Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholder Angel G. Estrada visit the Veterans Memorial Grove in Rahway River Park which is being refurbished. Missing trees are being replaced and the area around the memorial marker is being refurbished in the historic tree grove. They were joined by Union County Deputy Manager Amy Wagner, Union County Parks and Recreation Director Ron Zuber and Janna Williams of the Union County Office of Veterans Affairs. The project is part of Chairman Bergen’s UCHERO initiative. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
This morning, the blue spruce tree, donated by Miss Carol Guevarez of Linden, arrived at the Union County Courthouse Rotunda just in time for the Holiday season. The public is invited to view the tree, which will be on display until about the second week of January.
The tree will be the centerpiece of the annual “Christmas Carol Sing-along around the Rotunda Christmas Tree” on Friday, December 22nd. Hosted by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the sing-along features a visit from Santa Claus. All are invited to participate and share in the joy of the holiday season. The Union County Courthouse is located at 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth. (Photo by County of Union)
Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan and Undersheriffs Michael Frank and Amilcar Colon congratulate the Sheriff’s officers who participated in No Shave November and raised $6,200 for The New Jersey Veterans Network and The Prostate Cancer Foundation. No Shave November challenges participants to forgo shaving for the month in order to raise money for charity. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
Sponsored in part by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders through the UC Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, the Concord Singers will perform their holiday concert on Saturday evening, Dec. 9, in Summit.
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites residents to celebrate the season at a variety of festive events right here in Union County this month, with music ranging from light-hearted holiday favorites to the exalting sounds of Handel’s Messiah.
“Recognizing the importance of culture and the arts to our economy and quality of life, the Freeholder Board proudly supports the performing arts community in Union County,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, liaison to the Cultural and Heritage Programs Advisory Board.
Sponsored in part by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the following holiday programs received funding from the UC Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Department of Parks and Recreation through the Local Arts Grant Program or the Union County HEART (History, Education, Arts Reaching Thousands) Grant Program:
CONCERT The Celebration Singers present “Season of Lights” Friday, December 1 and Saturday, December 2 at 8 PM Don’t miss the joy of attending the annual holiday concert by Celebration Singers.
$20 ($15 for children & seniors)
St. Michael’s Church
40 Alden St., Cranford www.celebration-singers.org
THEATRE A Very Special (Holiday) Special Saturday, December 2 at 8 PM This all-original, old-fashioned variety show is in the style of traditional TV holiday specials. This “Very Special Special” includes a healthy serving of improv, spoofs of holiday songs, comic sketches and fun.
Tickets: $15–$20
Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre (Ensemble Theatre with Humor and Heart) Oakes Center
120 Morris Ave., Summit
908-514-9654 (for tickets: 800-838-3006) www.dreamcatcherrep.org
CONCERT Myth & Mystery – A Holiday Concert Saturday, December 9 at 7 PM The Concord Singers will present a program including choral works by Benjamin Britten, Lana Walter, Edward Elgar, Samuel Barber, Gabriel Faure and more — as well as some traditional carols.
$20 ($10 for children 12 & under)
Calvary Episcopal Church
31 Woodland Ave., Summit https://concordsingers.org/holiday-2017-myths-and-mystery/
CONCERT Handel’s Messiah presented by Summit Chorale Saturday, December 9 at 7:30 PM The complete classic work will be presented with chamber orchestra and soloists.
$20 in advance available online ($25 at the door / $10 for students)
St. John’s Lutheran Church
587 Springfield Ave., Summit www.summitchorale.org
FREE HOLIDAY CONCERT Crescent Concerts – Yuletide by Candlelight Saturday, December 16 at 5 PM The glow of candles will brighten Crescent Avenue sanctuary as the Crescent Singers present their 46th annual holiday concert as a gift to the community.
FREE
Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church
Watchung Ave. at East Seventh St., Plainfield
908-756-2468 www.crescentconcerts.org
CONCERT “Christmas Time in the City” PRISM Concert Extravaganza Saturday, December 16 at 7:30 PM This concert features the Continuo Arts Foundation’s choral ensembles and other local performance groups.
$20 adults ($10 students/seniors)
Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School Auditorium
272 Morris Ave., Summit
908-264-5324 www.continuoarts.com
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, through the Cultural and Heritage Programs Advisory Board and its Arts Grant Committee, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts have made funds available for support of the arts through a State/County Block Grant Partnership for non-profit arts and non-arts organizations located in, and serving the residents of Union County, that demonstrate a high degree of professionalism in producing arts activities. The program is administered by the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Department of Parks and Recreation.
