Glen Ridge, New Jersey

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Glen Ridge, New Jersey
Map of Glen Ridge in Essex County
Map of Glen Ridge in Essex County
Coordinates: 40°48′18″N 74°12′17″W / 40.805, -74.20472
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Essex
Incorporated February 13, 1895
Government
 - Type Borough
 - Mayor Peter A. Hughes
Area
 - Total 1.3 sq mi (3.3 km²)
 - Land 1.3 sq mi (3.3 km²)
 - Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation [1] 217 ft (66 m)
Population (2006)[2]
 - Total 6,908
 - Density 5,695.0/sq mi (2,198.9/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 07028
Area code(s) 973
FIPS code 34-26610[3]
GNIS feature ID 0876626[4]
Website: http://www.glenridgenj.org

Glen Ridge is a borough in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 7,271. Glen Ridge's public school system is one of the top-ranked in the state.

Glen Ridge was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 13, 1895, from portions of Bloomfield Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day.[5]

Of the many legacies left to the town by its founders, the one that has become its trademark is the gas lamps. With only 3,000 gaslights remaining in operation in the entire United States, Glen Ridge has 665 such lamps lighting its streets.[6] In 1924, Glen Ridge became the first municipality in New Jersey to establish a zoning ordinance.[7]

Contents

[edit] Geography

Glen Ridge is located at 40°48′18″N, 74°12′17″W (40.804950, -74.204700)[8].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.3 km²), all of it land. It is bounded by Bloomfield, Montclair, Orange and East Orange.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1930 7,365
—
1940 7,331 -0.5%
1950 7,620 3.9%
1960 8,322 9.2%
1970 8,518 2.4%
1980 7,855 -7.8%
1990 7,076 -9.9%
2000 7,271 2.8%
Est. 2006 6,908 [2] -5.0%
Population 1930 - 1990.[9]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 7,271 people, 2,458 households, and 1,978 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,695.0 people per square mile (2,193.2/km²). There were 2,490 housing units at an average density of 1,950.3/sq mi (751.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 89.18% White, 4.98% African American, 0.15% Native American, 3.34% Asian, 0.99% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.45% of the population.

There were 2,458 households out of which 46.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.9% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 16.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the borough, the population was spread out with 30.7% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $105,638, and the median income for a family was $120,650. Males had a median income of $91,161 versus $51,444 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $48,456. About 1.9% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

Glen Ridge is governed under the borough form of government, with a mayor and a six-member borough council. The mayor is elected to serve a four-year term of office. Members of the borough council serve three-year terms, with two seats coming up for election each year.

The mayor of Glen Ridge is Peter A. Hughes. The members of the Glen Ridge borough council are:[10]

  • Council President Myles Sachs - Chair of the Finance & Administration Committee
  • Elizabeth K. Baker - Chair of the Community Affairs & Public Relations Committee
  • Arthur D. Dawson - Chair of the Public Works Committee
  • Paul A. Lisovicz - Chair of the Parks & Recreation Committee
  • Stuart K. Patrick - Chair of the Planning & Development Committee
  • Linda Seyffarth - Chair of the Public Safety Committee

The Glen Ridge Civic Conference Committee (est. 1913), made up of delegates from the community and from local civic organizations, provides a non-partisan method of candidate selection for Borough elections. The CCC endorsement has been very influential; in some years, not a single local official won election without it. The eight organizations currently sending delegates to the CCC are: The Democratic Club, Freeman Gardens Association, Friends of the Glen Ridge Library, The Glen Ridge Historical Society, The Northside Association, The Republican Club, The Golden Circle, The South End Association and the Women's Club of Glen Ridge.

In recent years, the CCC has been severely weakened both by changing attitudes in the town, the actions of a number of town residents, and internal problems within the CCC itself. The previous mayor, Carl Bergmanson, is the first mayor in the history of the CCC to win that office without the Committee's endorsement. A member of the council for three terms, he ran for mayor in 2000, losing to the CCC candidate Steven Plate. When Plate was appointed as the CCC candidate again in 2004 (violating the committee's precedent of one term per mayor), Bergmanson ran again, and won, gaining the majority in all but one of the town's districts. However, the CCC is still clearly in control of the town's political structure; generally, anti-CCC candidates will run as independents, and the Democratic and Republican parties are not forces in local elections.

