Author: Web Site Administrator

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will present a free workshop, “Harness the Power of Google” on Thursday, September 20^th from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Liberty Hall Wagon Shed Building, located at 1003 Morris Avenue in Union Township.

“Non-profit organizations have a constant need for free resources that help them expand their reach,” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados. “The ‘Harness the Power of Google’ Workshop will introduce local cultural organizations to the current free Google tools available to them as well as equip them with the blueprint for leveraging these tools to increase their visibility and reach within our communities.”

The workshop is designed for arts, cultural and history organizations. Participants are invited to learn specific ways to use Google’s latest free tools to boost traffic to their organization’s website, increase audience engagement, and post events to increase their audience. Attendees will also learn about strategies to attract and manage online reviews, hear about voice search — a rapidly expanding portion of search queries, and more. Time permitting, the session may cover rudimentary basics of Google Ad Grants.

“This session will provide a terrific opportunity for non-profits to learn about current tools and techniques for promoting their cultural programs at no cost,” said Freeholder Bruce H. Bergen, liaison to the Union County Cultural and Heritage Programs Advisory Board.

Bruce Mishkin, the President of Adventix, will present the workshop. He brings fifteen years of experience in developing Google AdWords advertising campaigns for local and national businesses to his work at Adventix, a marketing and advertising agency specializing in helping arts organizations achieve success in the digital landscape. He is also an expert on local search engine optimization.

The workshop is funded in part by a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. It is presented through the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, in the Department of Parks and Recreation.

The workshop is free but pre-registration is required by September 19^th. 

To register, contact the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs by email at culturalinfo@ucnj.org or call 908-558-2550 (NJ Relay users dial 711). The Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs is located at 633 Pearl Street in Elizabeth. For more information on all programs and activities, visit online at ucnj.org/parks-recreation/cultural-heritage-affairs.

The Archery Range will be closed on Sunday, September 9^, 2018 from 9:00am – 2:00pm

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Recreation invites everyone to come out to the Trailside Nature & Science Center in Mountainside on Sunday, September 30 for Rockin the Reservation. Formerly known as Harvest Festival, this is a day of live music and hands on family friendly activities.

“Rockin the Reservation will provide families the opportunity to explore the Watchung Reservation while enjoying the music and many activities planned for the day,” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados.

Rockin the Reservation will run from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. with live country music featuring Big Hix, an exciting and fun country music tribute band, performing non-stop, high energy country hits. Also performing will be October Rose, a country duo from the New York/New Jersey area who bring passion, drive and determination to their music.

Along with music, the day will include plenty of other activities that residents have come to love at the Harvest Festival, including art demonstrations, interactive art and music, a petting zoo, pony rides, scarecrow building, a pumpkin patch, multi-cultural dancing, music demonstrations, food trucks, instruments and sensory trail tours.

Admission to Rockin the Reservation is $5, with children ages 7 and under admitted free of charge. There will be a fee charged for some activities.

Trailside Nature & Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside. For more information, call (908) 789-3670 or visit www.ucnj.org/fall.

Tickets for the 2018 Hayrides and Campfires event presented by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Department of Parks & Recreation will be available for purchase beginning Tuesday, September 4 at 8:30 a.m.

This year, tickets will again be sold online in addition to three locations throughout the county. All tickets must be purchased in advance, there will be no tickets sold on-site.

All ticket sales will be final, with no refunds or exchanges. The event includes the hayride, entertainment and hot chocolate and marshmallows to toast over a campfire.

The first Hayride and Campfire will take place on Friday, October 5 at the Warinanco Sports Center. That evening has also been designated as Military Appreciation Night. Rides will run from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.

Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside will host the remaining events. Hayrides and Campfires will be held on Sunday, October 7 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Friday, October 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Sunday, October 14 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and Friday, October 19 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

“The Hayrides and Campfires events are always among the most popular events in our parks, so those interested in participating should get their tickets early, either online or in person, and plan for a fun-filled evening to begin the fall,” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados.

Tickets are priced at $6.00 for Union County residents and $12.00 for non-residents. Group sales are limited to 15 tickets. To order tickets online, visit ucnj.org/tickets.

