Category: Public Info

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to partner with WellCare Health Plans to present the first Union County LGBTQ+ Community Health and Wellness Fair scheduled for Saturday, October 5, 2019 at Union County College (1033 Springfield Ave, Cranford) from 12 noon until 4PM. All are welcome. Admission and parking is free.

“The LGBTQ community is diverse with specific health needs and challenges, of which a safe and supportive environment is often a barrier to access,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “The Freeholder Board is proud to partner with WellCare Health Plans to host the first health and wellness fair for the LGBTQ community, friends and family.”

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people often face numerous barriers in accessing health and wellness services and programs. Union County’s inclusive, educational and interactive health and wellness event for the LGBTQ community will offer a variety of medical screenings, presentations, fitness and personal care demos.

“Enhancing efforts to improve LGBTQ health and wellness is necessary to ensure that LGBTQ individuals can lead long, healthy lives,” said Freeholder Rebecca Williams, liaison to the LGBTQ Ad Hoc Committee. “The LGBTQ+ Health and Wellness Fair brings together LGBTQ-affirming health and wellness providers from throughout the State of New Jersey to offer individuals the opportunity to engage in their personal health and wellness in a safe and inclusive environment.”

Organized by the Office of LGBTQ Affairs and WellCare Health Plans, and the Union County Division of Health, with support from Union County College, the Union County LGBTQ+ Community Health & Wellness Fair represents the Freeholder Board’s commitment to supporting a strong and healthy community and is part of our ongoing effort to provide a safe space for the LGBTQ community to access basic health screenings and important information.

Health and wellness providers who offer services for the LGBTQ community and would like to register to participate with resources and information should contact Danni Newbury, Coordinator, at 908-527-4742 or dnewbury@ucnj.org.

Union County’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, under the Department of Economic Development, was established by the Freeholder Board in 2018 and is the first and only county government office of its kind in the State of New Jersey.

The Office of LGBTQ Affairs provides a platform for leadership and collaboration to support equality, and serves as a catalyst for advocacy, awareness and action on current and emerging issues that impact the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals.

For more information about the Office of LGBTQ Affairs, contact Danni Newbury, Coordinator, at 908-527-4742 or dnewbury@ucnj.org or visit ucnj.org/LGBTQ.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

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Union County Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski and Freeholders Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded, Rebecca Williams and Sergio Granados joined Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage in congratulating the players and coaches of the Elmora Troopers Little League team during the “Parade of Champions” in their honor.

The Elmora Troopers beat the best teams in New Jersey to win the State Championship before heading to Connecticut to play in the Mid-Atlantic Region Championship where they won the tournament, which qualified them to participate in the Little League World Series.  The Troopers were one of only eight teams from across the country to make it to the tournament and one of the final four teams in the United States bracket.

Union County, NJ — The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce the launch of a new video campaign that provides residents with clear, reliable instructions on how to tell which items to recycle in their community, along with other recycling tips and information. The new “Recycle Right!” video series is designed to educate residents and help municipalities in Union County make the most of opportunities to save money through recycling.

When the wrong items are placed in the curbside bin, the recycling stream is contaminated. A contaminated recycling stream can result in thousands of dollars in added costs for Union County municipalities.

“A well-run recycling program can contain costs for governments. Every resident can lend a hand simply by choosing only the right items for recycling,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski.

The new Recycle Right! campaign includes three 45-second videos, available through the free Recycle Coach app for mobile devices.

Free Recycle Coach downloads are available now at online app stores, through the Union County website at ucnj.org/recycling, and through the websites for each of the 21 municipalities in Union County.

The three videos will provide information about recycling rules in a concise, easy-to-understand format. Users can then test their knowledge with interactive questions on the Recycle Coach app.

“We strongly encourage residents to download and use the Recycle Coach app. In addition to the new instructional videos, the app provides reliable, up-to-date information on all residential recycling programs in Union County,” said Freeholder Chair Kowalski.

