Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh, Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski, Christopher Hudak, Vernell Wright and Sergio Granados joined U.S. Senator Cory Booker, Rahway Mayor Samson Steinman, Councilman David Brown and United Way of Great Union County President/CEO James W. Horne in cutting the ribbon officially opening the Rahway Family Success Center in Rahway.
The Rahway Family Success Center is part of Chairman Jalloh’s “Focus on Families” initiative in partnership with the United Way of Great Union County.
Family Success Centers are “one-stop” shops that provide wrap-around resources and supports for families before they find themselves in crisis.
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce a Project Aquatic WILD teacher training workshop for adults ages 18 and older, at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside on Thursday, December 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. All workshop registration is now available online at www.ucnj.org/trailside. The fee is $15 per person which includes a guidebook and morning refreshments.
“This workshop offers teachers a chance to learn new teaching modules that focus on aquatic plants and animals,” says Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh, “The Trailside Center, with its many exhibits and serene setting, offers the perfect location for teachers to learn while enjoying the outdoors.”
Project Aquatic WILD is for teachers K-12 and scout leaders to learn new ideas and activities to bring back to their students. Developed by the Council for Environmental Education, in compliance with the New Jersey Core Curriculum standards, Project Aquatic WILD, which is part of the Project WILD curriculum, emphasizes aquatic wildlife and ecosystems.
Based on the premise that young people and educators alike have an interest in learning about our natural world, this program underscores wildlife’s intrinsic value and addresses the need for us all to be responsible stewards of our planet. Hands-on activities are designed for integration into existing courses of study for formal and non-formal educators. Teachers will work together to investigate, observe, ask questions, collect and analyze data and draw conclusions on topics that may include fishing, pollution, wetlands, habitats, aquatic food chains and much more. Through the many interactive teaching modules, educators will feel confident to bring activities back to their students. Participants will receive six (6) NJDOE professional education credits. Registrants should meet at the Trailside Visitor Center and bring their lunch.
For more information about this program, or other activities at Trailside, please call 908-789-3670 or visit www.ucnj.org/trailside. Trailside Nature and Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a facility of the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation.
The award-winning documentary about a gardener from Hillside, New Jersey who made global headlines in 1994 for killing a rat will be screened for the first time in Union County on Sunday, December 6 at 7 p.m. at Hamilton Stage in Rahway at 360 Hamilton Street. Director and Screen Writer, Andrew Ruotolo will lead a brief panel discussion with Union County luminaries – audience participation is welcome. Suggested admission is $5 at the door.
The charge: murder. The setting: Hillside, NJ ’94. The accused: Frank Balun. The weapon: a broomstick. The victim: a rat?! The 18-minute film “The Rat Slayer of Hillside NJ,” documents the case against the late Frank Balun, a Hillside resident and WWII Veteran, who was cited by Lee Bernstein of the Associated Humane Society for killing a rat in his backyard. Balun was charged with animal cruelty for “needlessly abusing a rodent,” and was ordered to appear in court, where he faced six months in jail and a $1,250 fine. (A preview is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3v3SlAhvqw and the Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/ratslayerofhillsidenj)
Sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders through the UCACT program, the documentary was directed and produced by a Union County cast that included Ruotolo (Director), Andrew Lessner and Michael Angelo Covino (Producers), and Sean Devaney and Zach Kuperstein (Directors of Photography). Ruotolo, Lessner and Devaney all attended elementary, middle and high school in Westfield together.
The documentary, which was released last year, has been shown at various film festivals, including the Brooklyn Film Festival and Lighthouse Film Festival in Long Beach Island, most recently winning the Documentary Short award at the St. Lawrence International Film Festival in Canada and Upstate New York.
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Recreation are pleased to present the 32nd Annual Holiday Nature Craft Show at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside. Usher in the holidays with the sights and sounds of the season on Sunday, December 6, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The price of admission is an item of dry or canned food or a new, unwrapped toy to be distributed through local charities.
“If you are looking for a unique gift for a family member or friends, the Nature Craft Show is the place to check out while enjoying a festive afternoon of activities, including greetings from Santa and Mrs. Claus,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh.
Staff from various Union County departments and community organizations will decorate trees in the Trailside Visitor Center. All the trees, ornaments, and gift cards collected will be distributed to Union County families in need. Visitors are encouraged to stop by each holiday tree and vote on their favorite decorations theme for this year.
With a large selection of handcrafted items available at the show, you will certainly be able to check some names off your gift list. More than 40 vendors will be selling nature-themed items such as photography, knit and crocheted items, ornaments, home décor, jewelry, pottery, stained glass, recycled items, and much more. Light refreshments will be available for purchase throughout the day, sponsored by the Watchung Junior Hunt Club.
Children will be able to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus from noon to 4:30 p.m., and free children’s face-painting will be offered to keep the little ones entertained. The day’s activities in Trailside’s auditorium will include illuminating seasonal lights of the Union County tree and menorah at 4:30 p.m.
