Page 2 Thursday, July 16, 1998 The Westfield Leader and THE TIMES of Scotch Plains – Fanwood A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION
Grotta Foundation Funds Arc of Union County Effort
The trustees of the Grotta Founda- tion for Senior Care recently approved a grant of $5,000 to fund the develop- ment of The Arc of Union County's Lifetime Support program.
Formerly the Association for Re- tarded Citizens, The Arc is a non- profit, community-based organiza- tion providing a variety of services to 800 children and adults with devel- opmental disabilities.
Under the direction of Lindy Fore- man and Barbara Repetti, the Life- time Support program will provide guardianship services and support to the parents, siblings and other rela- tives of adults with developmental disabilities.
Lifetime Support, Inc., a separate non-profit corporation under the aus-
pices of The Arc, is designed to offer parents and other family members an opportunity to receive assistance in the areas of guardianship, payeeship, fi- nancial planning and lifelong support.
The program will primarily serve elderly parents with adult children who have developmental disabilities such as mental retardation, epilepsy, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism, according to Arc spokes- woman Maria Denk.
The Grotta Foundation for Senior Care, based in South Orange, was founded in 1993. It funds programs which enhance the quality of life for elderly people and their families in New Jersey. The $5,000 grant for The Arc is to be expended by June 30, 1999.
County Moves Forward On "Operation Clean and Green"
A kick-off event for the second phase of "Operation Clean and Green" was held on a June 25 at the Union County Administration build- ing in Elizabeth.
During the second phase of the program, 36 youth workers, ages 16 to 19, will clean up parks, roads, vacant lots and public places.
Mayors of the county's 21 munici- palities have been offered, through letters from the county, the use of "Clean and Green" crews for cleanup projects. So far, Mayors of eight area towns have requested the help of the youth labor crews, including, West- field, Elizabeth, Garwood, Kenilworth, Plainfield, Rahway, Roselle and Roselle Park.
Freeholder Linda d. Stender, of Fanwood, who initiated "Operation Clean and Green," thanked the young people for participating in Phase II of the program. "I know personally that when my home is clean and orderly it is a better place to be, and the same is true for our towns," Mrs. Stender said. "By keeping our roads and parks clean, we are making sure that people want to shop or visit Union County."
"When you are working, never forget that you are our representa-
tives," said Freeholder Chairman Daniel P. Sullivan, of Elizabeth. "You are there for the county and you are working on behalf of the county."
During an hour-long training pro- gram in the Freeholder Meeting Room, county officials instructed participants about safety in lifting heavy objects, handling hazardous materials, traffic safety for road work- ers and about avoiding ticks and poi- son ivy.
Phase I of "Operation Clean and Green" began earlier this summer and uses laborers from the Union County Jail for cleanup, particu- larly in "gateway areas" on major roads and other highways in the county.
The program is a cooperative ef- fort between several county depart- ments including the divisions of Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Traf- fic Safety and Environmental Af- fairs.
Beside keeping roads, parks and public places clean, Freeholder Stender added that the program also provides summer employment for young people.
N. J. Symphony Orchestra Plays Concert in the Park MANY THANKS…Union County Freeholder Chairman Daniel P. Sullivan,
standing before microphone at right, and Freeholder Mary Ruotolo, left, present a resolution of appreciation to Barbara Ramsey, Vice President of Chase Manhatten Bank during a recent performance by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, one of the summer series of concerts in the park in Echo Lake in Westfield. The resolution thanked Chase Manhattan for co- sponsoring the event.
Union County Freeholder Chair- man Daniel P. Sullivan and Free- holders Mary Ruotolo, Lewis Mingo, Jr., and Alexander Mirabella recently welcomed the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra to Echo Lake Park in West- field as part of the summer series of concerts in the park.
The event was co-sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Free- holders and Chase Manhattan Bank. Guillermo Firueroa conducted the symphony, with soprano soloist Suzanne Ishee performing an all- Gershwin program.
"The Union County Freeholders are delighted to co-sponsor the New
Jersey Symphony with Chase Manhatten Bank," Chairman Sullivan said.
The Union County Summer Arts Festival is held each Wednesday dur- ing the summer and begins at 7:30 p.m. Residents are urged to bring a lawn chair or blanket, and picnic dinners are encouraged.
For more information on the Union County Summer Concert in the Park series or other activities open to county citizens, please call the Union County Division of Parks and Recre- ation at (908) 527-4900.
Rajoppi Golf Outing Helps Kids Afflicted With AIDS GOLFERS SUPPORT CHILDREN…Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi,
right, presents Farah Stith, Director of Development for the AIDS Resource Foundation, with a check for $4,000. The proceeds from the recent Golf Benefit Outing the Clerk held in June will be used for St. Clare's Home for Children in Elizabeth, which is operated by the foundation for children and their families who are coping with the impact of HIV/AIDS.
Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi recently donated $4,000 to the AIDS Resource Foundation for Children. The donation represents a portion of the proceeds raised at the Joanne Rajoppi Sixth Annual Golf Outing held in June.
The funds will benefit St. Clare's Home for Children, located in Eliza- beth and operated by the foundation for children and their families who are coping with the impact of HIV/AIDS.
