Brick Township, New Jersey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Brick Township | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Ocean |
| Incorporated | February 15, 1850 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) |
| - Mayor | Stephen C. Acropolis |
| Area | |
| - Total | 32.3 sq mi (83.6 km²) |
| - Land | 26.2 sq mi (67.9 km²) |
| - Water | 6.0 sq mi (15.6 km²) 18.69% |
| Elevation [1] | 23 ft (7 m) |
| Population (2006)[2] | |
| - Total | 78,232 |
| - Density | 2,901.5/sq mi (1,120.5/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 08723-08724 |
| Area code(s) | 732 |
| FIPS code | 34-07420[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882075[4] |
| Website: http://www.twp.brick.nj.us/ | |
Brick Township is a Township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 76,119, making it the second most populous municipality in Ocean County behind Toms River Township. While Brick Township is located on the mainland, Beaches I, II and III are situated on the Barnegat Peninsula, a long, narrow barrier peninsula that separates Barnegat Bay from the Atlantic Ocean.
Brick Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 15, 1850, from portions of both Dover Township (now Toms River Township) and Howell Township. Portions of the township were taken to form Point Pleasant Beach (May 18, 1886), Bay Head (June 15, 1886), Lakewood (March 23, 1892), Mantoloking (April 10, 1911) and Point Pleasant (April 21, 1920).[5]
After hovering for years in the top five, in 2006, the township earned the title of "America's Safest City", out of 371 cities included nationwide in the 13th annual Morgan Quitno survey.[6] Since the year 2000, Brick Township has been the safest "city" (population over 75,000) in New Jersey. In 2003 and 2004, Brick Township was ranked as the second safest city in the United States after Newton, Massachusetts.[7] In 2005, Brick Township had dropped down to the fifth safest "city" (population over 75,000) in the United States, before it rebounded to the top in 2006.[8]
Brick Township has also been in the news for a claimed autism epidemic, in which 40 children out of over 6,000 surveyed were found to be autistic, though Brick's autism rate is statistically not far removed from national average. Many of the children found to be autistic were born in Northern New Jersey and other parts of the country. There is no evidence that the levels of autism are linked to any specific environmental factor in Brick.[9]
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 32.3 square miles (83.6 km²), of which, 26.2 square miles (67.9 km²) of it is land and 6.0 square miles (15.6 km²) of it (18.69%) is water. Brick Township is bordered to the north by Howell Township and Wall Township, both in Monmouth County; to the west by Lakewood Township, to the east by Point Pleasant, and to the south by Toms River Township.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,172 |
|
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| 1940 | 1,376 | 17.4% | |
| 1950 | 4,319 | 213.9% | |
| 1960 | 16,299 | 277.4% | |
| 1970 | 35,057 | 115.1% | |
| 1980 | 63,629 | 81.5% | |
| 1990 | 66,473 | 4.5% | |
| 2000 | 76,119 | 14.5% | |
| Est. 2006 | 78,232 | [2] | 2.8% |
| Population 1930 - 1990[10] | |||
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 76,119 people, 29,511 households, and 20,775 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,901.5 people per square mile (1,120.5/km²). There were 32,689 housing units at an average density of 1,246.0/sq mi (481.2/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 95.81% White, 0.99% African American, 0.10% Native American, 1.19% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.85% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.85% of the population.
Current projections, as of June 2005, estimate the population of Brick Township to be around 83,500 with a trend moving towards a more non-white population. This is influenced by a large emigration of residents from Northern New Jersey and New York City, who make up the majority of the township's population.
There were 29,511 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the township the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $52,092, and the median income for a family was $61,446. Males had a median income of $44,981 versus $31,020 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,462. About 3.1% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Laurelton Circle
The Laurelton Circle was located near the center of Brick Township. The traffic circle was at the junction of Route 70, Route 88, and Princeton Avenue. It was converted to a traffic light regulated intersection in 1986, due to an increase in traffic and accidents. To reduce the need for left turns, a short portion of eastbound Route 88 was re-routed onto Princeton Avenue. Some other movements are controlled by jughandles and a two-way connection in the northwest corner.
- See also
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
The Township operates under a Mayor-Council form of government under the Faulkner Act.[11] The Mayor is elected for a four year term without limitation as to the number of terms. In November 1988, the voters approved a referendum which returned the Township to the partisan system of government. As a result, Township elections, which had been held in May, are now held in November.
