Category: Public Info

Union County Freeholders Angel G. Estrada (L) and Bette Jane Kowalski (R) congratulate recent Union County College graduates Joana Costa of Union and Sean Williams of Linden on their engagement. Williams proposed to Costa publicly after delivering his commencement speech during Union County College’s 78th Annual Commencement Ceremony on May 23 in Cranford. (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 at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi will open her offices in Elizabeth and Westfield on Saturday, June 2, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for voters seeking last-minute mail-in ballots. The office in Elizabeth at the Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, and the office in Westfield at 300 North Avenue East, will be open as a public service for those voters who choose the Vote-By-Mail option for the Primary Election to be held on Tuesday, June 5.

“Every voter should have the opportunity to cast his or her ballot in the primary election for federal, county and municipal offices,” Rajoppi said. “We want to ensure that even those who have a last-minute change of plans can have a chance to vote.”

Sample ballots for the Primary Election in each Union County municipality may be viewed by going to the County Clerk’s website: https://ucnj.org/ctyclerk

“By opening the Elizabeth office on the Saturday before the primary election, as we have done for the past 16 years, along with the Westfield office, which has regular Saturday hours throughout the year, we hope to assist those citizens whose work schedules or other commitments keep them from applying during the work week,” Rajoppi said.

Voters will be able to drop off their completed mail-in ballot, formerly known as an absentee ballot, at the Union County Clerk’s offices in Elizabeth and Westfield. This option allows voters to pick up their ballots, vote in privacy and deposit them in a secured lockbox – all at the same office through 3:00 p.m. on Monday, June 4.

“Voters used to pick up absentee ballots at the Clerk’s office and then had to drive across town to deliver them to the Board of Elections,” Rajoppi said. “This option makes voting more accessible, particularly for senior citizens.”

Completed ballots will be kept in a secure lockbox under the control of the Union County Board of Elections, who will collect them for counting.

The County Clerk’s office has processed more than 2,500 mail-in ballots to date for the Primary Election and expects the number to exceed 4,000 by Primary Day, Tuesday, June 5.

To obtain a Vote-By-Mail application, voters may download the form at the Clerk’s website: https://ucnj.org/vote-by-mail/, but they must bring the completed application to either of the County Clerk’s offices on Saturday, June 2, between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., or on Monday, June 4, before 3:00 p.m. For more information, please contact the County Clerk’s office at 908-527-4996.

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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.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that grant-funding opportunities are available through the 2012 Union County History Re-Grant Program, made possible from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State. The Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, administrators of the program, is actively seeking applications from Union County-based non-profit groups. Funds must be used in support of an organization’s general operating expenses or a special history project or program.

“Local organizations interested in developing and showcasing Union County’s abundant history are encouraged to apply for funding,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “These include historical societies, historic house museums, libraries, schools and similar groups.”

The two types of grants available have general standards of eligibility as well as specific requirements. The General Operating Support (GOS) Grant provides assistance for the basic costs of operation (e.g. programming, preservation of collections, salaries, marketing, etc.) to Union County-based historical societies, house museums or historic sites only. The maximum GOS grant request is $7,500.

The Special Project (SP) Grant supports history organizations, museums, schools, libraries and similar organizations with collections or programming relating to Union County and New Jersey state history. The maximum grant request is $5,000.

The application deadline is Wednesday, June 20, 2012. The grant period runs from September 1, 2012, through August 31, 2013.

To obtain an application or receive more information, contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07202. Telephone: 908-436-2912 or 908-558-2550. New Jersey Relay users dial 711. E-mail requests for a writeable Word document (Microsoft Office 2000) toculturalinfo@ucnj.org or ewashington@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 Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella (L) presents a resolution in honor of National Prevention Week to (from left) Prevention Links Executive Director Pamela Capaci, Director of Community Prevention Michael Litterer, Coalition Coordinator Charlene Bathelus, Prevention Links Data Analyst Jan Ramos, Prevention Links Coalition Coordinator Michael Capko and Sara Thode, Drug and Alcohol Coordinator for Union County’s Division of Planning. National Prevention Week, May 21-25, 2012, celebrates the work that community organizations and individuals do year round to prevent substance abuse and promote mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being. (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 at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders encourages local business owners and managers to attend the fourth session of the Union County Means Business free networking breakfast series on Wednesday, June 6 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Union County College Kellogg Building in midtown Elizabeth.

