County of Union, New Jersey
Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen, Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski, Christopher Hudak and Vernell Wright joined Rahway Mayor Samson Steinman, Kenilworth Councilman Peter Corvelli and Chris Scherm of the Human Rights Campaign at the Union County PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic, celebrating marriage equality in New Jersey at Rahway River Park in Rahway. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
Show features impressive lineup of R&B, House, and Rap artists, including Aly-Us, Pamela Long, Allure, Judah Priest and Rahway’s Ny’a, to run from 5-8 p.m., sponsored by Union County Freeholders and City of Rahway
The Union County Performing Arts Center is presenting the Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert, featuring a card of nationally known, award-winning musical artists, on Saturday October 1st, from 5-8 p.m.
The show, which is being sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the City of Rahway, features platinum-winning artists Aly-Us and Pamela Long from Total, gold-winning artists Ny’a and Allure, Julia Robertson and Norm Adams, Judah Priest, Kenny Black, High-Five, and the Apostolic Center’s band and choir. Tickets for the general admission show are $20 and may be purchased in advance at www.ucpac.org. All proceeds from the show will be used to benefit Hurricane victims in Texas and Florida.
“It is all about coming together to help our fellow Americans who need it the most in Texas and Florida,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen. “We thank the artists for performing, and we urge our residents to come out and support the relief effort, and have a good time while doing so.”
Mayor Samson Steinman, who is also involved in supporting the show, thanked Rahway’s own recording star, Ny’a, for organizing the concert and bringing the artists together, and hailed the program to help disaster victims.
“Our Country has experienced back-to-back devastating weather events, and it has been said that hurricanes do not discriminate in their path of destruction,” Steinman said. “We are coming together to lift our hearts, raise funds and show our compassion for our fellow Americans in need. There is no finer way than to do than through music, a celebration of our culture and American way of life.”
Felice Twaddle, President of the Board of Directors at UCPAC added:
“I am pleased that we are able to come together for a night of great entertainment to benefit those that were affected by the damages of hurricanes Harvey and Irma. My sincere thanks to all the artists that have graciously donated their time to make this event happen.”
Artist Profiles
Aly-Us achieved stardom with their 1992 hit single “Follow Me.” This song became one of the first “house” songs to appear on the radio, and subsequently helped catapult house music into the main stream.
Pamela Long is best remembered as the voice in the New Jersey R&B trio Total. Her lyrics helped fuel various hits throughout the 90s, including: “What You Want” (Featuring Mase), “Kissing You”, and “Can’t You See” (featuring The Notorious B.I.G.). Long’s chorus on the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize”, helped elevate the song to the #1 spot on Billboard Hot 100, while simultaneously solidifying it as one of the 50 greatest rap songs of all time.
With two number one singles on the R&B and club charts, Rahway native, Ny’a, has amassed a following both statewide and around the world. Her debut album Embrace sold over half a million records. Currently, Ny’a has a new single, “Mend,” which features Kenny Black.
Allure is a New York based R&B group currently comprised of Alia Davis, Lalisha Sanders and Akissa Mendez. In the 1990s, Allure’s single “All Cried Out” dominated the airwaves and soon reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Most recently the group has signed with Bridge Works/Interscope records and released their single entitled “Butterflies.”
Julia Robertson achieved fame as a member of the female R&B group Ex-Girlfriend. Her hit singles include “Why Can’t You Come Home,” and “You (You’re The One for Me),” Norm Adams first discovered his skills as a young singer in church. Over the years, he has struck success with both the soca-infused single “Love Me,” as well as “Stretch Ya Neck”. Collectively, Julia Robertson and Norm Adams have worked together to perform the hit ballad “Body Rush.”
Judah Priest is an affiliated act of the Wu-Tang Clan, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest hip hop groups of all time. Most recently, Judah Priest released an album titled The Day After Tomorrow.
Kenny Black Jr., aka The Music Machine is a singer, songwriter and producer whose music crosses a variety of genre’s including R&B, gospel and country.
Hi-Five is an American R&B quintet based in Waco, Texas. Hi-Five had a #1 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 in the early 1990s with “I Like the Way”.
Local Spiritual Group, The Apostolic Center Band and Choir, are based out of the Word of Life Apostolic Center on Elm Avenue in Rahway.
