Cedar Grove, New Jersey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cedar Grove Township is a Township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 12,300.
What is now Cedar Grove was originally incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature as the Township of Verona on February 7, 1892, from portions of Caldwell Township. Portions of the township were taken to create Verona borough. On April 9, 1908, the name was formally changed to Cedar Grove.[1]
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[edit] Geography
Cedar Grove is located at (40.855854, -74.228981)GR 1. It is located between the First and Second Watchung Mountains. The center of the township is in a valley that is about 280 feet above sea level. Cedar Grove is located approximately 15 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 11.3 km² (4.3 mi²). 10.9 km² (4.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (2.99%) is water.
Cedar Grove is bordered by North Caldwell, Little Falls, Montclair, and Verona.
[edit] Climate
Cedar Grove has a temperate climate, with warm/hot humid summers and cool/cold winters. The climate is slightly cooler overall during the summer than in New York City, because there is no urban heat island affect.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 4,793 |
|
|
| 1940 | 5,208 | 8.7% | |
| 1950 | 8,022 | 54.0% | |
| 1960 | 14,603 | 82.0% | |
| 1970 | 15,582 | 6.7% | |
| 1980 | 12,600 | -19.1% | |
| 1990 | 12,053 | -4.3% | |
| 2000 | 12,300 | 2.0% | |
| Est. 2005 | 12,698 | [2] | 3.2% |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[3] | |||
As of the censusGR 2 of 2000, there were 12,300 people, 4,403 households, and 3,240 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,125.4/km² (2,913.1/mi²). There were 4,470 housing units at an average density of 409.0/km² (1,058.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 90.05% White, 2.99% African American, 0.05% Native American, 5.42% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.20% of the population.
There were 4,403 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.4% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the township the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $78,863, and the median income for a family was $94,475. Males had a median income of $66,197 versus $40,582 for females. The per capita income for the township was $36,558. About 1.1% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.8% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
Cedar Grove is governed by a five-member Township Council. Council members are elected at-large for four-year terms, by the voters of the municipality through a municipal election held the 2nd Tuesday in May, in odd number years.
Members of the Township Council are Mayor E. Romeo Longo, Deputy Mayor Peter Tanella, Joseph Chiusolo, Paul Lee and Robert O'Toole.[4]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Cedar Grove is part of New Jersey's 40th Legislative District and is in the Eighth Congressional District.[5]
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).
The 40th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Henry McNamara (R, Wyckoff) and in the Assembly by Kevin J. O'Toole (R, Wayne) and David C. Russo (R, Midland Park). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).
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
On the national level, Cedar Grove leans toward the Republican Party. In 2004, Republican George W. Bush received 60% of the vote here, defeating Democrat John Kerry, who received around 39%.
[edit] Education
The Cedar Grove Schools serve students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district has two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The South End and North End elementary schools serve kindergarten through fourth grade. The Cedar Grove Memorial Middle School serves from grades five through eight. The Cedar Grove High School serves students in grades nine through twelve.
[edit] History
Cedar Grove was part of the Horseneck Tract, which was an area that consisted of what are now the municipalities of Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell, Fairfield, Verona, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Roseland, and portions of Livingston and West Orange.
In 1702, settlers purchased the 14,000 acre (57 km²) Horseneck Tract — so-called because of its irregular shape that suggested a horse's neck and head — from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans for goods equal to $325. This purchase encompassed much of western Essex County, from the First Mountain to the Passaic River.
Cedar Grove was originally a small farming community. In 1896, Essex County built the county mental institution in Cedar Grove known as Overbrook. In 1908, Cedar Grove was incorporated as a township. In the 1950's and 60's, Cedar Grove became one of the destination suburbs in Essex County among those looking to escape urban living from Newark and New York City.
[edit] Transportation
Route 23 runs directly through Cedar Grove, making the township conveniently located to major highways including Interstate 80, U.S. Route 46, Route 3, and the Garden State Parkway. Cedar Grove is also served by New Jersey Transit bus service. The 11 and 75 bus lines provide service to Newark. The 195 bus line provides transportation to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City.
[edit] Noted residents
- Jack Cafferty, a CNN commentator and host.[6]
- Allen B. DuMont- American scientist and inventor best known for improvements to the cathode ray tube in 1931 for use in television receivers, manufacture of the first commercially-successful electronic televisions and founder of the first licensed TV network, DuMont Television Network.[7]
- Marty Liquori - born and raised in Cedar Grove; competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Track and Field. Ranked #5 on the Sports Illustrated list of The 50 Greatest New Jersey Sports Figures.[8]
- Todd Pettengill, co-host to the WPLJ morning show "the Big Show".[9]
[edit] Trivia
- Cedar Grove was once home to the Meadowbrook Theater, a theater that regularly hosted well-known bands and vocalists, including Buddy Rich, Glenn Miller, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, and Jo Stafford.
[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. 126 re Cedar Grove, p. 132 re Verona.
- ^ Census data for Cedar Grove township, United States Census Bureau, accessed March 1, 2007
- ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, accessed March 1, 2007
- ^ Cedar Grove Township Council, accessed February 26, 2007
- ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 55, accessed August 30, 2006
- ^ American Morning Transcript, CNN, aired July 2, 2004. "CAFFERTY: I'll tell you what. Put it in a U-Haul. I live in Cedar Grove. Drop it by the house, I'll get rid of it for you, no change."
- ^ Truly touched and honored: Four alumni inducted into Montclair High School Hall of Fame, Montclair Times, November 16, 2006
- ^ The 50 Greatest New Jersey Sports Figures, Sports Illustrated, December 27, 1999
- ^ The Fundrace Neighbor Search, Fundrace.org, accessed February 13, 2007
[edit] External links
- Cedar Grove website
- Cedar Grove Schools website
- Cedar Grove Schools's 2005-06 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- National Center for Education Statistics data for the Cedar Grove Schools
- 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: Newark) |
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| Boroughs | Caldwell | Essex Fells | Glen Ridge | North Caldwell | Roseland |  |
| Cities | East Orange | Newark | |
| Towns | ||
| Townships | Belleville | Bloomfield | Cedar Grove | City of Orange | Fairfield | Irvington | Livingston | Maplewood | Millburn | Montclair | Nutley | South Orange Village | Verona | West Caldwell | West Orange | |
| Neighborhoods | Broadway | Downtown Newark | Fairmount | Forest Hill | Ironbound | Llewellyn Park | Roseville | Seventh Avenue | Springfield/Belmont | University Heights | Vailsburg | Weequahic | |
