County of UnionDefault category for all normal press releases
On Saturday November 18 – 11:00 PM through Sunday November 19 – 9:00 AM the New Jersey Bound lanes of the Goethals Bridge will be closed to accommodate shifting the New Jersey bound travel lanes in New York onto a recently-completed portion of the approach roadway to the new Goethals Bridge. The New York bound lanes will not be impacted. Minimal traffic impacts are expected; the Bayonne Bridge will remain open.
Union County, NJ – If you are looking for a chance to pitch in for the environment, come to a special volunteer event with the Union County Adopt-a-Park program and members of the North Plainfield Shade Tree Advisory Board on Saturday, November 11, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and help clean up a section of Green Brook Park.
Green Brook is part of the Union County Parks system. It is located in Plainfield and extends into North Plainfield.
Members of the public can meet up with the cleanup team at 9:30 a.m. at the intersection of Parkview Avenue and Clinton Avenue in North Plainfield, next to the Green Brook Park sign.
This area is tended to regularly by members of the Shade Tree Advisory Board, and extra hands are needed on November 11 to help pick up litter and debris, and clear away invasive species so that native plants have room to grow next spring.
Gloves, bags and tools will be provided and participants should bring an empty bucket if they have one. The cleanup event will be over by noon.
Volunteers should dress to get muddy and/or dirty!
Any individual or group can join Adopt-A-Park and help preserve Union County’s 36 public parks. For more information visit Adopt-A-Park online at ucnj.org/parks 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.
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Union County, NJ – A favorite Union County seasonal tradition returns this year with the annual Holiday Sound and Light Show hosted by The Model Railroad Club. The centerpiece of the festive extravaganza is the club’s sprawling, meticulously detailed HO scale model train layout at the A. Paul Mallery Model Railroad Center, conveniently located in a mixed-use area of Union County’s Lenape Park off Route 22 East in Union Township.
“The Holiday Sound and Light Show is a wonderful holiday tradition for the whole family, and The Railroad Center is a unique community resource open for all to enjoy,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “I still remember fondly taking my now-grown son to the show when he was younger and fascinated by model trains.”
This year, the Holiday Sound and Light show begins on Friday, November 24 from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Shows will continue from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Fridays, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturdays and 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays until December 10.
“The show is designed to capture the imagination with a ‘you are there’ feel, and the layout itself is a decades-long labor of love at the heart of our mission,” said Railroad Club President Tim McCollum.
The Model Railroad Club is dedicated to preserving and sharing the art of model railroads while providing the public with a unique window on the history the New Jersey-Pennsylvania rail corridor.
The Railroad Center is open to the public every Saturday during the year, and each November the layout is transformed into a living theatre complete with sound and lighting effects and professional narration.
The Sound and Light Show repeats continuously on each scheduled day from November 24 to December 10. Attendees can stay as long as they like to enjoy more than one show, view an elaborate N-scale layout and other displays, grab a bite to eat at the snack bar, and stock up on train-themed holiday gifts at the gift shoppe.
For the convenience of attendees with babies and small children, a play and rest area is also located on site.
Discounted advance tickets to the Sound and Light Show may be purchased online through the Railroad Club website, themodelrailroadclub.org/advance-show-tickets. Advance tickets are $7.00 for adults age 16 and up, $5.00 for teens age 13-15, and $4.00 for children age 3-12. Children under age 3 are free.
Attendees can also purchase tickets at the Railroad Center. Tickets purchased at the Railroad Center for a future date are at the discounted rate. Tickets purchased on the day of attendance are at the regular rate of $1.00 over the discounted rate.
The Railroad Center ticket window is open on during regular Saturday public hours between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on November 4, 11, and 18. It is also open during the scheduled hours of the Sound and Light Show beginning at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, November 24 and ending on December 10.
The Model Railroad Club, Inc. is a non-profit organization that built and runs the Railroad Center through an arrangement with the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation. Work on the HO display began 40 years ago with the construction of the Railroad Center in Lenape Park, and it has been enhanced and expanded since then. Work on a major expansion is under way, practically doubling the size of the original exhibit.
The Model Railroad Club has been a part of Union County since its founding in 1949 by Master Model Railroader Paul Mallery. Today, it is one of the largest model railroad clubs in the region.
New members are always welcome to join the Model Railroad Club. Current members are on site during visiting hours and are happy to provide information about Club activities. Prospective members can also request information on joining by email, at info@tmrci.org.
All proceeds from the Holiday Sound and Light Show go towards funding the Railroad Club’s activities.
Directions: The A. Paul Mallery Center is conveniently situated in a mixed-use area of Union County’s Lenape Park, off Route 22 East in Union Township, behind the Home Depot at 930 South Springfield Road. Enter the Home Depot parking lot from Route 22 East or from South Springfield Road, and go to the far (west) end where the Home Depot garden center is located. Follow a small sign to find the service road behind the garden center. The Mallery Center is at the end of the road.
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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 Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Angel G. Estrada met with Roselle Public Library Director Jeanne Marie Ryan and Library Assistant Natalie Peitsinovski in the library’s children area where they spoke about the technology expansion and other improvements at the library funded with Union County Library Grants. Over the past three years, the County Freeholder Board has awarded more than $18,000 in grants from golf fees administered through the Open Space Trust Fund to the library for various purchases. The library purchased 2 new computers with part of the 2017 Union County Library Grant. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen met with Springfield Public Library Director Dale Spindel, Head of Youth Services Deborah Sandford and Teen & Emerging Technologies Librarian Alice Chunn in the library’s children area where they spoke about the technology expansion and other improvements at the library funded with Union County Library Grants. Over the past three years, the County Freeholder Board has awarded more than $18,000 in grants from golf fees administered through the Open Space Trust Fund to the library for various purchases. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Halloween!
