Category: Public Info

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that income eligible seniors age 60 and above can obtain free vouchers totaling $25.00 to purchase “Jersey Fresh” fruits, vegetables and herbs at designated Farmers Markets in July.

“Jersey Fresh vouchers provide seniors on a limited budget with the means to stock up on fresh, nutritious foods from our local New Jersey farmers,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “The Freeholder Board is very proud to participate in this program.”

Jersey Fresh vouchers can be used at any Farmers Market that displays the yellow and black WIC poster.

The $25.00 total is distributed in checks of $5.00 each, so that participants can spread out their purchases to ensure freshness. 

Seniors age 60 and older are eligible for the program if their annual income does not exceed $21,978 for a single person or $29,637 for a married couple. Proof of age, residency and income are required.

Eligible Union County seniors can apply to receive the vouchers by calling the Union County Department of Human Services, Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection toll free at 888-280-8226, or by visiting any of the sites listed below at the specified date and time. Proof of age, residency and income must be presented.

Seniors can also apply to receive vouchers, and pick up their vouchers, at any of these sites (as a convenience to participants, produce is available for purchase where noted):

For more information about the Farmer Market nutrition program, or any services provided by the Union County Department of Human Services, Division of Aging and Disability Resource, call 1-888-280-8226 or 877-222-3737 or visit the county’s website, 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.

 

Mountainside, NJ – Mark your calendars: the popular Wednesday Matinee Series at Trailside Nature & Science Center begins on June 29 and continues through August 10. This family entertainment series starts at 1:30 p.m. each week and runs approximately 45 minutes. All shows are recommended for children ages 4 and up. Admission is $5.00 per person; $4/senior citizen and tickets go on sale at 1:00 p.m.

“The Summer Wednesday Matinee Series at Trailside offers an educational yet entertaining and engaging afternoon for children and adults,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.

The season kicks off on June 29th with the GRAND FALLOONS, sponsored by the Union County Clean Communities. Children will enjoy magic, juggling and exciting circus fun as Professor W. takes them on a unique and lively exploration of “Our Earth.” This entertaining multi-media show explores such questions as what is litter, what happens to it after collection, and how, what and why to recycle. Abstract concepts are made accessible and engaging.

The series continues with WACKY SCIENCE, on July 13th, sponsored by the Trailside Museum Association. Audiences will delight in watching a ‘brave’ volunteer make a giant batch of slime! Participants learn about static electricity with a Van de Graaf generator, while experiencing a “hair raising” moment.  The program also features a dry ice demo.

On July 20, the lively pace continues with FUN WITH ENERGY. Mixing comedy and music, Jeff Boyer juggles, sculpts and builds with bubbles. Audiences will find this an energy filled ride.

PRISMATICA follows on July 27. Audiences will sing, clap and rock the house down, with this new laser show set to today’s positively themed pop/rock music. 

On August 3rd, RIZZO’S REPTILES brings an engaging program blending nature and conservation, which features live lizards, snakes, turtles and an alligator.

The final show of the 2016 season is HOCUS POCUS on August 10th. This program is a perfect blend of magic, audience participation, comedy and excitement.

For additional information about the Wednesday Matinee Series or other upcoming programs and special events, please call 908-789-3670 or visit us at www.ucnj.org/trailside. Trailside Nature & Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a facility of the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation.

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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 – Students looking to get more involved with businesses, organization and institutions in Union County while burnishing their skills can apply for volunteer positions through SHOUT, the Students Helping OUT program of the Union County Department of Human Services.

“If you are looking for a position that enables you to sharpen your academic skills and work habits while helping to affect positive change in our community, the SHOUT program can connect you with opportunities for a productive volunteer experience,” said Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados, who is the Freeholder Board’s liaison to the Workforce Investment Board and the Labor Advisory Board.

“A healthy, thriving community depends upon our ability to forge bonds between one generation and the next,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, liaison to the Human Services Advisory Board. “This program involves our citizens, parents, schools, community leaders and business owners in a collaborative effort to provide students with valuable experiences they can draw upon throughout their lives.

SHOUT offers a wide range of resources to help high school students complete their required high school community service hours, develop new relationships with local businesses, and network with people who are committed to ensuring that students are prepared for the future.

To begin the application process for a volunteer position through SHOUT, use the online form at ucnj.org/youth or call the Office of Youth Services of the Department of Human Services, 908-558-2520.

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 Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski, Vernell Wright and Linda Carter thank Bayway Fire Chief Jeff Merrill and Phillips 66 Community Relations Coordinator Mary Phillips for donating a smoke generator to the Union County Fire Academy in Linden. They were joined by Union County Public Safety Director Andrew Moran, Emergency Services Director Christopher Scaturo and Union County Fire Academy Dean Deputy Chief Steve Ruhl. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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Union County, NJ – Members of the public have a unique opportunity to see the benefits of rain gardens, porous pavements and other examples of green infrastructure, by joining a half-day bus tour of sustainable landscaping at five sites in Summit, Springfield, Clark, Rahway and Mountainside.

The green infrastructure tour will take place on Tuesday July 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., conducted by experts from Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County and the Rahway River Watershed Association.

“The Freeholder Board is very proud to support the Extension’s efforts to encourage sustainable landscaping practices throughout our 21 municipalities,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “If you work with a municipal agency or belong to an environmental group, please take advantage of this unique learning opportunity.”

Landscapers, business owners and residents are also invited to attend.

The tour is designed to demonstrate the ways in which green infrastructure can help prevent excess runoff from storms and melting snow.

Green infrastructure can also cut maintenance costs while adding attractive features to a property.

The rain-or-shine tour will visit green infrastructure at schools, libraries, public works yards, and private homes. The examples include rain gardens that use special soil and native plantings to reduce excess stormwater, porous asphalt surfaces that enable excess rain and snowmelt to seep into the ground, and cisterns for rainwater harvesting.

“In addition to its bottom line benefits, green infrastructure helps to keep contaminants out of our rivers and streams,” said Bergen. “It’s a win for the property owner, and for our environment.”

The cost of the tour is $20.00 per person. The bus will leave from Union County’s Trailside Nature and Science Center, 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside, at 9:30 a.m. and return at 1:00 p.m. Free parking is located on site.

Participants can register online at tinyurl.com/raingardentour. Payment must be received by Thursday, July 14.

For more information about the green infrastructure tour contact Michele Bakacs, County Environmental Agent, at (732) 398-5274 or mbakacs@rutgers.edu.

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County is a program of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers University, supported in part by the Freeholder Board. To learn more about its programs and services visit online at ucnj.org/rce or call 908-654-9854.

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 – A big group of 13 volunteers from L’Oreal USA’s New Jersey headquarters pitched in with the Berkeley Heights Environmental Commission to do trail maintenance at Union County’s Passaic River Park in Berkley Heights last week. The effort was part of Union County’s Adopt-a-Park program. They did a fantastic job refreshing the trail with gravel and woodchips as well as freeing native plants of invasive vegetation. For information about joining Adopt-a-Park as an individual or as part of a business, school or community group, visit ucnj.org or call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at 908-789-3683. (photo: Rich Leister)

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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.

On Sunday, at the Juneteenth celebration at the Elizabeth Pier, we reflected and commemorated the ending of slavery in the United States. Music, food and dancing was all a part of this day. Elected officials and civic leaders came together in unity to celebrate this historical event.

The event was joined (left to right) by Assemblyman Jamel C. Holley, Gwen Carr (Eric Gardner mother), Assemblywoman Shelia Oliver, Congressman Donald Payne jr., Councilwoman Patricia Perkins-Auguste, Senator Raymond J. Lesniak, Vice Chairman Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados, Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, Union County Freeholder Linda Carter, David Brown, Assemblyman Jerry Green, Mayor of Jersey City Steven Fulop and Freeholder Vernell Wright.

 

Orchestra will kick off Union County’s Summer Arts Festival Series with program featuring movie selections, as well as works from Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Beethoven and Rossini

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ—The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders are pleased to announce the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra will kick off the 56th annual Summer Arts Festival Concert Series at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside on Friday June 24th at 7:30 p.m.

The Orchestra will perform musical selections from :Ghostbusters,” “Star Wars,” “The Godfather: Part III,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Moulin Rouge,”  and “Batman” as well as pieces from Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Beethoven, and Rossini.

The show is free, and visitors are urged to pack a picnic basket, bring lawn chairs or blankets. Refreshments and snacks will also be available from vendors. As with all festival concerts throughout the Summer, attendees can also participate in Union County Get Fit Yoga program beginning at 6:30 p.m. Bring a mat or beach towel and participate in the healthy activities for the entire family. In the event of rain, the concert (only) will be held on the same date and time at the Wilkins Theatre at Kean University in Union.

“The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is one of the state’s cultural treasures and we are excited to feature them as our opening act for our Summer Arts Festival,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “We encourage our residents to enjoy the music under the stars, and a memorable night of classical entertainment.”

Named “a vital, artistically significant musical organization” by The Wall Street Journal, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) embodies that vitality through its statewide presence and critically acclaimed performances, education partnerships and unparalleled access to music and the Orchestra’s superb musicians.

The NJSO presents classical, pops and family programs, as well as outdoor summer concerts and special events throughout the state. For more information about the NJSO, please go to http://www.njsymphony.org/

The other free concerts in the Union County Summer Arts Festival series are scheduled for Wednesday nights throughout July in Echo Lake and then in August at Oak Ridge Park in Clark:

 

Echo Lake Park, Mountainside

• June 24th New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
• July 6th Tusk – Tribute to Fleetwood Mac
• July 13th American Rapture
• July 20th Ed Palermo’s British Invasion/Beach Boys Tribute
• July 27th Pat Dinizio of The Smithereens – Confessions of a Rock Star

 

Oak Ridge Park, Clark

• August 3rd Black Dog – Tribute to Led Zeppelin
• August 10th Dead On Live – Grateful Dead Tribute Band
• August 17th Hey Bulldog – Music of The Beatles
• August 24th N.Y. State of Mind – Billy Joel Tribute

Union County Freeholders Vernell Wright, Bette Jane Kowalski and Alexander Mirabella congratulate Jason Cruz of the Cranford Fire Department on graduating from the Union County Fire Training Academy as part of the Fall 2015 Class and earning the Battalion Chief Ken Nocera Memorial Award for Outstanding Excellence in Firefighter 1 and the Ben Laganga Leadership Award during a graduation ceremony at Union County College in Cranford. They are joined by Cranford Fire Chief Daniel Czeh. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholders Vernell Wright, Bette Jane Kowalski and Alexander Mirabella congratulate Cassandra Kinney of the Mountainside Fire Department on graduating from the Union County Fire Training Academy as part of the Fall 2015 Class and earning the Chief Anthony Schepis Award for Excellence in Firefighter 1 during a graduation ceremony at Union County College in Cranford. They are joined by Mountainside Fire Deputy Chief Andrew Meeks. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)