West Milford, New Jersey
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West Milford is a township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 26,410.
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[edit] History
West Milford started out as New Milford in western Passaic County in the 1700s, having been settled by disenchanted Dutch from Milford, New Jersey (later renamed by the British as Newark). These same Dutch also built a town of New Milford in eastern Bergen County. By chance both New Milfords applied for a post office in 1828. As the traditional story goes, a clerk in Washington, D.C. saw New Milford in eastern Bergen County and approved their application for a post office. Next seeing a second New Milford in western Passaic County, the word "NEW" was crossed out and the word "WEST" was written in, then the application was approved. Thus, the town found out when they received their approval and New Milford in western Passaic County had became West Milford with the stroke of a quill pen.
West Milford became a municipality by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 10, 1834, when it was formed from the westernmost portions of both Franklin Township and Saddle River Township, while the area was still part of Bergen County. On February 7, 1837, Passaic County was created from portions of both Bergen County and Essex County, with West Milford as the western end of the newly formed county.[1]
There are old name places in the township like Postville, Utterville, Corterville, Browns, Awosting, Echo Lake, Macopin, Charlotteburg (named after King George III's wife, Queen Charlotte and the town is now under the Charlotteburg Reservoir), Clinton (or sometimes called Clinton Furnance, now under the Clinton Reservoir, and the furnance still stands), Moe Mountain, Oak Ridge (a nameplace, but town is under the Oak Ridge Reservoir), Newfoundland, Apshawa, New City, and Smith Mills. Newfoundland is divided by the Pequannock River, which divides Passaic and Morris Counties; a small part of Newfoundland lays within Jefferson Township. A large part of the township is reservoir property owned by the City of Newark in Essex County for their water supply. Prior to the Second World War, the township was a resort area with trains coming from New York City to stations at Charlotteburg, Newfoundland, Oak Ridge in the south and Hewitt (also known as Sterling Forest station) and Awosting in the north. Railroad service in the south was from the New Jersey Midland starting around the 1850s and in the north around the 1870s from the Montclair Railroad, out of Montclair, New Jersey and later the Erie Railroad (before their merger with the Lackawanna Railroad).
Greenwood Lake is an interstate lake approximately 9 miles long laying in both New Jersey and New York State. It was originally called Long Pond. It was dammed up to increase the size of the lake for water power down stream. During the resort era, several steamboats operated on the lake, the most famous and grand was the two deck steamer, Montclair. These steamboats met the trains and took passengers to the various resorts around the lake in both states.
There is a seaplane area on Greenwood Lake, a few large marinas and lakeside restaurants with docks. There is a public airport called Greenwood Lake Airport just south of the lake on top of a mountain ridge and has two landing strips; one is long enough to handle small jets. Plus there is one private airport in the township on a private estate.
After World War II and for the next 20 years the area underwent a major change from a resort area to year round residences. Before there were year-round houses, the summer residence of Cecil B. Demille was West Milford. Road maps of the 1950s showing the population on the backside said 2,000 winter and 10,000 summer, now say 26,485 [Source: Hagstrom Maps].
West Milford Township is covered by several postal ZIP codes:
- 07421 Hewitt
- 07422 McAfee section of Vernon Township in Sussex County.
- 07435 Newfoundland
- 07438 Oak Ridge
- 07460 Stockholm (Hardyston Township, in Sussex County)
- 07480 West Milford
There are a number of residential lake communities, now converted over to year-round, that had been summer resorts.
Home of "haunted" Clinton Road.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 208.3 km² (80.4 mi²). 195.4 km² (75.4 mi²) of it is land and 12.9 km² (5.0 mi²) of it (6.18%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,901 |
|
|
| 1940 | 2,501 | 31.6% | |
| 1950 | 3,650 | 45.9% | |
| 1960 | 8,157 | 123.5% | |
| 1970 | 17,304 | 112.1% | |
| 1980 | 22,750 | 31.5% | |
| 1990 | 25,430 | 11.8% | |
| 2000 | 26,410 | 3.9% | |
| historical data source: [2] | |||
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 26,410 people, 9,190 households, and 7,186 families residing in the township. The population density was 135.2/km² (350.1/mi²). There were 9,909 housing units at an average density of 50.7/km² (131.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 95.08% White, 1.23% African American, 0.60% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.61% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.38% of the population.