The Mayor is the chief executive and administrative officer in the Township and, as such, is responsible for administering local laws and policy development. The specific powers of the Mayor include various appointments, preparation of the Township's budget, and approval or veto (which may be overridden by a ⅔ vote of the Township Council) of the ordinances adopted by the Township Council. The Mayor appoints, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, the Business Administrator, the Township Attorney, and the Directors of the Departments of Public Safety, Engineering and Public Works.[12]
Former Mayor Joseph C. Scarpelli resigned as of December 8, 2006 for personal reasons, amid a federal corruption probe into township government. On January 8, 2007, Scarpelli pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges for accepting money from developers in exchange for using his official position to obtain approval for development projects.[13] Township Clerk Virginia Lampman was appointed to fill the role of mayor until the Township Council could select a replacement.[14][15] On December 17, 2007, former Mayor Joseph C. Scarpelli was sentenced in Federal Court in Newark to serve 18 months in prison and was fined $5,000, after admitting that he had accepted bribes from 1998 to 2003.[16]
On January 4, 2007, Daniel J. Kelly (D), the Township's Planning Board Chairman, was appointed the new mayor by a three-member township council subcommittee.[17]
On November 6, 2007, Stephen C. Acropolis (R) defeated Kelly in a race to fill the remaining two years of Scarpelli's term.
As of 2008, members of the Brick Township Council are President Ruthanne Scaturro (R; term ends December 31, 2011), Vice President Joseph Sangiovanni (R; 2009), Brian DeLuca (R; 2011), Anthony Matthews (R; 2011), Kathy M. Russell (D; 2009), Michael A. Thulen, Sr. (R; 2011) and Dan Toth (R; 2009).[18][19]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Brick Township is in the Fourth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 10th Legislative District.[20]
New Jersey's Fourth Congressional District, covering portions of Burlington County, Mercer County, Monmouth County and Ocean County, is represented by Christopher Smith (R). 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 10th district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Andrew R. Ciesla (R, Brick) and in the Assembly by James W. Holzapfel (R, Toms River) and David W. Wolfe (R, Brick). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[21]
Ocean County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders consisting of five members, elected at large in partisan elections and serving staggered three-year terms. As of 2008, Ocean County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari (Toms River Township, term ends December 31, 2008), Freeholder Deputy Director John C. Bartlett, Jr. (Pine Beach, 2009), John P. Kelly (Eagleswood Township, 2010), James F. Lacey (Brick Township, 2010) and Gerry P. Little (Surf City, 2009).[22]
[edit] Education
The Brick Public Schools serve students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[23]) are Brick Primary Learning Center for prekindergarten and kindergarten (783 students), seven elementary schools servicing grades 1 - 5 — Drum Point (593 students), Emma Havens Young (860 students), Herbertsville (300 students), Lanes Mill (584 students), Midstreams (557 students), Osborneville (357 students), Veterans (712 students) — Lake Riviera Middle School (1,096 students) and Veterans Memorial Middle School (1,473 students) for grades 6-8, Brick Memorial High School (1,894 students) and Brick Township High School (1,691 students) for grades 9-12. There is also a vocational school, Brick Center, for grades 9 to 12. There have been recent plans to sell three schools to save money.[citation needed]
Nonsectarian private schools, including Cuddle Care Early Childhood Center and Ocean Early Childhood Center, are also a part of the Brick Township educational service. In addition to these, St. Thomas Christian Academy is a Evangelical Lutheran Church in America private school. Finally, St. Dominic Elementary School, a Roman Catholic Private School, and St. Paul's Christian School, a Methodist Private School, serve as a part of the Brick Township educational service from Pre-Kindergarten to 8th grade.
Recently, Brick Township Memorial High School has received massive damage to the roof of the building due to a storm. It cost close to a million dollars to fix.
[edit] Media
WBGD, currently broadcasting from Brick Memorial High School, went on the air in the 1970s and was originally located at Brick Township High School.
[edit] Sports
The Brick Pop Warner Little Scholars Mustangs finished the 2006 season with a perfect 9-0 record and won the Jersey Shore B Division.[24]
Also in 2003 and 2006 the Pop Warner Brick Memorial Mustangs went to Compete against other teams from across the nation in Disney World.
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Brick Township include:
- Hank Borowy (1916-2004), Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher who played for the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers. He lived the majority of his life in Brick Township and died there at age 88.[25]
- Mike Bucci (better known as Nova and later Simon Dean), former ECW and WWE professional wrestler, is originally from Brick Township. He now resides in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Jim Dowd (1968-), NHL player, now in his second stint with the New Jersey Devils.[26] Dowd grew up playing in the Ocean Ice Palace (which was featured in the motion picture Chasing Amy starring Ben Affleck)
- Kirsten Dunst (1982-), actress, grew up in the township before relocating to California.[27]
- Kevin Kielt, hockey player for the Boston University Terriers from 2004-2008, was born in Brick.
- Jack Martin, Major League Baseball infielder who played for the 1912 New York Yankees (Highlanders), 1914 Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Braves, lived out his twilight years in Brick Township, passing in 1980. Jack Martin Boulevard is named after him.
