Category: Public Info

ELIZABETH, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that 49 artists, historians and local non-profit organizations will receive funding through the 2013 Union County HEART (History, Education, Arts Reaching Thousands) Grant Program.

Recognizing the importance of culture and the arts to our economy and quality of life, the Union County Freeholders established the HEART Grant Program in 1998. This innovative program supports projects related to history, the arts and humanities, and it demonstrates a commitment to the artists and community organizations of Union County. Total funding for this year’s grants is $75,000.

“The recipients of HEART Grants are a wonderful mix of creative individuals – composers and writers, historians, visual artists, musicians and dancers – plus arts, history and other cultural organizations and civic groups,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter. “The response to the program has been exciting ever since its inception.”

“The services provided by these artists, scholars and organizations directly benefit the residents of our county and increase appreciation for the arts, our history, and the humanities,” Freeholder Carter added. “These cultural assets are a vital part of community life, well being, economic development and cultural heritage tourism in Union County.”

Artists, educators, civic and historical non-profit organizations that want information about next year’s HEART Grant Program can contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07202. Telephone: (908) 558-2550. NJ Relay users dial 711, or send E-mail to:culturalinfo@ucnj.org

Union County HEART Grants Awarded 2013 (Total $75,000)

• Brian Beste, Fanwood, $750, presenting art-creating and history workshops;
• Candace Waller, Fanwood, $700, presenting dance programs and workshops;
• Danielle Linares Hale, Fanwood, $750, presenting a community arts festival;
• Kenneth Sack, Summit, $600, presenting “Write and Perform a Song” workshops at Winfield School;
• Lesl Harker, New Providence, $750,  presenting a traditional Irish music concert;
• Raymond W. Blanks, Rahway, $600,  providing photography classes for Rahway youth;
• Valerie Graham, Roselle, $700,  presenting free crafts workshops for children & seniors;
• Arts Guild New Jersey, Rahway, $1,800, presenting Pre-K arts education in Rahway schools;
• Borough of Fanwood, $1,875, presenting a Fanwood Cultural Arts Performance Series;
• Borough of New Providence Community Activities, $1,000, presenting “Words” community poetry collage project;
• Borough of Roselle Park, Casano Community Center, $750, presenting free concert “Rhythms of the World;”
• Brand New Day, Elizabeth, $2,000, presenting traditional Caribbean music and dance workshops;
• Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, Union, $1,600, presenting a performance with UCAPA at the Vo-Tech black box theater;
• CASA of Union County, Elizabeth, $2,000, presenting arts workshops for child advocates;
• Center for Hope Hospice & Palliative Care, Scotch Plains, $1,875, providing musical performances for hospice residents;
• Christ Fellowship, Elizabeth, $750, presenting Puerto Rican Folklore Festival;
• Clark Historical Society, Clark, $1,500, presenting early American life demonstrators at Four Centuries in a Weekend;

