Author: Web Site Administrator

Union County residents seeking reliable information about services for adults age 60 and older can come to convenient locations throughout the County and speak in person with experienced staff from the Union County Aging and Disability Resource Connection, a division of the Department of Human Services.

The community visits are scheduled every month through Union County’s ASK (Aging Services Kiosk) program. In June, the ASK program will come to public libraries in Westfield, Plainfield, Clark, Garwood, Elizabeth and Union, and to the Rahway Senior Center.

“Our goal is to help senior residents access the resources they need to stay connected with their communities,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “The ASK program helps seniors, their families, and their caregivers get expert guidance in person, in a comfortable setting close to home.”

Guidance offered through the ASK program includes home delivered meals, respite care, home care, adult day care, and support services for caregivers.

Assistance with completing applications and forms is also provided.

All Union County residents are welcome to attend any ASK event. Please note that due to a staff vacancy, bilingual assistance at the ASK events is temporarily unavailable. The dates and locations for June are:

Monday, June 3
Westfield Memorial Library
550 E. Broad Street
Westfield, 07090
10:00 – 12:00

Thursday, June 13
Rahway Senior Center
1306 Esterbrook Avenue
Rahway, 07065
10:00 – 12:00

Friday, June 14
Plainfield Public Library
800 Park Avenue
Plainfield, 07060
1:00 – 12:00

Monday, June 17
Clark Public Library
303 Westfield Avenue
Clark, 07066
10:00 – 12:00

Thursday, June 20
Garwood Public Library
411 Third Avenue
Garwood, 07027
10:00 – 12:00

Tuesday, June 25
Union Public Library
1980 Morris Avenue
Union, 07083
11:30 – 1:30

Friday, June 28
Elizabeth Public Library – Elmora Branch
740 W. Grand Street
Elizabeth, 07202
10:00 – 12:00

The Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection is modeled on a national initiative aimed at promoting wellness, independence, dignity and choice. In addition to ASK and other outreach events, printed information is available in English and Spanish.

For more information about the Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection, visit the Department of Human Services online at ucnj.org/departments/human-services or call 888-280-8226 (toll free), 908-527-4870, or 908-527-4858. Spanish speakers may call 908-527-4863. 

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders presented Rhythm and Blues by the Brook music festival at Cedar Brook Park in Plainfield. They were joined by Assemblywoman Linda Carter and members of the Plainfield City Council. The annual free outdoor concert featured Sheila E., Thomas McClary and the Commodores Experience, Dean Shot and the Solidsenders tribute to Howlin’Wolf and Plainfield’s own Bindi Liebowitz of NBC’s The Voice, Season 11. (Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union) 

Union County Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski, Freeholders Sergio Granados and Angel G. Estrada and Union County Surrogate James LaCorte joined Pedro Monteiro, Consul-General of Portugal in Newark, and Portuguese American Leadership Council of the United States (PALCUS) Vice Chair Katherine Soares at the first annual Union County Portuguese flag raising ceremony in commemoration of the Day of Portugal, Camões and the Communities. The Portuguese-American Community will be celebrating what has come to be known as “Portugal Day” throughout the month of June with various celebrations in several municipalities. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders in partnership with the Union County Juneteenth Planning Committee is pleased to announce the inaugural Juneteenth Flag raising ceremony on Wednesday, June 19 at 5:00 p.m. in front of the Union County Court house, located at 2 Broad Street, in Elizabeth.

“Juneteenth marks the date when enslaved Africans in America got word about the Emancipation Proclamation,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “In Union County, we are proud to raise the Juneteenth Flag to acknowledge this day in history and honor the long struggle of African-Americans for freedom.”

Juneteenth is recognized as a commemoration of the effective end to slavery in the United States. While President Lincoln delivered his famous Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, many slave owners in Southern states failed to inform their slaves of the landmark decision.

Freeholder Rebecca Williams said: “Juneteenth is a date on which I acknowledge the idea of justice delayed due to the pecuniary interests of slaveholders in the cotton industry in particular. I cannot underscore enough Galveston’s importance as a major port city during the slave trade, as well as Texas as a cotton empire built on the bodies of its enslaved. Juneteenth came about not because it took two months for word to get to Texas about the end of the war, but because the cotton industry needed the bodies of the enslaved blacks to ensure that there would be a crop that year. My father was born and raised in Galveston, and I have dozens of family members who still live there, so I take Juneteenth very personally. Although it has taken far longer for African Americans to be given equal protection under the law, this date marks the beginning of that journey.”

Freeholder Sergio Granados added: “I take great pride in recognizing our diverse cultures within the County and am honored to celebrate the strength of families in the spirit of freedom. “

It took until June 19, 1865 – over two years after Lincoln’s address freeing slaves – for Union soldiers to ride into Galveston, Texas and announce the abolition of slavery there.

Hence, Juneteenth is a celebration of the emancipation of all slaves. Every year around June 19, people participate in parades and cultural events to honor the true end of slavery. On June 22, 2019, the Juneteenth Planning Committee will host their 5^th Annual Juneteenth Freedom Ball at the Renaissance Hotel located in Elizabeth.

For more information, contact Nathalie Hernandez, Coordinator of the Office of Community Engagement & Diversity at nahernandez@ucnj.org or 908-527-4880.

The Union County Freeholder Board would like to remind you about what you can do when severe weather—such a tornado—may strike. Please note the following:

• Stay Weather-Ready: Continue to listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay updated about tornado watches and warnings.
• At Your House: If you are in a tornado warning, go to your basement, safe room, or an interior room away from windows. Don’t forget pets if time allows.
• At Your Workplace or School: Follow your tornado drill and proceed to your tornado shelter location quickly and calmly. Stay away from windows and do not go to large open rooms such as cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums.
• Outside: Seek shelter inside a sturdy building immediately if a tornado is approaching. Sheds and storage facilities are not safe.
• In a vehicle: Being in a vehicle during a tornado is not safe. The best course of action is to drive to the closest shelter. If you are unable to make it to a safe shelter, either get down in your car and cover your head, or abandon your car and seek shelter in a low lying area such as a ditch or ravine.

For more information visit https://www.weather.gov/safety/tornado-during