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Wayne, New Jersey

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Country
  
United States

County
  
Passaic

Named for
  
Anthony Wayne

Local time
  
Sunday 12:22 PM

State
  
New Jersey

Incorporated
  
April 12, 1847

ZIP codes
  
07470, 07474

Population
  
55,049 (2014)

Wayne, New Jersey wwwnjmlscomcommunitiesimageslargewayne01jpg

Area rank
  
107th of 566 in state 3rd of 16 in county

Weather
  
16°C, Wind SW at 10 km/h, 26% Humidity

Colleges and Universities
  
William Paterson University, Fortis Institute in Wayne, Christos M Cotsakos College o

Wayne is a township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States less than 20 miles (32 km) from Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 54,717, reflecting an increase of 648 (+1.2%) from the 54,069 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 7,044 (+15.0%) from the 47,025 counted in the 1990 Census.

Contents

Map of Wayne, NJ 07470, USA

Wayne was formed as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 12, 1847, from portions of Manchester Township. Totowa was formed from portions of Wayne and Manchester Township on March 15, 1898.

The township is home to Willowbrook Mall, Wayne Towne Center, High Mountain Park Preserve and William Paterson University.

History

In 1694 Arent Schuyler, a young surveyor, miner and land speculator, was sent into northwestern New Jersey to investigate rumors that the French were trying to incite the local Lenni-Lenape Native Americans to rebel against the English. Schuyler found no evidence of a rebellion, but discovered a rich fertile valley where the Lenni-Lenape grew a variety of crops. Schuyler reported his findings to the English and then convinced Major Anthony Brockholst, Samuel Bayard, Samuel Berry, Hendrick and David Mandeville, George Ryerson and John Mead to invest in the purchase of the land he referred to as the Pompton Valley. The seven chose Schuyler to be the negotiator with the Lenape for the rights to the area. Bayard purchased 5,000 acres (20 km2) from the East Jersey Company on November 11, 1695, in what was then known as New Barbadoes Township in Bergen County.

In 1710 the area became part of Saddle River Township in Bergen County. By 1837 the residents of Wayne found themselves in Manchester Township in newly formed Passaic County. Finally, on April 12, 1847, the first Wayne Township organization meeting was held at the Henry Casey House on the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike. The citizens voted to name the town after American Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne. The first mayor, called the Chairman of the Township Committee until 1962, was William S. Hogencamp.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries Wayne remained a farming community. The Morris Canal ran through the southwestern part of Wayne, carrying produce to market and coal from Pennsylvania. The canal was replaced by the railroad at the end of the 19th century. In the early 20th century Wayne grew as a vacation retreat for wealthy New Yorkers. In the summer visitors came from Manhattan and Brooklyn to live in the summer bungalows and enjoy the rivers.

After World War II many summer bungalows were converted to year-round residences to accommodate factory workers, and farmland was converted to residential living. As Wayne grew it adopted its current form of government in 1962. Modern highways, including New Jersey Route 23, U.S. Route 46 and Interstate 80, made Wayne easily accessible, and several national firms have located here.

Historic sites

Dey Mansion, located on Totowa Road, is a historic Georgian style mansion that was constructed between the 1740s and 1750s.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 25.174 square miles (65.202 km2), including 23.728 square miles (61.456 km2) of land and 1.446 square miles (3.746 km2) of water (5.75%).

Wayne shares its borders with 11 neighboring municipalities. Franklin Lakes and Oakland in Bergen County; Fairfield and North Caldwell in Essex County; Lincoln Park and Pequannock in Morris County; and Haledon, Little Falls, North Haledon, Pompton Lakes and Totowa in Passaic County.

Neighborhoods and lake communities

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Barbours Mills, Barbours Pond, Lower Preakness, Mountain View, Packanack Lake, Pines Lake, Point View, Pompton Falls, Preakness and Two Bridges.

Wayne has a number of lakes, with distinct communities and neighborhoods located around them. These include Packanack Lake, Pines Lake, Lions Head Lake, Tom's Lake and Pompton Lake (half of which is in Wayne). The Passaic River also flows through a portion of Wayne and often floods near Willowbrook Mall and riverside neighborhoods.

2010 Census

As of the census of 2010, there were 54,717 people, 19,127 households, and 14,230 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,306.0 per square mile (890.4/km2). There were 19,768 housing units at an average density of 833.1 per square mile (321.7/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 86.07% (47,097) White, 2.28% (1,247) Black or African American, 0.09% (51) Native American, 8.18% (4,478) Asian, 0.02% (11) Pacific Islander, 1.80% (985) from other races, and 1.55% (848) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.92% (4,335) of the population.