• Cranford Housing Board, Cranford, $1,000, presenting “Three Tenors” concert for senior housing residents;
• duCret School of Art, Plainfield, $750, presenting a performing arts program for children grades K-12;
• Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, Summit, $1,500, producing 2 improv comedy shows;
• Elizabeth Avenue Partnership, Elizabeth, $1,875, presenting dance and music cultural events during Hispanic Heritage Month;
• First Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth, $1,000, providing an audio tour of “Elizabeth at the Crossroads;”
• Groundwork Elizabeth, Inc., $1,600, presenting 11th annual bicycle Tour de Elizabeth;
• Hillside Public Library, $1,875, presenting free arts and cultural workshops for children;
• Hillside Victory Community Garden Club, $1,950, presenting Harvest Fest 2013;
• Institute of Music for Children, Elizabeth, $2,250, presenting Friday Teen Arts Nights;
• Josephine’s Place, Elizabeth, $2,500, presenting poetry and music recording workshops for immigrant women;
• Kenilworth Historical Society, Kenilworth, $1,125, presenting educational exhibits;
• Language & Enrichment Center Inc., Scotch Plains, $1,000, presenting performances by preschool children of Italian winter songs;
• Mother Seton Regional High School, Clark, $1,000, producing a musical involving Union County children;
• Music for All Seasons, Scotch Plains, $2,300, presenting music programs for Union County Juvenile Detention Center;
• National Council of Jewish Women, U.C. Section, Elizabeth, $1,875, providing two intergenerational programs: a big band swing dance and a staged play reading;
• New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra, Berkeley Heights, $1,875, presenting a community concert;
• Occupational Center of Union County, Roselle, $2,000, presenting art education classes for people with disabilities;
• Old First Historic Trust, Elizabeth, $1,875, hiring historian to research African American burial grounds;
• Plainfield Community Outreach, Inc, $1,875, presenting after-school theater program for Cedarbrook K-8;
• Plainfield Division of Parks and Recreation, $1,700, presenting a historical Kwanza celebration with speakers, music and dance;
• Premiere Stages at Kean University, Union, $1,875, presenting free public play readings;
• Rahway Community Action Organization, $1,875, presenting African American history programs to high school students;
• Raritan Valley Chapter the Links, Plainfield, $1,500, presenting a free concert;
• Restore Ministries, Inc., Elizabeth, $2,250, providing “Union County Arts Tour” for youth literary and arts study;
• Temple Beth O’r/Beth Torah, Clark, $1,000, presenting free concert by Zalmen Mlotek;
• The Theater Project, Union, $2,000, presenting “A Few Steps in a Stranger’s Shoes” to promote understanding among students;
• Union Township Community Action Organization, Inc., $1,700, presenting Senior Choral performances in nursing homes;
• United Youth of NJ, Elizabeth, $2,000, presenting a play about Frederick Douglas;
• Visual Arts Center of NJ, Summit, $2,000, presenting a visual arts program for adults;
• Westfield Symphony Orchestra, $1,500, presenting concert “Home for the Holidays;”
• Women in Conversation, Plainfield, $2,500, presenting reading groups for students and seniors;
• YM-YWHA of Union County, Union, $1,875, presenting a “Celebration of Jewish Music” performance series.

On Thursday evening, October 24, Homefirst will hostAn Evening of Thanks, the first annual Union County Family Service Awards at The Galloping Hill Golf Club in Kenilworth. The event will recognize and honor individuals from different communities in Union County who serve families in need in extraordinary ways in their civic and private lives.  NJ State Assemblyman Jon Bramnick will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the event.  Union County Freeholder Alexander Mirabella is the Honorary Event Chair, joined by an Event Committee of 20 community volunteers.

The goals of The 2013 Union County Family Service Awards program are: (1) to raise awareness about families in need; (2) to celebrate local citizens who volunteer their time to help their neighbors; (3) to encourage other individuals to make a commitment to serve families in need; and (4) to support the many free programs made available to low income families in Union County by Homefirst.

An Evening of Thanks is sponsored by a diverse group of businesses and community leaders.  Lead Sponsors include Allstate New Jersey Insurance Company, Bramnick, Rodriguez, Mitterhoff, Grabas & Woodruff, LLC, Attorneys at Law, and Ellen Catlin of Garwood.  Sponsors include The Alternative Press, Steven and Marybeth Lapham of Scotch Plains and Casey and Priscilla Woodruff of Westfield.

The evening will start at 6:00PM with a wine & hors d’oeuvres reception, featuring music from At Ease, a Westfield High School jazz group and the Florian Schantz Jazz Combo of Westfield, followed by the awards ceremony and dinner at 7:30PM.  The event will include a live auction as well as entertainment provided by the Celebration Singers, a community choral group based in Cranford. Ellen McGovern, Executive Director, will speak on behalf of Homefirst and will present a film about the agency’s services and their impact on families and children in need.  The evening is scheduled to conclude by 10:00PM.

Established in 1986 in Plainfield, Homefirst delivers comprehensive solutions to homelessness by providing transitional and permanent housing, homeless prevention assistance and family support services.  Working with a diverse coalition of partners, including community groups, religious congregations, foundations, businesses, nonprofits, government agencies and volunteers, Homefirst is a leader in Central New Jersey in assisting families experiencing homelessness and in preventing homelessness.  Homefirst uses innovative national models to give families the tools and the resources they need to overcome adversity and develop self-sufficiency.  The agency builds strong communities – one family at a time.

An Evening of Thanks: The 2013 Union County Family Service Awards promises to be a memorable and enjoyable event.  Press representatives are asked to please contact Ellen McGovern, Executive Director at Homefirst, at ellen@homefirstinc.org or at 908-753-4001 x13 for further details or to RSVP for the event.

