(From left) Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak and Freeholders Vernell Wright and Linda Carter met with Ron Esposito from the New Jersey Automobile Club (AAA) and Christine Marcantonio from the Union County Police Department at the Child Safety Seat Inspection station before the Union County “Family Fun and Flix” drive-in movie night at the Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth. For information about the Union County Child Safety Seat Inspection Program visit www.ucnj.org or call 908-789-6830. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Free Child Safety Seat Inspections

Union County Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak and Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski, Vernell Wright, Bruce Bergen and Linda Carter visited the Hook a Kid on Golf Camp at Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth. More than 30 children from Union County participated in the first-ever Hook a Kid Golf Program to take place at the Galloping Hill Golf Course. The program, which is funded through a grant from the United States Golf Association and the Freeholder Board, offers economically disadvantaged children the opportunity to participate for free in introductory sessions for golf.  For more information about Union County’s Division of Golf Operations visit ucnj.org and call 908-241-2042. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County Freeholder Sergio Granados (2nd r) visited Black Brook Park in Kenilworth earlier this summer to help celebrate a nationwide 100-year milestone for Cooperative Extension service programs. Granados joined members of the Union County 3rd Grade 4-H Club (front row), Teen Council (back row), 4-H agent Jim Nichnadowicz (l), and Rutgers Extension Department Head Karen Ensle (r), who planted a new flowering magnolia in the park to commemorate the occasion. (photo by Madeline DiNardo)

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders welcomes residents to join the Master Tree Stewards, a volunteer group dedicated to preserving Union County’s natural heritage by reaching out to children and youths. The upcoming schedule of classes to become certified as a Master Tree Steward is now available on the County website, at ucnj.org/rce. No previous experience in tree care or horticulture is required to join.

“Every year our Master Tree Stewards fan out across Union County to help children learn about how trees benefit our neighborhoods and the environment,” said Union County Freeholder Christopher Hudak. “The program is a great way to connect youngsters with local role models for nature conservation.”

The Master Tree Stewards is a program of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County, supported in part by the Freeholder Board. The Union County Extension is one of almost 3,000 county-based Cooperative Extension Service offices established nationwide through the 1914 Smith-Lever Act.

The mission of the Cooperative Extension System is to reach the public with science-based information on nutrition and health, youth development, agriculture, horticulture, and animal husbandry as well as small business and personal finance.

Earlier this summer, the Union County Extension joined in a nationwide celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Smith-Lever Act, with a ceremonial tree planting at Black Brook Park in Kenilworth.

“Union County is very proud to continue the historic tradition of Smith-Lever. The Extension system enables residents to help strengthen our communities, by learning from the experts and passing their knowledge along to children, teens, and adults,” said Hudak.

The Cooperative Extension of Union County is a program of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station of Rutgers University, supported by the Freeholder Board with offices at the county’s Colleen Frasier Building in Westfield.

For more information about joining the Master Tree Stewards visit ucnj.org/rce or contact 4-H Agent Jim Nichnadowicz at the Extension offices (call 908-654-9854 (press “3”) or  email jnichnadowicz@ucnj.org).

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Please join the County of Union online at ucnj.org, on Facebook at ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter attwitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Union County, NJ – Union County Freeholder Linda Carter visited the Home Ownership Fair in Plainfield at the Washington Community School on Saturday, July 26, to lend support for efforts to engage residents in home ownership.

The event included information sessions and one-on-one consultations with lending professionals. From left to right: Faith, Bricks, & Mortar Executive Director Horace Baldwin, Plainfield Superintendent of Schools Anna Belin-Pyles, Freeholder Carter, and Donna Morris of the Plainfield Office of Community Development. For more information on housing guidance in Plainfield call Faith, Bricks, and Mortar at 908-756-5774.

[Photo: Brandon Givens/County of Union]

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Please join the County of Union online at ucnj.org, on Facebook at ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter attwitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Krowicki McCracken Funeral Home, 2124 St. Georges Avenue, in Linden. On Monday morning, July 28 there will be a formal procession from the funeral home to St. Mary of the Assumption Church, 155 Washington Street, Elizabeth, passing the County Courthouse. Drivers in the area should be alert for pedestrians and changing traffic patterns.

