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Union County Freeholders Linda Carter and Alexander Mirabella and Union County Economic Development Director Amy Wagner speak with students at the 4^th annual UC STEP Summit at Kean University in Union. The Union County Student Training and Enrichment Program (UCSTEP) is a day-long summit that invites high school sophomores and juniors from throughout Union County to participate in hands-on activities focused on leadership, personal growth, and civic engagement. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

South Asian Community Outreach (SACO) will honor Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados with a Civic Service award for his commitment to engaging diverse communities throughout New Jersey in his continued efforts to achieve social unity and economic equality among all residents. Vice Chairman Granados will be formally honored at the SACO annual Interfaith Holiday Celebration on Wednesday, December 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the Royal Albert’s Palace in Edison, NJ.

“It is truly an honor to be recognized by SACO, whose mission is vital to achieving full engagement and representation of New Jersey’s diversity in civic service,” said Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados. “Making a difference begins with engaging and empowering the community and each other. I am proud of the work of SACO that puts the community first. As one of the most diverse states in the country, it is important to not only work to represent, engage, and support the residents of Union County but also those throughout the State of New Jersey, and SACO is an important partner to reach beyond the Union County boarders.”

“Freeholder Vice Chairman Granados’ diligent work as a community leader exemplifies the mission of our organization and brings honor to this award,” said SACO President Sam Khan. “Vice Chairman Granados is an important ambassador for what SACO seeks to achieve.”

Tickets to the SACO annual Interfaith Holiday Celebration are available now. Each ticket includes dinner, live music, picture with Santa and much more. For more information or to purchase tickets through the SACO visit saconj.com or call (732) 902-2106.

South Asian Community Outreach (SACO) is a New Jersey based non-profit, non-religious and bipartisan organization. The mission of SACO is to promote South Asian Americans in mainstream public affairs, civic discourse, community outreach and party politics in the US.

Central to the SACO mission is the formation of partnerships to address social injustices and build alliances between South Asians and other communities who struggle for long-term social change.

SACO seeks to empower South Asian Americans in American politics. SACO is dedicated to advancing the health, empowerment and solidarity of persons of South Asian origin in the US. SACO believes in self-sustaining communities who actively raise their voices, take leadership and challenge social injustices, both within and beyond the South Asian community.

Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados, a native of Elizabeth and community activist who has experience working with non-profits and volunteer organizations, was elected to his first full term to the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholder in 2013 – becoming the youngest Democratic Freeholder ever elected in the State of New Jersey. Granados also holds a Masters of Public Administration from Kean University.

Through his work on the Freeholder Board, Granados has emphasized community outreach and fiscal reform, workforce initiatives that have created over 1,000 job opportunities in 2015 alone,  parks and educational improvements, and additional initiatives to benefit veterans and individuals with disabilities.

In 2015, Granados founded Moving New Jersey Forward, a community-based non-profit, whose mission is to raise awareness and education efforts at the local and national level about social justice issues.

In addition, Granados has a long record of activism, he has served with many organizations, including Hispanos Unidos, the Elizabeth Lions Club, the Portuguese Instructive Social Club, the Elizabeth Portugal Day Committee, Union County Latino-American Chamber of Commerce, New Leaders Council-New Jersey & Shaping Elizabeth.

The SACO annual Interfaith Holiday Celebration will be held on Wednesday, December 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the Royal Albert’s Palace in Edison, NJ. For more information about SACO visit saconj.com.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Alexander Mirabella and Vernell Wright thank Victor and Jamie Fuzo of Roselle Park for donating a blue spruce from their yard that will be displayed in the Union County Courthouse Rotunda in Elizabeth during the Holiday season.

The tree will be the centerpiece of the annual “Christmas Carol Sing-a-long Around the rotunda Christmas Tree” on Friday, December 23, at 11:00 a.m. The Union County Courthouse is located at 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth.

Emergency construction will require the Goethals Bridge to close in the New Jersey bound direction for one night.  Two drainage catch basins are damaged and must be repaired. They are located on the New Jersey bound roadway under and just west of the Travis Spur Railroad Bridge.  

The closure is scheduled for this Thursday (December 8)  from 10PM-5 AM.  

