Author: Web Site Administrator

Union County is seeking to contract a per-diem Forensic Nurse Examiner to perform medical forensic examinations on victims of sexual assault.

As a member of the County’s Sexual Assault Response Team, the Forensic Nurse Examiner (FNE) will work closely with law enforcement agents, confidential sexual violence advocates, and emergency room personnel. The FNE also will provide comprehensive and compassionate care to victims of assault.

This position requires dedication, flexibility, the desire to embrace evolving advances in forensics, and the ability to function independently.

Candidates must have an active New Jersey RN license with a minimum of two years of experience, ideally in emergency department nursing or in OB-GYN nursing. Specialized FNE certification is required but may be obtained and reimbursed after commitment.

Please contact Dorothy DiFabio, Union County SART/FNE Coordinator, at 908-558-6948 for further details

Union County Freeholders Linda Carter, Bette Jane Kowalski and Christopher Hudak congratulate the Foluik family from Cranford, the Chen family from Westfield and the Capasso sisters from Cranford on winning the scarecrow building contest at the 36th Annual Harvest Festival at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

That’s why we ask for anyone interested to participate in this Disaster Relief Supply Drive that will go towards helping those affected areas with a big emphasis on Puerto Rico due to the lack of electricity and resources being provided.

170 New Jobs Available For Union County Residents Through Workforce Innovation Business Center

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that the County’s Workforce Innovation Business Center is recruiting qualified Union County residents to fill 170 full and part-time positions at three prospective employers in Union County.

“We made the development of public-private partnerships a priority so we can maximize employment for our County residents,” said Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados, who is a liaison to the Workforce Development Board. “We’ve been able to create well over 1,500 new job opportunities over the past year for County residents with prospective employers and we look to forward to continuing to create even more opportunities through our partners in the private sector.”

Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen added:
“The Workforce Innovation Center has been a great success, and I encourage employers looking to hire in Union County to get in touch with us, and let us assist you in fulfilling your employment goals.”

The first employer, IHOP, is seeking to hire 20 Union County residents through the Workforce Innovation Business Center. Both full and part-time positions are available. Interested applicants are advised to attend an informational session on Tuesday, October 3, 10am at the Workforce Innovation Business Center at the Mills at Jersey Gardens Mall, 651 Kapkowski Road, Elizabeth. Applicants must also email their resume to isaias.rivera@ucc.edu and call Susan Gomez at 908-355-4444 to reserve a spot.

Available positions include servers, hosts and bus persons. Interested candidates must have customer service experience and a flexible schedule with the ability to work weekends.

The second employer is AirServ, a company that provides support to the airline industry. The company is seeking to hire candidates to fill 50 positions, including baggage handler, cabin cleaning, lavatory service agent, lobby agent, wheelchair agent and air terminal attendant. All jobs pay $10.10 an hour. Prospective candidates must be able to work weekends and holidays. Interested applicants should attend an informational session on Friday, October 6 at the Workforce Innovation Business Center. Pre-registration is required at https://ucnj.org/wdb/job-fairs-and-opportunities/. For additional information, please call 908-355-4444.

The third employer, GameStop, is seeking to fill 100 positions. Both full and part-time positions are available. An informational session will be held on Tuesday, October 10 at the Workforce Innovation Business Center. Available positions include store managers and sales associates. Salary will vary depending on experience, with a range of $9-13 an hour. All prospective candidates must have either supervisory and/or customer service and sales experience. Interested candidates should email their resume to isaias.rivera@ucc.edu stating their desired position and call 908-355-4444 to reserve a spot.

The Workforce Innovation Business Center is a partnership between the Freeholder Board, the Workforce Development Board and Union County College.

featuring speeches from Catiana Celentano, founder and owner of Let’s Play in Italian Language and Cultural Center in Scotch Plains, Nick Netta, Owner of Netta Architects In Mountainside and Dr. William Connell,  Seton Hall Professor and Italian Studies Historian

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announced that Union County’s ninth annual Columbus Day Flag Raising event is set for Friday, Oct. 6th, at 1 p.m., on the steps of the historic Union County Courthouse.

“This year, we have a very diverse group of speakers who will address the audience on some interesting cultural topics,” said Freeholder Alexander Mirabella, who is emceeing the event. “Italian-Americans continue to make extraordinary contributions to the rich, diverse fabric of  America—a country we all love, and who our ancestors helped discover and build.”

The keynote speakers are local business owners Catiana Celentano (“Let’s Play in Italian” language and cultural center in Scotch Plains), Nick Netta (founder and owner of Netta Architects in Mountainside), and Dr. William Connell from Seton Hall, an author, and a nationally-recognized historian on Italy.

“Let’s Play in Italian” language and cultural center presents a fun and an educational way for young children, adults, parents or caregivers to learn the Italian language and the Italian culture. The school is the only  state-licensed Italian educational school serving pre-K and kindergarten in New Jersey.

Since its founding in 1993 under Mr. Netta’s leadership and creative direction, Netta Architects have become a leading public sector design firm in Northern New Jersey, and has received numerous design awards. Under his direction, Netta Architects consistently achieves design excellence and has the unique opportunity to design a large number of landmark buildings.

The company has also left a significant footprint of its work in Union County, completing many major projects, including the Union County Family Courthouse (Cherry Street Annex), the Warinanco Park Sports and Skating Center, the Galloping Hill Clubhouse, Vo Tech West Hall, and Union County College expansion at Cranford.

 Mr. Netta maintains an active role in all projects and was as appointed by the Governor, to serve on the State Board of Architects which regulates the profession within the State of New Jersey. He has also served as a past President of that board.

Dr. Connell is the holder of the Joseph M. and Geraldine C. La Motta Chair in Italian studies at Seton Hall, and a leading specialist in the history of Italy and an authority on Renaissance Florence and Machiavelli, will also speak.  

Other scheduled speakers at the flag raising include: Union County Freeholder Al Mirabella, who is emceeing the event this year, County Manager Al Faella (who is being honored by the Elizabeth Chapter of UNICO as Man of the Year later this month),  Plainfields’ UNICO Founder Renato Biribin, Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition President Manny Alfano; and UNICO National Membership and Retention Director Anthony Bengivenga (also a business owner in Cranford).  Additionally, resolutions will be presented to all Chapters of UNICO in District X.

UNICO is the nation’s largest Italian American service organization whose chapters and members engage in promoting and defending Italian culture and heritage, as well as providing scholarships, engaging in community service and other philanthropic endeavors.

The courthouse is located at 2 Broad St. in Elizabeth at the corner of Rahway Avenue. In the event of rain, the program will be moved indoors to the County Courthouse Rotunda.

UNICO District X and Plainfields’ UNICO work to organize and co-sponsor the event.

Italian-style refreshments will be served after the program in the historic Union County Courthouse. Parking (pay) is available in the Midtown area at the J. Christian Bollwage Parking deck at Elizabethtown Plaza and Caldwell Place. A second deck is Elizabeth’s Parking Deck No. 6 on Jefferson Avenue and Dickinson Street—the entrance is on Dickinson Street. 

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Recreation invite youngsters ages 4 to 12 years old to participate in “Paint by the Pond.” This will be the second year for this interactive art project which will take place on Saturday, September 30 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the pond in Warinanco Park. The pond is located near the snack bar and basketball courts. This event will allow children to paint cardboard model houses and create art on poster board.

The “Paint by the Pond” project will teach families about the importance of recycling while encouraging children to paint on cardboard, creating art from materials usually thrown away.

“Last year’s ‘Paint by the Pond was a tremendous success,” said Union County Freeholder Angel G. Estrada. “This year we will be back at the pond at Warinanco Park for young artists to capture the glorious colors of autumn.”