Existing Recycle Coach users will receive the videos automatically beginning September 30. New users will also receive the videos once they download the app. 

The Recycle Coach app provides personalized collection schedules based on the user’s place of residence. Once a resident downloads the app, their Recycle Coach calendar will list their local curbside garbage and recycling schedules. The app will advise if there are changes in local collection due to holidays or weather.

Recycle Coach users can also set up recycling reminders and improve their recycling rates through a “What Goes Where?” search tool.

In addition to information on local recycling programs, the Recycle Coach calendar provides details on countywide recycling events run by Union County, including free personal paper shredding, scrap metal, and household special wastes. These events are available for all Union County residents, regardless of where they live, on a drop-off basis only (no curbside collection).

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is the first state agency in the US to purchase the Recycle Coach app and make it available for the use of all residents, free of charge.

Union County began promoting the app in 2018, and it is the first county in New Jersey to add the new Recycle Right! video campaign.

For information on all Union County recycling events and programs visit ucnj.org/recycling.

Visit The Green Connection at ucnj.org/green-connection for quick links to all Union County environmental programs and resources, including educational and community service activities.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

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Union County, NJ – Union County students in grades K-12 are invited to join a 4-H Club this fall and explore popular fields ranging from archery, cooking and fashion to Lego robotics and Dungeons and Dragons. Youth in their first year after graduating from high school can also join.

“4-H Clubs provide students in Union County with unique opportunities to practice teamwork, organization, leadership and other important life skills,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “The Freeholder Board is very proud to support the 4-H program in our community.”

4-H Clubs are organized by age and topic. The members meet with an adult club leader on  a monthly basis during the school year to plan activities and programs.

Each club emphasizes the ability of students to learn, organize, and communicate with activities appropriate for their age. For the school year 2019 – 2020, the clubs are:

• Variety Club (different topics with crafts and show-and-tell), grades K-1, 2-3 and 4-5.
• Variety Club: (different topics with crafts and public speaking), grades 9 – 12.
• Community Service Club: grades 9-13.
• Outdoors Club: grades 4-7.
• STEM Club: grades 4-5.
• Anime/Manga Club, grades 8-13.
• Archery #1 and #2 Clubs, grade 4 and up.
• Cold Creatures Club (caring for snakes, turtles and other reptiles), grades 4-5.
• Cooking Club, grades 9-12.
• Disc Gulf Club, grades 7-12.
• Dungeons & Dragons Club, grades 7-12.
• Horticulture Club, grades 6-13.
• Olde Thyme Craft Club (includes field trips and community service), grade 8 and up.
• LEGO Robotics Club (team activities with LEGO Robotics MindStorms kits), grades 4-5.
• Sewing Club, grade 6 and up.

Union County 4-H is run by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County and supported in part by the Freeholder Board, with offices at the Union County Complex at 300 North Avenue East in Westfield.

The national 4-H youth program is the largest youth development program in the U.S. As a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 4-H encourages students to develop expertise in a subject of their own choosing, and share their knowledge to benefit their community.

Participation in 4-H is associated with better grades at school, and a stronger interest in taking science classes, attending college, and contributing to the community. A recent Tufts University study found that as a group, girls who join 4-H clubs are especially likely to demonstrate positive behaviors.

To sign up for a club, meet the club leaders and find out more about 4-H activities, students must attend this year’s annual 4-H Open House on Friday evening, September 13, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Union County Magnet High School. The school is located at Mancuso Hall in the Union County Vocational-Technical Schools campus, 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains.

For more information about the September 13 Open House, contact Union County 4-H Agent James Nichnadowicz at 908-654-9854 or jnichnadowicz@ucnj.org.