For additional information about the Holiday Nature Craft Show please call Trailside at 908-789-3670, or go to www.ucnj.org/trailside. Trailside Nature and Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road (at Coles Avenue) in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
November 19, 2015 Update: Borrowers of Federal Reserve supervised servicers may request a payment to be reissued in the name(s) on the record through December 31, 2015. These borrowers must cash or deposit their checks by March 31, 2016. In mid-2016, unclaimed funds to be redistributed to eligible borrowers of Federal Reserve supervised servicers who have cashed their checks.
Eligible borrowers whose loans were serviced by one of the Federal Reserve supervised servicers that reached an agreement to end the Independent Foreclosure Review in 2013 may request a payment to be reissued in the name(s) on the record through December 31, 2015. Requests to have a check reissued will not be processed after December 31, 2015. All outstanding checks must be cashed or deposited no later than March 31, 2016, in order to be paid.
In mid-2016, the Federal Reserve will direct the Paying Agent, Rust Consulting, Inc., to redistribute any funds remaining after March 31, 2016, to eligible borrowers of Federal Reserve supervised servicers who have cashed or deposited their checks. This direction will apply only to funds related to mortgage servicers supervised by the Federal Reserve.
Servicers covered include GMAC Mortgage, Goldman Sachs/Litton Loan Servicing, Morgan Stanley/Saxon Mortgage Services, and SunTrust. In addition, some borrowers whose loans were serviced by HSBC or JPMorgan Chase may be covered. HSBC and JPMorgan Chase borrowers should contact Rust Consulting at 1-888-952-9105 to determine whether their loan was serviced by the part of the servicing operations of those two companies that is regulated by the Federal Reserve.
Please call Rust Consulting by December 31, 2015 for further instructions on how to request your payment to be reissued. If you have already requested that your payment be reissued, please do not submit a new request.
If your loan was serviced by one of the mortgage servicers under the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s supervisory authority, please refer to the OCC’s website for additional information.
Union County Freeholders Vernell Wright, Alexander Mirabella, Bette Jane Kowalski and Sergio Granados joined Scotch Plains Mayor Kevin Glover, Councilman John Del Sordi, Councilwoman Rose Checchio and Ruby Simmons and Thurman Simmons Sr. of the John Shippen Memorial Golf Foundation at the official unveiling of a ceremonial street sign at the Scotch Hills Country Club in honor of John Shippen, the first American to play in a U.S. Open golf tournament.
Shippen played in six U.S. Opens and he made his career in golf and served as professional at several clubs, the last of which was Shady Rest Golf Course in Scotch Plains, now known as Scotch Hills Country Club.
The road at the entrance to the golf course (off Jerusalem Ave.) will be known as John Shippen Drive.
If you’re a smoker, quitting can be the single most important step you take to protect your health and the health of your loved ones. Smoking causes immediate damage to your body, and it threatens your future with increased risks for cancer, heart attack, lung disease, and early death. Many people have probably urged you to quit smoking already, but we all know that quitting can be hard. Just as every journey begins with a single step, so, too, does quitting.
That’s where the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout can help. This event takes place on November 19 and encourages smokers to quit or to use the day to make a quit plan. Free help is available at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) and at 1-855-DÉJELO-YA (1-855-335-3569) (for Spanish speakers).
When you quit smoking during the Great American Smokeout, you have the support of many other people across the nation. And you’re taking an important step towards a healthier life.
Five Ways to Get Ready to Quit Smoking
Quitting smoking can be hard, so a good plan can help you get past symptoms of withdrawal. Five steps can help.
Set a quit date. Choose the Great American Smokeout or another quit day within the next 2 weeks.
Tell your family and friends about your quit plan. Share your quit date with the important people in your life and ask for support. A daily phone call, e-mail, or text message can help you stay on course and provide moral support. Try SmokefreeTEXT for 24/7 help on your mobile phone.
Be prepared for challenges. The urge to smoke is short—usually only 3 to 5 minutes. Surprised? Those moments can feel intense. Even one puff can feed a craving and make it stronger. Before your quit day, write down healthy ways to cope.
Drink water.
Take a walk or ride your bike.
Listen to a favorite song or play a game.
Call or text a friend.
Remove cigarettes and other tobacco from your home, car, and workplace. Throw away your cigarettes, matches, lighters, and ashtrays. Clean and freshen your car, home, and workplace. Old cigarette odors can cause cravings.
Talk to your pharmacist, doctor, or quitline coach about quit options. Nicotine patches, gum, or other approved quit medication can help with cravings.
Mark: 'In a short time, the craving went away.'
Thinking of himself as a nonsmoker helped Mark quit smoking for good.
Mark grew up in California and started smoking as a teenager to fit in with friends. At 19, he joined the Air Force, where he continued to smoke. He used cigarettes or smokeless tobacco, and sometimes both, through two tours of duty in the Persian Gulf. Mark smoked until 2009, when he developed rectal cancer at age 42. Mark was no longer in harm’s way on active military duty. But Mark faced the fight of his life. His illness—rectal cancer—is a type of colorectal cancer. Mark quit smoking soon after learning he had rectal cancer.
