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52,000 Legal Immigrants Living in the County Could Benefit from Citizenship Services, Classes provided by We Are One NJ

ELIZABETH, NJ – The state’s second labor-supported immigrant advocacy center opened Tuesday, April 21, 2015, at the Jersey Gardens Mall, as the result of a unique partnership between Union County and We Are One New Jersey, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping more than 400,000 legal immigrants living and working in New Jersey become U.S. citizens.

We are One New Jersey – Union County Center provides U.S. citizenship application assistance, including preparatory classes for the citizenship test and referral, notary and translation services, at low- or no-cost to Union County residents.

The kickoff ceremony for the We Are One New Jersey ­– Union County Center was attended by more than 100 political, labor, community and civic leaders, who also helped launch the county’s Workforce Innovation Business (WIB) Center. The WIB facility, which is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and shares office space with We Are One New Jersey – Union County Center, provides occupational and soft skills training and jobs placement for Union County residents.

“Union County is living proof that diversity and inclusiveness go hand in hand with a dynamic economy, a thriving cultural sphere, and opportunities to achieve and give back to the community,” said Mohamed S. Jalloh, chairman of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, who served as the event’s master of ceremonies.

“As the son of an immigrant, this has been my firsthand experience, so when Senator Lesniak called me about joining We are One New Jersey with my Workforce Innovation Business Center initiative, the potential for great synergy between the two programs was immediately apparent. I am very proud to partner Union County with We Are One New Jersey to help make the promise of a better life become a reality for many more Union County residents,” said Jalloh, who announced the initiatives during his reorganization in January.

“These community-based centers are important additions in our ongoing effort to build and engage new communities,” said Charles Wowkanech, chairman of We Are One New Jersey. “We all live and work with people who are in this country legally but cannot fully participate in their communities because they are not U.S. citizens.”

“Wave after wave of immigrants have continued to renew Union County and shape America. The We Are One New Jersey – Union County Center will provide assistance that will help naturalize these immigrants, and enable and empower them to build stronger communities, and productive lives.” state Sen. Raymond J. Lesniak said.

“The City of Elizabeth is proud to work with the County of Union on this new initiative,” said Mayor J. Christian Bollwage. “The process associated with becoming a U.S. citizen can be complicated. However, guidance, assistance and reliable resources are available within our community. The We Are One New Jersey – Union County Center will connect individuals with dedicated professionals, who have the experience and expertise required to address concerns,  while providing the assistance needed to help residents achieve their goals.”

Some 52,000 Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) live in Union County, including diverse and vibrant populations of Colombians, Ecuadorians, Portuguese, Haitians, Filipinos and more.

We Are One New Jersey – Union County is the second labor-supported immigrant advocacy center in the state. The first We Are One Center opened in October in Jersey City. Citizenship classes and information clinics have already drawn hundreds from the community to the centers.

For more information on the programs and services available through We Are One New Jersey – Union County Center, call 908-355-4444 or email center Executive Director Elizabeth Montes at Elizabeth@weareonenj.org.

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce A Naturalist’s Diary, a lecture for adults 18 and older at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside on Wednesday, May 6 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.  Former Audubon Naturalist Pete Bacinski offers a program complete with the natural history facts and questions people never think to ask, as well as images of Mother Nature’s oddities.  This PowerPoint presentation will touch on birds, wildflowers, ferns, mammals, reptiles and amphibians as well as many unusual natural history events.   The lecture is free but donations are welcomed.     

“Spring in the Watchung Reservation is the perfect time to look for hidden treasures in the scenic 2060-acre Watchung Reservation.  Pete Bacinki’s lecture is sure to sharpen your focus on the natural world around you,” says Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh.

A Naturalist’s Diary lecture is a good prelude to Nature Journaling offered at Trailside on Thursday, May 21 from 7:00 – 8:15 p.m.  The Nature Journaling workshop will teach participants to keep a nature journal using skills including writing and sketching as they observe the natural world around them.  A small nature journal is included in the registration fee of $20 per person for Union County residents and $25 for out-of-county.   

For a complete description of A Naturalist’s Diary and/or Nature Journaling please call 908-789-3670 or visit www.ucnj.org/trailside for a Spring At Trailside brochure and registration form.  Walk-ins are welcome.  Trailside Nature and Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Union County Freeholders Sergio Granados (L) and Christopher Hudak (R) joined Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (2^nd L), Acting Union County Prosecutor Grace Park and State Senator Raymond Lesniak at the Race 4 the Children fundraiser on April 19 in Warinanco Park in Roselle. The 5K run and a two-mile “fun walk” benefits the Friends of the Union County Child Advocacy Center – a nonprofit group whose mission is to provide support for the facility at which local victims of physical and sexual child abuse receive treatment and needed services. The event is co-sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the City of Elizabeth, in memory of late Union County Prosecutor Andrew K. Ruotolo. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union) 

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces the availability of two types of history grants for Union County-based non-profit groups and diverse organizations through the FY 2016 Union County History Re-grant Program funded by the New Jersey Historical Commission. The program is administered by the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs in the Department of Parks and Recreation.

A history grant-writing workshop will be held from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, at Kean University Liberty Hall, 1003 Morris Ave., in Union. Applications for the Union County History Re-grant Program will be available at the workshop.

There are general standards of eligibility as well as specific requirements for each grant:

• GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT (GOS) grants provide assistance for the basic costs of operation (e.g. programming, preservation of collections, salaries, marketing, etc.) to Union County based historical societies, house museums or historic sites only. The maximum GOS grant request is $7,500.

• SPECIAL PROJECT (SP) grants support history organizations, museums, schools, libraries and similar organizations with collections or programming relating to Union County and New Jersey state history. The maximum grant request is $5,000.  

To confirm attendance (recommended) at the April 22 workshop or to receive more information, contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth 07202. Telephone: (908) 436-2912. E-mail request to jprescott@ucnj.org.

Funding for this program is made available through the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.

(From left) Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan, Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi and Union County Surrogate James LaCorte congratulate the top winners of the 2015 “My County” poster contest sponsored by the Union County Constitutional Officers.

More than 200 fourth grade students from schools throughout Union County entered the contest.

The top winners of the contest, which is open only to fourth-graders, are (from 2^nd left): Nyssa Gandhi (1^st place) from St. John the Apostle Elementary School in Clark, Joseph Etrata (2^nd place) from St. Michael Elementary School in Clark, Matthew Imhoff (3^rd place) from St. John the Apostle Elementary School in Clark and Adriana G. Veliz Mayen (4^th place) the Jefferson School in Plainfield.

The top winners of the contest, which is open only to fourth-graders, are (from 2^nd left): Nyssa Gandhi (1^st place) from St. John the Apostle Elementary School in Clark, Joseph Etrata (2^nd place) from St. Michael Elementary School in Clark, Matthew Imhoff (3^rd place) from St. John the Apostle Elementary School in Clark and Adriana G. Veliz Mayen (4^th place) the Jefferson School in Plainfield.

(Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Goal of program to stimulate public project of economic, transportation, social and governmental importance to local municipalities

ELIZABETH, UNION COUNTY, NJ—The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders today announced the creation of the Union County Infrastructure and Municipal Aid grant program, designed to stimulate the development of local projects of economic, social, transport and governmental importance to local municipalities.

The matching grant initiative will make available a total of $1.5 million to Union County’s 21 municipalities to achieve and will assist in expanding the ability of municipalities to accomplish tasks undertaken in calendar year 2015. The funding for the grant is provided through the proceeds from the sale of Runnells Specialized Hospital.

“Our overarching goal is to provide an economic boost to our municipalities in an area where State and Federal assistance has been lapsing,” said Freeholder Christopher Hudak. “At the same time, this will stimulate some job growth and provide an important public benefit in helping towns to build important development projects or address short-term or long-term governmental, social, transportation matters that require attention.”