All grant programs, including the Union County Local Arts Grant Program and the HEART Grant Program are competitive.
Artists, educators, civic and historical non-profit organizations that want information about next year’s gran opportunities can contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07202. Telephone: (908) 558-2550. NJ Relay users dial 711, or send E-mail: culturalinfo@ucnj.org.
Sponsored in part by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders through the UC Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, the Summit Chorale will present Handel’s Messiah on Saturday evening, Dec. 9.
A blue spruce from the home of Miss Carol Guevarez in Linden will be donated on December 4th and featured in the Union County Courthouse Rotunda for the holiday season.
“Everyone looks forward to seeing the decorated tree in the rotunda each holiday season,” said Freeholder Christopher Hudak, a resident of Linden. “On behalf of the Board of Freeholders, I would like to thank Miss Guevarez for her donation.”
The tree stands at 40 feet tall and has a sentimental meaning for Guevarez, a paramedic for Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Rahway. She said her family planted the tree 27 years ago in honor of her father.
“We planted the tree in honor of my father when he passed away,” said Guevarez. “It is a special tree and it turned out to be beautiful.”
On Monday morning, December 4th, a crew from the Union County Shade Tree Bureau will travel to Linden to cut the tree and load it onto a flatbed truck to be transported to the Union County Courthouse. A crane will lift the tree onto the courthouse steps and then it will be moved into the building.
Once inside the rotunda, the tree will be placed in a sturdy barrel stand weighed down with concrete. Workers will spend the next few days decorating the tree with many ornaments and lights.
The public is invited to view the tree, which will be on display until about the second week of January.
On Friday December 22nd, the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will host a Christmas sing-along around the tree with a visit from Santa Claus. All are invited to participate in this event, details of which will be finalized over the next week.
A veteran investigator who has served nearly a decade in the Union County Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Victims Unit today was the proud recipient of an Outstanding Law Enforcement Service Award from the New Jersey Sex Crimes Officers Association ahead of its 20th annual Sex Crimes Information Sharing Conference in Galloway Township, Atlantic County, acting Union County Prosecutor Thomas K. Isenhour announced Wednesday.
Lt. Patricia “Trish” Gusmano accepted the award from Prosecutor’s Office acting Chief of Detectives Vincent G. Gagliardi and Special Victims Unit Supervisor/Assistant Prosecutor Caroline Lawlor, in recognition of her years of excellence, dedication, and tireless efforts in investigations into sex crimes and human trafficking.
“I have had the opportunity to observe Lt. Gusmano’s work in many cases, and she is one of the most persistent and hardest-working investigators we have,” Lawlor said. “Many members of the Special Victims Unit have indicated that it was a pleasure to work alongside her, and they often seek her out for her vast knowledge and input on investigations. Her experience and talents are invaluable to newer assistant prosecutors and detectives.”
“Lt. Gusmano, since the start of her career with our Office, has been one of the most dedicated investigators in the State of New Jersey,” Chief Gagliardi added. “I am proud to call her a colleague, and today she received an honor that was truly deserved.”
As a sergeant in the Special Victims Unit, which annually handles approximately 500 to 600 referrals on incidents of alleged sexual and physical abuse of children, Gusmano was routinely assigned to handle an expansive and high-profile caseload.
One of her most notable recent investigations, launched in April 2016 and featured prominently in Prosecutor Isenhour’s written nomination for the Award, resulted in multiple first- and second-degree human trafficking charges filed against three defendants accused of using online ads to promote paid sex with underage victims in locations across Union and neighboring Essex counties. The investigation entailed the review of more than a thousand registration records from local motels, the filing of numerous subpoenas and preservation requests served for multiple social media sites, careful review of dozens of advertisements for correlation to known phone numbers and email addresses, and conducting interviews in an attempt to identify more victims. Lt. Gusmano spearheaded the investigation while still handling myriad other tasks, such as supervising other cases, fulfilling her on-call responsibilities, testifying in grand jury, and preparing a trial.
Earlier this year, Gusmano was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.
Condado de Union, NJ – Justo a tiempo para las compras navideñas y época de fiestas, la Junta de Legisladores del Condado de Union, les recuerda a los residentes que un nuevo mapa de transporte público está disponible gratis para ser enviado a los que lo soliciten. El mapa muestra todas las rutas de autobuses y ferrocaliles y sus conexiones en el área del Condado de Union.
