Author: Web Site Administrator

Union County proudly invites families to lace up your sneakers for field day events at the County’s first Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic, celebrating marriage equality in the State of New Jersey, on Saturday, June 17 at Rahway River Park in Rahway from Noon until 4:00 p.m. with the family-friendly field day competition starting at 2:00 p.m.

“All families are invited to join LGBTQ family equality advocates and allies from throughout the state to come out to the park and celebrate family and marriage equality,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “The Freeholder Board is proud to include activities for family members of all ages to join in the day of fun and celebration.”

During Union County’s first Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic, right in the middle of all the music, arts and crafts, bounce house fun and bubble fun, field day favorites will be taking over the outfield at Rahway River Park by red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple family teams.

A great way to make new friends and share a ton of laughs with family, registration for the family-friendly field day competition is open now through Monday, June 5^th. Register today at ucnj.org/pride.

Teams will be announced on the day of the event. Participating families will be grouped by color (red team, orange team, yellow team, green team, blue team, purple team) – teams will be made up of several families. Each team will participate in each activity, such as the three-legged race and the egg relay. Ranked first through sixth, the team with the lowest score at the end of the day will bring home the rainbow. 

Please note that registration is not required to attend the Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic and participate in the day’s activities – registration is only requested to participate in the field day family-friendly competition so that teams may be formed.

This free family-friendly event invites LGBTQ family equality advocates and allies from all over the Garden State to come out to the park and celebrate the strength of our diversity, and to honor the great strides we’ve made in the movement for equality.

In 2013, New Jersey became the 16th state with marriage equality, granting same-sex couples the security of marriage in New Jersey. Since the federal marriage equality ruling in 2015, thousands of same-sex couples have married state-wide and across state lines. Sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the free Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic event aims to reach beyond the Union County borders and invites all families across the state to join us to celebrate family and marriage equality.

A celebration of all families, Union County’s first Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic will feature music, arts and crafts, family field day team games, inflatable bounce houses, playground fun, and many other family activities. A family equality rally will kick off at 1:00 p.m. with special guest speakers and performances. Esteemed children’s music band, Michael and the Rockness Monsters will close out the day’s celebration with a live family concert in the park. So pack a picnic and head out to the park!

Families are invited to visit the vendor and resource tables for giveaways and information. Equality and family advocacy organizations will also set up tables alongside the Freeholder Board Information van with general information, and support and networking resources.

For more information visit ucnj.org/Pride, or find the UC Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic event page at Facebook.com/CountyOfUnion, or call the Union County Office of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4900.

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The Freeholder Board is pleased to announce a new round of jobs being offered for County residents through the Union Workforce Innovation Business Center. Francesca’s Collection, a boutique store at the Jersey Gardens Mall is hiring for 20 positions. For more information, please click on the flier or call 908-355-4444.

Residents of Union County who are 60 years of age or older are invited to register for and exhibit an original work of art completed within the last three years in the annual Union County Senior Citizens Art Exhibit. Entrants may be either amateur/non-professional or professional artists.

The exhibit will be held in the Atrium of the Elizabethtown Gas Company, Liberty Hall Center, 1085 Morris Avenue, in Union, from May 30 to July 10, 2017. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, May 17.

All participating artists are invited to attend a reception in the Atrium on Wednesday, June 7, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., including live music and refreshments. The reception is an ideal opportunity to meet other artists.

“We’re delighted by the wide array of beautiful artwork created by senior artists in our county,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, liaison to the Cultural and Heritage Programs Advisory Board.

Artwork entered will be judged by a panel of professional artists. Awards will go to first, second, third place in each category, with honorable mentions as well. First Place winners in all categories will go on to compete in September at the New Jersey State Senior Citizens Art Show in East Windsor.

Any person who meets at least two of the following criteria is considered professional: a) sold the type of art entered in the exhibition through commercial channels; b) exhibited in professional galleries for two or more years; c) had work selected in two or more juried shows; d) has held professional membership in a guild or association.