There were 9,190 households out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.8% were non-families. 16.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the township the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $74,124, and the median income for a family was $80,264. Males had a median income of $51,105 versus $37,159 for females. The per capita income for the township was $28,612. About 2.6% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Newfoundland and Green Pond
Newfoundland is a neighborhood of West Milford located along the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYS&W Rwy, formerly NYS&W RR) tracks (freight service only) and Route 23. It is also a mailing address for Green Pond (just north of the Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway Township, Morris County), a private lake community owned by Green Pond Corporation and Lake End Corporation, which lays in Rockaway Township where the Pequannock River divides Passaic County from Morris County.
The 2003 film The Station Agent was set, and filmed, largely in Newfoundland. There was an early non-talking movie produced in the township at the Mine Hole in the Hewitt section of the township. A still photo of that movie is published in the township's Sesquicentennial book entitled The Day the Earth Shook and the Sky Turned Red, copyright 1984.
[edit] Commerce
For decades, West Milford was rural with only a couple service stations, a couple small eating establishments, and a bank or two. The community was mostly residential. In the mid 1960s a then-average-sized 20,000 square foot A&P Supermarket was built. In 1972, Warner Brothers opened up a wildlife theme park called Jungle Habitat. Initially this brought huge tourist revenue to the township. Jungle Habitat was a mixed blessing due to the amount of summer and weekend traffic into this rural area made up of small two lane roads. Jungle Habitat wanted to expand and become a huge amusement park, but residents concerned with excessive traffic voted this proposal down in 1976, which resulted in an abrupt closing and exit.
With the loss of tax revenue and the needs of the residents in mind, the township did approve the addition of more businesses to the township. In 1978, a 45,000 square foot ShopRite supermarket was built. Shortly after other businesses joined the area. In the late 1990s, A & P closed its obsolete store and built a 60,000 square foot supermarket a few miles away from the town center, but next door to their former store. Near the ShopRite are several restaurants and fast food establishments were built including McDonald's as well as a several screen movie theater.
West Milford businesses are represented by the West Milford Chamber of Commerce], an organization of business men and women that has been in existence since 1949. Its mission is to improve and enhance the business community in West Milford.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
The Township of West Milford operates under the Faulkner Act: New Jersey’s Optional Municipal Charter Law, Mayor-Council-Administrator Plan as of January 1, 2004. This plan is described as a "Faulknerized" version of the borough form of government. The Legislature accepted the recommendation of the commission, and added the Mayor-Council-Administrator plan to the Faulkner Act as the fourth optional form of municipal government in 1981.
The voters of West Milford Township adopted the Mayor-Council-Administrator Plan at a Special Election held on December 10, 2002. The mayor-council-administrator plan provides that an elected mayor and council shall govern a municipality with an appointed municipal administrator. The council consists of the mayor and six council people, elected at large, in the partisan general elections in November. The mayor serves a four-year term. The six council members serve staggered three-year terms; each year two council seats are up for election. Initially, two members serve a one-year term, two serve a two-year term, and two serve a three-year term. All subsequently elected council members serve a term of three years.
The Mayor holds executive power under the mayor-council-administrator plan. The Mayor presides over meetings of the Township Council but does not vote except to break a tie. When the Township Council passes an ordinance, the Mayor has ten days upon receiving it to exercise one of three options: 1. sign the ordinance into law; or, 2. veto all or any part of it by delivering it to the Township Clerk with a written statement of his objections for return to the Township Council; or 3. let the ordinance become law automatically by neither signing nor vetoing it within the ten days of receiving it.
If the Mayor vetoes an ordinance, the Township Council can override it by a ⅔ majority vote. The Mayor’s veto, however, in the mayor-council-administrator plan, as in the borough form, is rather ineffectual. In both forms of government the four vote simple majority needed to pass an ordinance is also the ⅔ extra-majority needed to override the Mayor’s veto. In both forms, the Mayor’s veto is more of a symbolic gesture.