Maps and Directions

Drivers should be aware that many streets in the area are one-way. For driving directions to the County Courthouse from main arteries including the Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, click here.

Mass transit options are also available. There are NJ Transit bus stops near the Courthouse, and the Elizabeth NJ Transit rail station is approximately five blocks away. For links to NJ Transit and other travel options, visit ucnj.org/connect.

Please join the County of Union online at ucnj.org, on Facebook at ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter attwitter.com/countyofunionnj.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs are happy to announce that the First Place hanging art works from the 2014 Union County Senior Citizens Art Contest and Exhibit are showing at the Freeholders Gallery located on the 6th floor of the Union County Administration Building at Elizabethtown Plaza in Elizabeth. The winning pieces can be seen weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit will run through Wednesday, August 20.

The annual Union County Senior Citizens Art Show is open to artists who are 60 years of age or older and reside in Union County. The show is held from early June to mid-July in the atrium of the Elizabethtown Gas Company in Union.

The first place winners, non-professional and professional, in each of the categories will move on to compete at the New Jersey Senior Citizens Art Show. The State show will take place at Meadow Lakes in East Windsor in the fall.

Molly Brown of Rahway (center) receives congratulations from Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski (left) and Linda Carter at the 2014 Union County Senior Citizens Art Show for her award-winning acrylic painting. For more information about the annual Union County Senior Citizens Art Show, please call the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 908-558-2550, or e-mail: culturalinfo@ucnj.org

The non-professional artists whose two-dimensional art works are included in the Freeholders Gallery exhibit are: Molly Brown of Rahway (Acrylic); William Connolly of Garwood (Drawing); Nancy Zuniga of Linden (Mixed Media); John Quinn of Roselle Park (Oil); Marjorie Picard of Scotch Plains (Pastel); Greg Cummings of Fanwood (Photography); and Dianna Strom of Cranford (Watercolor).

The professional artists in the exhibit are: Genadiy Rozhkov of Springfield (Acrylic); Mel Holston of Plainfield (Drawing); Frank Marshall of Roselle (Mixed Media); Avi Kiriakatis of Kenilworth (Oil); Rafael Rodriguez of Elizabeth (Pastel); Anthony Riccio of Westfield (Photography); and John V. Curch of Scotch Plains (Watercolor).

The first place winners for Sculpture and Craft are not on display at the Freeholders Gallery, but will also go on to compete at the New Jersey Senior Citizens Art Show. They are: Bruce Long of Westfield (Non-Pro Craft); Judy Musicant of Mountainside (Pro Craft); Larry Evans of Elizabeth (Non-Pro Sculpture); and Dolores Stewart of Plainfield (Pro Sculpture),

For further information and to learn more about exhibiting at the Freeholders Gallery, please contact Nicole DeAugustine, Curator, at the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07202; telephone, 908-558-2550; or email: culturalinfo@ucnj.org.

John V. Curch of Scotch Plains receives congratulations from Freeholders Linda Carter (left) and Bette Jane Kowalski at the 2014 Union County Senior Citizens Art Show for his award-winning watercolor painting. For more information about the annual Union County Senior Citizens Art Show, please call the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 908-558-2550, or e-mail: culturalinfo@ucnj.org

(From left) Union County Freeholders Vernell Wright and Bette Jane Kowalski congratulate Jada Peterson of Rahway, Beryl Artman of Springfield and Isabella Hurtado of Fanwood on completing the Union County Freeholders College for Teens during the class commencement at Union County College in Cranford. This summer more than a hundred students from throughout Union County completed the three-week program which offers teens in grades 9 through 12 opportunities to explore a variety of career choices while experiencing life on a college campus. They are joined by UCC Director Lisa Raudelunas and UCC President Margaret M. McMenamin. The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders sponsors the free program for high school students each summer. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

(From left) Union County Freeholders Bruce Bergen, Linda Carter, Vernell Wright and Bette Jane Kowalski joined Lt. Luke and Sara Barney of the Salvation Army and Donna and Rich Albanese-DeMair, owners of the Dairy Queen in Plainfield, at the annual “Christmas in July” donated bicycle give-away event hosted by the Salvation Army in Plainfield. Mr. Albanese-DeMair refurbished all the bikes making them as-good-as-new. He has refurbished hundreds bikes for local children over several years. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

SPRINGFIELD, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks & Recreation announce that the next evening of “Family Fun and Flix” – the free summer entertainment and film series on Tuesday evenings – will team-up with National Night Out organizers on August 5 at Meisel Park, off Meisel Avenue in Springfield.

