Category: Public Info

Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh and Freeholder Sergio Granados joined Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage and Elizabeth Council President Patricia Perkins-Auguste in reviewing the ‘Art Outside the Box’ artist submissions that will be featured on traffic control boxes at three Elizabeth intersections. In the coming days, we will open up online voting for you to pick your top three favorites. Learn more about the Chairman’s Initiative at https://ucnj.org/artoutsidethebox/.

Union County, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi has introduced new voter-friendly ballots for Vote-by-Mail, machine and sample ballots starting in the 2015 General Election. The newly redesigned ballots provide voters with more clarity and ease while selecting candidates for whom they wish to vote. 

The new Vote-by-Mail ballot, for example, will closely resemble both the sample ballot mailed to every voter and the official machine ballot used in voting machines. One major change is that the Vote-by-Mail ballot will be printed in the same horizontal or “landscape” orientation as the sample and official ballots. Previously, the Vote-by-Mail ballot was printed in a vertical orientation.

“I began the process of redesigning the Vote-by-Mail ballot approximately eight months ago to ensure conformity amongst all the election ballots, including the sample ballot and the official machine ballot,” said Rajoppi.

Voters will also notice that the ballots enable them to easily distinguish between the sections for general election candidates and school board candidates. A new blue heading has been added for the School Board Election, providing a clear contrast with the red heading used for the General Election.

“The new ballot is designed so voters can easily see that they have more votes to cast, after they finish voting in the General Election,” said Rajoppi. “As a former school board member, I know how important it is to encourage voter participation in School Board Elections. The new design will help ensure that every voter can quickly understand that there are two separate elections in which to vote.”

Voters will also notice that the new Vote-by-Mail ballot includes an instruction section in larger typeface than the previous version.

“The vote-by-mail process is relatively simple but the instructions need to be followed carefully,” said Rajoppi. “The larger font will help ensure that persons with visual impairments fill out the ballot correctly and make their vote count.”

To see a sample of the new Vote-by-Mail ballot, visit the County Clerk online at ucnj.org/county-clerk.  For voters wishing to vote by mail, the last day to apply by mail for a Vote-by-Mail ballot is Tuesday, October 27, 2015.  A voter may also request a Vote-by-Mail ballot in person at the Union County Clerk’s Office until Monday, November 2, 2015 at 3:00pm.  The County Clerk’s Office in Elizabeth will have a special Saturday opening on October 31, 2015 from 9:00am to 1:00pm.  The Westfield Office is open Saturdays from 9:00am to 1:00pm.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2015 and polls are open from 6:00am to 8:00pm for voters wishing to vote on the machines.

Voters are also reminded to download the free Union County Votes app for mobile phones and tablets. Launched by the County Clerk last year, the app provides important information such as polling place locations, alerts and election night results.

More details about Union County Votes, including download instructions, are available at ucnj.org/county-clerk. For additional information or questions call the Office of the County Clerk, 908-527-4787.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to present an exhibit of graphic design creations by Suree Minnatee in the gallery space at the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, located in the historic St. John’s Parsonage at 633 Pearl Street in Elizabeth. A selection of her work entitled “Amalgamation” is on display at the Pearl Street Gallery through October 23. The public is invited to enjoy the exhibit during regular gallery hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

“Suree has been an active volunteer in all things artistic in Union County for many years,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, liaison to the Union County Cultural and Heritage Advisory Board. “It’s a great pleasure to display her beautiful and skillfully done artwork.”

Suree Minnatee was born and raised in Elizabeth. She was drawn to creative and artistic activities while growing up. This led her to pursue a career in the arts. After graduating high school, Minnatee attended Union County College in Cranford. She transferred to The Art Institute of Pittsburgh-Online Division and graduated in 2013 with a degree in Graphic Design. Even though her focus is graphic design, she likes to experiment and learn about other art forms and mediums.

Minnatee has been a volunteer assistant to the art coordinators at The Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs for three years. She helps setup art exhibitions and has created flyers for exhibits on display at the Freeholders Gallery. She is also a member of The Elizabeth Arts Council that holds art and music receptions with local artists in the City of Elizabeth.

Suree actively exhibits in many local Elizabeth venues: the 2015 Elizabeth Public Library Elizabeth Art Council’s “Cool Art in June” exhibit; the 2014 Women’s History Month Celebration at City Tavern; and the 2011 Black History Month Art Exhibit at the Union County Freeholders Gallery.

Suree Minnatee is skilled in many Adobe programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat 9 as well as Microsoft Office Suite. To see more of her work, visit http://sminnatee.wix.com/sminnatee.