The Mayor appoints, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, the Township Administrator, the Township Clerk, the Township Attorney, the Tax Assessor, the Tax Collector, the Treasurer and such other officers as may be provided by ordinance.
The Township Council’s responsibilities include enacting ordinances and resolutions, establishing policies, preparing the annual budget with the assistance of the Township Administrator and the Treasurer, and levying taxes. Additionally, the council makes appointments to both the policy and decision-making boards and various advisory committees in accordance with general law and Township ordinances and resolutions.
The Township Administrator in the mayor-council-administrator plan supervises the administration of each of the departments established by ordinance, may investigate the organization and operation of any municipal department, prescribe standards and rules of administrative practice and procedure, and consult with the department heads. The Township Administrator also directs the business affairs of the Township, and has, as provided by ordinance, such powers and performs such duties which are not required by the mayor-council-administrator plan or by general law to be exercised by the Mayor, Township Council or other officer, board or body. The Township Administrator serves during the term of the Mayor appointing him, however the Township Council may remove the administrator by a 2/3rd majority vote.[3]
The Mayor of West Milford Township is Joseph A. Di Donato, whose term of office ends December 31, 2007. Members of the Township Council are Robert Nolan (2007), Carmelo P. Scangarello (2008), Salvatore Schimmenti (2009), Joseph Smolinski (2009), James Warden (2007) and Philip H. Weisbecker (2008).[4]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
West Milford Township is in the Fifth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 26th Legislative District.[5]
New Jersey's Fifth Congressional District, covering the northern portions of Bergen County, Passaic County and Sussex County and all of Warren County, is represented by Scott Garrett (R, Wantage Township). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
The 26th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Robert Martin (R, Morris Plains) and in the Assembly by Alex DeCroce (R, Morris Plains) and Joseph Pennacchio (R, Morris Plains). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).
Passaic County's Board of Chosen Freeholders are Freeholder Director Elease Evans of Paterson, Freeholder Deputy Director Pat Lepore of West Paterson, Terry Duffy of West Milford, James Gallagher of Paterson, Bruce James of Clifton, Sonia Rosado of Ringwood and Tahesha Way of Wayne.
[edit] Education
The West Milford Township Public Schools serve 4,500 students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade. West Milford has six elementary schools (grades K-6), one middle school (grade 7-8), and one high school (grades 9-12). Further, the district supports a Center for Adult/Community Education. The school system has 361 certified staff members, over 50% of whom have a master's degree or higher).
Schools in the district are West Milford High School (known for its kilted pipers and Scottish-themed marching band, the Highlanders), Macopin Middle School, and the six elementary schools: Maple Road School, Westbrook School, Apshawa School, Upper Greenwood Lake School, Paradise Knoll School and the Marshall Hill School.
The old Newfoundland, two-room schoolhouse is now the Village Square Inn Pizzeria and Restaurant. The old Hillcrest School is now the township's community center. The few one-room schoolhouses are all gone; the last one was the Hewitt School, destroyed by fire set by vandals (it had been the former Methodist church before a new, larger church was built).
[edit] References
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 211.
- ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
- ^ West Milford township Government, accessed February 26, 2006
- ^ West Milford Township Council, accessed February 26, 2006
- ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 66, accessed August 30, 2006
[edit] External links
- West Milford Township website
- West Milford Township Public Schools
- West Milford Township Public Schools's 2005-06 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- National Center for Education Statistics data for the West Milford Township Public Schools
- West Milford Chamber of Commerce website
- BBC News Article - West Milford housecat chases black bear up a tree
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
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(County seat: Paterson) |
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| Boroughs | Bloomingdale | Haledon | Hawthorne | North Haledon | Pompton Lakes | Prospect Park | Ringwood | Totowa | Wanaque | West Paterson |  |
| Cities | Clifton | Passaic | Paterson | |
| Townships | Little Falls | Wayne | West Milford | |
| CDPs and communities |
Haskell | Hewitt | Newfoundland | Oak Ridge | Pines Lake | |
