Category: Public Info

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will present a free workshop on cultural advocacy on Monday, September 25 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Liberty Hall Wagon Shed Building, located at 1003 Morris Avenue in Union Township.

The workshop is designed for arts, cultural and history organizations. Participants are invited to learn how advocacy can support an organization, the community and cultural life in general.

“This informative session is an excellent opportunity for non-profits to learn the key essentials of cultural advocacy to benefit their organizations and our region at large,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, liaison to the Union County Cultural and Heritage Programs Advisory Board.

Adam Perle, the President and CEO of ArtPride New Jersey Foundation, will host the session. He will covers a variety of topics including what advocacy is and how it differs from lobbying; the value of relationship-building and storytelling; getting to know your elected officials; and differences between federal and state issues.

ArtPride New Jersey is a statewide arts service organization representing the interests, accomplishments and needs of more than 600 non-profit arts and cultural organizations whose work supplies more than $1.5 billion annually in economic activity. ArtPride advances, promotes and advocates for the arts as essential to the quality of life of every citizen and to the economic vitality of our state.

The workshop is funded in part by a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a division of the New Jersey Department of State and a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. It is presented through the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs in the Department of Parks and Recreation.

The workshop is free but pre-registration is required by September 23.

To register, contact the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs by email at culturalinfo@ucnj.org or call 908-558-2550 (NJ Relay users dial 711).

The Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs is located at 633 Pearl Street in Elizabeth. For more information on all programs and activities visit online at ucnj.org/parks-recreation/cultural-heritage-affairs

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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 – Almost 100 new students at Kean University celebrated the beginning of their freshman year by cleaning up the habitat along stretch of the Elizabeth River near the campus in Union Township last week. The group pictured here took a break to pose with part of the day’s “catch.” Many donned boots and waders to snare trash and debris from the water while others cleared invasive Japanese knotweed from the banks. The cleanup was supervised by Professor Daniela Shebitz as part of the Union County Adopt-a-Park Program. To find out how to volunteer with Adopt-a-Park, and to learn about other volunteer opportunities, environmental programs and activities sponsored by the Freeholder Board, visit The Green Connection, ucnj.org/green-connection.

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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 Clerk Joanne Rajoppi announces that the New Jersey gubernatorial candidate statements are now available on her website or can be obtained by mail.

The statements are available in English and Spanish.

Until this year, state law provided for gubernatorial candidate statements of up to 500 words to be included on the sample ballots mailed to each voter before Election Day.

A new law lifts that requirement, and voters must now go online to view the candidate statements at unioncountyvotes.com/statements.

“As a courtesy to help ensure that every voter has equal access to this important information, my office will mail gubernatorial statements to any voter who requests them,” said Ms. Rajoppi.

Union County voters can request candidate statements from the Elections Division of the County Clerk’s office by calling 908-527-4996, writing to the Elections Division at 2 Broad Street in Elizabeth, NJ 07207, or sending an email to ucvotes@ucnj.org.

Seven candidates for governor will be on the ballot for the November election.  Six of the seven have submitted gubernatorial candidate statements.

For more information on all Union County Clerk programs and services call 908-527-4787 or visit online at ucnj.org/county-clerk. 

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Visit the County Clerk’s new elections website, unioncountyvotes.com.

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Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Vice Chairman Sergio Granados present a resolution to Marc and Lauren Weissberg and their sons Reid and Holden of Springfield commending “Team Weissberg” on their efforts to raise awareness about Dup15q Syndrome and the efforts of the Dup15q Alliance.

Dup15q Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes an individual to have extra genetic material from chromosome 15, causing a variety of symptoms, from autism to low muscle tone to cognitive impairment and seizure disorders.

The Freeholder Board also extends its best wishes for the success of the September 16, 2017 Hope for Holden Benefit for the Dup15q Alliance. For information about the benefit, please visit www.dup15q.org/events/fundraisers/hope-for-holden.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi hosted an educational seminar open to all Notaries Public and prospective notaries featuring Union County Surrogate James S. LaCorte, Esq. as the main speaker at the John H. Stamler Police Academy in Scotch Plains.

The Notary Public course is a service being offered by the Office of the Union County Clerk. It is designed to instruct Notaries Public on how to perform their duties with confidence and diligence. Notaries learn about the new online application process and the legal aspects of performing the duties of a Notary Public in an effort to avoid liability issues.

For more information visit https://ucnj.org/county-clerk/notary-public-services/ or call the County Clerk’s office at 908-527-4787

Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Vice Chairman Sergio Granados spoke with Toni Ann Turco and Rich Erric of Home for Good Dogs Rescue and met some puppies up for adoption at the organization’s Bark B Que event at Meisel Park in Springfield. The Freeholder Board is a proud sponsor of the event. For more about Home for Good Dogs Rescue visit www.homeforgooddogs.org. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Third in series of popular programs returns to the Deserted Village of Feltville in the Watchung Reservation

Union County, NJ –The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, through the County’s Office on Women, is presenting a free yoga, meditation class and emotional wellness event entitled “Union County Balancing the Scales of Your Life” on Friday evening, September 15, beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Maskers Barn in the historic Deserted Village of the Watchung Reservation. The event is open to ages 16 and older, from beginners to experienced practitioners.