Event Information

Overview

On Thursday evening, October 24, Homefirst will host An Evening of Thanks: The 2013 Union County Family Service Awards at The Galloping Hill Golf Club in Kenilworth. The event will recognize and honor individuals from different communities throughout Union County who serve families in need in extraordinary ways in their civic and private lives. NJ State Assemblyman Jon Bramnick will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the event. Union County Freeholder Alexander Mirabella is the Honorary Event Chair, joined by an Event Committee of 20 community volunteers.

Goals

The goals of The 2013 Union County Family Service Awards program are: (1) to raise awareness about families in need; (2) to celebrate local citizens who volunteer their time to help their neighbors; (3) to encourage other individuals to make a commitment to serve families in need; and (4) to support the many free programs made available to low income families in Union County by Homefirst.

Honorees

Three nominations were requested from the mayors of each municipality in Union County. One Honoree will be selected from each town by an independent panel of community leaders in Union County. Honorees will be chosen based on how their efforts support and strengthen families in need, the impact of their volunteer work, the longevity of their service and their commitment to helping families in Union County. Preference will be given to nominees who help families that lack access to social services.

Program

The evening will start at 6:00PM with a wine & hors d’oeuvres reception, featuring music from the Florian Schantz Jazz Combo of Westfield, followed by the awards ceremony and dinner at 7:30PM. The event will include a live auction as well as entertainment provided by the Celebration Singers, a community choral group based in Cranford.

Ellen McGovern, Executive Director, will speak on behalf of Homefirst and will present a film about the agency’s services and their impact on families and children in need. The evening is scheduled to conclude by 10:00PM.

Host

Homefirst delivers comprehensive solutions to homelessness by providing transitional and permanent housing, homeless prevention assistance and family support services. Established in 1986 in Plainfield, the agency assists over 1,500 adults and children every year throughout Union County. The programs of the agency are designed to educate and empower families in crisis and to develop the skills for self-sufficiency. Homefirst builds strong communities – one family at a time.

Community Participation

An Evening of Thanks is meant to be a public event, a community celebration of service. Citizens, community groups, civic organizations, businesses and religious congregations are invited to participate as volunteers, supporters and sponsors. For more information about how you can be involved, please visit www.homefirstinc.org or contact Ellen McGovern, Executive Director at Homefirst, at ellen@homefirstinc.org or at 908-753-4001 x13.

Union County Freeholder Alexander Mirabella (R) presents a certificate of appreciation to Lyman Thompson for his 41 years of commitment, dedication and outstanding professional service to the Roselle Park Public School District and the Borough of Roselle Park. Mr. Thompson recently retired.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Union County – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, in connection with Union County College, will continue its series of information session on free job training, offered through the Union County Choices program this Wednesday, August 28th from 2:00-3:00 p.m. and 5:00-6:00 p.m., at Union County College’s Elizabeth Campus, located at 40 West Jersey St.

Both sessions will focus on the Global Logistics Associate (GLA) Certification, a program that trains participants in the basics of logistics/supply chain and the associated functions necessary for the delivery of goods. The program is broken up into six units consisting of:

• Workplace Essentials
• Supply Chain Management
• Transportation Management
• Warehouse Management
• Computer Systems
• Safety Awareness

The information session is free of charge to attend, and walk-ins are welcome although pre-registration is preferred. The GLA certification program is set to run Tuesday through Thursday, September and October 2013, and includes a three week course duration and a fourth week review and certification test.

The Union County Choices program, which is one of Freeholder Linda Carter’s initiatives as Chairman of the Board, is geared towards providing a range of skills and sector training to eligible job seekers in Union County’s priority economic development sectors. The program recently began its first round of training courses in the Healthcare sector in July, and is expected to also provide training in Retail Operations later on this Fall.

To register, or for more information on the Union County Choices program, please contact Gina Tuesta at gtuesta@ucnj.org; for registration purposes, please include your name, contact information and email address. In addition to attending the information session, to be considered for the Union County Choices program candidates must have a high school diploma or GED, take the TABE test and score at 8th grade level or above, be WIA eligible and complete a criminal background check prior to the start of the training program.

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Union County, NJ – Union County Freeholder Daniel P. Sullivan, who is the longest tenured member of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, announced last night that he will resign his seat on the Freeholder Board effective today, Friday August 23, in order to assume new duties as the interim Executive Director of the Union County Improvement Authority (UCIA).

Freeholder Sullivan is currently the Executive Director of the Union County Utilities Authority. He will continue in that position while taking up leadership of UCIA under a new shared services agreement between the two agencies.