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Union County, NJ – Nominations are being accepted now until December 1 for the 26th annual Women of Excellence awards. The awards program honors women from all walks of life who have made an exceptional impact on Union County residents.
“By celebrating the achievements of individual women, the Women of Excellence program also highlights organizations that have an enriching impact on the Union County community,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “The nomination process is a wonderful way for businesses and non-profits to honor an outstanding owner, manager, employee or volunteer.”
In addition to businesses and non-profits, government agencies and individual residents can also submit nominations for a Women of Excellence award.
Women can be nominated for their achievements in the fields of Arts and Humanities, Business and Entrepreneurial, Community Service, Education, Government, Law, Law Enforcement, Medicine and Health Care, and Women’s Advocacy.
Nominations are open to women 21 years or older who live, volunteer, or work in Union County.
Awardees are guests of honor at the annual Women of Excellence gala awards dinner each spring. Awardees receive an engraved Women of Excellence plaque and a Freeholder Resolution recognizing their impact on the Union County community.
The Women in Excellence awards are sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Commission of the Status of Women and the Union County Office on Women.
For more information about submitting a Women of Excellence nomination, or to download a nomination form, visit ucnj.org/women-of-excellence-award. Questions about the nomination process can be emailed to Jane O’Hara at johara1217@gmail.com.
All nominations must be mailed to Jane O’Hara at 708 Newark Avenue, Westfield, NJ 07090 and must be received no later than December 1, 2017.
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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 Angel G. Estrada met with Rahway Public Library Director Gail Miller and Children’s Librarian Elizabeth Hoens in the library’s children area where they spoke about the technology expansion and other improvements at the library funded with Union County Library Grants. Over the past three years, the County Freeholder Board has awarded more than $17,000 in grants from golf fees administered through the Open Space Trust Fund to the library for various purchases. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
Debbie-Ann Anderson, the former Executive Director of HomeFirst Interfaith Housing Services and a former Executive Vice President of the United Way of Greater Union County, has been appointed Human Services Director effective today, County Manager Alfred J. Faella announced.
“Debbie-Ann brings both experience and enthusiasm to the position of Human Services Director,” said County Manager Faella. “As an executive of two non-profit agencies that have collaborated with County government, she brings a familiarity and knowledge of our government operations and the non-profit world that will greatly assist her in running the department.”
Anderson succeeds Frank Guzzo, the former director who retired earlier this year after having run the department for the past 27 years.
“I am humbled by the opportunity to lead the many dedicated public servants in our 10 different divisions and offices that provide services and respond to the quality of life needs of our residents,” said Anderson. “I am grateful to the County Manager for his support and appointment, and I look forward to working with our Board of Chosen Freeholders.”
Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen welcomed Anderson to County government.
“The Department of Human Services is an essential agency and safety net of County government that touches all our different populations, and in particular, those who need it the most—the elderly, poor, unemployed, underemployed and youth populations,” said Bergen. “We are pleased to have found someone in Debbie-Ann Anderson who is prepared to lead the department and understands these challenges, and we look forward to working with her.”
The Department of Human Services, with 747 full and part-time employees, is County government’s largest agency, and contains the following units: the Division of Aging and Disability Resource Connection; the Division of Planning; the Division of Social Services (in Plainfield and Elizabeth); the Division of Youth Services; the Office of Veterans’ Affairs; the Office on Women; Paratransit (and Route 22 Shuttle);the Contract Unit; Workforce Development Operations (One Stop Career Centers, Elizabeth and Plainfield offices) and Cornerstone Behavioral Health Hospital of Union County.
Anderson had served the past two years as Executive Director at Homefirst in Plainfield. Homefirst serves over 2,000 clients on a yearly basis by providing social service programs and community-building practices that strengthen families including transitional, permanent and supportive housing, homelessness prevention, emergency assistance, and family support services.
Prior to that, she worked for seven years at the United Way of Greater Union County, serving the last three years of her tenure as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
Anderson has a diversified background in programs serving families as well as extensive experience in corporate, non-profit and community affairs organizations. Her professional career began in 1997 and has included sales and marketing as well as governmental and public affairs while working with top law firms and a variety of government agencies.
Anderson began her professional fundraising career in 2004 at the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) in Towson, Maryland. In just eight months, she rose to the Executive Director role and relocated to manage the Northern New Jersey chapter of MDA. Her strategic development efforts for the chapter led to them achieving the highest percentage of revenue growth in the nation for two consecutive years.
Anderson joined United Way of Greater Union County in 2008 and during her tenure there she garnered a reputation as a dynamic strategic developer to revenue growth. Within a year, Debbie-Ann was instrumental in securing the organization’s first major gift of $1 million dollars from a private family foundation. Ms. Anderson focused on integrating emerging fundraising markets, incorporated a more tactical use of technology, which included migration toward digital platforms to increase awareness of UWGUC among donors and Union County communities. She also managed and assisted staff in strengthening collaborative partnerships.
Anderson has a Bachelor’s of Science in Business and Marketing from Mount Saint Mary’s College and currently serves on the following nonprofit boards Habitat of Humanity Greater Plainfield and Middlesex County and Plainfield Community Outreach Organization.
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