Wind Gusts could be as high as 50 MPH.