For more information about all Union County Extension programs, including 4-H, Master Tree Stewards and Master Gardeners, visit ucnj.org/rce.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

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Union County, NJ – Union County Freeholder Board invites all military veterans and active duty personnel, their families, and veterans’ service providers to attend a free Networking Mixer on Monday, September 30th from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Clubhouse at Galloping Hill Golf Course, located at 3 Golf Drive in Kenilworth.

“We are grateful for the service of military personnel and their families who live in Union County, and we continue to develop more programs, events and resources for them to access opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “County residents with a military background possess unique skills and training that bring great value to the civilian workforce, and this mixer will enable them to make new connections in the community.”

The event is coordinated through the Union County Office of Veteran Services UC-HERO program. The event includes complimentary food.                                                                                                                       

The networking mixer is free to attend but preregistration is required. To register, contact the Office of Veteran Services Coordinator Janna Williams by phone at 908-527-4918, or email at jwilliams@ucnj.org.

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Connect with Union County on social media. For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

Connect with Union County on social media.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to present “Landscapes of Union County Parks”—artwork from Kat Block and Nancy Ori, currently on exhibit at the Freeholders Gallery. The gallery is located on the 6th floor of the Union County Administration Building, Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth, with gallery hours from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.

This collaborative project from Ori and Block, both who are very distinguished artists, will be on display from August 29^th through November 1^st, 2019, and was inspired by the idyllic landscapes of Union County Parks.

“We’re honored to have such gifted artists display their works in our gallery and we certainly encourage our residents to visit the exhibition,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski.

Combined, both Block and Ori have over a quarter century creating fine art and sharing their talent with the public. Both Artists enjoy giving back to Union County students by inspiring young artists to strive for excellence. Each year, Ms. Block and Ms. Ori contribute their expertise by serving as an instructor and an adjudicator, respectively at the Union County Teen Arts Festival.

 “I have gotten tremendous solace and pleasure from visiting the many parks in our county and photographing them to use as references for my mixed media collages, which have become my seminal works of art,” Block said.

Ori added: “I feel that continuing to exhibit these images can make a difference in our community by opening the eyes of residents to the many wonderful natural resources we have in Union County.”

Serving as a source of inspiration, Union County boasts 36 parks and 6,200 acres of parkland.

For lectures, workshops, and further information about Kat Block and Nancy Ori; please visit their websites at www.katblock.com and www.nancyoriworkshops.com.

The Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, part of the Department of Parks and Recreation, coordinates the exhibits displayed at the Freeholders Gallery. For further information about this and other programs and services related to the arts and history in Union County, contact the Office at 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07202; telephone (908) 558-2550; or e-mail: culturalinfo@ucnj.org. NJ relay users dial 711.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to present the first program in the “Trailside Talks” series, “Hawk Watch,” on Sunday, September 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside. This free program is open to adults ages 18 and older.

“The fall hawk migration is the perfect time to visit and experience the beauty of the Watchung Reservation,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski, “Participants will have the chance to learn about the many different birds of prey that can be seen in New Jersey and discover how to identify them in flight.” 

Every year, thousands of hawks migrate through New Jersey in the fall. This program explains the hows and whys of hawk migration, varying methods of migration, the latest theories on the strategies that birds use to navigate as well as look at the challenges they face in migration. A one hour hawk watch walk is scheduled, weather permitting. The program will be led by Pete Axelrod, Education and Community Outreach Coordinator of Wild Birds Unlimited in Scotch Plains.

For more information about this program or other activities for adults, families and children at Trailside, please call 908-789-3670 or visit ucnj.org/trailside. Trailside Nature and Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a facility of the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Freeholder Board announces that the “Bootcamp to the Boardroom” entrepreneurial training program is open to veterans. “Bootcamp to the Boardroom” is a 2019 initiative of the Union County Freeholder Chair, Bette Jane Kowalski.

Organized by the Union County Economic Development Committee, “Bootcamp to the Boardroom” will run for six consecutive Tuesdays from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. starting on September 10. The program will be held at the UCEDC offices, located at 75 Chestnut Street in Cranford.