The facility, which opened in 1987, serves infants and toddlers in a home- like atmosphere, according to foun- dation co-founders Dr. Terrence and Faye Zealand.
Children are referred to St. Clare's for placement because of illness or death of a parent; the inability of a parent to care for the child either tem- porarily or permanently; if the child is a "boarder baby," or because of the temporary hospitalization of a parent.
"We're delighted," County Clerk Rajoppi said, "to make the largest donation in our history to the AIDS Resource Foundation. Their work and advocacy on behalf of children is well- recognized, and has made a positive contribution in the lives of many young children, their families and the com- munity at-large."
Ms. Rajoppi said that this year's golf outing was the most successful in its six-year history. "It's a testimony of the AIDS Resource Foundation and the work they do that there was such an overwhelming response from golf- ers and friends," she concluded.
UCC to Hold Open House In Cranford Next Month
Union County College (UCC) will sponsor a General Open House from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5, in the Roy W. Smith The- ater, Campus Center, at the Cranford Campus.
The program, geared toward the concerns of both new and transfer students, will address questions of recent high school graduates, as well as older individuals who have been away from the academic scene for a while.
It will also assist students who plan to transfer to UCC from another college or university, according to college spokeswoman Georgia Hartnett.
The program will additionally fo- cus on enrollment for the fall semes- ter, which begins on Wednesday, Sep-
tember 2. Information will also be provided to those who plan to enroll in a subsequent semester.
The General Open House will fea- ture brief presentations on admis- sions, financial aid, and the College Level Examination Program, whereby students can earn advance credit by scoring well on standard- ized tests.
Additional presentations will cover student activities, joint programs with the University of Medicine and Den- tistry of New Jersey in Newark, trans- fer credit evaluations, and informa- tion for students who have been pre- viously educated in a foreign coun- try.
For further information, please call the college's Recruitment Office at (908) 709-7518.
Master Tree Steward Program Slated to Begin in September
Training classes for the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County 4H Master Tree Steward Pro- gram will begin on Wednesday, Sep- tember 16, at the Union County Ad- ministration Building, located at 300 North Avenue, East, in Westfield.
The classes will meet once a week from 1 to 3 p.m. through Wednesday, December 9, but not on the Wednes- days of September 30 and November 11 and 25.
Adults attending these classes will learn the life cycle of trees; how to identify 25 types of trees; how trees contribute to the environment; forest ecology, and how to share knowl- edge of trees with children.
The information will be conveyed through hands-on activities, lectures and field trips. Homework is easy reading and a simple project. There are no formal exams or quizzes.
In return for this no-cost training, participants will be asked to volun- teer time teaching Union County fourth-grade students about trees. The children are supervised by their teach- ers at all times, and participants will be co-teaching with another volun- teer. Teaching materials will be sup- plied to participants.
Individuals interested in signing up for the Master Tree Steward pro- gram may call Rutgers Cooperative Extension 4H Agent James
Nichnadowicz at (908) 654-9854, send a fax to (908) 654-9818, or write to 300 North Avenue, East, Westfield, 07090. Space is filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension provides information and educational services to all people without regard to sex, race, color, national origin, disability or handicap, or age.
Sammy Kaye Orchestra To Perform at Echo Lake
The Union County Board of Cho- sen Freeholders and Comcast of New Jersey will co-sponsor "Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye," featuring music from the Big Band era, on Wednesday, July 22, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Under the direction of Roger Thorpe, the band will present tradi- tional Sammy Kaye classics, such as "The Old Lamplighter," "It Isn't Fair," "Daddy," "Chickery Chick," "Harbor Lights," and Kaye's first hit from 1938, "Baby Face."
"Music lovers who grew up with the great big bands and people who are just learning to appreciate them should come out and hear the sound live," said Daniel P. Sullivan, Chair- man of the Freeholder Board.
Mr. Thorpe added, "I played trum- pet for six years for Sammy before he turned the orchestra over to me in 1986 due to illness…I am seeing to
it that his music continues to live on."
This installment of the Union County Summer Arts Festival will be held at the Springfield Avenue end of Echo Lake Park in Mountainside. Lawn chairs, blan- kets and picnic baskets are encour- aged. Admission is free.
There is a refreshment stand that will open at around 6:30 p.m. In the event of rain, the concert will be held inside air-conditioned Temple Emanu-El, 756 East Broad Street in Westfield. Rain information is avail- able by calling (908) 352-8410 after 3 p.m. on the day of the concert.
The Summer Arts Festival is pre- sented by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders through the Division of Parks and Recreation. The next concert in the series is Oldies Night, featuring The Newhearts and Who's Johnny.
REMEMBERING A CLASSMATE…Students in Susan Beyer's seventh-grade class at Terrill Middle School in Scotch Plains recently volunteered to weed and plant flowers under the weeping cherry tree in front of the school which stands in memory of David Ferro, a seventh-grade student at Terrill who died in 1995. Terrill students tend the tree and decorate the area with flowers as a tribute to David. The flowers were donated by Parker Greenhouses of Scotch Plains. Pictured, left to right, are: Matt Loomis, Heidi Neilson, Caroline Webb, Ali Rosloff, Julie Marks and Mrs. Beyer.
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