Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey
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- For the brook called Ho-Ho-Kus, see Ho-Ho-Kus Brook.
Ho-Ho-Kus is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 4,060.
Ho-Ho-Kus was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on October 12, 1908, from what had originally been the Borough of Orvil, which was in turn created on March 8, 1905, from portions of Orvil Township.[1][2]
Ho-Ho-Kus ranks the 15th highest in New Jersey according to per-capita income. Its wealthiest neighbor, Saddle River is ranked second.
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[edit] Ho-Ho-Kus versus Hohokus
A constant source of confusion has been the manner in which the borough's name has been spelled, with each syllable capitalized and separated by hyphens. The confusion is only exacerbated by the existence of Hohokus Township, which comprised the area of present-day Ho-Ho-Kus and other surrounding communities, yet was spelled without the multiple capitalization or the hyphens.
The name "Ho-Ho-Kus" was used explicitly in the resolution requesting a change of name passed by the Borough Council on October 12, 1908 and submitted to the New Jersey Secretary of State requesting "That the Borough now known as the Borough of Orvil be hereafter known as the Borough of Ho-Ho-Kus..."
A few theories have been offered for the hyphens and capitalization. One is that it was intended to differentiate between the Borough and Hohokus Township which was formed on April 9, 1849, continued to exist until November 7, 1944, when a referendum was passed changing the name to present-day Mahwah.[1] Another explanation was that it was meant to avoid confusion by postal clerks with mail being sent to Hoboken.
While efforts had been made in the ensuing decades to change the name or to alter the way in which the name of the borough is spelled, the Borough remains as "Ho-Ho-Kus."[3]
[edit] Geography
Ho-Ho-Kus is located at (41.001695, -74.102396)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 4.5 km² (1.8 mi²). 4.5 km² (1.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.57% is water.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 925 |
|
|
| 1940 | 1,626 | 75.8% | |
| 1950 | 2,254 | 38.6% | |
| 1960 | 3,988 | 76.9% | |
| 1970 | 4,348 | 9.0% | |
| 1980 | 4,129 | -5.0% | |
| 1990 | 3,935 | -4.7% | |
| 2000 | 4,060 | 3.2% | |
| Est. 2005 | 4,090 | [4] | 0.7% |
| Population 1930 - 1990[5] | |||
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 4,060 people, 1,433 households, and 1,199 families residing in the borough. The population density was 900.9/km² (2,331.1/mi²). There were 1,465 housing units at an average density of 325.1/km² (841.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 92.66% White, 0.59% African American, 0.10% Native American, 5.22% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 1.97% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,433 households out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.6% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.3% were non-families. 14.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the borough the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $129,900, and the median income for a family was $144,588. Males had a median income of $92,573 versus $54,091 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $63,594. 2.1% of the population and 2.6% of families were below the poverty line. 0.7% of those under the age of 18 and 1.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
The Mayor of Ho-Ho-Kus is Thomas Randall. Members are elected to the six-person Borough Council on a partisan basis to three-year staggered terms. Current members of the Council are Council President Douglas Troast (2009), Kevin R. Crossley (2009), Gordon R. Hamm, Maryellen Lennon, John R. Mongelli and Hugh M. Turk.[6]
On Election Day, November 7, 2006, voters filled two seats on the Borough Council, in a community in which registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by a better than 5-1 margin. The two Republican incumbents ran unopposed, and the voters returned Kevin R. Crossley (1,075 votes) and Douglas Troast (1,054) to office, Crossley for a second full three-year term and Troast to a third term, retaining complete Republican control of the council.[7][8][9]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Ho-Ho-Kus is in the Fifth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 39th Legislative District.[10]
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 39th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Gerald Cardinale (R, Cresskill) and in the Assembly by John E. Rooney (R, Emerson) and Charlotte Vandervalk (R, Westwood). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).
Bergen County's County Executive is Dennis McNerney (D). The executive, along with the Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. Bergen County's Freeholders are Chairman Tomas J. Padilla (D, Park Ridge), Vice-Chairman Elizabeth Calabrese (D, Wallington), David L. Ganz (D, Fair Lawn), James M. Carroll (D, Demarest), Bernadette P. McPherson (D, Rutherford), Julie O'Brien (D) and Connie Wagner (D).
Other countywide elected officials are Sheriff Leo McGuire (D), Surrogate Court Judge Mike Dressler (D, Cresskill) County Clerk Kathleen Donovan (R).
[edit] Politics
As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 4,095 in Ho-Ho-Kus, there were 2,881 registered voters (70.4% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 312 (10.8% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,586 (55.1% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 983 (34.1% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There were no voters registered to other parties.[11]
On the national level, Ho-Ho-Kus leans strongly toward the Republican Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 62% of the vote here, defeating Democrat John Kerry, who received around 37%.[12]
[edit] Education
Ho-Ho-Kus Public School serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2004-05 school year, the school had an enrollment of 619 students.
Local secondary school students attend high school at the Northern Highlands Regional High School in nearby Allendale, which serves students in the 9th-12th grades from Allendale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Upper Saddle River and part of Saddle River.
Some Ho-Ho-Kus residents attend nearby Bergen Catholic High School, in Oradell. There were 5 students in 2006, 5 in 2005 and 11 students in 2004.[citation needed]
[edit] A Growing Ho-Ho-Kus
Ho-Ho-Kus along with neighboring Saddle River and Upper Saddle River are known for wealthy and affluent residents and for high property value. In the past decade Ho-Ho-Kus has changed from a town with older residents and a small youth population to a town with increasing numbers of younger families, forcing the population of the public school to almost double from 400 to 750.[citation needed] Recently, the Borough Public School added a multi-million dollar addition to compensate.[citation needed]
[edit] Points of interest
- The Hermitage, home of Aaron Burr, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[13]
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Ho-Ho-Kus include:
- Martha Byrne, actress
- Richard Warch, served as the 14th president of Lawrence University.
- Mikki Moore, New Jersey Nets Player
[edit] Sources
- "Background of Ho-Ho-Kus History" By Sue F. Hudson under the auspices of the Woman's Club of Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. 1953
- "History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630-1923;" by "Westervelt, Frances A. (Frances Augusta), 1858-1942."
- "Municipal Incorporations of the State of New Jersey (according to Counties)" prepared by the Division of Local Government, Department of the Treasury (New Jersey); December 1, 1958.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 80.
- ^ "Municipal Incorporations of the State of New Jersey" p. 7, has a date of October 15, 1908 for the incorporation of Ho-Ho-Kus.
- ^ "Background of Ho-Ho-Kus History" pp. 149-150.
- ^ Census data for Ho-Ho-Kus, United States Census Bureau, accessed March 1, 2007
- ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, accessed March 1, 2007
- ^ Ho-Ho-Kus Mayor and Council, accessed September 18, 2006
- ^ Ho-Ho-Kus Election Guide, The Record (Bergen County), November 1, 2006
- ^ "Election 2006: Municipal Results", The Record (Bergen County), November 8, 2006
- ^ Bergen County 2006 General Election Results, accessed February 1, 2007
- ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 58, accessed August 30, 2006
- ^ "County of Bergen: Voter Statistics by Municipality, Ward & District," dated April 1, 2006
- ^ 2004 Presidential Election results: Bergen County New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety: Division of Elections, dated December 13, 2004
- ^ The Prevosts: Late Colonial and Revolutionary War Era, accessed March 1, 2007
[edit] External links
- Town Website — See for history
- Ho-Ho-Kus Public School
- Ho-Ho-Kus Public School's 2005-06 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- National Center for Education Statistics data for the Ho-Ho-Kus Public School
- Northern Highlands Regional High School
- Police Department
- Chamber of Commerce
- 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