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Glen Ridge is in the Eighth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 34th Legislative District.[11]

New Jersey's Eighth Congressional District, covering the southern portion of Passaic County and northern sections of Essex County, is represented by Bill Pascrell Jr. (D, Paterson). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

For the 2008-2009 legislative Session, the 34th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nia Gill (D, Montclair) and in the Assembly by Thomas P. Giblin (D, Montclair) and Sheila Y. Oliver (D, East Orange).[12] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[13]

Essex County's County Executive is Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. The executive, along with the Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. Essex County's Freeholders are Freeholder President Blonnie R. Watson, Freeholder Vice President Ralph R. Caputo, Freeholders-At-Large Johnny Jones, Donald M. Payne, Jr., and Patricia Sebold, Freeholder District 1 Samuel Gonzalez, Freeholder District 2 D. Bilal Beasley, Freeholder District 3 Carol Y. Clark, Freeholder District 4 Linda Lordi Cavanaugh and Freeholder District 5 Ralph R. Caputo.

[edit] Politics

In national and state politics, Glen Ridge leans toward the Democratic Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 59% of the votes. In 2005, Democratic candidate for governor Jon Corzine polled a similar proportion of the votes.

[edit] History

Glen Ridge traces its beginning to 1666 when sixty-four Connecticut families led by Robert Treat bought land from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans and named it New Ark to reflect a covenant to worship freely without persecution. The territory included the future towns of Bloomfield, Montclair, Belleville and Nutley. When Bloomfield seceded in 1812, Glen Ridge was a section "on the hill" composed mostly of farms and woodlands with the exception of a thriving industrial area along the Toney's brook in the Glen. For most of the nineteenth century, three water-powered mills produced lumber, calico, pasteboard boxes and brass fittings. A copper mine and a sandstone quarry were nearby.

With the arrival of the Newark and Bloomfield Railroad in 1856 and the New York & Greenwood Lake Railway in 1872, Glen Ridge began its transition to a suburban residential community. Stately homes slowly replaced orchards and wooded fields.

Residents "on the hill" became unhappy with their representation on the Bloomfield Council. In spite of repeated requests to Bloomfield officials, roads remained unpaved, water and sewer systems were nonexistent, and schools were miles away. Area residents marked out the boundaries of a 1.45-square-mile (3.8 km²) area to secede from the adjoining town. At the February 12, 1895, election, the decision to secede passed by only twenty-three votes. Robert Rudd was elected the first mayor of Glen Ridge.

In 1989, athletes from the high school were involved in a brutal sexual assault of a mentally handicapped student with a baseball bat and a broom stick. The boys accused in the case were found guilty of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, and were given short prison and probation terms. The boys who were involved included twin brothers Kevin and Kyle Scherzer, brothers Paul and Chris Archer, Bryant Grober, and Richard Corcoran Jr. Others were present at the rape, but were not convicted because they did not participate. Author Bernard Lefkowitz wrote about the incident in Our Guys: The Glen Ridge Rape and the Secret Life of the Perfect Suburb. Lefkowitz's book was adapted into the 1999 TV movie Our Guys: Outrage at Glen Ridge

[edit] Education

The Glen Ridge Public Schools are highly-ranked in the state of New Jersey and a key attraction to new residents. The system consists of two elementary schools (Linden Avenue School and Forest Avenue School), an upper elementary School (Ridgewood Avenue School), and a high school (Glen Ridge High School).

Forest Avenue School is an early childhood learning community serving the needs of over 250 children in grades pre-kindergarten through second.

Approximately 288 students attend the Linden Avenue Elementary School.

Ridgewood Avenue School houses students in grades 3-6. In addition to an academic curriculum in the major disciplines of language arts literacy, mathematics, social studies, and science, students are exposed to art, instrumental and vocal music, physical education, health, library skills and Spanish. Students in grades five and six are required to move through the stations of the Synergistics Lab, solving real world problems through the study of mathematics, science, and technology.

Glen Ridge High School houses students in grades 7-12. Excellence in academic preparation is valued in both the school and community cultures. Standardized test scores far exceed both the state and national averages. More than 98% of the graduates from the Class of 2004 went on to study at four or two year colleges and universities. The remaining graduates continue their education in trade or technical schools, or in the armed services, while others find employment. The Class of 2004 average SAT scores were 583 on the math section and 591 on the verbal section. (Compared to a New Jersey average of 514 math, 501 verbal and USA average of 518 math, 508 verbal.) Over the past four years the graduation rate has been approximately 99%, while 100% of students pass the New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA). The High School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and has been cited for excellent curricular and co-curricular programs.

[edit] Property taxes

In order to fund its outstanding school system, Glen Ridge residents pay high property taxes, about $12,431 in 2003 for a home assessed at the Borough average. This has led to what one local columnist has dubbed "the Glen Ridge syndrome," whereby young families are enticed to move into town by the high quality of the school system (as realtors will often point out, you can deduct your local property taxes from your federal tax return, but not private school tuition), and then these same families are chased out of town by the tax bills immediately following the graduation of their youngest child from high school. It is not unheard of to see two lawn signs in the same yard, one congratulating the child for graduation, and the other announcing that the house is for sale. There was at least one in 2005.

[edit] Notable residents

[edit] References

  1. ^ USGS GNIS: Borough of Glen Ridge, Geographic Names Information System, accessed October 22, 2007.
  2. ^ a b Census data for Glen Ridge township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 15, 2007.
  3. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  5. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 128.
  6. ^ Read, Phillip. "In Glen Ridge, the future has a Manhattan flair and a French twist; Work begins on a big ratable: Luxury condos with the fancy name", The Star-Ledger, March 30, 2005.
  7. ^ Peterson, Mary Jo; and Gebeloff, MArk. "WHERE HOUSES DEFY THE DECADES; It's no accident that most Glen Ridge homes are old: The town sees red if you defy the blueprints.", The Star-Ledger', December 27, 2002.
  8. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  9. ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  10. ^ Glen Ridge Borough web site, Borough of Glen Ridge. Accessed January 4, 2008.
  11. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 57. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  12. ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  13. ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  14. ^ Biography of Horace Ashenfelter, accessed December 25, 2006.
  15. ^ " Dale Berra Is Indicted", The New York Times, August 25, 1989, accessed April 19, 2007. "Berra of Glen Ridge, N.J., was arrested April 20 after a six-month investigation into a drug operation that allegedly distributed $15,000 to $20,000 worth of cocaine each week in Essex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset and Union counties."
  16. ^ Severo, Richard. "Eddie Bracken, Who Acted in Sturges Comedies, Dies at 87", The New York Times, November 16, 2002, accessed April 12, 2007. "Eddie Bracken, a character actor whose portrayals of bewildered and long-suffering comic heroes crowned a stage, screen and television career of more than 70 years, died Thursday in Montclair, N.J. He was 87 and lived in Glen Ridge, N.J."
  17. ^ About Mary Jo Codey, State of New Jersey, copy of page from Internet Archive dated May 1, 2006. Accessed December 5, 2007.
  18. ^ Tom Cruise Biography, Filmography, Fox News, November 28, 2006.
  19. ^ Gary Cuozzo player profile, database Football. Accessed August 27, 2007.
  20. ^ Biography for Dr. Jack Cuozzo, accessed May 9, 2007. "Dr. Cuozzo is an orthodontist who practiced in Glen Ridge, NJ for 33 years."
  21. ^ Lauren English, USA Swimming. Accessed December 9, 2007.
  22. ^ Anthony Fasano profile, Dallas Cowboys. Accessed August 19, 2007.
  23. ^ Biography, Senator Nia Gill. Accessed December 13, 2007.
  24. ^ "E.P. MITCHELL DIES; 50 YEARS ON THE SUN; Associate of Dana Succumbs to Cerebral Hemorrhage After Retiring at Age of 74. HIS DEATH NOT EXPECTED New England Youth Rose to Great Editorial Influence -- Tributes Paid by Associates.", The New York Times, January 23, 1927. "Mr. Mitchell had a home at Glen Ridge, N. J., for years."
  25. ^ Alison Stewart bio, CBS News, accessed April 12, 2007. "Stewart was born July 4, 1966 in Glen Ridge, N.J."
  26. ^ Beckerman, Jim. "A FUZZY NIGHTMARE, BROUGHT TO SCREEN", The Record (Bergen County), April 7, 1996. Accessed December 13, 2007.
  27. ^ Trott, Stephen S., Federal Judicial Center. Accessed December 13, 2007.
  28. ^ Zarra, Erica. "NYT reporter covers, and uncovers, Hillary Clinton in new book", The Montclair Times, October 31, 2007. "“I found her story to be fascinating and one that left a lot of room for more investigation,” said Van Natta, a Glen Ridge resident who spoke to The Times this week."
  29. ^ Tom Verducci Archive, Sports Illustrated. Accessed October 7, 2007. "Born in East Orange, New Jersey, and raised in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Verducci led his high school football team to a state championship, calling his catch of the winning touchdown pass in the title game as the defining sports moment of his life."

[edit] External links

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Municipalities and communities of
Essex County, New Jersey
County seat: Newark
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Map of New Jersey highlighting Essex County
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