There were 19,127 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the township, the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 88.4 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $100,638 (with a margin of error of +/- $3,630) and the median family income was $117,745 (+/- $5,252). Males had a median income of $80,420 (+/- $5,367) versus $54,413 (+/- $2,379) for females. The per capita income for the township was $40,875 (+/- $1,473). About 2.2% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 105 households in 2010, an increase from the 75 counted in 2000.

While Wayne has been and remains predominantly White, it has increased in diversity over the years. From 2000 to 2010, the percentage of every minority group has gone up. Some of the prevalent ethnic minority groups include Indian Americans at 3.0% and Korean Americans at 2.0%, while Puerto Ricans were 2.3% of the population.

2000 Census

As of the 2000 Census, there were 54,069 people, 18,755 households, and 14,366 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,269.5/mi2 (876.4/km2). There were 19,218 housing units at an average density of 806.7/mi2 (806.7/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 90.05% White, 1.66% African American, 0.10% Native American, 5.67% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.17% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.09% of the population.

There were 18,755 households out of which 34.4% had related children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the township the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $83,651, and the median income for a family was $95,114. Males had a median income of $61,271 versus $39,835 for females. The per capita income for the township was $35,349. About 1.6% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Wayne is home to the Toys "R" Us corporate headquarters and to the Valley National Bank corporate headquarters.

Willowbrook Mall is a two-level shopping mall that is the fourth-largest mall in the state, featuring 200 retail establishments and a gross leasable area (GLA) of 1,514,000 square feet (140,700 m2).

Arts and culture

The indie rock band Fountains of Wayne took their name from a lawn ornament store of the same name that was located in the township on the westbound side of U.S. Route 46, though no members of the band are from the town. The store is now out of business. The same store was featured in an episode of HBO's The Sopranos.

In a Hans and Franz sketch from Saturday Night Live, the pair says they are opening up a gym in Wayne. The fact that Wayne's ZIP code, 07470, is a palindrome, was noted on an episode of the television series Full House in the seventh-season episode "Smash Club: The Next Generation".

Trees from Wayne have been selected to serve as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York City in 1998, 2001, 2005 and 2006. One of the largest, the 2005 tree, was a Norway Spruce that stood 74 feet (23 m) tall, spreading 42 feet (13 m) wide and weighing in at 9 short tons (8,200 kg) that was removed from the backyard of a Wayne resident.

Sports

Wayne is the home of the 1970 Little League World Series Champions. The Preakness Stakes, a race in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, was named after a race horse from Wayne's Preakness Stables, who won the Dinner-Stakes race at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, sponsored by the Maryland Jockey Club on October 25, 1870.

Wayne is home to the Ice Vault ice rink, where world-class figure skaters such as Johnny Weir and Stéphane Lambiel train and 1992 Olympic figure skating gold medalist Viktor Petrenko coaches. The rink is also home to hockey teams such as the New Jersey Bandits, the New Jersey Hitmen and the William Paterson University ice hockey team.

Noted golf course architect Willie Tucker designed the Preakness Hills Country Club in Wayne, completed in 1926.

Local government

Wayne is governed under the Mayor-Council plan F system of municipal government under the Faulkner Act, as implemented on January 1, 1962, by direct petition. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to serve a four-year term. A nine-member council forms the legislative branch of the township government. Three council members are elected at large and one from each of six wards for a term of four years. All members of the governing body are chosen on a partisan basis as part of the November general election, with the six ward seats up for election together and two years later the three at-large seats and the mayoral seat all up for vote.

As of 2016, Wayne's mayor is Republican Christopher P. Vergano, whose term of office ends December 31, 2017. Members of the Township Council are Council President Lonni Miller Ryan (R, 2017; at-large), Jonathan Ettman (R, 2019; Ward 6), Richard Jasterzbski (R, 2019; Ward 1), James Jimenez (R, 2017; at-large), Franco Mazzei (R, 2019; Ward 3), Lucy "Aileen" Rivera (R, 2019; Ward 5), Al Sadowski (R, 2019; Ward 2), Joseph Scuralli (R, 2019; Ward 4) and Joseph G. Schweighardt (R, 2017; at-large).

Richard Jasterzbski was appointed in July 2013 to fill the seat vacated following the resignation of Alan Purcell the previous month, and served on an interim basis until the November 2013 general election when he won election to serve the balance of the term through December 2015.

The township's police department consists of 112 sworn-in officers and is lead by Chief James Clarke.

Federal, state and county representation

Wayne is located in the 11th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 40th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Wayne had been part of the 8th Congressional District, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Cory Booker (D, Newark, term ends 2021) and Bob Menendez (D, Paramus, 2019).

For the 2016–2017 session (Senate, General Assembly), the 40th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Kevin J. O'Toole (R, Cedar Grove) and in the General Assembly by David C. Russo (R, Ridgewood) and Kevin J. Rooney (R, Wyckoff). Rooney was sworn into office on December 12, 2016, to fill the seat of Scott Rumana, who had resigned from office on October 20, 2016, to become a judge of the New Jersey Superior Court. The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Passaic County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, who are elected at-large to staggered three-year terms office on a partisan basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At a reorganization meeting held in January, the board selects a Director and Deputy Director from among its members to serve for a one-year term. As of 2015, Passaic County's Freeholders are John W. Bartlett (D, 2015; Wayne), Theodore O. Best, Jr. (D, 2017; Paterson), Ronda Cotroneo (D, 2015; Ringwood), Terry Duffy (D, 2016; West Milford), and Pat Lepore (D, 2016; Woodland Park). The last seat, vacated by Hector Lora who resigned to become mayor of Passaic, is still up for discussion as of December 2016. Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Kristin M. Corrado (R, 2019), Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik (2016) and Surrogate Bernice Toledo (2016).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 35,661 registered voters in Wayne, of which 8,538 (23.9% vs. 31.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 11,180 (31.4% vs. 18.7%) were registered as Republicans and 15,933 (44.7% vs. 50.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 10 voters registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 65.2% (vs. 53.2% in Passaic County) were registered to vote, including 83.5% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.8% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 54.8% of the vote (13,983 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 44.2% (11,283 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (243 votes), among the 25,709 ballots cast by the township's 37,431 registered voters (200 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 68.7%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 14,803 votes (53.9% vs. 37.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 11,853 votes (43.1% vs. 58.8%) and other candidates with 265 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 27,486 ballots cast by the township's 36,386 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.5% (vs. 70.4% in Passaic County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 15,013 votes (54.9% vs. 42.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 11,582 votes (42.4% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 190 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 27,331 ballots cast by the township's 35,463 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.1% (vs. 69.3% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 66.2% of the vote (10,824 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 32.8% (5,364 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (168 votes), among the 16,595 ballots cast by the township's 37,825 registered voters (239 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 43.9%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 10,246 votes (57.1% vs. 43.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 6,623 votes (36.9% vs. 50.8%), Independent Chris Daggett with 769 votes (4.3% vs. 3.8%) and other candidates with 101 votes (0.6% vs. 0.9%), among the 17,930 ballots cast by the township's 35,321 registered voters, yielding a 50.8% turnout (vs. 42.7% in the county).

Public schools

The Wayne Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2011–12 school year, the district's 14 schools had an enrollment of 8,560 students and 654.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.08:1. Schools in the district (with 2011–12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Randall Carter Elementary School (grades K-5; 364 students), Theunis Dey Elementary School (K-5; 440), James Fallon Elementary School (K-5; 393), John F. Kennedy Elementary School (K-5; 443), Lafayette Elementary School (K-5; 380), Packanack Elementary School (PreK-5; 505), Pines Lake Elementary School (K-5; 429), Ryerson Elementary School (K-5; 263), Albert P. Terhune Elementary School (K-5; 405), Schuyler-Colfax Middle School (6-8; 781), George Washington Middle School (6-8; 605), Anthony Wayne Middle School (717), Wayne Hills High School (9-12; 1,379 – for students living north of Ratzer Road) and Wayne Valley High School (9-12; 1,332 – for students living south of Ratzer Road).

Passaic County Technical Institute is a regional vocational public high school that serves students from Passaic County.

Private schools

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School, recognized in 2007 by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, serves students in K-8 and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Academy Catholic School and DePaul Catholic High School serves students in grades 9-12, both operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson.

Al-Ghazaly High School, an Islamic high school for students in seventh through twelfth grades, opened at a new facility in Wayne (formerly Lake View Learning Center)in September 2013, relocating from a site in Teaneck, where the school had been based since 1984.

Post-secondary education

William Paterson University, founded in 1855, has over 11,500 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs.

Passaic County Community College's Public Safety Academy (PSA) on Oldham Road, offers training and facilities for fire fighting and emergency medical personnel. Adjacent to it is the Passaic County Police Academy, where police recruits and alternate route candidates are given basic police training.

Roads and highways

Wayne is crisscrossed by several major roadways, including Interstate 80, U.S. Route 46, U.S. Route 202 and Route 23.

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 229.48 miles (369.31 km) of roadways, of which 180.59 miles (290.63 km) were maintained by the municipality, 41.05 miles (66.06 km) by Passaic County and 7.84 miles (12.62 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Public transportation

Wayne is served by NJ Transit at the Mountain View station and Wayne Route 23 station, offering service to Hoboken Terminal, with connections to Midtown Direct trains to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan on the Montclair-Boonton Line. Wayne-Route 23 station opened in January 2008 and offers train service via the Montclair-Boonton Line. There is regular bus service into the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 194 Newfoundland-New York route and the 198 William Paterson University-New York route on weekends, with local service on the 748 Paterson-Willowbrook route (except Sunday).

NJ Transit provides bus service to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 191, 193, 194, 195 and 324; to Newark on the 11 and 28 (Saturday and Sunday only) routes, with local service provided on the 873, 704, 705, 712, 744, 748, 970 and 971 routes. In September 2012, as part of budget cuts, NJ Transit suspended service to Newark on the 75 line.

Wayne is 25.9 miles (41.7 km) from Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark / Elizabeth, and 30 miles (48 km) from LaGuardia Airport in Flushing, Queens.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Wayne include:

  • Ann Althouse (born 1951), law professor and blogger.
  • Joseph Bubba (born 1938), politician who served for five terms in the New Jersey Senate, from 1982–1998.
  • Peter Cammarano (born 1977), 37th Mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, serving from July 1 until July 31, 2009, resigning shortly after his arrest in the conspiracy probe known as Operation Bid Rig.
  • Chris Carter (born 1959), founding member and bass player of the alternative rock band Dramarama.
  • Mike Chlasciak (born 1971), guitarist for heavy metal band Halford.
  • Tom Cruise (born 1962), actor.
  • Jay Della Valle (born 1979), filmmaker, singer and songwriter.
  • Cecil B. DeMille (1881–1959), film director, producer (The Ten Commandments).
  • Lou Duva (born 1922), Hall of Fame boxing trainer and manager.
  • John Easdale (born 1961), lead singer and songwriter for the alternative rock band Dramarama.
  • Lisa Edelstein (born 1966), American actress known for her role as Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the television drama House. Currently stars in the television show Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce.
  • Theodore Ellenis, keyboard player for the alternative rock band Dramarama.
  • Mark Englert, guitarist for the alternative rock band Dramarama.
  • Jesse Farbman, drummer for the alternative rock band Dramarama.
  • Jazmine Fenlator (born 1985), bobsledder who was one of three pilots of the U.S. Olympic Bobsled team for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
  • John A. Ferraro (1946–2010), actor, television director and stage director.
  • Paulie Harraka (born 1989), stock car racing driver.
  • Brandon Jacobs (born 1982), running back who played for the New York Giants.
  • Jonathan Lebed (born 1984), stock trader prosecuted by the SEC at age 15 for stock manipulation.
  • Barry Littlefield (1871–1936), thoroughbred racehorse trainer inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
  • Tom Longo (1942–2015), defensive back who played three seasons in the National Football League with the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals.
  • Ronny Machuga, drummer for the alternative rock band Dramarama.
  • Gene Mayer (born 1956), former tennis player from the United States who won fourteen singles titles during his career. At Wayne Valley, he went unbeaten in his two years on the tennis team.
  • Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels (born 1964), American musician and hip hop artist (Run-D.M.C.).
  • Bryan Miller (born 1983), retired professional ice hockey defenseman.
  • Ryan Neill (born 1982), football long snapper and defensive end for the Buffalo Bills.
  • Greg Olsen (born 1985), tight end for the Carolina Panthers.
  • Jessielyn Palumbo (born 1992), Miss New Jersey USA 2016.
  • Chris Pantale (born 1990), tight end for the New York Jets.
  • Sam Porcello (c.1936–2012), food scientist who developed the Oreo cookie filling.
  • Queen Latifah (born 1970), singer and actress.
  • Storm Queen (stage name of Morgan Geist), DJ who released the single "Look Right Through" which topped the charts in the UK and Ireland in 2013.
  • Ryan Quigley (born 1990), punter for the New York Jets.
  • Norman M. Robertson (born 1951), Republican Party politician and attorney who served a single term in the New Jersey Senate, from 1998 to 2002.
  • Robert A. Roe (1924–2014), former member of the United States House of Representatives who served as mayor of Wayne from 1956–1961.
  • Scott Rumana (born 1964), member of the New Jersey General Assembly, former mayor of Wayne (2002–2007) and councilman.
  • Danielle Staub (born 1962), cast member on The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
  • Major General Guy C. Swan III (born 1954), commanding general of the United States Army North.
  • Holly Taylor (born 1997), actress and dancer who performed in the Broadway production of Billy Elliot the Musical as Sharon Percy (Ballet Girl) and plays the role of Paige Jennings in the FX television series The Americans.
  • Albert Payson Terhune (1872–1942), author, dog breeder.
  • David Tyree (born 1980), wide receiver for the New York Giants and a 2005 Pro Bowl selection.
  • Kathy Wakile (born 1965), cast member on The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
  • George Washington (1732–1799), Founding Father and the first President of the United States who resided in Dey Mansion during the American Revolutionary War before the area was called Wayne.
  • References

    Wayne, New Jersey Wikipedia