The Bayonne Bridge will not close Thursday night, and delays at the Bayonne Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing are not expected.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Angel G. Estrada and Alexander Mirabella joined Assemblywoman Nancy Muñoz at the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ BIG GIVE fundraiser at the Jewish Community Center in Scotch Plains. They were joined by NJ State Association of Jewish Federations Executive Director Jacob Toporek and Jewish Community Foundation Executive Director Stanley Stone.

The BIGGIVE is a community-wide event that is part a month-long series of events designed to build community. The Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest is the largest Jewish philanthropy in New Jersey and the eighth largest Federation in the country, serving the Jewish community in Essex, Morris, Sussex, Union, and parts of Somerset counties

Chairman Bergen and Freeholders Estrada and Mirabella were honorary chairs of the event.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski joined Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Union County Tree and Menorah Lighting Celebration during the 33rd annual Holiday Nature Craft Show at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside.

(Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the County Manager invite you to the annual “Christmas Carol Sing-a-long Around the rotunda Christmas Tree” on Friday, December 23rd, at 11:00 a.m. 

The event will be held in the rotunda of the Union County Courthouse building, 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ.

County Manager Alfred J. Faella is the master of ceremonies. The event includes caroling, musical entertainment, and a visit from Santa.  Mr. and Mrs. Victor Fuzo of Roselle Park donated this year’s Christmas Tree in the rotunda, a blue spruce tree.

The Hillside Chapter of UNICO recently held a Veterans Appreciation Breakfast and Program at the Hillside Knights of Columbus in Hillside.

Well over 100 Veterans from all parts of the state, including the Lyons Hospital of the Veterans Administration in Lyons, attended the free breakfast and program. Donations were collected and turned over to Lyons Hospital for use for the Veterans.

Left to Right Hillside UNICO Chapter President Angelo J. Bonanno, Union County Sheriff Joe Cryan, Union County Freeholder Alexander Mirabella, Hillside Council President and Third Ward Councilman Don DeAugustine, and Adam Samiec, a Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient for the Korean War, Hillside.
Sitting: World War II Veteran Mario Mauro, of Hillside, and World War II Veteran Steven Pega of Cranford.

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholder Vernell Wright joined Assemblyman Jamel Holley, Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage, Elizabeth Councilman Manny Grova, Rahway Councilman David Brown, Community Access Unlimited (CAU) Executive Director Sidney Blanchard and other officials in cutting the ribbon officially opening CAU’s new headquarters at 80 Grand Street in Elizabeth.

CAU intends for the new 60,000-square-foot, five-story building to be used by both the agency and the wider community while also serving as a symbol of advocacy and community integration.

CAU is a statewide Elizabeth-based nonprofit providing support programs and services to adults with disabilities as well as youth served under the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to enable them to live independently in the community, providing support in areas including housing, vocational skills and life-skills training, education, advocacy and recreation.

Tree to be moved on December 6th

A beautiful blue spruce from the home of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Fuzo in Roselle Park will be donated on December 6th and will adorn the Courthouse Rotunda during the Holiday season.

“This is the 60th anniversary of this tradition and it’s something that we all look forward to seeing at the Courthouse,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “On behalf of my colleagues on the Board, I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Fuzo for their donation.”

Victor Fuzo, a former Roselle Park Councilman who is also a good friend of Freeholder Alexander Mirabella, said he planted the spruce more than 35 years ago, and that it is a “perfect” tree in its appearance, with no blemishes.

“I planted it when it was only 18-inches high in the backyard, and then moved it to the front,” he said.

On the morning of Tuesday, December 6th, a crew from the Union County Shade Tree Bureau will go to Roselle Park to cut the tree and load in onto a flatbed truck. Once the tree reaches the courthouse at 2 Broad Street in Elizabeth, a crane will hoist it onto the front steps.

Once inside the courthouse rotunda, the tree is tied with rope and lifted into a barrel stand that is weighed down with concrete. Then the process of adding lights and ornaments begins.

As in years past, workers will take a few days to decorate the tree, which will require multiple strands of lights. The public is invited to view the tree until about the second week of January.

The public also is invited to participate in a Christmas sing-along around the tree hosted by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, with a visit from Santa Claus. The date for the sing-along will be announced within the next few weeks.