Category: Public Info

Union County, NJ – Union County residents seeking information about services for seniors age 60 and up can visit the “ASK” Aging Services Kiosk program at eight convenient locations in February to speak with staff from the county’s Department of Human Services Division on Aging. ASK will be available at public libraries or municipal buildings in Clark, Winfield, Fanwood, Union, Mountainside, Plainfield, Linden, and Summit.

“The ASK programs brings experts from our central office out to local communities, so that seniors can get personal guidance and assistance close to their homes,” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados. “It’s an especially important service in the winter months, when travel can be difficult.”

In the ASK community outreach effort, staff from the Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection travel throughout Union County providing information about home delivered meals, respite care, home care, adult day care and other support services for seniors and caregivers.

All residents may attend any of the ASK events on the schedule.

“The goal is make it easier to access information that helps seniors enjoy a more comfortably and healthful life, so if you don’t see your municipality on this month’s schedule, you may visit any of the others,” said Granados.

Assistance with completing applications and forms is also provided.

The February 2018 dates and locations are:

The goal of the Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection goal is to promote wellness, independence, dignity and choice for seniors and their families. It is one of 670 “Area Agencies on Aging” nationwide established under the federal Older Americans Act.  The division has information printed in both English and Spanish.

“The Aging & Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) model, a state initiative that Union County has embraced since 2012, is designed to improve service for seniors and the disabled,” said Union County’s Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados. “These services can enable seniors and the disabled to remain in their homes and communities,” Freeholder Granados added.

Check for the upcoming schedule of stops for an ASK kiosk coming near you as dates and locations are posted in local newspapers, the Senior News, Facebook, Twitter and the Union County website, www.ucnj.org.

For further information about the Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection, call the division’s toll-free number: 1-888-280-8226, or 908-527- 4870 or 4858 or visit the Union County government website at www.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.

Connect with Union County on social media.

The Freeholder Board is pleased to announce Worldwide Flight Service is looking to hire County residents for 50 full-time positions through the Union County Workforce Innovation Business Center.

“I would like to thank World Flight Service for partnering with us to create these full time jobs for County residents,” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados, who is the Freeholder liaison to the Union County Workforce Innovation Business Center.

Interviews are being held by the Union County Workforce Innovation Business Center in Elizabeth, in partnership between the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and Union County College. Pre-registration is required. Please visit www.ucnj.org/jobs for more information and to RSVP.

Union County, NJ – Union County is offering a free yoga, meditation class and emotional wellness event for women titled, “International Women’s Day – The Time is Now,” on Friday evening, March 9, at Maskers Barn in the historic Deserted Village of Feltville. The event is the latest edition in a free series conducted through the Department of Human Services Division on Outreach and Advocacy’s Office on Women.

“This wellness series represents the steady growth of Union County’s recreational and educational programs to embrace new activities and meet a wider range of interests,” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados. “We want to ensure that every resident has the opportunity to engage with popular new pastimes that contribute to overall health and well- being.” 

• A short talk and introduction with time to network.
• Yoga session by Nicole DeAugustine, certified yoga instructor.
• Guided meditation ceremony with Rosie Lazroe, RYT & YACEP.
• Fire ceremony.
• Light snacks provided by Whole Foods.

“International Women’s Day – The Time is Now” begins at 6:00 p.m. on March 9 and is expected to conclude at approximately 9:00 p.m.

Attendees should wear comfortable clothing appropriate for yoga, and bring their own yoga mats.

The event is free but space is limited. Pre-registration is required online at ucnj.org/women.

The Deserted Village is located in the Berkeley Heights section of Union County’s Watchung Reservation. Masker’s Barn is a fully renovated 19th century building located at 9 Cataract Hollow Road in the Deserted Village, off Glenside Avenue.

The Office on Women was created in 2016. As the first county-based office of its kind in New Jersey, the Office on Women aims to help ensure that women connect with services and programs that enable them to reach their full potential at every stage of their lives, in education, in employment and business, health and in the social fabric of Union County, and to raise awareness of the many contributions that women make to life in Union County.

For additional details contact Jennifer Erdos, Union County Office on Women at jerdos@ucnj.org.

International Women’s Day is a project of UN Women. It falls on March 8 this year with the theme, “Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives.”

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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.

Union County Freeholders Angela R. Garretson and Alexander Mirabella attended the Union County College Black History Month Celebration with Assemblyman Jamel Holley and Union County College President Margaret McMenamin at the college’s campus in Cranford. They were joined by the keynote speaker Candy Lewis, Student Government Association President Brian Burger, Vice President for Student Development Dr. Demond Hargrove, Executive Assistant to the VP for Student Development Zulema Cheek and Student Life Specialist Auraine Scott. Mrs. Lewis is the National Sales Director for the Ruby Unit at Mary Kay Inc. (Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholders Linda Carter, Bruce H. Bergen, Angel G. Estrada and Alexander Mirabella unveil banners in the lobby of the Union County Administration Building in Elizabeth announcing Friday, February 2, 2018 as the 15^th Annual National Wear Red Day for Woman. They were joined by Union County Deputy County Manager Amy Wagner, Union County Department of Human Services Director Debbie-Ann Anderson and Office of the County Manager Office Manager Sharda Badri.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders supports the American Heart Association’s Go Red campaign to promote women’s cardiovascular health awareness and encourages all residents to wear red on February. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholder Angel G. Estrada joined Nathalie Hernandez, Coordinator of the Union County Office of Community Engagement & Diversity, and Jen Erdos of the Union County Office on Women in delivering donations to YWCA Eastern Union County Executive Director Janice  C. Lilien and YWCA Director of Development and Marketing Jennifer M. Vriens at the YWCA Union County Domestic Violence Shelter in Elizabeth.