National Night Out activities start at 6 p.m. and then at sunset, after 8 p.m., the audience can enjoy the animated family comedy “Despicable Me 2,” sponsored by Investors Bank. This will give families a chance to participate in the 31st annual nationwide community safety event – including free hot dogs, popcorn and refreshments; inflatable slides and activities for kids; and an assortment of emergency vehicles – and then catch a movie under the stars in Meisel Park.

“Family Fun and Flix begins at dusk, but come early to the park to enjoy free refreshments, activities and fun things for the kids to do, meet Springfield and Union County police and emergency personnel, and learn about youth, educational, safety and public awareness programs,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “Bring a blanket or beach chair to claim your spot on the lawn for a good view before the movie begins at sundown.”

Children of all ages will enjoy the animated comedy family film “Despicable Me 2,” the story of Gru, the former super villain, who is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to find out who stole a secret laboratory in the Arctic Circle. Steve Carell, Russell Brand and Miranda Cosgrove reprise their roles in this 2013 sequel to the 2010 animated film “Despicable Me.” Free popcorn will be available during the movie, courtesy of AMC.

This summer’s Family Fun and Flix will conclude on Tuesday, August 12, at Conant Park in Hillside, with the showing of “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.” The final movie of the summer series will be sponsored by Investors Bank, with free popcorn provided by AMC.

Family Fun and Flix movies start at dusk, weather permitting. For more information, call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4900 or visit the Union County website:www.ucnj.org/summer. For program and rain information call 908-558-4079 after 3:00 p.m. on the day of the show.

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will sponsor a Household Special Waste Collection event on Saturday, August 2, so Union County residents can get rid of outdated or unwanted household chemicals, mercury thermostats, propane tanks, and automobile tires in an environmentally safe manner. The household hazardous waste collection will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Union County Vocational-Technical Schools campus, 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains, near the John H. Stamler Police Academy.

Residents of Union County are eligible to participate at no cost. Pre-registration is not required for this special Saturday collection.

“The special household waste recycling program for Union County residents is particularly important as we become more aware of the need for proper disposal of hazardous items that are found around the home,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “The result of our effort is safer homes and a cleaner environment for our families and our neighbors.”

All that residents need to do is drive to the site with their household special waste, propane tanks, automobile tires, and mercury thermostats. Workers at the site will unload the vehicles.

“Household special waste” includes oil-based paint and varnish, antifreeze, aerosol cans, pool chemicals, corrosives, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, thinners, fire extinguishers, motor oil and oil filters, gasoline, batteries, thermostats, fluorescent bulbs (unbroken), blood pressure devices, and mercury switches. Only materials in original or labeled containers will be accepted. No containers larger than five gallons will be accepted.

Latex (water-based) paint and empty cans will not be accepted. They should be disposed of in with the regular garbage. Leftover latex paint can be air-dried or, to hasten the drying process, kitty litter and/or newspaper can be added to hasten the drying.

“This is a great opportunity to recycle up to eight tires and dispose of old chemical containers that are cluttering up the basement or the garage, or taking up space under the kitchen sink,” said Chairman Hudak, liaison to the Union County Solid Waste Advisory Board. “Our homes become safer once they are rid of hazardous and combustible waste.”

There is a limit of eight automobile tires (without rims) per household. This is a household recycling event. No businesses, please.

A complete list of the materials that will be accepted on August 2 is available at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning web site: www.ucnj.org/recycle

The household hazardous waste collection will be held rain or shine, for Union County residents only and not for businesses. Proof of Union County residency is required. For more information, please call the Recycling Hotline at (908) 654-9889.