UNION, NJ — Mike Iannelli, of East Hanover, gave himself a retirement gift – a ’22 Corvette Stingray.
His car was one of those featured on the last evening of the Wednesday Night Summer Series in Union on Wednesday, Aug. 27. From June through August, the township of Union and the Special Improvement District presented the Wednesday Night Summer Series. It was from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Stuyvesant Avenue. Throughout the summer, they had live musical performances, outdoor games, local vendors, restaurant specials, DJs and more.
Anna Kumar, a cashier at Brooklyn Pizza, was sampling pizza with grilled chicken, mozzarella and Brazilian cheese – which is a cream cheese. People were lining up for samples and Kumar kept bringing out more.
DJ Mekhi Rivers was playing Top 40 and pop music from icons such as Katy Perry. He said it was “Family friendly music.” Rivers was planning on having line dances later in the evening.
Duane and Carla Glover, of Union, were enjoying the games with their son, Divine, 6. Duane said the event “brings the community together” and that they can meet with other families.
Carla agreed that she enjoyed meeting other families, as well as spending time with her own and supporting businesses.
Divine said he liked playing with his family.
Cornelia Mills, of Union, was admiring a Rolls Royce that was featured in the car show. She said, “This is luxury, even if you’re not rich. You’re riding something like this, you feel rich.”
Claudia Oliveira, of Freehold, was showing her Honda S2000. It was a Valentine’s Day present from her husband. She said, “It’s manual. Not a lot of women drive manual. Summertime, I drive with the top down.” Last month, she won her first trophy for “Top 10 Female Rides.”
Jean Richards, of Union, recently quit her day job as an accountant and started creating arts and crafts. “This is more relaxed,” she said.
It was her first time out promoting The Illusion Store – handcrafted jewelry she makes out of her home, inspired by Caribbean culture. She said, “I like illusion necklaces. I’m like, ‘I’m going to start my own.’ You have to take chances. I get pleasure doing it.”
Carlos Lopez, chief operations officer at Tropical Juice Bar, was promoting the newest juice bar coming to Union in mid-September. They will have juices, empanadas, salads and wraps. He said, “Healthy and comfort food mix, Caribbean inspired.”
Boxwood Learning Center had a vendor table. They are a 501c3 non-profit, creating learning environments to support the whole person by way of tutoring, mentoring and career exploration. They are located in Roselle.
To learn more about Union Township, visit: https://www.uniontownship.com/.
Photos by Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta
