County of Union, New JerseyDefault category for all normal press releases
Union Country Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski, Christopher Hudak, Vernell Wright and Alexander Mirabella joined Store Manager Dominic Romeo and Shopper Advocate Amber Russomano of the Shoprite in Clark for the store’s annual “Help Bag Hunger” event.
Cashiers collected donations for the Shoprite Partners in Caring Fund to help fill the shelves of local community food banks.
For more information about the Shoprite Partners in Caring visit www.shopritepartnersincaring.org/.
CarFit program for seniors to ensure road safety in Garwood; annual bike giveaway partnership with Dairy Queen in Plainfield for children
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders are announcing a pair of events—a CarFit event for seniors in Garwood, and a bike give away for children in Plainfield—over the next few weeks.
On Thursday, September 28th , from 11:30 am to 3 pm, personnel from the Union County Police will partner with AAA to host the CarFit event at the Garwood First Aid Squad, located at 401 Second Avenue in Garwood. While this event is geared towards seniors, all drivers are welcome to attend and no appointment is necessary. The event will be held on a first come, first-serve basis.
“The Freeholder board would like to invite all senior drivers to attend this free event and ensure that their cars are properly adjusted for them,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “Our over-arching goal is to ensure road safety.”
CarFit is a national program designed to help seniors make sure that their vehicles are properly adjusted and safe to operate. The program also helps to increase senior drivers’ mobility in the community. At the event, a team of trained technicians will work with each participant to ensure they “fit” their vehicle properly for maximum comfort and safety. A CarFit check takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
Then on Saturday, October 7, the County will also co-sponsor a bicycle and helmet giveaway event from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the Plainfield Dairy Queen, located at 1367 South Avenue in Plainfield. This is a free event open to the public. Approximately 100 bikes and helmets will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis to kids. This event is held quarterly by the Albanese family, owners of the Dairy Queen in Plainfield.
Both programs will be administered/assisted through the County’s Child Safety Seat unit.
On a related note, the Union County Freeholders would like all residents to know that as of September 1st, new legislation went into effect that has changed the regulations regarding the use of infant and child car seats in New Jersey. The previous law had an exemption which would allow an individual to say that they had been following the car seat manufacturer’s height and weight recommendations for the car seat that they were using. Under the new law, this exemption no longer exists. It is important to clarify the new rules to ensure that all parents have selected the appropriate car seat for their child.
These are the regulations under the new law:
For more information on the County’s Child Safety seat program, please go to: https://ucnj.org/public-safety/division-of-police/child-safety-seat-inspection-program/
The Union County Family Justice Center (FJC) held its grand opening Wednesday afternoon, marking the beginning of a new era in how services are provided to victims of domestic violence in Union County.
The Union County Board of Freeholders awarded a $25,000 “Senior Focus” grant to the Township of Clark that was used to purchase a variety of exercise equipment for the township’s Senior Fitness Center at the Municipal Building on 430 Westfield Avenue. The grant helped fund new elliptical, rowing, and treadmill machines among other purchases.
L. to R. Clark Councilman At-Large Bill Smith, Clark Recreation Director Ralph Bernardo, Freeholder Vernell Wright, Council Vice President (at-Large) Alvin Barr, and Lori Banta, Clark Senior Fitness Recreation Director.
Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen, Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski, Christopher Hudak and Vernell Wright joined Rahway Mayor Samson Steinman, Kenilworth Councilman Peter Corvelli and Chris Scherm of the Human Rights Campaign at the Union County PRIDE CommUNITY Picnic, celebrating marriage equality in New Jersey at Rahway River Park in Rahway. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
Show features impressive lineup of R&B, House, and Rap artists, including Aly-Us, Pamela Long, Allure, Judah Priest and Rahway’s Ny’a, to run from 5-8 p.m., sponsored by Union County Freeholders and City of Rahway
The Union County Performing Arts Center is presenting the Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert, featuring a card of nationally known, award-winning musical artists, on Saturday October 1st, from 5-8 p.m.
The show, which is being sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the City of Rahway, features platinum-winning artists Aly-Us and Pamela Long from Total, gold-winning artists Ny’a and Allure, Julia Robertson and Norm Adams, Judah Priest, Kenny Black, High-Five, and the Apostolic Center’s band and choir. Tickets for the general admission show are $20 and may be purchased in advance at www.ucpac.org. All proceeds from the show will be used to benefit Hurricane victims in Texas and Florida.
“It is all about coming together to help our fellow Americans who need it the most in Texas and Florida,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen. “We thank the artists for performing, and we urge our residents to come out and support the relief effort, and have a good time while doing so.”
Mayor Samson Steinman, who is also involved in supporting the show, thanked Rahway’s own recording star, Ny’a, for organizing the concert and bringing the artists together, and hailed the program to help disaster victims.
“Our Country has experienced back-to-back devastating weather events, and it has been said that hurricanes do not discriminate in their path of destruction,” Steinman said. “We are coming together to lift our hearts, raise funds and show our compassion for our fellow Americans in need. There is no finer way than to do than through music, a celebration of our culture and American way of life.”
Felice Twaddle, President of the Board of Directors at UCPAC added:
“I am pleased that we are able to come together for a night of great entertainment to benefit those that were affected by the damages of hurricanes Harvey and Irma. My sincere thanks to all the artists that have graciously donated their time to make this event happen.”
Artist Profiles
Aly-Us achieved stardom with their 1992 hit single “Follow Me.” This song became one of the first “house” songs to appear on the radio, and subsequently helped catapult house music into the main stream.