The topic of this session is “Your Workforce: Incentives, Training and Resources to Develop Current Employees and Find Qualified Employees.”

“Qualified, engaged employees will put your business in a better position to grow as the signs of economic recovery begin to strengthen,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella, who initiated the series. “If you own or manage a business in Union County, I encourage you to take advantage of this free opportunity to connect with government programs that can help you recruit, train and motivate your team.”

Union County Means Business is designed to help owners and managers get first-hand information about issues, programs and resources that affect their businesses. The series features expert speakers and local representatives addressing a variety of topics including financing, new media, public/private partnerships and other emerging opportunities.

All Union County Means Business sessions are free but pre-registration is required. To register and to get more details about the June 6 session visit ucnj.org/UCMeansBusiness or call 908-527-4200.

Information on all Union County programs and services is available on the Union County website, 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 Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski (L) and Mohamed Jalloh and Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi (2nd R) present a resolution to Roselle Park Clerk Doreen Cali, who also serves as the president of the Union County Municipal Clerks Association, in honor of Municipal Clerks Week at the County Clerk’s annual luncheon. This year’s luncheon was held at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway. (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.orghttps://ucnj.org.
On Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebookhttps://ucnj.org/facebook.
On Twitter at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.

Union County Freeholder Vernell Wright presents a resolution to Union Police Director Daniel Zieser in honor of National Police Week during the Township of Union’s Police Awards ceremony.
(Photo by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

WESTFIELD, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi will offer free photo ID cards to veterans at the Union County Veterans Job Fair and Resource Event on Wednesday, May 23, at the National Guard Armory at 500 Rahway Avenue in Westfield from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is designed to bring veterans together with more than 50 employers and agencies in an effort to network and make connections for new employment opportunities.

“My Office was one of the first in the state nearly ten years ago to issue free honorable discharge identification cards for veterans as proof of service in the U.S. Armed Forces,” Ms. Rajoppi said. “Now the ID cards will include a photograph for the first time, which can make it easier for veterans to access discount programs and other benefits intended just for them. This service is one way to say thank you and make veterans’ lives a little easier.”

The honorable discharge cards are available to veterans whose Certificate of Honorable Discharge and DD 214 forms are recorded at the Union County Clerk’s office. The card will include the book and page number where the veteran’s information is recorded to validate that the card holder is honorably discharged. It can assist veterans in receiving educational benefits, death benefits, licenses, local property tax rebates and discounts at big retailer box stores when presented with other identification.

If a veteran’s discharge papers have never been recorded, the original documents must be presented to the County Clerk at the Veterans Job Fair on May 23 or at either one the County Clerk’s offices along with another form of photo identification. The documents will be recorded in the Union County Veterans’ Index and the original documents will be returned to the veteran. Photocopies of Honorable Discharge or DD 214 documents cannot be accepted for recording.

The County Clerk’s Office in Westfield, located at 300 North Avenue East, is open from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 8 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday; and 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturday. The County Clerk’s Office in Elizabeth, located in the Union County Courthouse at 2 Broad Street, is open from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. If additional information is needed, please call 908-659-7403.

For additional information about the Veterans’ Job Fair, please contact Elizabeth Sebring of the Union County Department of Human Services at 908-527-4890 or email: esebring@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 – Veterans and active duty military personnel are reminded to take part in Union County’s Veterans Job Fair and Resource Event on Wednesday, May 23 from 10am to 3pm at the National Guard Armory at 500 Rahway Avenue in Westfield.

The upcoming job fair, which is sponsored in part by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, will bring veterans together with over 50 employers in an effort to network and make connections for new employment opportunities.

Among the participating organizations are:

• Wells Fargo
• Prudential
• Johnson & Johnson
• Panasonic
• Barnabas Health
• NJ Transit
• Helmets to Hardhats (NJ Building and Construction trades)
• Joule Staffing
• PSE&G

With help from partners like the New Jersey Department of Labor, the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, Lyons Veterans Administration Medical Center and Investors Bank in Plainfield, the Job Fair is being offered free of charge to veterans, active duty military personnel, and their families.

As part of the event representatives will be on site with information on veterans’ benefits, Social Security, and the GI Bill, as well as other State and County sponsored services. A representative from Lyons VA Medical Center will also be present to conduct health screenings.

For additional information on the Veteran’s Job Fair please contact Elizabeth L. Sebring of the Union County Department of Human Services at (908) 527-4890 or via email at esebring@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 at http://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.