The Union County Performing Arts Center is located at 1601 Irving St in Rahway, NJ and is easily accessible to major roads and public transportation.
Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen, Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Vernell Wright joined Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan in welcoming Sgt. Vincent Detrolio as guest speaker at the Union County POW/MIA Remembrance Day ceremony outside the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. Sgt. Detrolio, a former Union County Undersheriff, served with the US Army’s 1st Cavalry during the war in Vietnam.
The annual event is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders to honor and remember prisoners of war and those missing in action (POW/MIA). The National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed each year on the third Friday of September.
The Bayonne Bridge will be closed this weekend, and lane closings are planned for the George Washington Bridge and Holland Tunnel this weekend and/or next week for ongoing construction and repair projects.
Bayonne Bridge:
Holland Tunnel:
George Washington Bridge:
To receive real time traffic updates, travelers should register for Bridge and Tunnel Alerts at www.paalerts.com, call 511 or visit www.511NY.org or www.511NJ.org.
Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and the Freeholder Board welcomed Dr. Mohammad Ali Chaudry of the New Jersey Interfaith Coalition to share the “Stand Up for the Other” pledge during tonight’s Freeholders meeting in Elizabeth. The pledge to “Stand Up for the Other” calls on everyone to challenge bigotry in any form. The Freeholder Board took the “Stand Up for the Other” pledge. For more information about the pledge, visit www.standupfortheother.org. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados joined Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, Union County College President Dr. Margaret McMenamin and students at the opening of the college’s Hispanic Heritage Month and Hispanic Serving Institution Week Celebration at the Union County College Cranford campus. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
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.
A joint venture of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, YWCA Union County, and other partner organizations, the approximately 2,000 square-foot Center is located on the second floor of the newly constructed Union County Courthouse Cherry Street Annex in downtown Elizabeth.
The federally endorsed FJC model provides for a one-stop, community-based approach to enhance the safety and welfare of domestic violence victims while ensuring that they also receive the maximum protections available under the law. The Union County FJC is the third to open in New Jersey, as the Essex County FJC opened in 2010 and Morris County opened its Center last year. There are more than 75 FJCs currently in operation nationwide.
“The County of Union and the Freeholder Board has an established record of providing critical assistance to victims of domestic violence through programs such as our Rape Crisis Center and to children in need through the Prosecutor’s Child Advocacy Center,” Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders Chairman Bruce H. Bergen said. “With the advent of the Family Justice Center, we are proud to join in the effort to create an innovative, one-stop location that will provide a comprehensive response and place to access services for victims of violence and their families.”
Funding for the creation of the Union County FJC and the provision of physical space in the Cherry Street Annex were approved by the Freeholder Board last year, as the County contracted with the YWCA for it to manage and coordinate the Center’s day-to-day operations.
Services to be offered at the Center include counseling, case management, court advocacy, and legal assistance, as well as referrals to a range of additional services in areas such as medical care, mental health, housing, rental aid, employment, immigration services, and more. On-site partner organizations at the Center will include Central Jersey Legal Services, Partners for Women and Justice, PROCEED Inc., the Prosecutor’s Office’s Domestic Violence Unit and Office of Victim/Witness Advocacy, and the YWCA, while off-site partners will include HomeFirst Interfaith Housing & Family Services and Trinitas Regional Medical Center.
“Family Justice Centers are a best practice in the field of domestic violence. For the YWCA Union County, as we approach our 40th consecutive year of providing services to victims, the opening of this Family Justice Center is truly a significant milestone,” YWCA Union County Chief Executive Officer Janice C. Lilien said. “We are extremely happy to be able to provide this next level of comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence in Union County, and to partner with the County, the Prosecutor’s Office, and other community agencies in doing so, and we hope that this program will strengthen the safety net for victims and help reduce domestic violence in Union County.”
Municipal police departments in Union County handle several thousand domestic violence calls annually, making for an average of about 10 every day. But only a fraction of those cases make their way through the criminal justice system, as victims often are financially dependent on their abusers and hesitant to participate in the legal process.
According to the San Diego-based Family Justice Center Alliance, jurisdictions in which FJCs are introduced have gone on to report reductions in domestic violence-related homicides ranging from about 45 to 95 percent. Nearly 20 percent of homicides that took place in Union County during the last five full calendar years were related to domestic violence – including several cases in which victims had previously obtained temporary restraining orders against their killers.
“Today’s ceremony marks the culmination of a vision through which many people and organizations came together to embrace the goal of making a terrible situation easier for some of our most vulnerable victims of crime,” acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park said. “It is my expectation and hope that the Union County Family Justice Center will come to be seen as a sanctuary that can help create a better life for these victims.”
For more information about the Union County FJC, or to inquire about its services, please call 908-527-4980.
Union County Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski, Linda Carter, Alexander Mirabella and Vernell Wright joined Union County Manager Alfred Faella at the Union County Means Business Expo at Union County’s new Warinanco Park Sports Center in Roselle. The Expo is designed to help local businesses and entrepreneurs build their networks and grow their brands in a stylish, contemporary environment. For more information about Union County Means Business visit ucnj.org/ucmb or contact Deana Mesaros at 908-659-7412 or dmesaros@ucnj.org (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to welcome more than twenty LGBTQ advocacy and ally organizations to the first Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic, celebrating marriage equality in New Jersey, this Saturday, September 16 at Rahway River Park in Rahway from Noon until 5:00 p.m.
“All families are invited to join LGBTQ family equality advocates and allies from all over the Garden State in the park on Saturday to celebrate the strength of our diversity and to honor the great strides we’ve made in the movement for equality,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.
LGBTQ family and marriage equality advocacy and ally organizations will be set up on site all day with general information, as well as support and networking resources. Some of the advocacy and ally organizations registered for the event include:
CASA of Union County, Inc.
Human Rights Campaign (Greater NY / New Jersey)
Hyacinth AIDS Foundation
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency
Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central, & Southern NJ
Prevention Links
Rahway Family Success
Social Justice Matters, Inc.
Union County College Gay Straight Alliance
Union County Office on Women
Union County Sheriff’s Office
Union County Youth Services
WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
YWCA Union County
A celebration of all families, the free Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic will include arts and crafts (featuring a “LOVE Makes a Family” poster making station), inflatable bounce houses for all ages, face painting, music and much more.
The Family Equality Rally will kick off at 1:00 P.M. with special guest speakers as well as powerful renditions of songs that celebrate unity and equality by the voices of Union County’s own Mystic Vision Players. Speakers include local elected officials as well as representatives from the State of New Jersey Division of Children Protection and Permanency, Union County College’s Gay Straight Alliance, and Human Rights Campaign (Greater NY / New Jersey). Parents and children are encouraged to show family Pride with a sign or banner.
Esteemed children’s music band, Michael and the Rockness Monsters will join in the day’s celebration with a live family concert starting at 2:30 P.M.
Family field day team games will kick off at 3:30 P.M. Families and individuals of all ages (adults, teens, and children are all welcome) interested in participating in the field day competition should register online at ucnj.org/Pride so that teams can be formed.
Families are invited to pack a bag lunch and head out to the park with blankets and lawn chairs for an afternoon of fun. Food trucks will also be on site for those who wish to purchase lunch.
In the event of inclement weather the Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic will be held at the Warinanco Sports Center, Warinanco Park in Elizabeth/Roselle.
The Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders with additional support from WellCare Health Plans, Inc., Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar (North Plainfield), CASA of Union County, PepsiCo (Piscataway), ShopRite (Clark), Sam’s Club, Smarties Candy Company, Hillside Candy, and Fusion D’Lite (Garwood).
For more information visit ucnj.org/Pride, or find the Union County Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic event page at Facebook.com/CountyOfUnion, or call the Union County Office of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4900.
Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Vice Chairman Sergio Granados present a resolution to Marc and Lauren Weissberg and their sons Reid and Holden of Springfield commending “Team Weissberg” on their efforts to raise awareness about Dup15q Syndrome and the efforts of the Dup15q Alliance.
Dup15q Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes an individual to have extra genetic material from chromosome 15, causing a variety of symptoms, from autism to low muscle tone to cognitive impairment and seizure disorders.
The Freeholder Board also extends its best wishes for the success of the September 16, 2017 Hope for Holden Benefit for the Dup15q Alliance. For information about the benefit, please visit www.dup15q.org/events/fundraisers/hope-for-holden.
(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)