“This series of wellness programs is designed to help women engage with their strengths and capabilities through yoga and guided meditation,” Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen said. “The September 15 event is an excellent opportunity for a motivational boost to kick off the fall season.”

The program includes:

• A short talk and introduction as well as time to network. 
• Yoga session by Nicole DeAugustine, certified yoga instructor.
• Guided meditation ceremony by Barbara Plyer, MA, LPC, ACS, CCG, CCH.
• Fire ceremony.

The event begins at 6:00 p.m. on September 15 and is expected to conclude at approximately 9:00 p.m.

Whole Foods will be sponsoring light snacks and refreshments.

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

The Office on Women held its first wellness event at Masker’s Barn in honor of Women’s History Month last March. Two more events were added due to the enthusiastic response.

Those who wish to participate in the September event are advised to sign up now. Pre-registration is required online at ucnj.org/womans-yoga.

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

The Office on Women was created in 2016 as an initiative of Freeholder Chairman Bergen. 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.

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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 Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation are pleased to announce a special free program for families,  Live Birds of Prey on Saturday, September 16 from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m.

“This is a wonderful  opportunity for visitors to view a live bald eagle, peregrine falcon and osprey in a way you may never have the chance to in your everyday life,”  said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. 

This free program provides families with the chance to see live birds of prey from the Delaware Valley Raptor Center up close and personal.   New Jersey’s magnificent raptors have made an inspiring recovery over the past few decades, thanks largely to the work of devoted biologists, educators and faithful volunteers from Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. Learn about these incredible species and their amazing adaptations.  This program is made possible by a grant from Phillips 66.

For more information about these programs or other activities 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.

 For quick links to all Union County environmental programs and activities visit The Green Connection, ucnj.org/green-connection.

 There will be no impact on flight operations, but airline passengers and motorists may notice simulated smoke and numerous emergency vehicles in and around the airport.

The Port Authority is advising aviation passengers and motorists of an emergency response full-scale exercise at Newark Liberty International Airport from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 9.  The exercise will not delay flight operations, but the public may notice simulated smoke and numerous emergency vehicles as part of the exercise. 

The exercise will test the airport’s emergency plan for mutual aid response, enabling airport personnel and local emergency response organizations to train together and validate response procedures.

The exercise will include members of the Port Authority along with federal, state, local and airline partners.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders proudly invites all LGBTQ allies and families to rally in support of marriage and family equality at the Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic on Saturday, September 16 at Rahway River Park in Rahway.

“The Family Equality Rally is an opportunity for our community to come together in unity to celebrate the strength of our diversity,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “All families are invited to stand up for diversity, tolerance and love, and show support for family equality with a sign or banner. Bring a rally sign or join us before the rally at the poster making station to create one.”

The Family Equality Rally will kick off at 1:00 P.M. with special guest speakers as well as powerful renditions of songs that celebrate unity and equality by the voices of Union County’s own Mystic Vision Players. Speakers include local elected officials as well as representatives from the State of New Jersey Division of Children Protection and Permanency, Union County College’s Gay Straight Alliance, and Human Rights Campaign (Greater NY / New Jersey).

“In recent years, the LGBTQ movement has made considerable strides toward equality. It is important to acknowledge and celebrate the significant accomplishment of the United States Supreme Court marriage equality ruling of 2015,” said Freeholder Alexander Mirabella. “There remain issues, however, at the Federal and individual State levels that directly affect and create unique challenges for LGBTQ parents and children. As Union County’s first LGBTQ Pride event in recent history, the Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic demonstrates our support for LGBTQ allies, parents and children in our community.”

A celebration of all families, the free Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic will include arts and crafts (featuring a “LOVE Makes a Family” poster making station), inflatable bounce houses for all ages, face painting, music, family-friendly field day games (register online to be on a team) and much more.

Esteemed children’s music band, Michael and the Rockness Monsters will join in the day’s celebration with a live family concert starting at 2:30 P.M.

More than a dozen LGBTQ family and marriage equality advocacy and ally organizations will be on site all day with general information, as well as support and networking resources.

“Pride events matter because inequality is not always obvious. Union County’s pride event demonstrates the support for diversity and full equality,” said Chairman Bergen. “Marriage equality rights are in part the result of years of Pride events. The Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic brings advocates, allies, and families of the LGBTQ community together to celebrate individuality and raise awareness for the need to meet the equality challenges of the LGBTQ community.”

In the event of inclement weather the Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic will be held at the Warinanco Sports Center, Warinanco Park in Elizabeth/Roselle.

For more information visit ucnj.org/Pride, or find the UC Family PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic event page at Facebook.com/CountyOfUnion, or call the Union County Office of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4900.”