El mapa fue desarrollado como parte del Plan Maestro de Transporte del Condado de Union en el 2016, en conjunto con Autoridad de Planificación de Transporte del Norte de New Jersey, quienes facilitaron los fondos para imprimir el mapa.
“Este nuevo Mapa de Transporte Público hace posible a los viajeros ver todas nuestras rutas de autobuses y ferrocariles de un vistazo,” dijo el Legislador Angel G. Estrada, quien es el Primer Vice Presidente de la NJTPA. “Esperamos que esto ayude a los residentes y visitantes a nuestro Condado a explorar todas las opciones durante esta temporada de fiesta.”
Este mapa de doble faz muestras todas las rutas, a la vez que hospitales, escuelas y aeropuertos en le área incluyendo las conexiones entre Elizabeth y Newark.
El Mapa de Transporte Público del Condado de Union está disponible en la página ucnj.org/transit.
Para recibir una copia gratis por correo puede enviar un correo electrónico a la Oficina de Información Pública del Condado de Union info@ucnj.org.
Estrada también alentó a los residentes y visitantes de visitar ucnj.org/connect.
Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen, Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Kenilworth Councilman Gerry Laudati met with Library Director Michael Maziekien at the Kenilworth Public Library where they spoke about the technology expansion and other improvements at the library funded with Union County Library Grants. Over the past three years, the County Freeholder Board has awarded nearly $19,000 in grants from golf fees administered through the Open Space Trust Fund to the library for various purchases. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
Las nominaciones son aceptadas hasta el 1ero de diciembre para el 26avo premio anual a las “Mujeres Destacadas.” Esta premiación
honra a las mujeres de diferentes ámbitos profesionales que han hecho un impacto a los residentes del Condado de Union.
“Con la celebración de los logros de las mujeres el programa de “Mujeres Destacadas” también realza las organizaciones que tienen un impacto enriquecedor en la comunidad del Condado de Union,” dijo el Legislador Presidente Bruce H. Bergen. “El proceso de nominación es una forma maravillosa para las empresas y las organizaciones sin fines de lucro de honrar a los dueños , gerentes, empleados o voluntarios.”
Además de las empresas, agencias gubernamentales y organizaciones sin fines de lucro cualquier residente puede también someter una nominación para el premio de “Mujeres Destacadas.”
Las mujeres pueden ser nominadas por sus logros en los diferentes campos de Artes, Humanidades, Empresarias, Servicio Comunitario, Educación, Gobierno, Medicina y Cuidado de Salud, Leyes y Defensa de la Mujer.
Las nominaciones están abiertas a las mujeres de 21 años en adelante, quienes viven, trabajan o son voluntarias en el Condado de Union.
Las ganadoras serán las invitadas de honor en la Cena de Gala que se celebra durante la primavera. Estas recibirán una Placa y una Reasolución de los Legisladores del Condado de Union reconociendo el impacto que han brindado a la Comunidad del Condado de Union.
Los premios de las Mujeres Destacadas son patrocinados por la Junta de Legisladores del Condado de Union, la Comisión de la Condición de la Mujer, y la Oficina de Asuntos de la Mujer del Condado de Union.
Todas las nominacones deben ser enviadas por correo a Jane O’Hara a 708 Newark Avenue, Westfield, NJ 0709 y deben ser recibidas el 1ero de diciembre, 2017.
ROSELLE, NJ—La Junta de Legisladores del Condado de Union y el Departamento de Parques y Recreación los invita a celebrar la temporada festiva en el Warianaco Sport Center el próximo domingo, 3 de diciembre.
El inicio de la temporada de fiesta junto a la familia y amigos se llevará a cabo en el nuevo modernizado Centro de Deportes del Parque Warinanco de 3 pm hasta las 7 pm. Patine en la nueva pista de patinaje ($4 por alquiler de patines), visite a Santa y Patine con sus ayudantes, cante villancicos, sientense junto al fuego, o meriende en el nuevo café. También habrán artesanías y se les pintarán las caras a los nños.
“Todos están bienvenidos a este evento especial en nuestro renovado centro de patinaje”, dijo el Presidente de la Junta de Legisldores Bruce Bergen.
Este evento es gratis, vengan y participen del espiritu de fiesta en el Parque Warinanco, situado en el 1 Park Drive, Warinanco Park, Roselle, New Jersey.