The 11 categories of eligible work are: oil painting; acrylic painting; watercolor (including gouache); pastel (including chalk, charcoal and oil pastel); drawing (including drawings with pencil, pen, ink, graphite); mixed media (combines two or more media, no one of which clearly predominates; includes collage and assemblage); printmaking (etching, engraving, lithograph, woodcut, monoprint, monotype, silkscreen, etc.); sculpture (three dimensional, carved, or constructed in any medium, abstract or figurative, painted or unpainted); craft (one-of-a-kind creations only; no kits or molds; includes jewelry and pottery); digital/computer art (art generated using software; excludes digital photography); and photography (traditional or digital).

Hanging artwork, crafts and photos may not exceed 28,’’ nor be less than 10” in any dimension, including matte and frame. Sculpture or 3-D crafts may not exceed 20” in any dimension (measurements include any base for the sculpture). All work must be properly labeled and delivered “show-ready” with screw eyes and wiring ready for hanging. Where necessary, pictures must be protected with Plexiglas, glass, Mylar or other clear material. Plexiglas is strongly recommended, and required on pieces exceeding 24 inches.

For complete details and online application form, visit www.ucnj.org/senior-art-show. To receive an application by mail or email, call Martha Sturm, Senior Arts Coordinator, at the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 908-558-2550, or email culturalinfo@ucnj.org. Relay users dial 711. Completed applications may be: mailed to Senior Art Show, Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl St., Elizabeth, NJ 07202; or faxed to 908-558-2652; or scanned and emailed to msturm@ucnj.org.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders would like to remind you of several free recycling events coming up in May.

On Sunday, May 7th, there will be a Household Hazardous Waste Program at the Springfield Pool, located at 44 Morrison Road in Springfield. The event will be held from 9 am to 2pm. Items for drop off include old pesticides & herbicides, pool chemicals, gasoline, oil-based paints, deck stain, fluorescent bulbs and propane tanks.

Union County will host a Mobile Paper Shredding Event on Saturday, May 20th at Nokia located at 600 Mountain Avenue in New Providence. The event will run from 9 am to 1 pm or until the truck(s) get filled. Residents can bring up to four bags of confidential documents for shredding.

Union County’s Scrap Metal Recycling program also continues in May. The events are the first Thursday and Third Saturday of each month so Thursday, May 4th and Saturday, May 20th.

There are two (2) locations in Union County for residents to drop off their metal for recycling, one in Cranford and Rahway. All locations will be open from 9 am to 12 pm. Residents can drop off old appliances, microwaves, air conditioners, and metal lawn furniture to name a few.

Please visit www.ucnj.org/recycling for more information or directions.

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The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to present Selected Paintings by adult students from the art studio of the JCC of Central NJ in Scotch Plains. The Freeholders Gallery is located on the 6^thfloor of the Union County Administration Building, Elizabethtown Plaza, in downtown Elizabeth. Gallery hours are 9 am to 5 pm, weekdays. The exhibit will be displayed through May 24, 2017.

The exhibit presents diverse acrylic works painted by Allie Cohen, Susan Ebner, Sally Fenichel, Lydia Fogelman, Arlene Klemow, Vera I. Lasser and Laura Queller, in a class taught by artist Debbie Livingston at the JCC. The students range in age from their 30s to their 70s.

Most of those whose work is displayed had little to no previous art training before taking Debbie Livingston’s class. Each session begins with a “learning to see” exercise, and provides a relaxed creative atmosphere.

Many of the paintings are presented in sets, as a series of triptychs.

“These evocative paintings reflect each artist’s own unique style and vision,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, liaison to the Union County Cultural and Heritage Advisory Board.

The JCC offers a wide range of programs for people of all ages. For more information about the JCC of Central NJ, visit www.jccnj.org.

For further information, or to learn more about exhibiting at the Freeholders Gallery, contact the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07202; telephone, 908-558-2550; or email culturalinfo@ucnj.org. NJ Relay users may dial 711.

Union County residents age 16 and older can contact the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation Department for information about becoming a certified Lifeguard this summer at the Walter Ulrich Memorial Pool in Rahway.

