Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that the County has received a total of $4,498,918 in new federal grants for homeless housing and service programs, covering 28 programs and initiatives.
The new funds represent a significant part of $1.8 billion in total funding made available nationwide and in Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands through the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
“Given the brutal winters we’re experiencing, it is more important than ever to ensure that everyone in Union County has a safe place to call home,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “These funds will go a long way toward fulfilling that goal.”
The new grants come under the HUD “Continuum of Care” program, which is designed to help reduce chronic homelessness and to prevent individuals and families in need from living in unsafe conditions.
The funding goes only to existing programs that have been proven to work, and to innovative new programs that show exceptional promise. In New Jersey, only Essex and Hudson counties were awarded more funds than Union County.
“This is a competitive grant program, so the large size of the Union County award is a good testament to the dedication and professionalism of our grant applicants,” said Jalloh. “In particular, I would like to thank Union County Human Services Director Frank Guzzo and his staff for their work in obtaining these new funds.”
The Department of Human Services will administer the new HUD funding for transitional and permanent housing services sponsored by Bridgeway Rehabilitation Services, Community Access Unlimited, Community Access Institute, Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless, Homefirst, Volunteers of America, Gateway YMCA, Covenant House and YWCA of Eastern Union County.
Jim Silk demonstrates flint-knapping and stone tool making techniques.
MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ—The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and the Department of Parks and Recreation are pleased to invite the public to a free program on Sunday, March 8, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Trailside Nature and Science Center.
The featured presenter, Jim Silk, a lithic specialist, will lecture and demonstrate flint-knapping and stone tool making techniques, accompanied by a discussion relating to the cultural and historical significance of their technologies. For over 20 years Jim, a published author on the subject, has researched stone tool making methodologies, demonstrated, instructed, and participated in reconstructive archaeology.
“We are pleased to welcome this noted author and expert on flint-knapping and stone tool making techniques to the list of educational programs available to the public at Trailside Nature and Science Center,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh.
The presentation will be approximately 90 minutes, followed by refreshments. Adults and families with children 12 years of age and older are welcome to attend.
The Trailside Nature and Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road, in Mountainside, NJ. For further information call: Joan Hoeckele at 908-232-2831.
Union County – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to announce its first Union County Advancing Community Theater (UCACT) grant program award recipient, Mystic Vision Players of Linden. The grant has been awarded for their March, 2015 production of DREAMGIRLS.
“We are proud to see UCACT off to such a great start, and happy to give such talented people the opportunity to bring their craft to the Mainstage,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed Jalloh.
Mystic Vision Players, created in 1992, is the resident theatre company of the Linden Cultural & Heritage Committee and has consistently received critical & audience acclaim and nominations as “Outstanding” in areas of Choreography, Acting, Music, and Overall Productions by the NJ Association of Community Theaters.
DREAMGIRLS, a groundbreaking musical, loosely based on the career of The Supremes, is set to run at the UCPAC’s Mainstage, March 6,7,13 and 14th at 8:00 p.m. and March 8th and 15th at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 with discounted rates for students and seniors, and are available via UCPAC.org.
Through UCACT, the Board of Chosen Freeholders plans on sponsoring and promoting five or more Union County theatre events at the Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC). The program, which grants funding to cover the hard costs associated with putting up at production at the Arts Center, builds on the recent success of RENT- a pilot of this program that was initiated in November through a partnership with the UCPAC that sold over 2000 tickets.
2015 grant applications are still being accepted and can be downloaded at ucnj.org/ucact. For additional information, please contact Victoria Durbin Drake, Chief of Staff, Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, at 908-558-2278.
Airserv Coordinates Hirings Through Union County’S Workforce Innovation Business Center As Part Of Chairman Jalloh’S 2015 Initiatives
Job seekers at the Union County Workforce Innovation Business Center’s job fair for positions at Liberty International Airport held today at Union County College in Elizabeth.
UNION COUNTY—For AirServ, it started last fall with a phone call inquiry to the Union County Workforce Innovation Business Center: how can we collaborate with Union County to hire residents for full-time jobs at Liberty International Airport in Newark?
Fortunately, the call resulted in the hiring of 66 residents for new jobs last year, and just a few weeks ago it continued with another commitment from the airport services company to hire 150 more County residents for jobs in cargo, cleaning, ground transportation, passenger services, ramp handling and security sectors at the airport.
The Workforce Innovation Business Center, a program of the Union County Freeholder Board through the Union County Workforce Investment Board and Union County College, held a successful job fair to screen applicants this past Thursday and Friday at Union County College in Elizabeth.
“We’re excited to partner with AirServ in helping place Union County residents in jobs at the airport and we thank them for their consideration,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh, who as part of his “Investing in Union County” initiatives for 2015 announced an expansion of the County’s Workforce Investment operations to facilitate increased employment opportunities and training for its residents.“Overall, the economy is picking up steam, and the Freeholder Board’s focus on workforce investment is timed to maximize this expansion into jobs for County residents.”
The Innovation Business Center not only coordinated the job fair and screening for the latest round of jobs, but will also provide subsequent training to the new hires through Union County College’s Employability Skills Curriculum, a 40-day program.
Union County Workforce Investment Board, AirServ and Union County officials gather before job fair: Union County Workforce Investment Board Chairman Glenn Nacion (of Trinitas Regional Medical Center), Salvador Garcia, member of the Union County Workforce Investment Board (MAS Development), Freeholder Sergio Granados (Freeholder Liaison to the Workforce Investment Board), Martin C. Blake, Senior Vice President for AirServ, Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh (Freeholder Liaison to the Workforce Investment Board), Antonio Rivera, Director of the Union County Workforce Investment Board, and William Reyes Jr. , Union County Deputy County Manager.
Designed with demands of today’s business environment in mind, the terms “Employability skills” refer to a cluster of personal qualities, habits and attitudes that constitute a good employee at all levels of the workforce, and include skills such as work ethics, time management, attention to detail, written and oral communication skills, teamwork, decision-making and problem solving.
This state-of-art Employability Skills Curriculum is a critical component of Chairman Jalloh’s announcement. The curriculum has been developed to ensure successful entry and retention within a very competitive economy.
Freeholder Sergio Granados, a resident of Elizabeth who also serves as a liaison to the Workforce Investment Board, thanked AirServ for their partnership and hailed the creation of new jobs.
“One of our highest priorities is providing jobs for residents and this is an outstanding example of how the public sector can work with the private sector in not only coordinating job placements but also providing the proper training,” Granados said. “We certainly urge businesses looking to hire residents to coordinate their efforts through the Workforce Investment Board.”
Businesses looking to hire should contact Antonio Rivera, Director of the Union County Workforce Investment Board, at 908-527-4195 or email arivera@ucnj.org. and/or visit the website: https://ucnj.org/wib
AirServ, whose 8,000-plus employees support the world’s leading airlines and freight companies at airports throughout the United States and United Kingdom, announced the hirings as part of a plan creating 500 new positions.
“We had a very positive experience and outcome with coordinating our first round of hirings through the County, and we are pleased to continue this partnership,” said Martin C. Blake, Jr., Senior Vice President for AirServ. “The Union County Workforce Innovation Business Center acted quickly, efficiently and effectively in fulfilling our requirements.”
Once the latest round of Union County employees are hired, AirServ will realize another benefit through the Innovation Business Center’s On-The-Job (OJT) program, which allows for employers to have the wages of the new hires subsidized up to 50% during the first six months on the job. Under the OJT program, this can go on for up to 26 weeks to help defray the costs of their employment training. The goal is simple – to allow workers to earn while they learn. The OJT initiative is funded by the Freeholder Board through the Workforce Investment Board.
ELIZABETH, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi is urging local businesses to team-up with her in an effort to help veterans of the United States Armed Forces. The County Clerk’s Office is compiling a booklet that will list all of the local stores, agencies and businesses that offer special discounts on products, food, entertainment and services for military veterans.
“I urge local businesses and service providers to send information to me about discounts they offer to veterans,” Rajoppi said. “I will add their information to the growing list that my office makes available to veterans groups and individuals seeking an Honorable Discharge ID card.”