The Infrastructure program was developed through the County Freeholder’s Fiscal Committee, which Hudak chaired, and included Freeholders Alexander Mirabella, Sergio Granados and Angel Estrada.

Some examples of projects eligible for this grant are: 

1. Downtown Development Projects
2. Economic Development Plans
3. Large and small scale construction projects
4. Community Enhancement projects
5. Master Plans/Feasibility Studies/Transportation Plans
6. Child Care/Senior Care Infrastructure Projects
7. Road Work, including pothole repair and structural enhancements

Each of the twenty-one municipalities may apply for one or more projects. Projects must be current initiatives, and all funding awarded must be expended by December 31, 2015. The application period will be limited to 30 days, commencing on April 16, 2015 and concluding on May 18, 2015.

Municipalities that are interested in applying for the grant should contact the office of Deputy County Manager William Reyes Jr. at 908-527-4200 to obtain the forms.

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Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh and Freeholder Vernell Wright joined Union County College President Dr. Margaret McMenamin, Union County College Board of Trustees Chair Victor Richel and Union County College Foundation Chair Mary Zimmerman in congratulating several of the students who received Freeholders Scholarships during the annual scholarship reception on the college’s Cranford campus. Nineteen students received Freeholders Scholarships. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

 (From left) Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen, Dr. Jonathan Lurie of Rutgers University, Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi, Civil War reenactor Matt Ryan of Kenilworth and Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan attended the Union County Civil War Sesquicentennial closing ceremony at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth.

Dr. Lurie presented a lecture entitled “The Ongoing Relevance of the Civil War: Ambiguity and Ambivalence.” Reenactor Matt Ryan, a student at the Union County Academy for Performing Arts, recited the poem “O Captain, My Captain” by Walt Whitman. County Clerk Rajoppi is the chairwoman of the Union County Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Free Passport Photos Are Available at Union County Clerk’s Offices in Westfield & Elizabeth for New Applicants & Renewals during Passport Week, April 13-18

For a limited time only, the Union County Clerk’s offices in Westfield and Elizabeth are offering free passport photographs as a special incentive for residents to apply for a passport or a passport renewal. From Monday, April 13, through Saturday, April 18, the normal $10 cost of a passport photograph will be waived when a resident applies for a new passport or a passport renewal.

“With summer vacations rapidly approaching, now is the time to make sure your passport is up-to-date,” said Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi. “My offices are helping travelers save on their vacation expenses by providing free photographs for those who apply for a passport while still providing a full range of passport services with no need for an appointment.”

Travelers to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, countries in the Caribbean or anywhere overseas must have a valid passport to enter or depart from the United States. Due to a current backlog of applications at the National Passport Center, it can take six weeks for a regular passport application to be processed and returned to the customer. Even the more expensive expedited delivery option can take three weeks for delivery.

“Now is the time to make sure your passport is valid. Don’t wait until the last minute to get your passport,” Rajoppi said. “If your passport expires within six months of your planned visit, many countries will not permit you to enter. You will need to renew your passport.”

Passport application forms may be obtained at the County Clerk’s main office in the Union County Courthouse at 2 Broad Street in Elizabeth or at the County Clerk’s office annex in the Colleen Fraser Building at 300 North Avenue East in Westfield. Applications for passports and related information also can be found online at https://ucnj.org/Passports.

“No appointment is necessary. Our Elizabeth office opens at 7:30 a.m. and it has experienced, helpful, English and Spanish-speaking staff ready to assist you in any way we can,” Rajoppi said. “Our Westfield office has convenient evening and Saturday hours and also is fully staffed.”

The Westfield Annex is the only County Clerk’s office in the state that is open during evening hours. The Westfield Annex is open from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays; from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The phone number at the Westfield Annex is 908-654-9859.

The Elizabeth office is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number in Elizabeth is 908-527-4966. Clients are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to closing time to allow for staff assistance with the passport process.

For more information about obtaining a U.S. passport, please call 908-527-4966.