Clark, New Jersey
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| Clark, New Jersey | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Union |
| Incorporated | March 23, 1864 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Faulkner Act Mayor-Council |
| - Mayor | Sal Bonaccorso |
| - Administrator | John Laezza[1] |
| Area | |
| - Total | 4.5 sq mi (11.6 km²) |
| - Land | 4.3 sq mi (11.3 km²) |
| - Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²) |
| Elevation [2] | 56 ft (17 m) |
| Population (2006)[3] | |
| - Total | 14,650 |
| - Density | 3,359.6/sq mi (1,297.1/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 07066 |
| Area code(s) | 732 |
| FIPS code | 34-13150[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882216[5] |
| Website: http://www.ourclark.com | |
Clark is a township in southern Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 14,597.
The territory that would become Clark was originally a part of several of the early villages of the State and of Union County, but it was in 1858 after the village of Rahway incorporated itself into a city, that the land of present-day Clark, officially became a community. The City of Rahway designated this land as the 5th Ward of Rahway. Clark was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 23, 1864, from portions of Rahway.[6] The Township was named for Abraham Clark, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Portions of the township were taken to form Cranford Township (March 14, 1871) and Winfield Township (August 6, 1941).[6]
New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Clark as its 33rd best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.[7]
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[edit] Geography
Clark is located at (40.620336, -74.309340)[8].
The township is bordered by eight municipalities: Scotch Plains to the west, Westfield to the northwest, Cranford to the north, Winfield and Linden to the northeast, Rahway to the east, Woodbridge to the south and Edison to the southwest.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 4.5 square miles (11.6 km²), of which, 4.3 square miles (11.2 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (3.12%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,474 |
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| 1940 | 2,083 | 41.3% | |
| 1950 | 4,352 | 108.9% | |
| 1960 | 12,195 | 180.2% | |
| 1970 | 18,829 | 54.4% | |
| 1980 | 16,699 | −11.3% | |
| 1990 | 14,629 | −12.4% | |
| 2000 | 14,597 | −0.2% | |
| Est. 2006 | 14,650 | [3] | 0.4% |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[9] | |||
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 14,597 people, 5,637 households, and 4,126 families residing in the township . The population density was 3,359.6 people per square mile (1,298.6/km²). There were 5,709 housing units at an average density of 1,314.0/sq mi (507.9/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 95.61% White, 0.30% African American, 0.01% Native American, 2.75% Asian, 0.63% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Also Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.67% of the population.
There were 5,637 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.4% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% 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 20.8% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $65,019, and the median income for a family was $77,291. Males had a median income of $54,543 versus $36,361 for females. The per capita income for the township was $29,883. About 1.0% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
Clark Township is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government.[10]
The Clark Township Committee consists of seven members, with three elected at-large from the township as a whole and four elected from wards. Four seats come up for election every two years on an alternating basis, with the three Council-at-large seats and Mayor coming up to vote, and then the four ward seats. The Mayor of Clark is Sal Bonaccorso, whose term of office ends December 31, 2008.[1]
Members of the Township Council are:[1]
- Council at Large - Angel Albanese (term ends in 2008)
- Council at Large - Alvin Barr (2008)
- Council at Large - Sheila Whiting, Council President (2008)
- First Ward - Frank Mazzarella (2010)
- Second Ward - Patrick O'Connor (2010)
- Third Ward - Richard Kazanowski (2010)
- Fourth Ward - Brian P. Toal, Council Vice President (2010)
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Clark is in the Seventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 22nd Legislative District.[11]
New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District, covering portions of Hunterdon County, Middlesex County, Somerset County and Union County, is represented by Mike Ferguson (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 22nd District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nicholas Scutari (D, Linden) and in the Assembly by Jerry Green (D, Plainfield) and Linda Stender (D, Fanwood).[12] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[13]
Union County is governed by a nine-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis. As of the January 2008 reorganization, Union County's Freeholders are Freeholder Chairman Angel G. Estrada (Elizabeth), Freeholder Vice Chairman Alexander Mirabella (Roselle Park), Chester Holmes (Rahway), Bette Jane Kowalski (Cranford), Rick Proctor (Rahway), Deborah P. Scanlon (Union), Daniel P. Sullivan (Elizabeth), Rayland Van Blake (Plainfield) and Nancy Ward (Linden).[14]
[edit] Education
The Clark Public School District serves students in grades K - 12. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[15]) are Frank K. Hehnly Elementary School (555 students) and Valley Road Elementary School (462) both for grades K - 5, Carl H. Kumpf Middle School for grades 6 - 8 (551) and Arthur L. Johnson High School for grades 9 - 12 (988).
Public school students from Garwood, attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Garwood Public Schools.[16]
Mother Seton Regional High School is an all-girls, private, Roman Catholic high school, operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.
[edit] Transportation
The Clark Circle currently connects Central Avenue, Brant Avenue, Valley Road, and the Garden State Parkway via Exit 135. As of September 2007, plans .[17] As of November 2007, construction is under way.
The Lehigh Valley Railroad served the town with a passenger station in the Picton section. The rail line remains active under Conrail's auspices. A spur line, the Bloodgood Branch, still serves one customer.
New Jersey Transit provides bus service to New York City and points in-between. The 112 route provides service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.[18]
Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 11 miles from Clark.
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Clark include:
- Todd Burger (1970-), former offensive guard who played for the New York Jets.[19]
- Jeffrey Lichtman, defense attorney.[20]
- Matt Poskay (1984-), professional lacrosse player for the Boston Cannons.[21]
- David Toma, whose life in law enforcement was the basis of the television show Baretta.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Clark Government, Clark Township. Accessed April 14, 2008.
- ^ USGS GNIS: Township of Clark, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed January 4, 2008.
- ^ a b Census data for Clark township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 23, 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.
- ^ 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. 237.
- ^ "Best Places To Live - The Complete Top Towns List 1-100", New Jersey Monthly, February 21, 2008. Accessed February 24, 2008.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ 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. 98.
- ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 55. Accessed August 30, 2006.
- ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ Board of Chosen Freeholders, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed February 20, 2008.
- ^ Data for the Clark Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 14, 2008.
- ^ Clark Township Public Schools 2007 report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 14, 2008. "The Clark Township Public Schools, a K-12 district, educates 2361 students, housed in four buildings, and includes a very positive and collaborative sending/receiving relationship with the Garwood Public Schools."
- ^ "Interchange 135 Improvements", Union County, New Jersey, September 6, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2007.
- ^ Union County Bus/Rail Connections, New Jersey Transit. Accessed July 3, 2007.
- ^ Eskenazi, Gerald. " PRO FOOTBALL; Jets Add Burger and Byars To Free-Agent Acquisitions", The New York Times, February 26, 1998. Accessed April 14, 2008. ""Burger, a 300-pounder who grew up in Clark, N.J., idolizing Bill Parcells and the Giants, is the second instant starter on the troubled offensive line that the Jets have picked up in the last week."
- ^ Finn, Robin. "For a Lawyer Who's Angry, a Gotti Is Therapy", The New York Times, September 30, 2005. Accessed April 14, 2008. "Mr. Lichtman, unsurprisingly, was no fan of the mob turncoats the prosecution engaged as witnesses: "Arrogant." They reminded him, he says, of the bullies he grew up with in Clark, N.J., where his father was a meatpacker and fistfights trumped schoolyard conversations."
- ^ Matt Poskay, M, Boston Cannons. Accessed May 12, 2008.
[edit] External links
- Clark Township website
- Clark Public School District
- Clark Public School District's 2006-07 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Clark Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics
- Clark Public Library
- Clark, New Jersey is at coordinates Coordinates:
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