Category: Public Info

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Community Renewal are pleased to announce a new and exciting season of summer camps and family programs at Trailside Nature & Science Center in the Watchung Reservation.

Due to the popularity of Trailside’s summer programs, a lottery system will be used beginning Saturday, February 9, and continuing through Friday, February 22, or until all the numbers have been drawn. Union County residents may visit Trailside to draw a lottery number from noon until 5 p.m. daily. There are more than 500 numbers. Proof of residency, such as a driver’s license, will be required to draw a number. Only one number may be drawn per family/address.

Registrants must pick their own lottery ticket for their family. Each registrant’s name, address, lottery number and arrival time will be recorded when the lottery number is chosen. The number drawn will indicate the registrant’s position on line and time of arrival for registration day, scheduled for Saturday, March 2.

Summer Registration will begin at 8 a.m. on March 2, for Union County residents who have drawn a lottery ticket. Registrants must bring their ticket with them to register and must be present when their number is called or their position in line will be forfeited. Each ticket holder may only register their child/family. If a registrant arrives after their number is called, but within their designated registration hour indicated on their lottery ticket, they may register at the end of the one-hour time block. If the registrant misses their one-hour time block entirely, they may return at 3:30 p.m. to register. No exceptions will be made.

Registration for out-of-county participants will begin Monday, March 4, from noon to 4:45 p.m. Lottery tickets will not be required and registration will continue until all programs are filled.

“Trailside summer programs offer adults and children a great opportunity to explore the outdoors while learning about nature,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter. “Each Trailside camp and family program is filled with hands-on, educational activities that encourage a child’s natural curiosity. Theme hikes, games and crafts are all part of the Trailside experience.”

For information about Trailside’s 2013 Summer Camps, including registration procedures, please call Trailside at 908-789-3670 or visit us on the web at www.ucnj.org/trailside. Summer brochures and registration cards will be distributed during the February lottery. Trailside Nature and Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

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Caption: Mountainside, NJ – Trailside park naturalist Becky Novorro explains how a bald eagle preens its feathers to children in last summer’s “Wild and Rare” camp program for children entering 3rd and 4th grades. Campers enjoyed visiting the Raptor Trust in Millington where they learned about eagles, hawks, owls and other birds in the care of the Raptor Trust Facility. Wild and Rare is one of many summer camps and programs offered by Trailside Nature & Science Center, including half-day camps for children in the pre-first grade; half and full-day camps for children from first through ninth grade; evening theme hikes; over-night camp-outs; campfires with sing-alongs, and engaging weekly Friday Family classes. Registration for residents of Union County for summer camps and family programs will be held on Saturday, March 2. In order to register, a lottery ticket must be drawn between Feb. 9 and Feb. 22; proof of residency required. Please call Trailside at 908-789-3670 or visit us online at www.ucnj.org/trailside for more information.  Trailside Nature & Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Union County, NJ – Will Horton pay attention to Gertrude? Will Maysie ever return for her egg? For the answers to these and many other questions, children can enjoy a live performance of Seussical, a musical theater production based on the Dr. Seuss classic tale Horton Hears a Who, hosted by none other than the Cat in the Hat.

Two performances are scheduled for Sunday, February 3 at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., at the historic Union County Performing Arts Center in the heart of the downtown Rahway Theater District.

The first performance is specially designed for children with autism and related disorders as part of the Sensory Friendly Theater series sponsored by the Freeholder Board.

“Sensory Friendly Theater is a wonderful way for children with special needs to partake in the experience of the performing arts, in a welcoming and supportive atmosphere,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter. “It’s part of our efforts to ensure that healthy, enriching activities are available to Union County residents from all walks of life including children, teens and adults with disabilities.”

For the first show, the Performing Arts Center will become a “judgment free zone” that accommodates children who wish to express their excitement during the performance, get up and move around, or spend some time out of the performance area.

Specially trained staff will also be on hand if parents or caregivers need assistance with their children.

In both the first and second show, Seussical features the same unique characters who find themselves intertwined in an incredible crazy-quilt adventure, in which the power of imagination and the most miraculous ”think” ever save the day.

Sensory Friendly Theater was initiated last year by Freeholder Alexander Mirabella, who held the position of Chairman in 2012, as part of his “Putting People First” initiatives.

To design the series, the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation worked with worked with Paper Mill Playhouse and the Children’s Specialized Hospital as well as Autism Friendly Spaces, an organization that helps people with autism and their families participate in their communities.

The Union County Performing Arts Center is a non-profit 501(c) (3) corporation operating in the historic Rahway Theatre.  Conveniently located in downtown Rahway at 1601 Irving Street, this historic landmark is the cornerstone of the Rahway Arts District. The theater is a beautifully restored 1920’s era former vaudeville house and movie palace owned by the County of Union and managed by the nonprofit Union County Performing Arts Center.