“My office was one of the first in the state more than ten years ago to issue free honorable discharge identification cards for veterans as proof of service in the U.S. Armed Forces,” Ms. Rajoppi said. “The ID card program assists veterans in receiving educational benefits, death benefits, licenses, local property tax rebates and retail discounts intended just for them.”
“Veterans living in Union County can receive a free identification card by bringing their original discharge papers to the County Clerk’s Office in either Westfield or Elizabeth,” Rajoppi added. “This ID card service is just one way to say thank you and make veterans’ lives a little easier.”
The Veterans ID Card Act was signed into law in 2012. The card is available to veterans whose original Certificate of Honorable Discharge and/or DD-214 form are recorded at the Union County Clerk’s office. If a veteran’s discharge papers have never been recorded, the original documents must be presented at either one the Union County Clerk’s offices.
The County Clerk’s Office in Westfield, located in the Colleen Fraser Building at 300 North Avenue East, is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday; and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Clerk’s Office in Elizabeth, in the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Room 114, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. If additional information is needed, please call 908-659-7403.
MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce a lecture for adults, 18 years and older, on the bee colony crisis at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside on Tuesday, March, 3 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Bee colony collapse disorder has had a deleterious impact on many agricultural crops worldwide. In our own country the decline of the bee population has significantly increased the cost to farmers. Tim Schuler, New jersey State Apiarist, will lecture on three causes of trauma to the European honey bee. Enhanced by a power point presentation, the lecture will define the ecological problems we face, the impact on the bee-keepers industry and how professional bee keepers and hobbyists have responded to this crisis. The program is free, but donations are welcomed. Pre-registration is recommended, but walk-ins are welcome.
“This is a great opportunity to learn about this much-publicized crisis and how New Jersey is responding to the problem,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh.
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. For more information about his lecture or other activities at Trailside, please call 908-789-3670 or visit us on our website at www.ucnj.org/trailside.
Condado de Union, NJ – Las nieves del invierno están acumulandose, pero los maestros jardineros se están preparando para la primavera. Ustedes pueden unirse a ellos en el taller que tendrá lugar el próximo sábado 28 de febrero, en el Trailside Nasture and Science Center, 452 New Providence Road en Mountainside el taller “Get Your Youth and Community Garden Growing”
Para incribirse por internet visite la página tinyurl.com/schoolgardenconference. Para obtener una planilla de incripción por correo, puede llamar al 908-654-9854, la fecha tope es el 20 de febrero.
Jardineros con experiencia son bienvenidos al igual que los principiantes. Un costo de $25.00 incluye el taller todos los materiales y el almuerzo. Los temas son como crear un exitoso jardin de de hortalizas y como hacer crecer fresas y más.
Mas detalles y la forma de inscripción están disponible en la página del Condado de Union, ucnj.org.
Get Your Youth and Community Garden Growing es presentado por los expertos del Rutgers Cooperative Extension del Condado de Union, un programa de Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (Estación Experimental Agrícola) respaldado por la Junta de Legisladores del condado de Union. Para más información visite ucnj.org/rce.
(From left) Union County Manager Alfred Faella, Union County Freeholder Vernell Wright, Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh, Assemblyman Jerry Green, Assemblywoman Annette Quijano and Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan present the Chester Holmes Humanitarian Award to President Carlisle, Jr. (4th right) of Hillside. Carlisle, a former Hillside Councilman and a retired Union County Department of Community Renewal Bureau Chief, received the honor during the Third Annual Union County Black History Month Celebration on February 13 at the Hamilton Stage at UCPAC in Rahway. The Freeholder Board created the award in honor of the late former Freeholder Chester Holmes. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
Condado de Union, NJ – Otra ola de frío ha afectado el area del Condado de Union junto con fuerte vientos,enviando las temperaturas bajas durante el fin de semana feriado. La Junta de Legisladores del Condado de Union le recuerda a los residentes que hay ayuda disponible para aquellos que necesiten donde estar durante a través del programa Code Blue.
Code Blue está designado para coordinar recursos municipals y del Condado, para ayudar a los desamparados sin hogar a encontrar un albergue donde poder protejerse del crudo frio.
Se les pide a los residentes que si ven a alguien fuera que esta dormido o en necesidad de aisitencia que poder contacte a su departamento de policia local para arreglar transporte a un albergue.
Además, los siguientes lugares han sido proporcionados al Condado por los oficiales municipals, y han sido publicados en los periodicos locales. La disponibilidad y las horas pueden cambiar ya que los edificios públicos estarán cerrados el lunes 16 de febrero debido al dia feriado.
Elizabeth
Second Macedonia Baptist Church
1251 Fairmount Avenue
Después de las 4:00 p.m.
Elizabeth Police Department
Después de las 4:00 p.m.
Fanwood
The Chelsea Senior Living Center, 295 South Avenue.
Linden
Biblioteca de Linden – 31 East Henry Street:
Horario
Lunes y miércoles de 9 a.m.a 9 p.m.
Martes y jueves de 9 a.m. a 6 p.m.
Viernes 9:30 a.m.a 5 p.m.
La biblioteca está abierta los siguientes sábados 21 de febrero, 7 de marzo y 21 de marzo.
John T. Gregorio Recreation Center
330 Helen Street:
Horario:
Lunes a viernes de 8:30 a.m. a 4:30 p.m.
Cerrado sábados y domingos
Linden Multi-Purpose Center – 1025 John Street:
Horario:
Lunes, miércoles y viernes de 8:30 a.m. a 8 p.m.
Martes y jueves de 8:30 a.m. a 10 p.m.
Cerrado sábado y domingo
Roselle Park
The Roselle Park Community Casano Center
314 Chestnut St.
Horario de. 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Viernes de – 9:00 a5:00 p.m.
Scotch Plains
Municipal Building
430 Park Avenue
Para reporter corte de energía electrica, contacte clientes de PSE&G llamar al 1-800-436-7734, clientes de JCP&L llamar 1-800-545-7738
For questions about your gas service, call Elizabethtown Gas at 800-492-4009.
The Union County PAC is among six county arts venues that are nominated in this year’s JerseyArts.com People’s Choice Awards. County residents can vote today and support the arts in Union County. (Photo by Christina L. Wilson)
The Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh is pleased to announce that Union County’s own Performing Arts Center has been nominated in the sixth annual JerseyArts.com People’s Choice Awards!
The Union County Performing Arts Center is among 71 arts organizations nominated for the yearly awards program run by Discover Jersey Arts to honor the work of New Jersey’s vital, vibrant and diverse arts organizations.
“The nomination of the Union County Performing Arts Center is a clear sign that the Freeholder Board’s commitment to building a strong arts community in Union County is paying off,” said Chairman Jalloh. “We are very proud of the work that arts organizations and patrons throughout our county are doing to establish Union County as a destination for culture. I urge Union County residents to show their continued support and vote now for the Union County PAC as Your Favorite Large Performing Arts Center.”
Cast your vote today and show your support for the arts in all of Union County.
The Union County arts organizations nominated for this year’s JerseyArts.com People’s Choice Awards are:
UCPAC: Union County Performing Arts Center (Rahway) – Large Performing Arts Center Hamilton Stage for the Performing Arts Center (Rahway) – Small Performing Arts Center Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre (Summit) – Theatre to See a Play Visual Arts Center of New Jersey (Summit) – Arts Gallery Arts Guild New Jersey (Rahway) – Art Gallery New Jersey Festival Orchestra (Westfield) – Symphony/Orchestra
Don’t see your favorite Union County arts organizations on the list? Write them in to cast your vote and support the arts in Union County.
“The nomination of so many Union County arts organizations exemplifies the capacity for impact the arts have throughout our community,” said Chairman Jalloh who this year’s initiatives will focus on making investments in the future of Union County that will help boost the economy and the quality of life for the residents. Through the Chairman’s “Building a Community of The Arts” initiatives the Chairman and the Freeholder Board seek to leverage the creative capacity of Union County to strengthen our community.
For more information about Freeholder Chairman Jalloh’s 2015 “Build a Community of The Arts” initiatives visit ucnj.org.
