Category: Public Info

Standing outside the Mignone family’s home in Clark, Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen (right) thanked Michael Mignone for the donation of a 30-foot tall blue spruce from his front lawn that will be this year’s Christmas tree in the rotunda at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. The public is invited to view the tree on weekdays during the holiday season.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski, Angel G. Estrada and Alexander Mirabella accept a plaque from Roselle Public Library Director Jeanne Marie Ryan, Clark Public Library Director Dawn Jenkin and Elizabeth Public Library Director Mary Faith Chmiel representing the Libraries of Union County Consortium thanking the Freeholder Board for its continued support of libraries throughout Union County. The presentation took place in the Elizabeth Public Library.

(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce a call for visual artists to participate in the County’s second public art project this year, Art Outside the Box – Beautiful Bench Project.

“Entries for the beautiful bench public art project will support Union County’s ongoing efforts to broaden cultural development through the promotion, coordination, and integration of public art into our communities,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “The Freeholder Board is proud to provide opportunities that celebrate creativity, enhance community identity, and encourage cultural tourism.”

The new Beautiful Bench Project is an expansion of the County’s Art Outside the Box program created to help integrate the arts into non-traditional venues and expand, broaden, and diversify public exposure to the arts.  Union County visual artists are invited to submit artwork renderings for the County’s Art Outside the Box – Beautiful Bench Project online at ucnj.org/beautiful-bench-project. The deadline for entry is December 18, 2015. There is no fee required to participate.

Three designs will be selected to be attached to benches in front of the following Union Township locations:

• Van Gogh’s Ear Café on Stuyvesant Avenue
• Union County National Bank on Morris Avenue
• Killer Vegan on Stuyvesant Avenue

This call for entries is open to all artists who paint residing in or working in Union County. Local artists are invited to submit renderings of up to three proposed designs for the painted bench.  For artist submission(s) that are chosen, the County will provide fiberboard on which the artist will paint the selected design. The top three selected submissions will be awarded an honorarium. The deadline to submit your artwork is Friday, December 18th.

Offered as part of Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh’s Building a Community of the Arts initiative, the Beautiful Bench Project is an expansion of the County’s Art Outside the Box public art program that has awarded12 individual artists the opportunity to have their artwork cover 13 different traffic control boxes in Elizabeth, Linden, Plainfield, and Rahway.

For further details about how to participate, and to learn more about the project, including entry form, bench locations, reference samples, and artist agreement are available online at ucnj.org/beautiful-bench-project or call the Union County Department of Cultural Heritage at (908) 558-2550.

Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski and Sergio Granados joined Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage, Assemblyman Jamel Holley, Community Development Group CEO and President Armando D’Errico, Elizabeth Council President Patricia Perkins-Auguste, Councilmen William Gallman, Carlos Torres, Kevin Kiniery and Manny Grova, Union County Manager Alfred Faella and other officials in cutting the ribbon opening the Spring Street Project in Elizabeth.

The Spring Street Project is part of a $3.2 million mixed use development featuring the city’s first African-American Cultural and Learning Center located in the city’s Keighry Head neighborhood.

The 39,498 square foot site will include a community theatre/multipurpose facility and 20 affordable rental housing units encompassing 10 multi-generational residences and 10 active adult residences.

The Spring Street Project the NJ Community Development Group is and County of Union to catalyze advancements in socialized housing for the millennium in the city of Elizabeth, New Jersey’s fourth largest city.

Working in partnership with the city of Elizabeth and the NJ Community Development Group, Union County contributed $850,000 in Neighborhood Stabilization funds, and an additional $250,000 in Home Investment Partnership Program funds.

Union County, NJ – The evidence shows that preparing wholesome meals at home can have a significant impact on both family health and household budgets, and experts from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension have summed up the basics in two articles packed with tips and facts. The articles are available on the Union County website, ucnj.org/rce.

“According to the evidence, households are in better shape when they focus on healthy, home cooked meals,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “I encourage everyone to take a look at the information and see how you can benefit by taking a few simple steps.”

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County is supported in part by the Freeholder Board. It belongs to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nationwide Extension program, aimed at providing the public with scientific research about community health and economics. Extension offices throughout the country are encouraging families to join the “Dine In” campaign on December 3, as part of an annual celebration of the family and consumer sciences profession.

Some of the tips and observations provided by the Rutgers Extension experts are:

• Make it a goal to cook once a week and work up to cooking more often.

• Plan ahead to make better food choices. Keep healthy staples on hand, such as dried fruit, whole wheat pasta, “no-salt-added” canned vegetables, and frozen fruit.

• Use smaller plates and put a small portion of food on your plate to manage portion sizes. Remember to only eat seconds if still hungry.

• To save time, try prepping dinner the night before. Simple sides and salads could also be prepped in the morning.

• Over time, the amount of money saved by eating meals at home and/or prepared at home is noteworthy. For example, someone could accumulate almost $50,000 in 20 years by eating out one less evening per week and investing the money saved at a 5% yield.

• People tend to eat healthier meals when they eat at home because they can better control portion sizes and the use of sauces, dressings, and other high-fat ingredients.

For all community information from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County including 4-H youth clubs and adult volunteer programs, visit ucnj.org/rce.

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Union County, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi is pleased to announce that the 2016 Election Date Calendar is now available. Fully illustrated with striking historical photographs, the new “Presidential Connections to NJ” wall calendar includes every important deadline and date for local and statewide elections as well as the Presidential primary election on June 7 and the Presidential general election on November 8. There is no charge for the calendar.

“Next year will be the first time in four years that voters will go to the polls to elect a new  President, and to underscore the significance of 2016 we have designed the calendar to reflect some of the many different connections between the State of New Jersey and the Presidency,” said Rajoppi.

The calendar includes famous photographs such as former New Jersey Governor and U.S. President Woodrow Wilson throwing out the first ball on the opening day of the baseball season in 1916, as well as some lesser-known images, including a poignant photo of President James A. Garfield reading to his daughter.

Rajoppi also reminded voters that they can access important election information on their mobile devices, including incoming Election Day results, by downloading the free Union County Votes app.

To have a free copy of the County Clerk’s 2016 Election Calendar mailed to you, visit the County Clerk’s website at ucnj.org/county-clerk and provide your mailing address in the online form, or call the County Clerk Elections Division, 908-527-4996.

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

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“Unfortunately, too many Union County families struggle to provide for their children and maintain what they have,” said James Horne, president and CEO of the county’s United Way. “Our data shows that deepening poverty is linked to rising levels of homelessness, food insecurity and other issues. But we can come together to pool resources and solve these problems.”

Union County freeholders allocated about $130,000 for creation of the center. There are already Family Success Centers in Elizabeth and Plainfield.

“We have excellent services in Elizabeth and Plainfield. This is providing the services in municipality entities, and hopefully we will be bringing it to all municipalities,” Freeholder Chairman Mohamed Jalloh said.

The United Way has established partnership with agencies that provide services. Staff members will offer assessments of people who come to the center and connect them with the agencies that can provide services.

These referrals can provide assistance with child care, pharmacy discounts cards, pregnancy testing, parenting education, continuing education and computer training, among others.

Booker noted that the first Family Success Center opened in Newark while he was mayor of that city. There are now 70 centers across the state.

Union County also has centers in Linden and Hillside.

Union County, NJ – One of the largest model train displays in New Jersey has a permanent home at the A. Paul Mallery Model Railroad Center in Union County’s Lenape Park, and every year it pulls out all the stops for the Holiday Sound and Light Show featuring dozens of trains rushing through meticulously detailed landscapes. Located right off Route 22 in Union Township, this family-friendly show offers a convenient break during your holiday shopping, complete with a snack bar, a train-themed gift shoppe, and a rest area for young children. Shows run Friday, Saturday and Sunday until December 13. For tickets and full details visit The Model Railroad Club online at tmrci.org.

The Mallery Center is conveniently located in Lenape Park behind the Home Depot, 954 Route 22 East, by Springfield Road in Union Township. Enter the Home Depot parking lot from Route 22 or from Springfield Road, and go to the far end where the garden center is. Turn left and a small sign will direct you to a road behind the Home Depot. The Mallery Center is at the end of the road.

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Freeholder Sergio Granados joined UNICO Hillside Chapter President Angelo Bonanno along with Hillside Mayor Angela Garretson, Councilman Donald DeAugustine, UNICO National President Dr. Ann Walko, Grand Knight John Gross and many others in showing veterans that their time serving this country is and will always be appreciated. A great number of veterans came to enjoy UNICO’s appreciation breakfast including Stephen Pega (pictured with Freeholder Granados) who served in the US Navy Air Services during World War II.