For more information on both performances call the UC PAC box office, 732-499-8226 or visit ucpac.org.

For information on all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org or call the Public Info Line toll free, 877-424-1234.

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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.

(From left) Union County Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter and Freeholder Vernell Wright present Ella Shaykevich, Public Health Nurse and Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) unit leader, Health Educator Katie Rodgers and Roberta Milano, PHENS Coordinator/Bureau Chief, with a resolution commending the men and women of the Union County MRC, a group of health care professionals and lay volunteers, for their extraordinary efforts in setting up and manning the Union County Regional Evacuation Shelter at the Cranford Community Center in response to Hurricane Sandy. MRC volunteers supported shelter, working 1,100 hours over 15 days and nights, assisting evacuees whose stays ranged from one night to 12 days. They are joined my Union County Public Safety Director Andrew Moran.  (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

TRENTON, N.J. — Survivors of Hurricane Sandy now have until March 1, 2013, to register for disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

People with storm losses in all counties in New Jersey can register online atwww.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. Registration is also available by calling 800-621-3362, TTY 800-462-7585 or 711/VRS. The toll-free telephone numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week.

The deadline was extended one month at the request of the state of New Jersey. Through Wednesday, Jan. 23, more than 57,500 storm survivors have been approved for help through FEMA’s Individual Assistance program in New Jersey.

The disaster registration process serves as a referral point for FEMA programs and those of partner agencies such as the U.S. Small Business Administration, American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

FEMA disaster assistance for individuals and families can include money for rental assistance, essential home repairs, personal property and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

The SBA has also set March 1 as the date for homeowners, renters and business owners to complete and return SBA disaster loan applications. Visit www.sba.gov or call 800-659-2955, TTY 800-877-8339 for more information.

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

SBA’s Disaster Assistance Program provides long term, low-interest loans to homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes. For more information, visit www.sba.gov. All SBA’s program and services are provided on a nondiscriminatory basis.

Union County Freeholder Vernell Wright cuts the ribbon officially opening WattLots LLC “Power Arbor”™ parking lot system at Runnells Specialized Hospital in Berkeley Heights. She is joined by State Senator Thom Kean, Jr. (R) and (from left) WattLots Director of Business Development Chris Connor, Maor Segal of EMSA Solar and WattLots President William E.S. Kaufman.

The Power Arbors™ solar installations will deliver 160,000 kilowatt hours of clean power from the sun annually. The installation, which will save the hospital $1.7 million and reduce carbon emissions by 3,300 tons, was installed by EMSA Solar and funded by a Union County Federal Stimulus Fund Grant.

(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

Union County Freeholder Chair Linda Carter (L) with honorees Anna Belin–Pyles (M) and Harold Gibson (R) recently attended the 37th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast held by Frontiers International Plainfield Area Club.  This event honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and honors community volunteers and student Scholarship Awardees.     (Photo by Frontier International)

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – Marty Appel, the long-time Yankees historian and former director of Public Relations for the team, will be the special guest speaker at the 77th Annual Hot Stove League Baseball Dinner on Sunday, Feb. 10, starting at 1:00 p.m. at the L’Affaire Banquet Center, 1099 Route 22 East, in Mountainside.

The awards dinner is sponsored by the Union County Baseball Association (UCBA), in cooperation with the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal. Since 1937, the annual Hot Stove League Baseball Dinner has been the primary fund-raising effort for the UCBA’s summer and fall programs for young ballplayers.

Marty Appel began his tenure with the New York Yankees handling fan mail for Mickey Mantle. He is the author of 18 books, including the New York Times bestseller, “Munson,” and the 2012 publication, “Pinstripe Empire” – the definitive history of the New York Yankees. Mr. Appel is seen often on YES Network Yankeeographies. His interviews with veteran Yankees players are featured on Yankees On Demand on the Yankees.com website.

During the afternoon awards ceremonies, the UCBA will induct three new members into the Union County Baseball Hall of Fame: Bill Dolan of Rahway, Jim Riccitelli of Roselle Park, and George Virgilio of Elizabeth.

“We’re delighted to welcome Marty Appel to this year’s Hot Stove League Awards Dinner,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter. “We hope that family members and friends of the Hall of Fame inductees and the very deserving local student honorees will enjoy the Sunday afternoon ceremonies and support youth baseball in Union County.”

