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Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Alexander Mirabella, Angel G. Estrada, Linda Carter and Christopher Hudak congratulated Elizabeth High School graduates P.J. Walker and Jahd Thomas on receiving the Chris Zusi Memorial Award and Linden High School graduate Jackie Lima on receiving the Joseph R. Lombardi Memorial Award during the 80th Annual Union County Baseball Association Hot Stove Awards Dinner in Clark. They were joined by guest speakers New York Jets Head Coach Todd Bowles, an Elizabeth native, and New York Yankees great Sparky Lyle.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Vice Chairman Sergio Granados joined Freeholders Linda Carter, Angel G. Estrada, Christopher Hudak and Alexander Mirabella in welcoming New York Jets Head Coach Todd Bowles, an Elizabeth native, and New York Yankees great Sparky Lyle as the guest speakers at the 80th Annual Union County Baseball Association Hot Stove Awards Dinner in Clark.

The Freeholders also congratulated the five new members inducted into the Union County Baseball Hall of Fame: Joe Alvarez of Elizabeth, Ray Crepeau of Linden, Wally Engelhardt of Elizabeth, Bruce Henderson of Rahway, and Damien Kane of Roselle.

Among the young local athletes honored for their achievements are: P.J. Walker and Jahad Thomas, graduates of Elizabeth High School; Jackie Lima, graduate of Linden High School; Zack Lipshitz, graduate of Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School; Gianna Randazza of Arthur L. Johnson Regional High School; and Kathleen Walsh, graduate of Linden High School.

The awards dinner is sponsored by the Union County Baseball Association (UCBA), in cooperation with the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation. Since 1937, the Hot Stove League Baseball Dinner has been the primary fund-raiser for the UCBA’s summer and fall programs for young ballplayers.

(Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski present a resolution to the players and coaches of the Cranford High School Cougars football team congratulating them on completing a perfect 12-0 season and capturing the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 State Championship.
(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Vice Chairman Sergio Granados joined Candice Frye and Freeholders Mohamed S. Jalloh, Bette Jane Kowalski, Linda Carter and Vernell Wright in presenting the Chester Holmes Humanitarian Award to Assemblyman Jerry Green during the 4th Annual Union County Black History Month Celebration at Union County College in Cranford. The Freeholder Board created the award in honor of the late former Freeholder Chester Holmes.

Available for County Residents through the Workforce Innovation Business Center

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce 100 new full-time ‘work at home’ customer service and tech support jobs available for county residents through the Workforce Innovation Business Center.

The job fair and information sessions will be held at the Union County Workforce Innovation Business Center, at The Mills at Jersey Gardens, 651 Kapkowski Road in Elizabeth on Tuesday, March 1 starting at 10:00 a.m. Pre-registration is required online at ucnj.org/wdb/100-job-positions-available/.

“The Workforce Innovation Business Center continues to be an economic engine for Union County, helping to match high quality local employers with qualified job seekers,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “If you are an employer, I encourage you to get in touch with us, and let our experienced staff help you find the right people for the right jobs.”

Candidates interested in the “work at home” customer service and tech support opportunity must bring an electronic copy of their resume, and have at least one of the following qualifications: 60 college credits, technology certificate, and/or 2 years of military service. Veterans will be given hiring preference.

“The Freeholder Board is proud to offer another round of job recruitment for Union County residents in back to back months. We are aware that many residents face different living situations – some individuals can’t leave their home as easily as others due to a disability, while some are taking care of loved ones, and others face different circumstances for whom this could be a perfect job opportunity,” said Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados, who is in his third year as the Freeholder liaison to the Union County Workforce Advisory Board. “The Freeholder Board is proud to be able to present job opportunities for different segments of our residents and their family lifestyles to meet some of the workforce challenges they face.”

The Workforce Innovation Business Center was established by the Freeholder Board with Union County College through a $2.4 million investment in 2014, leveraging the employment services and education experience of both partners.

The WIB Center has offered more than 1,200 job opportunities in little over a year for Union County residents. This year, as Liaison, Freeholder Vice Chairman Granados has requested the WIB Center to prioritize the hiring of Veterans in support of Chairman Bergen’s 2016 “UC HERO” initiative, which encourages local employers to offer hiring preferences to military veterans.

Previous Workforce Innovation Center hiring rounds have matched Union County job seekers with top employers including Whole Foods, Doctor Martens and AirServ, among others.

For more details about the new round of hiring and other information about the WIB center visit online at ucnj.org, call 908-355-4444 or email Isaias Rivera, isaias.rivera@ucc.edu.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Linda Carter and Alexander Mirabella presented a resolution to Union County Vocational-Technical Schools Superintendent Peter Capodice, National Future Farmers of America (FFA) advisor and horticulture instructor Bonnie Baldasare, FFA member Aaron Etienne and FFA president Emiliano Chirigliano designating the week of February 20, 2016 through February 27, 2016 as National Future Farmers of America Week in Union County. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Focus on Families Community Conversation will be next Wednesday, February 17th from 6 PM- 8 PM at Abraham Clark High School in Roselle.

Residents, Businesses and Community Stakeholders are welcome.

There will be giveaways and a light dinner. Come and join an important conversation to make change happen.

CRANFORD, NJ – Do you like working with artists, teachers and students? The Union County Teen Arts Festival provides an opportunity for volunteers to get involved.

The Union County Teen Arts Festival is a two-day celebration of the arts. It is held annually at Union County College in Cranford and is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders through the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs in the Department of Parks and Recreation.

This year’s Teen Arts Festival is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, March 23 and March 24. The event is open to all students from public, charter, private and parochial middle and high schools in Union County.

“Nearly 3,500 students participate in performances, critiquing seminars, master classes and workshops with a staff of 55 professional artists in every discipline – visual art, music, creative writing, theater and dance,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.

“Volunteers are needed to assist artists with workshops, manage performance sites and staff information stations,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, who serves as the Freeholder Liaison on the Cultural and Heritage Advisory Board. “Volunteers get to see some of the great work our kids are doing. It’s really a lot of fun!”

If you are interested in any of these activities, contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth, New Jersey 07202. Telephone: 908-558-2550; NJ Relay Users call 711. Or e-mail us at: culturalinfo@ucnj.org.