“Generations of Union County residents have enjoyed working as lifeguards while gaining valuable experiences for college applications and resumes,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “The Freeholder Board is proud to continue offering this opportunity to residents in search of a rewarding summer experience.”

Applicants must be 16 years of age or older by completion of their training.  The starting pay is $11.00 per hour.

The 2017 season begins on June 24 and ends on September 4.

To find out about certification and physical requirements, email the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at Warinanco@ucnj.org or call 908-298-7849 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholders Angel G. Estrada and Bette Jane Kowalski joined Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage, Union County Manager Alfred Faella, Union County Sheriff Joe Cryan, Assemblyman Jamel Holley and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano at a press conference regarding possible harmful cuts to Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) by the federal government.

Also in attendance were Elizabeth Council President Carlos Torres, Councilman Kevin Kiniery, Kaitlin McGuinness from US Senator Cory Booker’s office, Zachary Rynar from US Senator Robert Menendez’s office, Elizabeth Director of Planning and Community Development Eduardo Rodriguez and Linda Flores-Tober, Executive Director of the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless.

The Community Development Block Grant, one of the longest-running programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, funds local community development activities such as affordable housing, anti-poverty programs, and infrastructure development.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholders Christopher Hudak and Angel G. Estrada present a resolution to Michele Dabal, Sue Quiroga and Elizabeth Stamler of NJ Sharing Network recognizing April as National Donate Life Month in Union County. NJ Sharing Network, based in New Providence, is the non-profit organization responsible for the recovery and placement of donated organs and tissue for those in need of a life-saving transplant. For more information, visit www.njsharingnetwork.org. 

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that sixteen Union County organizations will receive a total of $22,000 from the 2017 Union County History Grants Program, made possible from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State. These grants will be used to support special projects or general operating expenses for the county based non-profit history organizations and units of local government, including libraries and schools.

“This grant program gives us the opportunity to help local non-profit groups develop and present important history programs or projects to a wide-ranging audience,’’ said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.

A variety of programs and projects are being developed and presented by the 2017 grant recipients:

• The Clark Library will receive $1,400.00 for digitization of historic newspapers.
• Fanwood-Scotch Plains will use $1,000.00 for the development and design of print marketing materials for the Frazee House.
• The Garwood Historical Committee will use $250.00 for digitization of a World War II newsletter “Gar-words.”
• The Hillside Public Library will use $1,000.00 to transfer Hillside Times microfilm to web portal access.
• The Historical Society of Elizabeth will use $2,000.00 for research and media production staffed by students from Kean University and NJIT.
• The Historical Society of Plainfield will use $2,000.00 for administrative assistance and grounds upkeep.
• Merchants and Drovers Tavern in Rahway will use $1,600.00 for staffing cost and to keep the facility up and running four days a week.
• The Mountainside Historical Preservation Committee will use $1,000.00 for monthly costs, including phone, insurance, and cleaning artifacts.
• The New Providence Historical Society will use $1,000.00 for a Community Lecture Series and workshops.
• The Old First Historic Trust will use $2,000.00 to develop public tour programs.
• The Reeves-Reed Arboretum of Summit will use $2,000.00 for operating costs, marketing and public outreach for programming.
• The African-American Heritage and Learning Center in Rahway will use $1,250.00 for office furniture, a computer and a scanner.
• The Fortnightly Club of Summit will use $500.00 for operating sevices.
• The Union County Historical Society will use $1,000.00 for conservation and preservation of Military and Wedding clothing as well as Quilts.
• The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, located in Summit will use $2,000.00 to produce a walking guild of the Watchung Reservation.
• And the Westfield Historical Society will use $2,000.00 for administrative and operational costs.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to offer the Union County History Grant Program through the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation, Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs. 

Organizations interested in learning more about the History Grant Program or other programs and services should contact the Division of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl St., Elizabeth, NJ 07202. Telephone: 908-558-2550.  Relay users dial 711. Or E-mail: culturalinfo@ucnj.org.