Among the students to be honored for their athletic achievements are: ­Chris Folinusz, catcher for Cranford High School and Union County Player of the Year (2012); Khaseem Greene of Elizabeth and Rutgers, Big East defensive player of the year (2011 and 2012); Jenna Kulback, hard-hitting catcher for Gov. Livingston High School in Berkeley Heights (Class of 2012); James O’Rourke, a First Team, All-State centerfielder for Westfield High School (Class of 2012); Shannon Syciarz of Garwood, a First Team All-American and two time All-NJAC field hockey goaltender of the year.

The Hot Stove League Baseball Dinner also will honor local American Legion Baseball players and athletes from youth baseball leagues for their achievements in 2012.

Tickets for the dinner are $40 each and can be purchased online by visiting www.ucba-nj.org or by downloading and mailing the table registration form to the Union County Baseball Association, Box 176, Fanwood, New Jersey 07023.

For more information, please call Jim Iozzi at 908-917-2523.

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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 .

ELIZABETH, NJ – President Abraham Lincoln will be the subject of a special lecture by Dr. Jonathan Lurie of Rutgers University on Thursday, February 7, beginning at 2:00 p.m. at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. Sponsored by the Union County Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee, the free afternoon event entitled “Looking at Lincoln: Greatness Transformed” is open to the public and includes exhibits about the Civil War and a special display case focusing on Lincoln’s presidency.

After the talk by Dr. Lurie, there will be raffles for an original framed portrait of Lincoln by Elizabeth artist Rafael Rodriguez and an illustrated edition of “Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and The War Years” by Pulitzer Prize-winner Carl Sandburg.

“As we commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, we are honored to have Dr. Jonathan Lurie speak here about President Lincoln and his leadership during the conflict,” said Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi, chairman of the committee. “We welcome visitors to the Courthouse to learn more about our 16th President and about the experiences of Union County residents during the war.”

Dr. Lurie is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at Rutgers University (Newark), where he was a Professor of History and Law from 1985 to 2009. During his career at Rutgers, Dr. Lurie also was a Visiting Fellow in Law and History at Harvard Law School; an Historian and Archivist to the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces; and a Visiting Professor of Law at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

The lecture by Dr. Lurie will be presented in the Courtroom of the Hon. Karen M. Cassidy, Assignment Judge of the Superior Court, at 2 p.m. To reserve a seat, please call 908-527-4999.

The Civil War Exhibition is on display until 2015 in the rotunda of the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street in historic midtown Elizabeth. The exhibit may be viewed weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The displays will change from time to time. Anyone wishing to loan historical artifacts from the Civil War era for the exhibit can contact committee member Katherine Craig at 908-282-7617. All objects will be secured, locked and acknowledged.

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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 .

ELIZABETH, NJ – President Abraham Lincoln will be the subject of a special lecture by Dr. Jonathan Lurie of Rutgers University on Thursday, February 7, beginning at 2:00 p.m. at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. Sponsored by the Union County Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee, the free afternoon event entitled “Looking at Lincoln: Greatness Transformed” is open to the public and includes exhibits about the Civil War and a special display case focusing on Lincoln’s presidency.

After the talk by Dr. Lurie, there will be raffles for an original framed portrait of Lincoln by Elizabeth artist Rafael Rodriguez and an illustrated edition of “Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and The War Years” by Pulitzer Prize-winner Carl Sandburg.

“As we commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, we are honored to have Dr. Jonathan Lurie speak here about President Lincoln and his leadership during the conflict,” said Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi, chairman of the committee. “We welcome visitors to the Courthouse to learn more about our 16th President and about the experiences of Union County residents during the war.”

Dr. Lurie is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at Rutgers University (Newark), where he was a Professor of History and Law from 1985 to 2009. During his career at Rutgers, Dr. Lurie also was a Visiting Fellow in Law and History at Harvard Law School; an Historian and Archivist to the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces; and a Visiting Professor of Law at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

The lecture by Dr. Lurie will be presented in the Courtroom of the Hon. Karen M. Cassidy, Assignment Judge of the Superior Court, at 2 p.m. To reserve a seat, please call 908-527-4999.

The Civil War Exhibition is on display until 2015 in the rotunda of the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street in historic midtown Elizabeth. The exhibit may be viewed weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The displays will change from time to time. Anyone wishing to loan historical artifacts from the Civil War era for the exhibit can contact committee member Katherine Craig at 908-282-7617. All objects will be secured, locked and acknowledged.

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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 .

(From left) Union County Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter, Vice Chairman Christopher Hudak and Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski present a check from the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders to the 2013 Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade General Chairwoman Kelly Anne Scanlon, Adjutant Harry Capko and Grand Marshal Jim Tansey during the parade committee’s Celebrity Bartenders fundraiser at the Kenilworth Veterans Center. The 2013 Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 16 on Morris Avenue in Union. For more information please visitwww.unioncountystpatricksdayparade.com. (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