When Mark finally gave up cigarettes and smokeless tobacco for good, the first 2 weeks were very hard. “Thinking of myself as a nonsmoker helped, and in a short time the craving went away,” he said. Mark shared his story in CDC’s national tobacco education campaign, Tips From Former Smokers.
In Focus: Smoking and Colorectal Cancer
Mark never imagined that he would be diagnosed with rectal cancer, but the severity of his illness helped him quit smoking for good. Quitting smoking can help you prevent many life-threatening illnesses, including colorectal cancer.
Of cancers affecting both men and women, colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon and rectum) is the second leading cancer killer in the United States, but it doesn’t have to be. Screening can find precancerous polyps—abnormal growths in the colon or rectum—so they can be removed before turning into cancer. Screening also helps find colorectal cancer at an early stage, when treatment often leads to a cure.
If you are 50 years old or older, get screened now. If you think you may be at higher than average risk for colorectal cancer, talk to your doctor about getting screened early.
Perhaps you want to live a healthier life, live longer for your family members, or save money that you’d typically spend on cigarettes. Write down your reasons for quitting, no matter what motivates you to make this smart decision. Refer to the list whenever you have the urge to smoke. It will help remind you of all the reasons you want to quit. Remember, you can quit smoking and enjoy many healthy triumphs for years to come!
For Mark, his wife and young daughter provided two very big reasons to quit smoking. Mark hopes his story will inspire others to quit as soon as possible, especially young people. “There’s nothing good that comes from smoking.”
You Can Do It!
Your first quit day may come as a pleasant surprise to you. Making the decision to quit helps you realize and appreciate your own determination! You have the strength it takes to quit smoking forever.
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to bring an abridged one-hour sensory-friendly performance of American Repertory Ballet’s Nutcracker to the stage at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway on Sunday, November 22 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets and info at ucpac.org or call the Box Office at 732-499-8226.
This weekend on Sunday, November 22 at 2 p.m. the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to bring a sensory-friendly performance of American Repertory Ballet’s Nutcracker to the stage at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway.
Presented as part of Union County’s Sensory Friendly Theatre series, this abridged, one-hour sensory-friendly performance of the Nutcracker is adapted especially for children and adults with sensory sensitivities and other special needs.
Available now, all tickets are $8 per person and can be purchased through the Union County Performing Arts Center at ucpac.org or by calling the Box Office at 732-499-8226.
“The sensory-friendly performance series is designed to offer a relaxed and safe theatre environment for children and adults with sensory sensitivities, developmental and learning disabilities,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “The Freeholder Board is proud to help make this holiday classic accessible to families with children and adults of all abilities and needs.”
ARB’s Nutcracker, a holiday tradition for New Jersey families since 1964, tells the story of a young girl named Clara and how her mysterious gift of a nutcracker doll brings about enchanted dreams and fantastical scenes. The dancers bring to life the production’s original party scene, choreographed by company founder Audrée Estey, before entering a snow forest and Land of Sweets, featuring choreography by Douglas Martin. Spectacular sets by Carl Sprague, including a spectacular growing Christmas tree, and costumes by Gina Ricca create the atmosphere of dreamlike magic.
Whether it’s your first time, an annual tradition, or an once-in-a-lifetime experience, ARB’s Nutcracker is a perfect holiday treat for your entire family to be transported and inspired.
For each of the performances in the Sensory Friendly Theatre series the theatre environment at the Union County PAC will be adjusted to provide a sensory-friendly, comfortable and judgment-free space that is welcoming for all families. Autism Friendly Spaces implements the supportive atmosphere at each of the Sensory-friendly performances. For more information on what to expect at a Sensory Friendly Theatre performance visit ucpac.org.
Save the dates – mark your calendar for upcoming Sensory-Friendly Theatre series performances sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders: Sundays – January 10, 2016, March 20, 2016, May 1, 2016 and July 31, 2016.
Union County’s Sensory Friendly Theatre series is made possible, in part, by funding from the NJ Department of Community Affairs through a Recreational Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities Grant.
For more information or to purchase tickets call the Union County Performing Arts Center, 732-499-8226 or visit ucpac.org. The UCPAC Box Office, located at 1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM and is also open late on Thursdays until 8:00 PM.
For information on additional Union County recreational programs for people with disabilities age five and up, call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4900 or visit ucnj.org.
Union County, NJ – A total of thirty-five students from Union County’s 4-H youth clubs teamed up with several adult Master Tree Stewards earlier this month, all for the benefit of Cedar Brook Park in Plainfield. Together they planted new trees and gave several older trees a protective covering of mulch around the base. The Tree Stewards and 4-H Clubs are community programs of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County, supported in part by the Freeholder Board as part of the national Extension program. To join a 4-H club, lead a club or become a certified Master Tree Steward (no previous tree experience needed!) contact 4-H Agent Jim Nichnadowicz, 908-654-9854 or jnichdadowicz@ucnj.org. More information: ucnj.org/rce.