For more information on this exciting event, please call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at (908) 527-4900.

Union Country Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski, Christopher Hudak, Vernell Wright and Alexander Mirabella joined Store Manager Dominic Romeo and Shopper Advocate Amber Russomano of the Shoprite in Clark for the store’s annual “Help Bag Hunger” event.

Cashiers collected donations for the Shoprite Partners in Caring Fund to help fill the shelves of local community food banks.

For more information about the Shoprite Partners in Caring visit www.shopritepartnersincaring.org/.

CarFit program for seniors to ensure road safety in Garwood; annual bike giveaway partnership with Dairy Queen in Plainfield for children

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders are announcing a pair of events—a CarFit event for seniors in Garwood, and a bike give away for children in Plainfield—over the next few weeks.

On Thursday, September 28^th , from 11:30 am to 3 pm, personnel from the Union County Police will partner with AAA to host the CarFit event at the Garwood First Aid Squad, located at 401 Second Avenue in Garwood. While this event is geared towards seniors, all drivers are welcome to attend and no appointment is necessary. The event will be held on a first come, first-serve basis.

“The Freeholder board would like to invite all senior drivers to attend this free event and ensure that their cars are properly adjusted for them,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “Our over-arching goal is to ensure road safety.”

CarFit is a national program designed to help seniors make sure that their vehicles are properly adjusted and safe to operate. The program also helps to increase senior drivers’ mobility in the community. At the event, a team of trained technicians will work with each participant to ensure they “fit” their vehicle properly for maximum comfort and safety. A CarFit check takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Then on Saturday, October 7, the County will also co-sponsor a bicycle and helmet giveaway event from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the Plainfield Dairy Queen, located at 1367 South Avenue in Plainfield. This is a free event open to the public. Approximately 100 bikes and helmets will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis to kids. This event is held quarterly by the Albanese family, owners of the Dairy Queen in Plainfield.

Both programs will be administered/assisted through the County’s Child Safety Seat unit.

On a related note, the Union County Freeholders would like all residents to know that as of September 1st, new legislation went into effect that has changed the regulations regarding the use of infant and child car seats in New Jersey. The previous law had an exemption which would allow an individual to say that they had been following the car seat manufacturer’s height and weight recommendations for the car seat that they were using. Under the new law, this exemption no longer exists. It is important to clarify the new rules to ensure that all parents have selected the appropriate car seat for their child.

These are the regulations under the new law:

• Children up to age 2 and weighing up to 30 pounds must be in a rear-facing car seat with a five-point harness.
• Children ages 2 to 4 weighing up to 40 pounds must be secured in either a rear-facing or a forward-facing car seat with a five-point harness in the back of a vehicle.
• Children ages 4 to 8 are required to remain in a car or booster seat in the back seat of a vehicle until they are at least 8 years old or 57 inches tall.
• Children age 8 and older are permitted to sit in a regular seat using a seat belt. Although New Jersey law does not specify at what age children can move from the back to the front seat, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children should remain in the back seat until at least the age of 13.

For more information on the County’s Child Safety seat program, please go to: https://ucnj.org/public-safety/division-of-police/child-safety-seat-inspection-program/

The Union County Family Justice Center (FJC) held its grand opening Wednesday afternoon, marking the beginning of a new era in how services are provided to victims of domestic violence in Union County.

The Union County Board of Freeholders awarded a $25,000 “Senior Focus” grant to the Township of Clark that was used to purchase a variety of exercise equipment for the township’s Senior Fitness Center  at the Municipal Building on 430 Westfield Avenue. The grant helped fund new elliptical, rowing, and treadmill machines among other purchases. 

L. to R.  Clark Councilman At-Large Bill Smith, Clark Recreation Director Ralph Bernardo, Freeholder Vernell Wright, Council Vice President (at-Large) Alvin Barr, and Lori Banta, Clark Senior Fitness Recreation Director.