| Buena, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Borough — | |
| Map of Buena in Atlantic County | |
| Census Bureau map of Buena, New Jersey | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Atlantic |
| Incorporated | September 1, 1948 |
| Government[1] | |
| • Type | Borough (New Jersey) |
| • Mayor | Joseph Baruffi |
| • Clerk | Maryann Coraluzzo[2] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.6 sq mi (19.7 km2) |
| • Land | 7.6 sq mi (19.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation[3] | 125 ft (38 m) |
| Population (2010 Census)[4] | |
| • Total | 4,603 |
| • Density | 605.7/sq mi (233.7/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 08310 |
| Area code(s) | 856 |
| FIPS code | 34-08680[5][6] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885173[7] |
| Website | http://buenaboro.org |
Buena (pronounced by locals as "BYOO-na"[8][9][10]) is a borough in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 4,603.
Landisville and Minotola are unincorporated areas located within Buena Borough, both of which had postal facilities established with those names in 1871 and 1897, respectively.[11]
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Charles K. Landis was a land developer who was the driving force behind the creation of Hammonton and Vineland. Landis also had a hand in establishing other small towns, including Landisville, in Buena Borough. He planned to make it county seat of a new county called Landis County, which would incorporate land from the surrounding counties. However, the locals were against this, and began calling him "King Landis".[12]
Buena was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 1, 1948, from portions of Buena Vista Township. The borough was reincorporated on May 18, 1949.[13]
In 1979, local resident Madeline Barrale authored a 115-page book illustrating the Borough's history. Buena Borough celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 1999 with the 1st Annual "Buena Day" at Bruno Melini Park. In 2002, the St. Padre Pio Shrine was erected by Italian-American farmers in the Landisville section of Buena and has attracted what was described by The New York Times as a "steady stream of Catholics" who come to pray at the site.[14]
Buena is located at (39.523475, -74.945736).[15]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 7.6 square miles (20 km2), all of it land.
Unexpected Road was named the seventh wackiest street name according to a 2006 poll by Car Connection website.[16]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1950 | 2,640 |
|
|
| 1960 | 3,243 | 22.8% | |
| 1970 | 3,283 | 1.2% | |
| 1980 | 3,642 | 10.9% | |
| 1990 | 4,441 | 21.9% | |
| 2000 | 3,873 | −12.8% | |
| 2010 | 4,603 | 18.8% | |
| Population sources: 1930 - 1990[17] 2000[18] 2010[4] |
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As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 3,873 people, 1,454 households, and 978 families residing in the borough. The population density was 509.1 people per square mile (196.5/km2). There were 1,553 housing units at an average density of 204.1 per square mile (78.8/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 77.28% White, 7.64% African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 10.53% from other races, and 3.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.65% of the population.[18]
As of the 2000 census, 33.5% of Buena residents were of Italian ancestry, the 22nd-highest percentage of any municipality in the United States, and ninth-highest in New Jersey, among all places with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.[19]
There were 1,454 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.23.[18]
In the borough the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.[18]
The median income for a household in the borough was $35,679, and the median income for a family was $44,352. Males had a median income of $37,985 versus $23,788 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $16,717. About 11.8% of families and 18.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.[18]
Buena Borough is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.[1]
As of 2011[update], the Mayor of Buena Borough is Joseph Baruffi. Members of the Buena Borough Council (with their committee assignments listed in parentheses) are Patricia Andaloro (D, Recycling), Rosalie Baker (R, Finance), Edward Cugini (R, Public safety/street lights), Frank DeStefano (R, Buildings/grounds/improvements), Joseph Santagata (R, Streets and Roads) and David Zappariello (R, Recreation).[20][21]
The Chief of Police in Buena Borough is David Sherma, who was sworn into the Chief position in 2010 on an acting basis and took over the post officially at the start of 2011.[22][23]
Buena Borough is in the 2nd Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 1st state legislative district.[24] The borough was relocated to the 2nd state legislative district by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.[4] The new district is in effect for the June 2011 primary and the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected taking office in the new district as of January 2012.[24]
New Jersey's Second Congressional District is represented by Frank LoBiondo (R, Ventnor City). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
1st legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Jeff Van Drew (D, Dennis Township) and in the Assembly by Nelson Albano (D, Vineland) and Matthew W. Milam (D, Vineland).[25] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[26] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[27]
Atlantic County's County Executive is Dennis Levinson (Linwood), whose term of office ends on December 31, 2011.[28] 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 of which four members are elected at-large and one member from each of the five districts. As of 2011, Atlantic County's Freeholders are four at-large members Alisa Cooper (Linwood, term expires December 31, 2011)[29], Vice Chairman Frank V. Giordano (Hamilton Township, 2012)[30], Joseph J. McDevitt (Ventnor City, 2013)[31] and Jim Schroeder (Northfield, 2011)[32]; and five members elected from districts District 1 (Atlantic City (part), Egg Harbor Township (part) and Pleasantville) Charles T. Garrett (Atlantic City, 2013)[33], District 2 - (Atlantic City (part), Egg Harbor Township (part), Longport, Margate, Somers Point and Ventnor), Chairman Frank D. Formica (Atlantic City, 2012)[34], District 3 (Egg Harbor Township (part), Hamilton Township (part), Linwood and Northfield) - Frank Sutton (Egg Harbor Township, 2011)[35], District 4 (Absecon, Brigantine, Galloway Township and Port Republic - Richard Dase (Galloway Township, 2013)[36] and District 5 (Buena Borough Buena Vista Township, Corbin City, Egg Harbor City, Estell Manor, Folsom, Hamilton Township (part), Hammonton, Mullica Township and Weymouth) - Vacant.[37][38]
Students in public school for grades K - 12 in Buena Borough attend the Buena Regional School District, together with children from Buena Vista Township and Newfield, a non-operating school district.[39][40] Students are sent to the district's high school for grades 9 - 12 from both Estell Manor City and Weymouth Township as part of sending/receiving relationships with the respective school districts.[41] Newfield, however, has recently decided to sever its ties with the Buena Regional School District, and, instead, begin a relationship with Delsea Regional School District, a plan approved in 2009 by the New Jersey Department of Education under which students attending grades 10-12 at Buena Regional High School as of the 2010-11 school year would finish their education there.[42]
Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[43]) are four elementary schools — Collings Lakes (230 students; grades K-5) William B. Donini (194; K-3), Edgarton Memorial (189; K-5) and John C. Milanesi (494; PreK-5) — Buena Regional Middle School (536; 6-8) and Buena Regional High School (928; 9-12).
Notable current and former residents of Buena include:
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