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Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski congratulates Rafael Alexander Illanes of Linden on winning first place in the professional sculpture category at the 2011 Union County Senior Art Show during the opening reception for the exhibit at the Elizabethtown Gas Company’s Liberty Hall Center in Union. The exhibit will be on display until July 16 at Liberty Hall Center which is located at 1085 Morris Avenue in Union. Viewing times are from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski (L) congratulates Rosalia Verdun of Roselle Park on winning first place in the professional oil category at the 2011 Union County Senior Art Show during the opening reception for the exhibit at the Elizabethtown Gas Company’s Liberty Hall Center in Union. The exhibit will be on display until July 16 at Liberty Hall Center which is located at 1085 Morris Avenue in Union. Viewing times are from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski (L) congratulates Millicent Brody of Westfield on winning first place in the professional photography category at the 2011 Union County Senior Art Show during the opening reception for the exhibit at the Elizabethtown Gas Company’s Liberty Hall Center in Union. The exhibit will be on display until July 16 at Liberty Hall Center which is located at 1085 Morris Avenue in Union. Viewing times are from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski congratulates Joseph Leonard of Elizabeth on winning first place in the non-professional photography category at the 2011 Union County Senior Art Show during the opening reception for the exhibit at the Elizabethtown Gas Company’s Liberty Hall Center in Union. The exhibit will be on display until July 16 at Liberty Hall Center which is located at 1085 Morris Avenue in Union. Viewing times are from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski congratulates Manuel Perez of Elizabeth on winning first place in the non-professional mixed media category at the 2011 Union County Senior Art Show during the opening reception for the exhibit at the Elizabethtown Gas Company’s Liberty Hall Center in Union. The exhibit will be on display until July 16 at Liberty Hall Center which is located at 1085 Morris Avenue in Union. Viewing times are from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski congratulates Urban J. Weiss of Linden on winning first place in the non-professional oil category at the 2011 Union County Senior Art Show during the opening reception for the exhibit at the Elizabethtown Gas Company’s Liberty Hall Center in Union. The exhibit will be on display until July 16 at Liberty Hall Center which is located at 1085 Morris Avenue in Union. Viewing times are from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Alexander Mirabella (R) congratulates new Summit Firefighters Michael Montero and Yan Puebla-Menendez upon their graduation from the Union County Fire Training Academy. They we among 23 members of the fire academy’s Fall 2010/Spring 2011 class to graduate during a ceremony on June 7 at Union County College in Cranford. They are joined by Summit Fire Chief Joseph Houck (L). (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Alexander Mirabella congratulates (from left) new firefighters Luis Casais of the Clark Fire Department, Wes Ditzel III of the Cranford Fire Department, Daniel Lueddeke of the Kenilworth Fire Department and Ronald Salermo from Union County HazMat on receiving awards for outstanding performance at the Union County Fire Training Academy. The four firefighters we among 23 members of the fire academy’s Fall 2010/Spring 2011 class to graduate during a ceremony on June 7 at Union County College in Cranford. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Elizabeth, NJ- Union County Surrogate James S. LaCorte is urging residents, seniors in particular, to make sure they understand their bank’s policy should the need arise to remove their Last Will and Testament or other sensitive documents from a safe deposit box.

In New Jersey, the probate process can begin with the presentation of the original Will and a death certificate with a raised seal. Banks from out of state have implemented policies and procedures that disregard New Jersey Probate practice.

Prior to the large scale acquisitions of local banks by larger out of state banks, the practice in New Jersey was to allow surviving family members to remove three things from the safe deposit box prior to the appointment of an executor or administrator. Those items are (A) Funeral or burial arrangements; (B) Insurance policies with a named beneficiary; (C) The decedent’s Last Will and Testament. Recent bank mergers and acquisitions have made it increasingly difficult for the estate representative or family member to get the documents needed to have a Will probated or to determine if there is no Will.

“Out of state banks are requiring people to acquire a document that is non-existent in the New Jersey Probate Code.” Union County Surrogate James S. LaCorte said. “They have failed to give proper acknowledgement to what has always been the procedure in New Jersey in these times of hardship.”