“Dan has been a driving force in Union County’s transition to a diversified, globally competitive economy with a top quality education infrastructure, a thriving cultural scene, and ample resources for healthy outdoor recreation,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter. “His dedication to serving the common good is an inspiration to us all.”

“The shared services agreement between UCUA and UCIA has presented a new opportunity to move forward with civic projects that benefit the Union County community, and I am looking forward to guiding both agencies through this important transitional period,” said Sullivan.

Sullivan began his first term on the Freeholder Board in 1995. He has served continuously since then and was appointed Executive Director of the Utilities Authority in 2011.

Serving as Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Freeholder Board at various times, Sullivan has specialized in development and transportation issues. He made his mark as a policy guru and enjoyed planning, crafting and shaping major governmental initiatives covering a wide spectrum.

During his tenure, the Freeholder Board supported or was instrumental in creating key economic development initiatives including the new Union County College building in Elizabeth, the Park Madison project in Plainfield, the J. Christian Bollwage parking garage and office development in Elizabeth, the Froehlich and Colleen Fraser buildings in Westfield, various transportation improvements including the expansion of Liberty International Airport and shuttle services, and the expansion of one of the county’s largest employers, the supermarket cooperative Wakefern, in Elizabeth.

Sullivan was also a staunch defender of the county’s Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund, which since its inception in 2000 has added more than 300 acres of green space for public recreation and nature conservation in the most densely populated county in New Jersey, including major new parks in Scotch Plains, Clark and Berkeley Heights. The Trust Fund also supports scores of local recreation and historic preservation initiatives annually and was instrumental in preserving the historic Rahway Theater, home of the Union County Performing Arts Center.

Among many other improvements supported or initiated by Sullivan are the expansion of the Union County Vo-Tech Schools campus with new nationally recognized programs, free courses for seniors at Union County College, new transportation services for seniors, and the HEART grant program in support of history and arts programming.

The Union County Improvement Authority enables the creation of civic projects while saving taxpayer dollars through low financing rates. Among the Improvement Authority’s recent projects are a new public library, fire stations, juvenile detention center, and public promenade in Linden, the expansion of the Union County College campus in Elizabeth, and the award-winning Renewable Energy Program which brought solar power to local Boards of Education and other public entities in Union County without up-front costs to taxpayers.

The Union County Utilities Authority is responsible for enforcing the New Jersey Solid Waste Management Act and the Union County District Solid Waste Plan. Under a contract with the company Covanta, the Authority’s Union County Resource Recovery Facility in Rahway converts approximately 1,500 tons of solid municipal waste daily into enough electricity to power 30,000 homes and businesses, as well as to provide electricity for running the facility.

ELIZABETH, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to present an exhibit of photography and oil-painted black & white photographs by Neal Korn of Union in the gallery space at the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, located at 633 Pearl Street in Elizabeth. A selection of his work entitled “Visual Music: Then & Now” is on display at the Pearl Street Gallery until October 24.Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

“We are pleased to have Mr. Korn’s beautiful works on display,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, liaison to the Union County Cultural and Heritage Programs Advisory Board. “The exhibit demonstrates his mastery of both photography and design.”

Neal Korn was born in Haverstraw, NY, and studied art and education at Brooklyn College and Kean University. He has taught photography, foundations in studio art, drawing/painting, open studio/advanced art and AP studio art at Elizabeth High School and Governor Livingston High School in Berkeley Heights.

“Recently, I had the good fortune to have a memory card corrupted in my camera (as a result of superstorm Sandy),” said Mr. Korn. “It caused my images to look cut up and put back together. The slices, colors, shapes, lines and textures become visual sounds that I compose to make my own visual music.”

The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation awarded Mr. Korn a 1999 Arts Initiative Grant and in more recent years, four mini-grants to support his art-in-the-schools programs. He was awarded H.E.A.R.T. (History, Education, Arts Reaching Thousands) Grants in 1998 and 2002 from the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Neal Korn has exhibited extensively and earned many Best in Show awards. His paintings, drawings and photographs have shown in 84 exhibitions since 1990 in New York and New Jersey. Some local venues include: The Arts Council of the Morris Area; Studio Montclair; Morris Museum; Alijira, Newark; Newark Arts Council; Jersey City Museum; Arts Guild New Jersey, Rahway; NJ Center for Visual Art, Summit; and the Watchung Arts Center. To see a variety of images from his work in painting, drawing and photography, visitwww.nealkorn.com.