Union County artists (whose works can be hung on a wall) interested in exhibiting in the gallery space are welcome to apply. For more information about the Pearl Street Gallery or other programs, please contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth NJ 07202. Free on-site parking is available. Telephone 908-558-2550. NJ Relay users can dial 711. Send E-mail to: culturalinfo@ucnj.org.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to bring the sensory-friendly puppet adventures of ‘Monster Intelligence’ – a musical journey for the entire family – to the stage at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway this weekend on Sunday, September 13 at 2:00 p.m.

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 sensitivity, developmental and learning disabilities,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “The Freeholder Board is proud to offer a performance series that helps make the performing arts accessible to everyone.”

Don’t miss this sweet, funny, and educational puppet musical – a rockin’ good time for the entire family! Up in Arms puppet theatre brings Melvin’s adventures to the stage with a cast of friendly, colorful monster characters and original songs (Green Day-style rock, classical, jazz, pop, and Broadway standards) – this is a journey never to forget.

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 – November 22, 2015, January 10, 2016, March 20, 2016, May 1, 2016 and July 31, 2016. Specific show titles will be announced soon.

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 908-527-4806 or visit ucnj.org.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders along with the Department of Parks and Recreation recently recognized the outstanding contributions made to the Union County Archery Range at Oak Ridge Park by Eagle Scout Nicolas Makosiej, a member of Boy Scout Troop 145, located in Clark, New Jersey, who earned his Eagle Rank in April, 2014. His Court of Honor was held in May, 2014.

For his Eagle Scout project, Nicholas traveled to various archery ranges in 2012, working through several concepts and prototypes while consulting with archery experts. In the summer and fall he worked with members of his troop to construct targets to be used at the Oak Ridge Archery Range. They were set in place in November, 2013. After nearly two years, the targets are being repurposed and will be moved to Wa-Xo-Be Archery Club. They will remain in use at Oak Ridge until September 16.

“On behalf of the Freeholder Board I’d like to thank Nicholas for putting together this project and sharing it with the participants at the Union County Archery Range at Oak Ridge,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh.

Users of the Union County Archery Range at Oak Ridge Park are reminded that they are responsible for supplying their own targets when using the facility. A complete list of Archery Range rules can be viewed on the Union County Website at www.ucnj.org/archery. Or you can call the Department of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4900 or 908-654-9805.

Union County – Art selections from Union County’s first-ever Art Outside the Box program have gone live for a week-long community vote. Participants can vote online at www.ucnj.org/artoutsidethebox/vote.

The selections available for this round of voting will be placed in Linden at the intersections of Wood Avenue and Knopf Street, St. George Avenue and Garfield Street, and St. George Avenue and Stiles Street.

Art Outside the Box is a new county-wide creative placemaking project funded by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, created to support Union County visual artists by offering a nontraditional exhibition opportunity that broadens and diversifies public exposure to art murals.

“We are proud to see this project gain traction and involve the community in an organic selection process,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “We recognize that the best way to engage our residents is by involving them in choosing the aesthetic that will symbolize and represent their neighborhoods.”

The theme for the 2015 Art Outside The Box  program is diversity. Open to all artists, the program seeks to represented the community at-large and provide an engaging experience that is uplifting, colorful, and appropriate for people of all ages. 

Offered as part of Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh’s Building A Community of the Arts initiative, a total of thirteen original artworks will be selected to cover traffic control boxes in Elizabeth, Linden, Rahway, and Plainfield, NJ. Each artwork will be reproduced on a special vinyl adhesive film and professionally applied to the exterior of the pre-selected traffic control boxes. 

Details about the project, are available online at www.ucnj.org/artoutsidethebox.

For additional information please contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 908-558-2550.

Union County, NJ  –  Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi has received a Certificate of Public Leadership (CPL) from the George Washington University Center for Excellence in Public Leadership, marking the successful completion of CPL coursework. As President of the International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers (IACREOT), Rajoppi was the driving force in fostering the CPL program with George Washington University.  

The CPL program is a partnership between IACREOT and George Washington University, one of the nation’s leading academic institutions. It is designed to provide public officials in recording and related fields with a rigorous professional development experience. The hallmarks of the CPL program are timely subject matter, top quality instruction and an opportunity to share knowledge with peers in the field.

“Public service is a commitment to leadership in the face of new challenges and constant change, and to be effective there must also be a commitment to learning,” said Rajoppi. “The CPL program at George Washington University provides an excellent opportunity for officials to exchange information and to stay up to date with emerging developments.”

The CPL program provides a professional development curriculum tailored to membership in IACREOT. Of the 10 required classes, five can be taken in-person at IACREOT annual and semi-annual meetings. The other five may be taken online. All classes are conducted by George Washington University instructors.

“Particularly regarding election and fiscal issues, our field is growing increasingly complex,” said Rajoppi. “Through this partnership with George Washington University, IACREOT members can learn from each other, as well as from experts in the field. Many of my constituent services in Union County have emerged from discussions with fellow IACREOT members.”