Pamela Long is best remembered as the voice in the New Jersey R&B trio Total. Her lyrics helped fuel various hits throughout the 90s, including: “What You Want” (Featuring Mase), “Kissing You”, and “Can’t You See” (featuring The Notorious B.I.G.). Long’s chorus on the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize”, helped elevate the song to the #1 spot on Billboard Hot 100, while simultaneously solidifying it as one of the 50 greatest rap songs of all time.
With two number one singles on the R&B and club charts, Rahway native, Ny’a, has amassed a following both statewide and around the world. Her debut album Embrace sold over half a million records. Currently, Ny’a has a new single, “Mend,” which features Kenny Black.
Allure is a New York based R&B group currently comprised of Alia Davis, Lalisha Sanders and Akissa Mendez. In the 1990s, Allure’s single “All Cried Out” dominated the airwaves and soon reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Most recently the group has signed with Bridge Works/Interscope records and released their single entitled “Butterflies.”
Julia Robertson achieved fame as a member of the female R&B group Ex-Girlfriend. Her hit singles include “Why Can’t You Come Home,” and “You (You’re The One for Me),” Norm Adams first discovered his skills as a young singer in church. Over the years, he has struck success with both the soca-infused single “Love Me,” as well as “Stretch Ya Neck”. Collectively, Julia Robertson and Norm Adams have worked together to perform the hit ballad “Body Rush.”
Judah Priest is an affiliated act of the Wu-Tang Clan, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest hip hop groups of all time. Most recently, Judah Priest released an album titled The Day After Tomorrow.
Kenny Black Jr., aka The Music Machine is a singer, songwriter and producer whose music crosses a variety of genre’s including R&B, gospel and country.
Hi-Five is an American R&B quintet based in Waco, Texas. Hi-Five had a #1 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 in the early 1990s with “I Like the Way”.
Local Spiritual Group, The Apostolic Center Band and Choir, are based out of the Word of Life Apostolic Center on Elm Avenue in Rahway.
The Union County Performing Arts Center is located at 1601 Irving St in Rahway, NJ and is easily accessible to major roads and public transportation.
Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen, Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Vernell Wright joined Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan in welcoming Sgt. Vincent Detrolio as guest speaker at the Union County POW/MIA Remembrance Day ceremony outside the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. Sgt. Detrolio, a former Union County Undersheriff, served with the US Army’s 1st Cavalry during the war in Vietnam.
The annual event is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders to honor and remember prisoners of war and those missing in action (POW/MIA). The National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed each year on the third Friday of September.
The Bayonne Bridge will be closed this weekend, and lane closings are planned for the George Washington Bridge and Holland Tunnel this weekend and/or next week for ongoing construction and repair projects.
Bayonne Bridge:
Holland Tunnel:
George Washington Bridge:
To receive real time traffic updates, travelers should register for Bridge and Tunnel Alerts at www.paalerts.com, call 511 or visit www.511NY.org or www.511NJ.org.
Union County, NJ – Insights from one of the country’s top entrepreneurs are on the menu at the upcoming Lunch & Learn event on October 4, featuring Boxed co-founder and CEO Chieh Huang. Business owners and managers in Union County are invited to attend the session, sponsored through the Freeholder Board’s Union County Means Business initiative in support of local businesses.
Pre-registration is required for Lunch & Learn, which will be held at the Stage House Tavern, 1099 Route 22 East in Mountainside, beginning at noon. A boxed lunch will be provided.
To register, visit online at ucnj.org/ucmb/lunch-and-learn.
Boxed is an app-driven, online national bulk retail company. Established in 2013, it was named one of the next “billion dollar startups” by Forbes in 2015. Last year, Boxed was also named Emerging E-retailer of the Year by Internet Retailer.
“Mr. Huang is an outstanding addition to the Union County community, as a successful entrepreneur, a passionate advocate for education, and a stellar example of the powerful impact that immigrants have on our country,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.
One of four Boxed fulfillment centers nationwide is a fully automated, 150,000 square foot facility located in Union Township.
Huang has garnered accolades as a co-founder of Boxed, including Goldman Sachs’s list of 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs, the National Retail Federation’s list of People Shaping Retails Future, and Crain’s 40 Under 40.
The son of Taiwanese immigrants, Huang has focused on cultivating a motivated workforce at Boxed. Last year Boxed announced that it would pay all or part of the wedding expenses for full-time employees. Huang has also committed to paying for the college tuition of his employees’ children.
In addition to numerous public appearances and interviews including CNBC, CNN, Yahoo and Forbes, Huang has participated in White House meetings to discuss issues in higher education and the student debt crisis.
For more information about Union County Means Business visit ucnj.org/ucmb or contact Deana Mesaros at 908-659-7412 or dmesaros@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.
Union County, NJ — Parents of elementary and middle school-aged children are invited to attend a free educational presentation, “Helping Your Child Succeed In School,” on Wednesday, October 4 from 6:30PM to 8:15PM at the Linden Public Library, located at 32 Henry Street in Linden.
The Union County Division of Youth Services will present the formal presentation following opening remarks by Terry Todd of The F.A.B. Coalition.
“The program is designed to provide inspirational and interactive dialogue to identify issues, strategies and resources to improve the well-being and academic performance of our most precious resource — our youth,” said Nora Mislan, Co-Chair of the Union County Human Relations Commission, one of the program sponsors.
“This session is a good opportunity for parents to learn how they can help their children feel confident about their ability to handle the challenges of school, and help ensure that they have a well rounded academic experience,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.
The program is co-sponsored by the Office of the Union County Superintendent of Schools, the Office of the Linden Superintendent of Schools, and the Union County Division of Youth Services.
Light refreshments will be served. Free parking is available, and the facility is wheelchair accessible.
The program is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required. Please register online at ucnj.org/uchrc. For more information, please call 908-889-9028.
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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.