News in Brief: Help for the Homeless, Preparing for College

Helping the Homeless
Union County has received a federal grant of $1,101,229 for a three-year program to help homeless families with children find housing. According to a January 2011 survey, there are 1,471 homeless people in Union County, 584 of whom are children. The funding is part of a $16.2 million package of HUD grants recently awarded to New Jersey, according to a county news brief. The package targets locally-based projects that have not received federal funding in the past. Union County will use its share to fund a three-year homeless family placement program, which will be operated by the YMCA of Eastern Union County. It will consist of 14 units of leased housing for families with children.

Firehouse No. 3 in Linden
The Union County Improvement Authority and Union County officials held an opening for the new Linden Firehouse  No. 3 on East Elizabeth Avenue. The firehouse is the third such facility to come online during the past three years in Linden that are being financed through the Improvement Authority, according to a county news release. Firehouse  No. 3 supplements Linden’s response to any emergencies on the New Jersey Turnpike, at the municipal airport, along Routes 1 and 9, and along oil, energy facilities, and rail lines. Firehouse No. 1 on South Wood Avenue, and Firehouse No. 2 on St. George’s Avenue were financed by the Union County Improvement Authority and have come online during the past three years in Linden. Fire Station No. 3 is a two-story, 13,665 square-foot facility that includes a training room and living quarters for 10 firefighters and two officers. The facility has three vehicle bays, which accommodate two fire engines and one ladder truck.  In addition, Fire Station No. 3 also includes a basement for storage and a material lift. The project was financed and built through the UCIA for the City of Linden at $3.689 million.

Honoring Students in Summit
Summit High School’s World Language Department will honor students who have achieved in the study of one or more languages and those who have achieved an "A" average for three years. A recognition ceremony is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 24 at the high school.

Students for Trees
The Summit Board of Education has commended the Summit Garden Club for the “Students for Trees” project it conducted this school year with the fifth graders in each of the Summit Public Schools five elementary schools. Garden Club representatives visited all of the fifth grades and provided the students with the soil, containers, and instructions they need to grow Katsura tree seedlings in the classroom. The club members also provided lessons on tree propagation and the importance of trees to the environment.

Teaching Rescue Operations in Fanwood
The Fanwood Rescue Squad is offering free CPR courses for Scotch Plains and Fanwood residents during National EMS Week in May. The courses, taught by certified instructors, will be held in the squad's building at 123 Watson Road in Fanwood. The upcoming CPR courses are scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday. Those who complete the course will earn a two-year certification.
Anyone interested in one of these free classes must register online at www.fanwoodrescue.com. It’s first come, first served until the classes are full.

Danielle Steel's Research Assistant Speaks at Fanwood Library
Fanwood resident Nancy Eisenbarth will present a talk at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Fanwood Memorial Library on her role as sole research assistant for the bestselling novelist Danielle Steel. The two women met 39 years ago in San Francisco when they were children. “The initial project I did for Danielle was on her eighth , and first hardcover, book, a historical novel titled The Ring, published in 1980. It was simply some fact-checking, and we have come an awfully long way from then," Eisenbarth said in a news release. Eisenbarth’s presentation topic will be “Then and Now” and will address the changes in the way the two women have worked, as well as how the research process in general has evolved, in and out of libraries, over that time period. Eisenbarth has worked on 70 of Steel’s novels to date – and counting. Reservations are required because of limited seating. For more information and to register, call 908-322-6400 or email library@fanwoodlibrary.org.

How to Maximize Financial Aid for College

Complete College Planning Solutions will be holding a free community workshop for parents of college bound high school students on strategies for maximizing your family’s college financial aid and lowering out-of-pocket costs.   This workshop will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Judith G. Wharton Music Center in Berkeley Heights. To reserve your seat online visit myacfa.com or call 973.467.0101.  All families who attend will receive the online version of Cash for College, the best-selling book on college planning and funding, plus a checklist of “The Top 10 Strengths and Experiences Colleges Look For in a High School Student.”