Rajoppi has been a member of IACREOT since 1984 and served as president from 2012 to 2013. The experience of leading the international organization enabled her to work with other governments nationally and internationally, and to share experiences and exchange information on pending federal legislation, improved systems, and emerging issues.

Rajoppi was first elected to the Office of County Clerk in 1995, after serving as the Union County Register of Deeds and Mortgages for 12 years.  As required by the New Jersey state constitution, she is responsible for administering elections and recording property documents.

Technology has been a driving force behind some of Rajoppi’s initiatives, including the imaging of property documents for 24/7 online access, and the new UCVotes app, which provides voters with critical election information on their mobile devices.

In 2008, Rajoppi was instrumental in calling attention to serious discrepancies in voting machines, leading to court-ordered improvements in voting machine security. She has also worked to ensure that public documents cannot be used by identity thieves.

Her office also provides free services for veterans, including free honorable discharge ID cards that help veterans access services more easily. The County Clerk’s office also keeps an online directory of local retailers and other businesses that provide discounts to veterans.

Rajoppi is a six-time recipient of the National Association of Counties Award for innovative government and computerization. She also is a recipient of the prestigious Gill C. Job Award from the Constitutional Officers Association of NJ (COANJ), former President of COANJ and former President of New Jersey Association of Counties. She served as an adjunct professor at Rutgers University for almost 20 years teaching Public Administration.

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Union County, NJ – The Union County Department of Human Services is looking for volunteers to provide guidance and advocacy for victims of sexual assault. No previous experience in crisis counseling is necessary. All volunteers receive training and are provided with experienced mentors.

Volunteers who complete the training are certified as Advocates. They answer calls and provide guidance to victims over the phone through the Union County Rape Crisis Center, a program of the Union County Department of Human Services. On request, Volunteer Advocates also accompany victims to hospitals, police stations and courtrooms.

The Union County Rape Crisis Center was established in 1984, to help victims of sexual assault reclaim their lives in the aftermath of a crisis. Additional information and personal Volunteer Advocate stories are available at unioncountyrapecrisiscenter.blogspot.com.

The next training course for new volunteers will consist of two evenings a week for a total of 13 sessions. Most sessions will take place on Tuesday and Thursday, and two will take place on Wednesday. All sessions will be held at the Ralph J. Froehlich Public Safety Building in Westfield, starting at 5:30 p.m. and ending at or before 9:30 p.m. A pre-training interview will be scheduled before the course begins on October 1.

To schedule an interview or for more information, call the Union County Rape Crisis Center hotline at 908-233-7273.

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Image via NSVRC.

Rahway, NJ – Tickets are still available for Fearless Hearts and Fearless Productions presentation of Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party at Union County Performing Arts Center’s (UCPAC) Hamilton Stage in Rahway. The fifth Production in the first-ever Union County Advancing Community Theater (UCACT) Series- sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the show will run September 11^th-27^th.

A steamy prohibition tale steamrolling and roaring its way across the stage, Andrew Lippa’s Wild Party was an off-Broadway gem that garnered an array of industry accolades, including Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Obie awards. Based on Joseph Moncure March’s 1928 narrative poem of the same name, the darkly brilliant show features one of the most exciting, pulse-racing scores ever written.

A take on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the show paints a vivid picture of a decadent and deadly all-night party in late 1920s Manhattan, just a year before the Crash of 1929, when nearly everything in America would collapse.

It’s the story of a desperately damaged relationship between vaudeville dancer Queenie and vaudeville clown Burrs, two vicious, reckless people, whose lives are spiraling downward fast, filled to the brim with meaningless sex, drugs, drinking, jealousies, and casual betrayals.

The show runs at the UCPAC’s Hamilton Stage September 11th-12th, 18th-19th at 8:00 p.m., September 20^th at 3:00 p.m., September 26^th at 8:00 p.m. and September 27^th at 3:00 p.m.

The show features Direction by Brian Remo, with Choreography by Patrick Starega, and Musical Direction by Bruce De La Cruz.

Tickets can be purchased online at ucpac.org or through the UCPAC Box Office at 732-499-8226; prices are $20 general admission.

FEARLESS PRODUCTIONS strives to create entertaining theatrical productions that walk on the very edge of the edge, leap enthusiastically with their hearts on our sleeves, and dare to be daring. They recognize that the responsibility of true art is to firmly grasp the attention of their audience for as long as they are asking for it. They accept this challenge with the courage that only comes with doing exactly what they feel they were born to do.

The UCACT program grants funding to cover the hard costs associated with putting up at production at the Union County Performing Arts Center. Through creative partnership and a holistic approach, the program creates a successful business model for Community Theater, allowing them to provide quality performances while also thriving financially.

For more information on UCACT, please contact Victoria Durbin Drake, Chief of Staff, Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, at 908-558-2278 or visit ucnj.org/ucact.