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

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LINDEN, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that its next mobile paper-shredding program for personal documents will be available on Thursday, September 12, at the Recycling Center in Linden.

“Union County’s mobile document-shredding service helps residents fight identity theft and eliminate clutter in their homes,” said Freeholder Vice Chairman Christopher Hudak, liaison to the Solid Waste Advisory Council. “It is a cost-effective way to assist our recycling efforts and it ties in with Union County’s other Go Green Initiatives.”

The Sept. 12th shredding event will take place at the Linden Recycling Center, located at 2 Donaldson Place in Linden. NEXCUT Shredding of Teaneck will be shredding documents at the site from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. The shredding event will end before 1 p.m. if the shredding truck reaches capacity.

All Union County residents are eligible to use the paper-shredding service. In an effort to accommodate everyone, there is a limit of four, 10-pound bags or boxes per person. Documents should not be bound. Please remove plastic binders and paperclips. Paper that is wet/damp will not be accepted. Residents should continue to recycle non-confidential papers and magazines with their municipal recycling program.

Documents are put into 96-gallon containers provided by the shredding company. The items are then dumped onto a conveyor belt and shredded on site. Participants are welcome to view the shredding process via a closed-circuit television. The shredded documents are then recycled, shipped to paper mills and used as pulp. The next shredding event will take place Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Westfield Memorial Pool.

The mobile shredding program is paid for through New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Recycling Enhancement Act Grant Funds. For more information about future events or directions please call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889 or visit us online at www.ucnj.org/recycle .

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Enjoy a sing-along as marshmallows are toasted by the fire

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – Tickets go on sale beginning September 3 for autumn hay rides and fun around the campfire at Trailside Nature & Science Center in Mountainside. Sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, these fun-filled autumn activities include hay rides, folk songs around a campfire, hot chocolate and marshmallows toasted over the fire.

Hay ride tickets are available at three locations: every day from noon to 5 p.m. at Trailside Nature and Science Center, 452 New Providence Road, in Mountainside; weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Union County Administration Building, Department of Parks & Community Renewal, 2nd Floor, 10 Elizabethtown Plaza at Rahway Avenue in Elizabeth; or at the Colleen Fraser Building, 300 North Avenue East, in Westfield, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; 12:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday; and 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday.

No tickets will be sold at the hay rides. Tickets for these popular outings must be purchased in advance – so don’t wait until it’s too late! Seating for the hay rides is limited. The cost is $5 for Union County residents and $10 for out-of-county participants. Rides begin at 6:30 p.m. on the Friday evenings of Sept. 20; Oct. 4, 11, 18; and at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13.

For further information, call Trailside Nature and Science Center at 908-789-3670; or the Union County Department of Parks & Community Renewal at 908-527-4900; or visit the Union County website atwww.ucnj.org.

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This summer’s 4-H Science Week at Rutgers University featured a wide variety of projects, including a sustainability-themed experiment in dividing reclaimed concrete to make landscaping blocks. Science Week is a statewide program designed to encourage young people to pursue careers in science, under scholarships provided by Samsung. Three students from Union County received Science Week scholarships this year: Osaze Morris, Sean Penaranda and Christopher Morris, who all attend Rahway High School.

In Union County, 4-H also offers a wide variety of clubs for students in grades 1-12, which meet once a month during the school year. 4-H clubs enable students to develop important life skills while exploring popular activities including Lego robotics, archery, cooking and much more.

Union County 4-H is a program of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County, supported in part by the Board of Chosen Freeholders. For more information about 4-H clubs in Union County contact 4-H agent James Nichnadowicz at the Extension offices, 908-654-9854 or Nichnadowicz@njaes.rutgers.edu, or visitucnj.org/rce.

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

Union County Sheriff Ralph Froehlich and Union County Freeholder Vernell Wright congratulate Dean Hogan (2nd L) of Basking Ridge and Isaiah Bahrenburg of Linden on graduating as the class leaders of the 2013 Class of the Union County Sheriff’s Youth Academy. More than 70 teens who completed the program took part in the graduation ceremony at Union County College in Cranford on August 15. The Sheriff’s Youth Academy is a two week program designed to familiarize young people with the role of a Sheriff’s Officer. Also, it operates similar to an actual police academy for teens interested in law enforcement. Participants in the Youth Academy receive hands-on experience in a wide variety of emergency services and law enforcement functions and training.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)