County of Union, New JerseyDefault category for all normal press releases
Emergency construction will require the Goethals Bridge to close in the New Jersey bound direction for one night. Two drainage catch basins are damaged and must be repaired. They are located on the New Jersey bound roadway under and just west of the Travis Spur Railroad Bridge.
The closure is scheduled for this Thursday (December 8) from 10PM-5 AM.
The Bayonne Bridge will not close Thursday night, and delays at the Bayonne Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing are not expected.
Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Angel G. Estrada and Alexander Mirabella joined Assemblywoman Nancy Muñoz at the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ BIG GIVE fundraiser at the Jewish Community Center in Scotch Plains. They were joined by NJ State Association of Jewish Federations Executive Director Jacob Toporek and Jewish Community Foundation Executive Director Stanley Stone.
The BIGGIVE is a community-wide event that is part a month-long series of events designed to build community. The Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest is the largest Jewish philanthropy in New Jersey and the eighth largest Federation in the country, serving the Jewish community in Essex, Morris, Sussex, Union, and parts of Somerset counties
Chairman Bergen and Freeholders Estrada and Mirabella were honorary chairs of the event.
Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski joined Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Union County Tree and Menorah Lighting Celebration during the 33rd annual Holiday Nature Craft Show at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside.
(Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the County Manager invite you to the annual “Christmas Carol Sing-a-long Around the rotunda Christmas Tree” on Friday, December 23rd, at 11:00 a.m.
The event will be held in the rotunda of the Union County Courthouse building, 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ.
County Manager Alfred J. Faella is the master of ceremonies. The event includes caroling, musical entertainment, and a visit from Santa. Mr. and Mrs. Victor Fuzo of Roselle Park donated this year’s Christmas Tree in the rotunda, a blue spruce tree.
The Hillside Chapter of UNICO recently held a Veterans Appreciation Breakfast and Program at the Hillside Knights of Columbus in Hillside.
Well over 100 Veterans from all parts of the state, including the Lyons Hospital of the Veterans Administration in Lyons, attended the free breakfast and program. Donations were collected and turned over to Lyons Hospital for use for the Veterans.
Left to Right Hillside UNICO Chapter President Angelo J. Bonanno, Union County Sheriff Joe Cryan, Union County Freeholder Alexander Mirabella, Hillside Council President and Third Ward Councilman Don DeAugustine, and Adam Samiec, a Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient for the Korean War, Hillside.
Sitting: World War II Veteran Mario Mauro, of Hillside, and World War II Veteran Steven Pega of Cranford.
Hillside UNICO is a chapter of UNICO National—the nation’s largest Italian American volunteer organization whose members and chapters promote Italian culture and language, offer scholarships, fight bias, and perform acts of charity in the community.
Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholder Vernell Wright joined Assemblyman Jamel Holley, Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage, Elizabeth Councilman Manny Grova, Rahway Councilman David Brown, Community Access Unlimited (CAU) Executive Director Sidney Blanchard and other officials in cutting the ribbon officially opening CAU’s new headquarters at 80 Grand Street in Elizabeth.
CAU intends for the new 60,000-square-foot, five-story building to be used by both the agency and the wider community while also serving as a symbol of advocacy and community integration.
CAU is a statewide Elizabeth-based nonprofit providing support programs and services to adults with disabilities as well as youth served under the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to enable them to live independently in the community, providing support in areas including housing, vocational skills and life-skills training, education, advocacy and recreation.
Tree to be moved on December 6th
A beautiful blue spruce from the home of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Fuzo in Roselle Park will be donated on December 6th and will adorn the Courthouse Rotunda during the Holiday season.
“This is the 60th anniversary of this tradition and it’s something that we all look forward to seeing at the Courthouse,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “On behalf of my colleagues on the Board, I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Fuzo for their donation.”
Victor Fuzo, a former Roselle Park Councilman who is also a good friend of Freeholder Alexander Mirabella, said he planted the spruce more than 35 years ago, and that it is a “perfect” tree in its appearance, with no blemishes.
“I planted it when it was only 18-inches high in the backyard, and then moved it to the front,” he said.
On the morning of Tuesday, December 6th, a crew from the Union County Shade Tree Bureau will go to Roselle Park to cut the tree and load in onto a flatbed truck. Once the tree reaches the courthouse at 2 Broad Street in Elizabeth, a crane will hoist it onto the front steps.
Once inside the courthouse rotunda, the tree is tied with rope and lifted into a barrel stand that is weighed down with concrete. Then the process of adding lights and ornaments begins.
As in years past, workers will take a few days to decorate the tree, which will require multiple strands of lights. The public is invited to view the tree until about the second week of January.
The public also is invited to participate in a Christmas sing-along around the tree hosted by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, with a visit from Santa Claus. The date for the sing-along will be announced within the next few weeks.
Union County, NJ – Students from the Kean University Center for Leadership and Service bundled up and took rakes and clippers in hand last weekend to prepare Chatfield Garden for chilly weather. The enthusiastic Adopt-a-Park volunteers removed old vegetation to help ensure that the plantings overwinter properly. Chatfield is a formal garden located in Union County’s Warinanco Park, in Roselle. A favorite spot for photographers, it was originally designed for tulips. It is now home to perennials that flower all season, attracting butterflies and other valuable pollinators. Individuals and groups are welcome to join the hundreds of volunteers who participate in Adopt-A-Park projects every year. For more information call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at 908-789-3683 or visit ucnj.org/adopt-a-park.
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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 – Union County’s Aging Services Kiosk will visit six convenient locations in December to help connect seniors, their families and caregivers with helpful resources and services including home delivered meals, respite care, home care and adult day care.
“I’m happy to report that ASK has received an enthusiastic welcome all over Union County,” said Bergen. “ASK offers a personal, one-on-one experience that helps our residents access services and programs that can make a real difference in their lives.”
ASK is staffed by knowledgeable experts from the Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection of the Union County Department of Human Services.
In addition to providing guidance and information about senior programs, ASK staff can also assist in completing applications and forms.
All Union County residents are invited to attend ASK events in any of the following municipalities in December:
Wednesday, December 7
Linden Public Library
31 E. Henry Street
Linden, 07036
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Friday, December 9
Mountainside Municipal Building
1385 Route 22 East
Mountainside, 07092
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Monday, December 12
Clark Public Library
303 Westfield Avenue
Clark, 07066
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 15
Westfield Community Center
558 West Broad Street
Westfield 07090
10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 21
Fanwood Public Library
5 Forest Road
Fanwood, 07023
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 22
Berkeley Heights Public Library
290 Plainfield Avenue
Berkeley Heights, 07922
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
The goal of the Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection is to promote wellness, independence, dignity and choice for seniors and their families. It is one of the Area Agencies on Aging established under the federal Older Americans Act.
For information about all services for seniors in Union County call 888-280-8226 toll free or 908-527-4870, or visit online at 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 Bayonne Bridge, Holland Tunnel and Goethals Bridge will institute lane closings this weekend and/or next week due to ongoing construction and repair projects.
The closings, scheduled in conjunction with other regional agencies to minimize traffic impacts, are as follows:
Bayonne Bridge:
Holland Tunnel:
Goethals Bridge:
To receive real time traffic updates, travelers should register for the Port Authority’s Bridge and Tunnel Alerts at http://www.paalerts.com/, call 511 or visit www.511NY.org or www.511NJ.org.