Tickets will be on sale at the following locations and times, beginning September 4:

• The Colleen Fraser Building, 300 North Avenue East in Westfield, Monday through Wednesday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Elizabeth Office, Union County Administration Building, 10 Elizabethtown Plaza, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Trailside Nature and Science Center, 452 New Providence Road, Mountainside, from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sunday through Saturday.

For further information, call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4900, Trailside Nature and Science Center at 908-789-3670 or visit the Union County website at ucnj.org.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to host GLAAD Media Institute’s LGBTQ accelerating acceptance training courses free for anyone who wants to build the core skills and techniques that influence positive cultural change.

Presented in collaboration with Union County’s Office of LGBTQ Services, GLAAD Media Institute will bring two of their signature courses to Union County. GLAAD’s Engagement 101 Telling Your Story: Messaging and Media Tools For Today’s Activists will be held at Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth on Friday, September 28 from 9:30AM until 4PM. GLAAD’s Engagement 202: Telling Your Story Through Social Media course will be held at Warinanco Sports Center in Roselle on Friday, October 19 from 10AM until 2PM. Registration is free and required online at https://www.glaad.org/institute. Register for one or both of the workshops.

“The Freeholder Board is honored to partner with GLAAD to bring their free training courses to empower LGBTQ individuals and allies in our community to champion inclusion and acceptance,” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados. “In today’s climate, we have to be progressive and aggressive in our efforts to support inclusion, understanding and acceptance.”

Using the best practices, tools, and techniques they have perfected over the past 30 years, the GLAAD Media Institute works to transform individuals into compelling storytellers, media-savvy navigators, and mighty ambassadors whose voices break through the noise and make change.

Join us on September 28th for Engagement 101. In this free course, participants will learn how to get a message of inclusion and acceptance across effectively in the mainstream media narrative about the LGBTQ community. Equipped with GLAAD’s Accelerating Acceptance data, the GLAAD Media Institute will work with you to reach and teach all about the LGBTQ community through a personal lens, yours. Topics include LGBTQ acceptance, understanding media mentality, speaking to your audience, messaging and framing the issue, social media basics, and interview techniques.

Join us on Friday, October 19 for Engagement 202. Designed for those who are starting to incorporate social media into their advocacy strategy, participants in this specialized course will receive a comprehensive overview of social media platforms, as well as leveraging social media for reaching expanded audiences, deeper storytelling, and accelerating acceptance. This free course will teach participants the best practices to make the most of the potential for a variety of social media platforms, while also carefully avoiding pitfalls that exist in the social media sphere.

“Sometimes the most effective way to influence change is by sharing stories of personal experiences,” said Freeholder Alexander Mirabella, liaison to the Union County LGBTQ Ad Hoc Committee. “The GLAAD courses are an important opportunity for LGBTQ individuals and allies to increase the impact of their voice to celebrate diversity, generate inclusion, foster acceptance and advance equality.”

“The GLAAD Media Institute has trained over 5000 advocates, activists, and allies, and we are excited to support the Freeholder’s work to accelerate acceptance for the LGBTQ community of Union County,” said Ross Murray, Senior Director for Education & Training at the GLAAD Media Institute. “We are looking forward to exciting training opportunities that can empower the local community to speak up for the values of acceptance and inclusion.”

GLAAD is a U.S. non-governmental media monitoring organization founded by LGBT people in the media. Before March 2013, the name “GLAAD” had been an acronym for “Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation”, but became the primary name due to its inclusiveness of bisexual and transgender issues.

Established as part of Chairman Granados’ 2018 Moving Union County Forward initiatives, the Office of LGBTQ Services, under the Division of Outreach and Advocacy in the Department of Human Services, is the first County government office of its kind in the State of New Jersey. It offers a platform for leadership and collaboration to support equality, and serves as a catalyst for advocacy, awareness and action on current and emerging issues that impact the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals.

For more information about the Office of LGBTQ Services, contact Danni Newbury, Coordinator, at 908-527-4742 or dnewbury@ucnj.org or visit ucnj.org/lgbtq.