Mayor Patricia Ger Frasier unveils Union's 250th photographic tribute, honors student volunteer

Mayor Patricia Ger Frasier opened a photographic exhibition on the Township of Union's 250th anniversary and presented a mayor's award to student volunteer Zoe Williams St. Percy at an event focused on local history and community memory.

"On behalf of the township committee, I, Mayor Patricia Ger Frasier, hereby congratulate and bid farewell to Zoe, a student from Union High School for her exceptional dedication and hard work as our very first student volunteer intern at the Union Arts Gallery," Ger Frasier said, recognizing the student’s contributions to the gallery program.

The mayor told attendees the curated exhibit—assembled by a team of volunteers and the gallery curator—features maps and "over 50 pictures" that trace Union's history across decades. She introduced David Armenio as the vice president of the historical society and identified Barbara (named in the transcript as president of the local historical society) as a point of contact for questions about captions and the 250th committee’s picture-history project.

Ger Frasier credited volunteers including Tom Berler and Tom Hagerty and singled out Lesie Jenkins, the gallery curator, for organizing the displays. "This is a labor of love," the mayor said, adding that the team had worked out of "the kindness of their heart and love for Union and love for history."

The event also included a separate display focused on the history of Union schools dating to the 1800s; the mayor encouraged educators, school staff and board members to review the materials, which she called "required reading" for those connected to Union schools.

Before closing, Ger Frasier acknowledged financial support for the exhibition: "BCB Bank gave us a large grant to complete all of the pictures today," she said. The transcript does not specify the grant amount.

The mayor invited attendees to enjoy wine, water and refreshments after the remarks and extended thanks to gallery patrons, families and friends for supporting the arts and the township’s 250th- anniversary programming.