Mullica Township, New Jersey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mullica, New Jersey | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Atlantic |
| Incorporated | March 13, 1838 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Township (New Jersey) |
| - Mayor | William Kennedy |
| Area | |
| - Total | 56.9 sq mi (147.5 km²) |
| - Land | 56.6 sq mi (146.6 km²) |
| - Water | 0.4 sq mi (0.9 km²) |
| Elevation [1] | 49 ft (15 m) |
| Population (2006)[2] | |
| - Total | 6,080 |
| - Density | 104.5/sq mi (40.3/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 08217 - Elwood |
| Area code(s) | 609 |
| FIPS code | 34-49410[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882053[4] |
| Website: http://www.mullicatownship.org | |
Mullica Township is a township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 5,912.
Mullica Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 13, 1838, from the western section of Galloway Township. Egg Harbor City was created from portions of the township on June 14, 1858, while the Town of Hammonton was created and split off on March 5, 1866.[5]
The township and its famous river were officially named after Eric Pålsson Mullica, an early Finnish settler born in 1636 who founded a homestead on the river after moving there from the vicinity of Philadelphia, and who later moved to Mullica Hill in Gloucester County.[6]
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 56.9 square miles (147.5 km²), of which, 56.6 square miles (146.5 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (0.9 km²) of it (0.63%) is water.
Despite a relatively small population, Mullica Township comprises many small unincorporated communities. Elwood-Magnolia is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Mullica Township. Sweetwater is an unincorporated community within the township. Other smaller unincorporated areas include: Weekstown, Nesco, and Devonshire. Unincorporated communities in Mullica Township are largely identified by landmarks such as the Elwood Deli, the Sweetwater Casino, or the Weekstown Firehouse. The small unincorporated communities within the township solicit a particularly high level of pride, and many Mullica Township residence refer to themselves as residents of their unincorporated community foremost, before referring to themselves as residence of Mullica Township.
Mullica Township is located in the Northeast portion of Atlantic County, in the New Jersey Pinelands. It is bounded on the north by Washington Township in Burlington County; on the east by Egg Harbor City; on the south by Hamilton Township; and on the west by the Town of Hammonton. The Township is approximately 13 miles outside of Atlantic City and 40 miles outside of Philadelphia.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,425 |
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| 1940 | 1,500 | 5.3% | |
| 1950 | 1,804 | 20.3% | |
| 1960 | 2,944 | 63.2% | |
| 1970 | 3,391 | 15.2% | |
| 1980 | 5,243 | 54.6% | |
| 1990 | 5,896 | 12.5% | |
| 2000 | 5,912 | 0.3% | |
| Est. 2006 | 6,080 | [2] | 2.8% |
| Population 1930 - 1990[7] | |||
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 5,912 people, 2,044 households, and 1,537 families residing in the township. The population density was 104.5 people per square mile (40.3/km²). There were 2,176 housing units at an average density of 38.5/sq mi (14.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 80.58% White, 6.28% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 8.61% from other races, and 3.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.49% of the population.
There were 2,044 households out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the township the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $50,417, and the median income for a family was $55,143. Males had a median income of $40,033 versus $29,965 for females. The per capita income for the township was $19,764. About 5.7% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
Mullica Township operates under the Township Committee form of New jersey municipal government. The Township is governed by a committee consisting of five elected members, who are elected to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. The mayor and deputy mayor are selected at an annual reorganization meeting by the Committee from among its members. The mayor presides over Township Committee meetings.[6][8]
Members of the Mullica Township Committee (updated as of the January 5, 2008 Reorganization Meeting) are Mayor William Kennedy, Deputy Mayor Michael St. Amour, Kathy Chasey, Janet Forman and Bernard Graebener.[9]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Mullica Township is in the Second Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 2nd Legislative District.[10]
New Jersey's Second Congressional District, covering all of Atlantic County, Cape May County, Cumberland County and Salem County and portions of Burlington County, Camden County and Gloucester County, is represented by Frank LoBiondo (R, Ventnor). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
The 2nd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Jim Whelan (D, Atlantic City), and in the Assembly by John F. Amodeo (R, Margate) and Vincent J. Polistina (R, Egg Harbor Township).[11] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[12]
Atlantic County's County Executive is Dennis Levinson (Linwood).[13] The Board of Chosen Freeholders, the county's legislature, consists of nine members elected to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats coming up for election each year. As of 2008, Atlantic County's Freeholders are Freeholder Chairman Joseph F. Silipena, (Egg Harbor City, term expires December 31, 2008), Freeholder Vice Chairman Frank Sutton (Egg Harbor Township, 2008), Alisa Cooper (Linwood, 2008), James Curcio (Hammonton, 2009), Richard Dase (Galloway Township, 2010), Charles Garrett (Atlantic City, 2010), Frank V. Giordano (Hamilton Township, 2009), Joseph McDevitt (Ventnor City, 2010) and Thomas Russo (Atlantic City, 2009).[14]
[edit] Education
Students in Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade for public school attend the Mullica Township Schools. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics.[15]) are Mullica Township Elementary School with 364 students in grades pre-K - 4, and Mullica Township Middle School with 377 students in grades 5 - 8.
Public school students in grades 9 - 12 attend Oakcrest High School, located in Hamilton Township, which serves students from Hamilton Township, Mullica Township, the City of Port Republic and Washington Township.[16] 2,108 students attend the school. The current High School is part of the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District, a regional high school district serving approximately 3,700 from the constituent districts of Egg Harbor City, Galloway Township, Hamilton Township and Mullica Township, together students from the City of Port Republic and Washington Township (in Burlington County) who attend as part of sending/receiving relationships with their respective school districts.[17]
In a referendum held on September 25, 2007, by a 3,176 - 1,719 margin, voters approved a plan to construct a third high school in the district, to be located in Egg Harbor City. The new school would alleviate overcrowding in the two existing schools and serve students from Egg Harbor City and Mullica Township. Construction is expected to start in Fall 2008 for completion by Summer 2010.[18]
[edit] References
- ^ USGS GNIS: Township of Mullica, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed January 4, 2008.
- ^ a b Census data for Mullica township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 12, 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. 70.
- ^ a b About Mullica, accessed August 3, 2006
- ^ 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. 13.
- ^ Township Committee, Mullica Township. Accessed May 4, 2008.
- ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 61. 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.
- ^ County Executive Dennis Levinson, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed March 31, 2008.
- ^ Board of Chosen Freeholders, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed March 31, 2008.
- ^ Data for the Mullica Township Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed May 4, 2008.
- ^ Oakcrest High School 2007 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 3, 2008. "Oakcrest is a comprehensive high school located in Mays Landing that provides a secondary school education to four elementary districts including Greenbank, Hamilton Township, Mullica Township, and Port Republic."
- ^ Greater Egg Harbor Regional School District 2007 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 2, 2008. "The Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District serves the communities of Galloway Township, Hamilton Township, Egg Harbor City, Mullica Township and participates in receiving relationships with Port Republic and Washington Township."
- ^ Referendum, Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District. Accessed May 4, 2008.
[edit] External links
- Mullica Township website
- Mullica Township Schools
- Mullica Township Schools's 2006-07 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Mullica Township Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
- Oakcrest High School website
- Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District
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