- Tom McCarthy (1968-), television announcer for the Philadelphia Phillies.[28]
- Danny Nee, NCAA basketball coach lived in the township and coached Brick Township High School's basketball team before being hired to coach Notre Dame University's team.
- Travis Spader, ATV motocross racer, lived in Brick when he won his GNC National Championship in 2000. He currently lives in nearby Point Pleasant
- Art Thoms, (1947-), NFL defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders (1969-1975) and Philadelphia Eagles (1977).[29][30]
- Warren Wolf, New Jersey's all time winningest high school football coach.[31]
[edit] References
- ^ USGS GNIS: Township of Brick, Geographic Names Information System, accessed January 4, 2008.
- ^ a b Census data for Brick Township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 201.
- ^ 13th Annual Safest (and Most Dangerous) Cities: Top and Bottom 25 Cities Overall, accessed October 30, 2006.
- ^ 11th Annual Safest (and Most Dangerous) Cities: Top and Bottom 25 Cities Overall, accessed June 4, 2006.
- ^ 12th Annual Safest (and Most Dangerous) Cities: Top and Bottom 25 Cities Overall, accessed June 4, 2006.
- ^ Prevalence of Autism in a United States Population: The Brick Township, New Jersey, Investigation Pediatrics Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, November 5, 2001.
- ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 53.
- ^ Mayor's Office, Brick Township. Accessed July 31, 2006.
- ^ Restoring trust in government challenge for Brick officials, Asbury Park Press, January 10, 2007.
- ^ Brick mayor resigns; township clerk to become new mayor, Asbury Park Press, December 6, 2006.
- ^ New Jersey: Brick Township: Mayor Resigns, The New York Times, December 8, 2006.
- ^ via The Associated Press. "Mayor sentenced for taking bribes", Courier-Post, December 17, 2007.
- ^ Kelly is appointed as mayor in Brick, The Asbury Park Press, January 5, 2007.
- ^ Brick Township Council, Brick Township. Accessed April 1, 2008.
- ^ 2007 Elected Officials of Ocean County, Ocean County, New Jersey. p. 3. Accessed August 14, 2007.
- ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 55. Accessed August 30, 2006.
- ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ Board of Chosen Freeholders, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed March 27, 2008.
- ^ Data for the Brick Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2008.
- ^ Brick Dragon Pee Wee team wins division title, Brick Township Bulletin, October 26, 2006.
- ^ Goldstein, Richard. "Hank Borowy, 88, Top Pitcher With Yankees and Cubs in 40's", The New York Times, August 26, 2004. Accessed April 1, 2008. "Hank Borowy, a right-handed pitcher who helped the Yankees capture pennants in 1942 and 1943, then starred for the last Chicago Cubs team to reach the World Series, died Monday at his home in Brick, N.J. He was 88.... Borowy, a native of Bloomfield, N.J., who pitched for Fordham University, was 15-4 as a rookie on the Yankees' 1942 pennant winners."
- ^ Gulitti, Tom. "Jersey Jim's two goals help Devils to 2 points", The Record (Bergen County), March 25, 2007. "Running out of healthy bodies and watching his team's sole hold on first in the Atlantic Division slip away, Devils coach Claude Julien looked down his bench and turned to the graying 38-year-old from Brick Township. Jersey Jim Dowd answered the call in a way not even Julien could have imagined..."
- ^ A waterfront haven named for iron works owner, Asbury Park Press, September 8, 2005.
- ^ Tom McCarthy, WFAN. Accessed August 26, 2007. "A 1986 graduate of Brick Memorial High School and a 1990 graduate of TCNJ, Tom and his wife Meg have four children: Patrick (10), Tommy (8), Maggie (5) and Kerri (3), and live in Allentown, NJ."
- ^ Art Thoms player profile, database Football. Accessed August 11, 2007.
- ^ Art Thoms, Oakland Raiders. Accessed August 11, 2007. "I started playing football in high school. It was the freshman team at Wayne High School in Wayne, N.J. I played two years there and then my family moved to Brickjohn[sic] , NJ. I played the last two years of high school ball there."
- ^ Wall, Karen E. "The gray ghost wishes he could be invisible", Asbury Park Press, November 18, 1999. "He also served as mayor of Brick from 1971-75, was an Ocean County freeholder from 1975-81, a state Assemblyman from 1981-83, and served on the Brick Township Council from 1982 until his defeat in the mayoral race in 1993."
[edit] External links
- Brick Township website
- Brick Public Schools
- Brick Public Schools's 2006-07 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Brick Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
- Brick Branch of Ocean County Library
- Bricktown Online - Community Information Portal
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