Four large boxes of items for women and children were collected at Union County office buildings in January during the Union County Women’s Donation Drive that was coordinated by the Office of Community Engagement & Diversity with the Office on Women to benefit the domestic violence shelter

Update: Please note, the meeting originally scheduled for February 10 has been postponed. A new date will be announced shortly.

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ—The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation will host an annual meeting for new and seasoned Trail Stewards at Trailside Nature & Science Center on _____________.

“Throughout the years Trail Stewards have volunteered many hours to ensure that our trails are kept safe and accessible to trail users,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados. “We appreciate all the help that has been provided in the past, and look forward to welcoming new stewards to the program”.

Being part of the Adopt-A-Trail program allows trail users to ‘give back’ to the trails they use throughout the year by helping to keep drainage ditches clear of debris, trails free of litter, branches and fallen trees and water diverted off trails to prevent erosion and many other tasks.

New trail stewards will be given basic instruction on how to monitor and maintain a section of trail in the Union County Park System, including the Watchung Reservation, Passaic River Park in Berkeley Heights and Summit, Lenape Park in Cranford, Ash Brook Reservation in Scotch Plains and various other locations.

All stewards are required to attend an annual meeting, must commit to monitoring and maintaining their trail for a minimum of two years and submit quarterly reports through the year.

Registration for the meeting on February 10th is required. To register you can email Betty Anne Kelly at bkelly@ucnj.org or call 908-789-3683.

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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.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados and Union County Deputy County Manager Amy Wagner thank members of the New Jersey Youth Corps and Groundwork Elizabeth for the gift of “Kindness Rocks!,” painted rocks featuring upbeat sayings that are on display in the atrium of the Union County Administration Building in Elizabeth.

Award ceremony features concert style performance of famed American opera, Porgy and Bess

Union County, NJ – On Saturday, February 10, the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will recognize lifelong Elizabeth resident Kim Nesbitt Good with the annual Chester Holmes Humanitarian Award during a Black History Month celebration at the historic Union County Performing Arts Center, 1601 Irving Street in Rahway. The award was created by the Freeholder Board in honor of the late former Freeholder Chester Holmes. 

The event begins at 8:00 p.m. and features a free concert-style performance of the iconic American opera Porgy and Bess, by composer George Gershwin with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin, presented by the Freeholder Board and the City of Rahway with support from SUEZ and Covanta Energy.

“Ms. Nesbitt Good represents Union County at its best and brightest,” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados. “Her persistent fight for justice and equality motivates us all to keep working to make our Union County community stronger every day. Kim is a great friend, and she is someone who is widely admired for her advocacy work. She is a powerful voice for all, fostering good will throughout the community and reminding of us of the importance of giving back.”

“Ms. Nesbitt Good has touched thousands of lives here in Union County and beyond, with an unflagging determination to help others reach their full potential,” said Freeholder Mohamed Jalloh, who is the Freeholder Liaison to the Performing Arts Center. “She is an inspiration and role model for us all.”

“Chester Holmes was legendary for his actions on behalf of the community and I know he would be very proud of Ms. Nesbitt Good, who pursues her goals with outstanding passion and energy,” said Freeholder Linda Carter, who is the Freeholder liaison to the Advisory Board on the Status of Minorities.

“Ms. Nesbitt Good is a phenomenal public servant and business leader who understands our community can rise together, when we turn our attention to teaching, guiding and leading,” said Freeholder Angela Garretson. “She is truly visionary and unites so many, and it is truly an honor to recognize her with the Chester Holmes Award.”

Kim Nesbitt Good is the proprietor of the Nesbitt Funeral Home in Elizabeth with her husband of 39 years, Ted. They are the proud parents of two children, Lawrence and Leah.

With a long list of awards and advanced degrees to her name, Ms. Nesbitt Good is listed in Who’s Who among Americans, Who’s Who Among African American Funeral Directors and Who’s Who Among Entrepreneurs.

Ms. Nesbitt Good’s insistence on the highest standards in her profession is matched by her unstinting efforts on behalf of the African American community in and around Union County. She has been honored by scores of local, state, federal and national organizations, highlighted by receiving the Presidential Pin from President Barack Obama in recognition of her extraordinary service to others.

Ms. Nesbitt Good is the co-founder of “Friends,” an organization of Black Women committed to uplifting the Black Community, and the founder of Friends of the New Jersey Legacy Foundation, whose mission is to acknowledge the legacy of African Americans in New Jersey. Under the leadership of President Obama and Mr. Thabiti Boone, Ms. Nesbitt Good was the founder of the Union County New Jersey Fatherhood Initiative Foundation which aims to promote responsible fatherhood and healthy relationships.

With the late Congressman Donald M. Payne Sr., and Senator Raymond Lesniak, Ms. Nesbitt Good lead the effort to establish the only monument in the United States memorializing earthquake victims in Haiti, located at Rosehill Cemetery in Linden.

She has hosted the largest Juneteenth Celebration in the State of New Jersey with relatives of Harriett Tubman, the Black Cowboys and Elected officials throughout the state along with Mr. Roland Martin. A strong believer in Jesus Christ, Ms. Nesbitt Good is a member of the Shiloh Baptist Church in Elizabeth.

Porgy and Bess has been recognized as one of the most important American musical works of the last century. The show began its journey to the Broadway stage in 1936 featuring an all-African American cast of classically trained singers, a casting choice that was considered revolutionary in its time.

This concert style presentation of Porgy and Bess is musically directed by Khy Garner and features a full orchestra pit conducted by Bruce De La Cruz.

Admission is free but tickets are required to guarantee seating. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit ucpac.org/events. The Box Office can be reached via email at boxoffice@ucpac.org or phone at 732-499-8226.

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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.