Ridgefield Park, New Jersey

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
settlement_type = Village
nickname =
motto =

imagesize =
image_caption =


image_

imagesize =
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---

mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Map highlighting Ridgefield Park's location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey.


mapsize1 = 250x200px
map_caption1 = Census Bureau map of Ridgefield Park, New Jersey

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = New Jersey
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Bergen
government_footnotes =
government_type = Walsh Act (New Jersey)
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = George D. Fosdick
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title = Incorporated
established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 5.0
area_land_km2 = 4.5
area_water_km2 = 0.5
area_total_sq_mi = 1.9
area_land_sq_mi = 1.7
area_water_sq_mi = 0.2

population_as_of = 2006
population_footnotes =
population_total = 12665
population_density_km2 = 2871.0
population_density_sq_mi = 7435.7

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes = [Gnis|885368|Village of Ridgefield Park, Geographic Names Information System, accessed December 26, 2007.]
elevation_m = 18
elevation_ft = 59
latd = 40 |latm = 51 |lats = 17 |latNS = N
longd = 74 |longm = 1 |longs = 13 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 07660
area_code = 201
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 34-62940GR|2 [ [http://mcdc2.missouri.edu/webrepts/commoncodes/ccc_nj.html A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey] , Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.]
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0885368GR|3
website = http://www.ridgefieldpark.org
footnotes =

Ridgefield Park is a village in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The population was 12,873 at the 2000 census.

Out of 566 municipalities statewide, Ridgefield Park is only one of four villages in New Jersey, joining Loch Arbour, Ridgewood and South Orange.

Geography

Ridgefield Park is located at coor dms|40|51|26|N|74|1|27|W|city (40.857119, -74.024272)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.9 square miles (5.0 km²), of which, 1.7 square miles (4.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (9.90%) is water.

Demographics

USCensusPop
1900= 1987
1910= 4512
1920= 8575
1930= 10764
1940= 11277
1950= 11993
1960= 12701
1970= 13990
1980= 12738
1990= 12454
2000= 12873
estimate=12665
estyear=2006
estref= [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=ChangeGeoContext&geo_id=16000US3462940&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US34%7C16000US3461680&_street=&_county=ridgefield&_cityTown=ridgefield&_state=04000US34&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&_submenuId=population_0&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= Census data for Ridgefield Park] , United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 11, 2007.]
footnote=Population 1930 - 1990. [ [http://www.wnjpin.net/OneStopCareerCenter/LaborMarketInformation/lmi01/poptrd6.htm New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990] , Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.] [ [http://www.co.bergen.nj.us/planning/data/HistoricalPop.pdf Historical Population Trends in Bergen County (1900 - 2000)] , Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed December 23, 2007.] As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 12,873 people, 5,012 households, and 3,242 families residing in the village. The population density was 7,435.7 people per square mile (2,873.0/km²). There were 5,134 housing units at an average density of 1, 145.8/km² (2,965.5/sq mi). The racial makeup of the village was 78.20% White, 4.10% African American, 0.22% Native American, 7.85% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.50% from other races, and 3.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.24% of the population.

There were 5,012 households out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% 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 3.24.

In the village the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $51,825, and the median income for a family was $62,414. Males had a median income of $44,507 versus $35,217 for females. The per capita income for the village was $24,290. About 4.7% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Ridgefield Park has been governed under the Walsh Act since 1912. [ [http://www.njstatelib.org/NJ_Information/Digital_Collections/MFMG/MFMGCH4.PDF The Commission Form of Municipal Government] , p. 53. Accessed August 11, 2007.] The Board of Commissioners consists of five members, elected at large in non-partisan elections to serve four-year terms on a concurrent basis. The commissioners elect one commissioner as mayor, however the mayor is only responsible for his or her departments and serves as the chair of the commission. ["2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book", Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 157.]

The members of the Ridgefield Park Board of Commissioners, whose terms of office all end in 2012, are: [ [http://www.ridgefieldpark.org/boc.html The Board of Commissioners] , Village of Ridgefield Park. Accessed July 10, 2008.] [ [http://co.bergen.nj.us/ParksPDF/CountyDirectory.pdf "County of Bergen: 2008 County and Municipal Directory"] , Bergen County, New Jersey, p. 59. Accessed July 10, 2008.]
*George D. Fosdick - Mayor and Commissioner of Public Safety
*John H. Anlian - Commissioner of Public Affairs
*Maggie Boyd - Commissioner of Revenue and Finance
*Hugo R. Poli - Commissioner of Public Works
*Adam MacNeill - Commissioner of Parks and Public Property

In elections held on May 13, 2008, the four incumbents running for re-election — George D. Fosdick (1,210 votes), Maggie Boyd (1,142), John H. Anlian (1,063) and Hugo R. Poli (1,006) — all won new terms in office. Challenger Adam MacNeill received 1,037 votes to win the seat vacated by Joseph Storer, with Frank Scerbo (653) and Junior Hernandez (458) falling short. [Fabiano, Giovanna; and Lamb, William. [http://www.northjersey.com/news/bergenpolitics/May_13_town_election_results.html?c=y&page=2 "May 13 town election results - Ridgefield Park"] , "The Record (Bergen County)", May 13, 2008. Accessed July 8, 2008. "The four incumbents were easily re-elected. MacNeill was elected to the seat being vacated by Commissioner Joseph Storer."]

Federal, state and county representation

Ridgefield Park is in the Ninth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 37th Legislative District. [ [http://www.lwvnj.org/pubs/CG06.pdf 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government] , New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 63. Accessed August 30, 2006.]

Politics

Out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 11,005 in Ridgefield Park, there were 5,434 registered voters (49.4% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 1,364 (25.1% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,142 (21.0% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 2,927 (53.9% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There was one voter registered to another party. ["County of Bergen: Voter Statistics by Municipality, Ward & District," dated April 1, 2006.]

On the national level, Ridgefield Park leans toward the Democratic Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 55% of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 44%. [ [http://www.nj.gov/lps/elections/2004results/04_Municipality_pdf%27s/presidential_bergen_co_2004.pdf 2004 Presidential Election results: Bergen County] , New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Elections, dated December 13, 2004.]

Education

The Ridgefield Park Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics [ [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3413800 Data for the Ridgefield Park Public Schools] , National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed May 26, 2008.] ) are three K-6 elementary schools — [http://www.rpps.net/grant/grant_home_page.htm Grant School] (223 students), [http://www.rpps.net/lincoln/ Lincoln School] (363) and [http://www.rpps.net/roosevelt/ Roosevelt School] (362) — and
Ridgefield Park High School for grades 7-12 (1,063). Students from Little Ferry attend the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Little Ferry Public Schools that has been in place since 1953. [James, George. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEFDD153AF935A25751C1A96F948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all "School Districts' Battle On Tuition Goes to Court"] , "The New York Times", December 16, 1989. Accessed May 27, 2008. "Little Ferry, a borough of 1.5 square miles and 9,900 people, has sent its high school students to this neighboring 1.92-square mile village of 12,000 people, since 1953."]

Transportation

New Jersey Transit bus routes 155, 157, 161, 165, 167 and 168 provide service between Ridgefield Park and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, and the 83 route provides service to Hackensack and the Journal Square Transportation Center in Jersey City. [ [http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=BusRoutesBergenCountyTo Routes by County: Bergen County] , New Jersey Transit. Accessed August 8, 2008.]

Interstate 80, Interstate 95, and U.S. Route 46 pass through Ridgefield Park.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Ridgefield Park include:
*Capt. Robert A. Lewis (c. 1918-1983), co-pilot of the Enola Gay. [Fosdick, George. [http://www.ridgefieldpark.org/village_alumnihist.html History of Ridgefield Park High School] , Ridgefield Park Jr. / Sr. High School Alumni Association. Accessed March 21, 2008. "Bud Lewis '37 was the co-pilot of the Enola Gay Aircraft which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, leading to the end of World War II, a war in which over 1,000 RPHS graduates served."]
*Ozzie Nelson (1906-1975), actor. [Fosdick, George. [http://www.ridgefieldpark.org/village_alumnihist.html History of Ridgefield Park High School] , Ridgefield Park Jr. / Sr. High School Alumni Association. Accessed March 21, 2008. "Among those who rose to national prominence are Ozzie Nelson ’23, a radio and television performer who often mentioned his RPHS experiences on his radio and television programs."]
*George Warrington (1952-2007), served as executive director of New Jersey Transit. [Levin, Jay. [http://www.northjersey.com/obituaries/12952602.html?c=y&page=1 "Their lives made ours a little richer"] , "The Record (Bergen County)", January 1, 2008. Accessed May 27, 2008.]

References

External links

* [http://www.ridgefieldpark.org/ Ridgefield Park official website]
* [http://www.rpps.net/ Ridgefield Park Public Schools]
*NJReportCard|03|4380|0|Ridgefield Park Public Schools
* [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3413800 Data for the Ridgefield Park Public Schools] , National Center for Education Statistics
* [http://www.rialtoarts.com/ Rialto Theater]