“Union County strives to recognize the sacrifice made by our veterans,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski.  “The Freeholder Board is proud to sponsor this program and we encourage all veterans to take advantage of this six week course that will help them to succeed in business after their service to our country.”

“Bootcamp to the Boardroom” is an entrepreneurial training program for veterans and is coordinated by the Union County Economic Development Corporation. The six week course includes information on understanding credit and personal finance statements as well as preparing business and marketing plans along with other useful skills.

UCEDC is a private, non-profit economic development corporation, dedicated to boosting local economies and strengthening communities through business development and job creation. Since 1977 they have small business by making loans, training and mentoring business owners, helping businesses obtain government contracts, and providing accurate and relevant business information.

Participants are required to register for the “Bootcamp to the Boardroom” program. For more information or to register, contact Veteran Service Officer Janna Williams by phone at 908-527-4918 or by email at jwilliams@ucnj.org.

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Connect with Union County on social media. For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

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The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders in partnership with the Office for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs, and the Office of Veteran services invite persons with physical disabilities and veterans to participate in the “First Swing” golf clinic on Saturday, September 14.

The clinic will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the Learning Center located at the Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth. Admission to is free, however pre-registration is required at www.ucnj.org/opdsn-reg.

“The First Swing golf clinic provides hands on instruction to encourage golf as an excellent recreational and rehabilitation activity for anyone, including veterans and those who are physically disabled,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “We are pleased to be able to partner and provide this program to residents.”

Presented in cooperation with the National Amputee Golf Association, the program includes participation and instruction by rehab and golf professionals. Methods of grip, stance and swing will be discussed. Participants can improve their functional skills such as range of motion and balance, and learn about adaptive equipment that will assist them in executing the golf swing.

Anyone who is physically challenged including, but not limited to; amputees, persons who are post-stroke; and have any circumstance necessitating this type of specialized instruction can benefit from this clinic. Healthcare and golf professionals who are interested in learning adaptive golf techniques for their clients are also welcome.

Louis Namm, level 3 certification program of the United States Golf Teachers Association (USGTA) will instruct the clinic. He is the primary golf instructor for the Philadelphia VA Medical Center’s Amputee Veterans.

Whether having always wanted to “take a swing” at the game of golf, or returning to the sport, no golfing experience is required. Attendees should bring a seven or eight iron and a putter, if possible. A limited number of clubs will be available for participants who do not have their own.

Continental breakfast and refreshments are included. For additional information please contact Nicole DeAugustine at 908-527-4781 or Janna Williams at 908-572-4918 or email opdsn@ucnj.org.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

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The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that the Union County Regional Dispatch Center will now handle fire and emergency medical service calls for the Township of Cranford, under a contract approved by the Freeholder Board during the regular meeting on August 22.

“The Union County Dispatch Center is a shared services program that benefits municipalities and residents by improving the efficiency of dispatch services and providing substantial savings,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “Cranford joins a growing list of municipalities and agencies taking part in this service.”

The Union County Regional Dispatch Center is a state-of-the-art emergency dispatch facility located in the County’s Ralph Froehlich Public Safety Building, at 400 North Avenue East in Westfield.

The $1.2 million facility opened in 2012 and replaced a previous operation located at the same site, which handled calls only for Union County’s emergency services. The new Dispatch Center enables local governments and other entities to upgrade their emergency response as a shared service with Union County. 

In addition to providing emergency dispatch services for the Union County Police and other countywide first responders, the Dispatch Center serves a growing number of municipalities and other entities in the county including 911 calls for police, fire, and EMS.

“This collaboration will provide better service for our residents at a reduced cost, and is an excellent example of what can be achieved when Cranford and the Union County work together,” said Mayor of Cranford Patrick Giblin.

With the addition of Cranford, the Dispatch Center now serves 13 of Union County’s 21 municipalities and handles a total list of 24 first responder agencies.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

Connect with Union County on social media.