Before renting a safe deposit box, check the policy and be clear on the process to remove items from the box. Make certain that these large banks will allow those documents to be removed without requiring an Order from the Surrogate’s Court. Smaller local community banks will probably serve the public better in this regard. If you already rent a safe deposit box and your bank has merged with another bank, review the bank’s policies for any changes. If the policy makes it difficult for the estate representative or family member to remove the necessary items, find another bank.

For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

ELIZABETH, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that a selection of prize-winning art work by Union County employees and their relatives is on display through July 15 in the Freeholders Gallery, located on the 6th floor of the Union County Administration Building, Elizabethtown Plaza at Rahway Avenue, in Elizabeth. The gallery is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays.

The art display presents a select sampling of pieces from among the 130 creations judged at the recent 10th annual “National Arts Program Exhibit and Contest for Union County Employees and Their Families.” The exhibit and contest is a result of a partnership with the National Arts Program Foundation which provides prize money and valuable support to display the work of talented artists.

“The artistic talent of our Union County employees and their family members is very impressive,” said Freeholder Chairman Deborah P. Scanlon. “We have artists who excel in painting, photography, and other visual arts, and we are proud to put their work on display. We thank the National Arts Program Foundation and Elizabethtown Gas Company for hosting the May 4th awards reception and providing gallery space for Union County employees and their families to display their talent in the original exhibit.”

Listed alphabetically by town are all the award-winning employee artists (or their relatives) and the awards they won at the original exhibit and contest. Not all of the award-winning pieces are able to be displayed at the Freeholders Gallery exhibit.

Bogota: Cali Skrnich (Honorable Mention, Intermediate). Clark: Kaitlyn Valladares (Honorable Mention, Intermediate). Cranford: Angelina Spricigo (Honorable Mention, Youth 12 and Under); and Diana Strom (Third Place, Intermediate). Edison: Richa Wadhawan (First Place, Youth 12 and Under). Elizabeth: Natalie Barrueco (Second Place, Teen 13-18). Hillside: Abraham Feria (Honorable Mention, Amateur). Kenilworth:Jim Lowney (Third Place, Professional). Linden: Angelito David (First Place, Professional); Donna Farrell (Honorable Mention, Amateur); Christine Marti-Millward (Honorable Mention, Youth 12 and Under); and Emily Roman (Honorable Mention, Teen 13-18). Livingston: Charles Rubin (Second Place, Intermediate).Martinsville: Kayla Stasil (Second Place, Youth 12 and Under); Shayna Stasil (Third Place, Youth 12 and Under); and Thomas Stasil (Second Place, Professional). North Brunswick: Brianna Mussman (First Place, Teen 13-18). North Plainfield: Julie A. O’Connell (First Place, Intermediate). Piscataway: Kaylan Bates (Honorable Mention, Youth 12 and Under). Roselle Park: Renee Froehlich Garcia (Honorable Mention, Youth 12 and Under). Scotch Plains: Peter Wright (Third Place, Teen 13-18). Somerset: Tiina Nummela (First Place, Amateur). Teaneck: Deborah Singer Pires (Second Place, Amateur). Westfield: Emily Gluck (Third Place, Amateur); Sabrina Paparella (Honorable Mention, Teen 13-18); and Mary Paynter (Best of Show, Professional).

Additional support for this event was provided by a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Exhibits at the Freeholders Gallery are coordinated by the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs.

For more information about this exhibit and other programs and services related to the arts and Union County history, contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth NJ 07202. Telephone: (908) 558-2550. NJ Relay users dial 711. Or send E-mail to: culturalinfo@ucnj.org

Union County Freeholders Linda Carter (L) and Bette Jane Kowalski congratulate Angelito David of Linden on winning the professional category at the 10th annual Union County Employee Art Show during the opening reception at the Elizabethtown Gas Company’s Liberty Hall Center in Union. The contest, co-sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and The National Arts Program Foundation, was open to Union County employees and their relatives. A selection of the prize-winning artwork is on display at the Freeholders Gallery in the Union County Administration Building in Elizabeth through July 15, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. For more information, call the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 908-558-2550. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .