Category: Public Info

ELIZABETH, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announces that 46 artists, historians and local non-profit organizations will receive funding through the 2012 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 Alexander Mirabella. “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 Mirabella 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:culturalinfo@ucnj.org

Union County HEART Grants Awarded 2012 (Total $75,000)

• Brian Beste, Fanwood, $1,000, presenting art creating and history workshops;
• Candace Waller, Fanwood, $700, presenting dance programs and workshops;
• Danielle Linares Hale, Fanwood, $1,000, intergenerational drawing workshops;
• Kenneth Sack, Summit, $600, “Write Your School Song” workshops at Winfield School;
• Raymond W. Blanks, Rahway, $997, providing photography classes for Rahway youth;
• Sandra Frank, Westfield, $1,000, presenting music education for senior rehab center;
• Valerie Graham, Roselle, $930, presenting free crafts workshops for children;
• Arts Guild New Jersey, Rahway $2,000, Pre-K arts education in Rahway schools;
• Borough of Fanwood, $2,000, presenting Fanwood Cultural Arts Performance Series;
• Borough of New Providence Community Activities, $992, “Faces” children’s portrait project;
• Borough of Roselle Park, Casano Community Center, $1,000, free concert “Legendary Performers and Recordings”;
• Brand New Day, Elizabeth, $2,000, traditional Caribbean music and dance workshops;
• Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, Union, $1,600, performance with UCAPA at the Vo-Tech black box theater;
• CASA of Union County, Elizabeth, $2,000, arts workshops for child advocates;
• Center for Hope Hospice & Palliative Care, Scotch Plains, $2,000, musical performances for hospice residents;
• Central Presbyterian Church, Summit, $1,500, providing classical music performances;
• City of Rahway, $1,000, hiring artists to make window art for empty storefronts;
• Clark Historical Society, Clark, $2,000, early American life demonstrators at Four Centuries in a Weekend;
• Continuo Arts Foundation, Westfield, $1,500, presenting “Seniors Sing” choral program;

• Cranford Senior Housing, Cranford, $1,000, “Three Tenors” concert for senior residents;
• Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, Summit, $1,500, producing an original musical play;
• duCret School of Art, Plainfield, $1,500, performing arts program for grades K-12;
• Institute of Music for Children, Elizabeth, $2,500, Friday Teen Arts Night series;

• Elizabeth Avenue Partnership, Elizabeth, $1,900, dance and music events during Hispanic Heritage Month;
• Groundwork Elizabeth, Inc., Elizabeth, $1,600, 10th Annual Tour de Elizabeth bike tour;
• Hillside Public Library, Hillside, $1,818, free arts and cultural workshops for children;

• Josephine’s Place, Elizabeth, $2,500, clay arts projects for immigrant women;
• Language & Enrichment Center Inc, Scotch Plains, $1,000, performances by preschool children of Italian winter songs;
• Literacy Volunteers of Union County, Roselle, $2,500, creating “Connections” a literary publication of student work;
• Mother Seton Regional High School, Clark, $1,000, producing a musical with Union County children;
• Music for All Seasons, Scotch Plains, $2,300, music programs for U.C. Juvenile Detention Center;
• National Council of Jewish Women, U.C. Section, Elizabeth, $2,000, two inter-generational programs: a big band swing dance and a comedy show;
• NJ Intergenerational Orchestra, Berkeley Heights, $2,000, free community concert;
• Occupational Center of U.C., Roselle, $2,000, art classes for people with disabilities;
• Plainfield Division of Parks and Recreation, $1,850, a historical Kwanza celebration with speakers, music and dance;
• Restore Ministries, Inc., Elizabeth, $2,500, “Union County Arts Tour” for youth literary and arts study;
• Second Street Youth Center, Plainfield, $990, a 12-week engineering workshop for children;
• Temple Beth O’r/Beth Torah, Clark, $1,000, free concert by Magevet, Yale’s Jewish a cappella group;
• 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, Senior Choral performances in nursing homes;
• United Youth of NJ, Elizabeth, $2,000, presenting a play about Harriet Tubman;
• Visual Arts Center of NJ, Summit $2,300, a visual arts program for older adults;
• Westfield Symphony Orchestra, Westfield, $1,600, concert “Home for the Holidays”;
• Women in Conversation, Plainfield, $2,500, reading groups for students and seniors;
• YM-YWHA of Union County, Union, $2,000, “History of Jewish Cultural Impact” lecture series;
• Art in the Garden, through Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Elizabeth, $1,623, free performances at Jersey Gardens Mall in Elizabeth.

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

Union County Freeholders Angel G. Estrada and Bette Jane Kowalski present Krystina Rambaran of Hillside with a certificate congratulating her on receiving the 2012 Investors Saving Bank Scholarship through the New Jersey Association of Counties Foundation. Krystina is a recent graduate of Union County Vocational-Technical Schools (UCVTHS) in Scotch Plains. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release.   Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org. On Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook. On Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Union County Freeholders Angel G. Estrada and Bette Jane Kowalski present Justin Trembley of Union with a certificate congratulating him on receiving the 2012 Investors Saving Bank Scholarship through the New Jersey Association of Counties Foundation. Justin is a recent graduate of Union County Vocational-Technical Schools (UCVTHS) Academy for Information in Scotch Plains. (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release.   Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org. On Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook. On Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj

WESTFIELD, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi announced that Vote-By-Mail ballots for the Westfield Board of Education’s upcoming Special Election will be available beginning on Tuesday, September 4, through the County Clerk’s Westfield or Elizabeth offices.

The Special Election in Westfield, scheduled for Monday, September 24, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., involves a $16.9 million school bond referendum.

“Registered voters in Westfield may obtain a Vote-By-Mail ballot for the Special Election by visiting my website or my offices in Westfield or Elizabeth,” Ms. Rajoppi said. “The service at the Westfield office, with its convenient Saturday office hours and evening hours during the week, makes voting more accessible for voters unable to go to the polls in person on Sept. 24.”

The opportunity to Vote-By-Mail in Westfield and Elizabeth is another service available at the County Clerk’s two offices, along with passport application and renewal services, registration of Trade Names, and the application and swearing in of Notaries Public.

The Westfield Annex of the County Clerk is located at 300 North Avenue East, Westfield 07090. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays; 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

The Main Office of the County Clerk is located at the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Room 113, Elizabeth, NJ 07207. Regular office hours in Elizabeth are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Vote-By-Mail is an easy, secure process that has replaced the Absentee Ballot. Voters do not need to give a reason why they wish to Vote-By-Mail. To obtain an application form, voters can download the form at the Union County Clerk’s website: www.ucnj.org/government/county-clerk/vote-by-mail or they can contact the Union County Clerk at 908-527-4996. The Clerk’s website also includes a video that explains how to fill out the Vote-By-Mail application form.

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

Caption: Union County – Union County Freeholder Mohamed Jalloh (2nd R)  at the grand opening of Rita’s Water Ice at 108 Chestnut St in Roselle. He is joined by Roselle Mayor Jamel Holley (3rd R), Roselle Economic Development Coordinator Colleen Mahr (R ) and Rita’s owner Malakatu Saleem (2nd L). (Photo Courtesy of the Borough of Roselle)

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – While most of us are preoccupied with end-of-summer plans, the staff at Union County’s Watchung Stable in Mountainside is busy preparing for the start of next season’s horseback riding lessons. Now is the time for beginners and returning riders to register for fall classes at Watchung Stable.

“Our lesson program at Watchung Stable is a great way to learn how to ride,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “I’m proud to say that more than 45,000 girls and boys have participated in this terrific program in the Watchung Reservation since it began in 1935.”

All applicants for riding lessons must be nine years of age or older. Fall Troop will last for ten weeks beginning September 4, and will culminate with the Fall Troop Horse Show. The cost to participate begins at $231 for ten classes, and varies with Union County residency status and troop assignment. Classes are held Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Class and troop assignments are based upon riding ability as determined by the Stable management. Applicants with previous experience may be asked to demonstrate their riding ability in order to be placed in the appropriate class. Uniforms and helmets are required and must be provided at the rider’s expense.

Watchung Stable also features adult lessons, for people 18 years of age and older, beginning the week of September 4. Classes for adults are available Sundays at 12:45 p.m., and Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. Adult lessons are an eight-week program on either Sunday afternoon or Tuesday morning. Beginners through advanced lessons are available on both days.

Registration forms and fees must be submitted in-person at Watchung Stable. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. – noon and 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. daily.

Watchung Stable is a facility of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and is located at 1160 Summit Lane in Mountainside. For further information, and to obtain registration materials, call 908-789-3665 or email:stablequestions@ucnj.org

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BACK IN THE SADDLE – Watchung Stable instructor Kathleen Sheehan lends a hand to nine-year-old Grace Brennan of Scotch Plains while she takes a break during summer camp. Grace is among hundreds of other children who will participate in Watchung Stable’s Fall Troop Program of classes which begin the week of September 4. Now is the time for beginners and returning riders to register for classes in the Fall Troop. Watchung Stable, located at 1160 Summit Lane in Mountainside, is a facility of the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal, and is administered by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. For more information about programs and registration, please call 908-789-3665, or e-mail questions tostablequestions@ucnj.org.

For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

LARK, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Community Renewal invite the community to participate in “Veterans Appreciation Night” on Wednesday, August 22, by bringing items to donate for our troops overseas prior to hearing a free outdoor performance by The B Street Band (The Original Springsteen Tribute) at Oak Ridge Park, 136 Oak Ridge Road in Clark, at 7:00 p.m.

“We encourage everyone who comes to Veterans Appreciation Night to join with us in supporting American Recreational Military Services (A.R.M.S.) as they collect supplies for our military men and women overseas,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “Veterans’ groups from throughout Central Jersey are especially welcome as we show our appreciation for their dedication and service in defense of our country.”

A.R.M.S. is a 501 (c) (3) charity based in Eatontown. Founded in 2003 by volunteers who wanted to give something back to military personnel and their families, A.R.M.S. is soliciting the following items that they will pack and ship to our troops serving overseas: chapstick; saline nose spray; Q-tips; eye drops; foot powder; body powder; deodorant; razors; small tissue packets; canned fruit; beef jerky; corn chips; protein bars; granola bars; microwave foods; small cereal boxes; coffee packets; tea bags; small powdered drink mixes; tuna foil packets; instant oatmeal; nuts and trail mix.

For more information about A.R.M.S., please visit www.supportarms.org

The Union County information van will be at the concert site with staff from the Union County Office of Veterans’ Affairs and other knowledgeable staff to answer questions and offer information about programs and recreational activities available to Union County residents.

Lawn chairs, blankets and picnic baskets are encouraged. Refreshments and snacks will be available from vendors.

For rain information call the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal at (908) 558-4079 after 3 p.m. on the day of the scheduled concert, or visit the Union County web site: www.ucnj.org

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj .

Union County – The Union County Foreclosure Task Force would like to advise local residents whose homes were undergoing a foreclosure process in 2009 or  2010 that the deadline to participate in the federal banking agencies’ Independent Foreclosure Review has been extended to December 31, 2012.

“This additional deadline extension is a great opportunity for local residents to find out if their cases can be reviewed,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella.

The new deadline provides additional time for borrowers to request review if they believe that they suffered financial injury as a result of errors in foreclosure actions on their homes in 2009 or 2010 by one of the servicers specified by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve) in their April, 2011 enforcement actions.

To be eligible for a review, the mortgage must have been in active foreclosure between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010, In addition, the property securing the loan must have been the primary residence and the mortgage must have been serviced by one of the 14 lenders outlined in the enforcement actions of April, 2011.

There are no costs associated with the review which is performed by a consultant independent from the mortgage servicer.

More information, including how to apply online, is available at http://www.independentforeclosurereview.com. Information on eligibility is also available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. by calling the federal hotline at 1-888-952-9105.

The Union County Foreclosure Taskforce also has free, reliable information and guidance on foreclosure issues for all residents regardless of their eligibility for the Independent Foreclosure Review.

Visit the Task Force online at www.ucnj.org, or call the hotline at The Home Ownership Preservation Foundation, a Task Force partner, at 888-995-HOPE (4673).

Union County, NJ – All business owners and managers in Union County are welcome to attend the fifth session of Union County Means Business, a series of free networking breakfasts. The upcoming session, titled “Public/Private Partnerships,” will provide guidance on how to do business with government agencies.

“We expect another great turnout for this session, because many Union County businesses provide goods and services that could be used by local, state and federal agencies,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “If you have never done business with a government agency before, this is a good opportunity to get familiar with the basics.”

Union County Means Business is one of Chairman Mirabella’s 2012 initiatives, designed to connect Union County businesses with government resources and information that can help them grow. Previous networking breakfast sessions have included workforce development, financing, and expert insights into the Union County economy.

Along with receiving an enthusiastic response from the business community, the networking sessions have sparked the creation of additional resources including the ucnj.org/ucmeansbusiness website, the Union County Means Business online newsletter and the recently opened Union County College Means Business Career Center.

The Union County Economic Development Corporation has also introduced a special discount loan program for qualified businesses. Information about this program is available at ucedc.com/unioncounty.

The upcoming Public/Private Partnerships session is scheduled for Wednesday, September 5 from 8:00 am to 10:00 am. This session will be held at the Holiday Inn at 36 Valley Road in Clark (formerly Crowne Plaza), which is also sponsoring the event.

All Union County Means Business sessions are free but pre-registration is required. To register visit ucnj.org/ucmeansbusiness or call the County Manager’s office, 908-527-4200.

Union County Means Business is a collaborative effort that includes the Union County Alliance, Union County Economic Development Corporation, Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce, Suburban Chamber of Commerce, Union County College, Kean University Small Business Development Center, and the Union Township Chamber of Commerce.

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release.   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 Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella (L) presents John Viglianti of Westfield with a life time golf card for the Ash Brook Golf Course in Scotch Plains. Viglianti, 97, recently received the Bronze Star the Bronze Star with the “V” for valor device for his service in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 during World War II. An administrative error delayed the honor for almost seven decades. He plays golf with friends weekly.  (Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release.   Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org

On Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook

On Twitter at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj