West Milford, New Jersey

History

West Milford started out as New Milford in what was then western Bergen County in the 18th century, having been settled by disenchanted Dutch from Milford, New Jersey (later renamed by the British as Newark). These same Dutch also built a town of New Milford in eastern Bergen County. When both New Milfords applied for post offices in 1828, a clerk in Washington, D.C. is said to have approved the other application first and assigned the name "West Milford" to the New Milford in western Bergen County in order to distinguish between the two locations.

West Milford became a municipality by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 10, 1834, when it was formed from the westernmost portions of both Franklin Township (now Wyckoff) and Saddle River Township (now Saddle Brook), while the area was still part of Bergen County. On February 7, 1837, Passaic County was created from portions of both Bergen County and Essex County, with West Milford as the western end of the newly formed county. The township was named for Milford, Connecticut.

There are old name places in the township including Postville, Utterville, Corterville, Browns, Awosting, Echo Lake, Macopin, Charlottenburg (now under the Charlotteburg Reservoir, the community was named after King George III's wife, Queen Charlotte), Clinton (or sometimes called Clinton Furnace, now under the Clinton Reservoir, and the furnace still stands), Moe Mountain, Oak Ridge (a nameplace, but town is under the Oak Ridge Reservoir), Newfoundland, Apshawa, New City, and Smith Mills. Newfoundland is divided by the Pequannock River, which divides Passaic and Morris Counties; a small part of Newfoundland lies within Jefferson Township. A large part of the township, including the New City Village area, is reservoir property owned by the City of Newark in Essex County for its water supply. Prior to the Second World War, the township was a resort area with trains coming from New York City to stations at Charlotteburg, Newfoundland, Oak Ridge in the south and Hewitt (also known as Sterling Forest station) and Awosting in the north. Railroad service in the south was from the New Jersey Midland starting around the 1850s and in the north around the 1870s from the Montclair Railroad, out of Montclair, New Jersey and later the Erie Railroad (before their merger with the Lackawanna Railroad).

Greenwood Lake is an interstate lake approximately 9 miles (14 km) long and covering 1,920 acres (780 ha), lying in both West Milford and Greenwood Lake, New York, across the New York state line. It was originally called Long Pond. It was dammed up to increase the size of the lake for water power down stream. During the resort era, several steamboats operated on the lake, the most famous and grand was the two deck steamer, Montclair. These steamboats met the trains and took passengers to the various resorts around the lake in both states.

There is a seaplane area on Greenwood Lake, a few large marinas and lakeside restaurants with docks. A public airport called Greenwood Lake Airport is located just south of the lake on top of a mountain ridge and has two landing strips; one is long enough to handle small jets. There is one private airport in the township on a private estate.

After World War II and for the next 20 years the area underwent a major change from a resort area to year-round residences. Before there were year-round houses, the summer residence of Cecil B. Demille was West Milford. Road maps of the 1950s showing the population on the backside said 2,000 winter and 10,000 summer.

Jeremiah "Jerry" Goodfellow, a white German shepherd and the senior canine member of the New Jersey Search and Rescue was inducted into the Animal Hall of Fame in 2009. Jerry lives with his owner and trainer, Sue Lavoie, on Union Valley Road in West Milford.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 80.316 square miles (208.018 km²), including 75.090 square miles (194.483 km²) of land and 5.226 square miles (13.534 km²) of water (6.51%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Apshawa, Awosting, Bearfort Waters, Beaver Pond, Boy Scout Lake, Browns, Buckabear Pond, Camp Rope, Cedar Pond, Charlotteburg, Clinton, Clinton Reservoir, Cooper, Dunker Pond, Echo Lake, Forest Hill Lake, Fox Island, Gordon Lakes, Green Valley Park, Greenwood Lake, Greenwood Lake Glens, Hacks Pond, Henion Pond, Hewitt, Himes Pond, Lake Lockover, Lakeside, Lindy Lake, Littletown, Lower Mt. Glen Lake, Macopin, Matthews Lake, Moe, Mount Laurel Lake, Newfoundland, Oak Ridge, Pettets Pond. Pine Crest Lake, Pinecliff Lake, Postville, Shady Lake, Smiths Mills, Surprise Lake, Terrace Pond, Upper Greenwood Lake, Upper Macopin, Upper Mt. Glen Lake, Uttertown, Vreeland Pond, West Milford Lakes, West Pond, Wonder Lake and Zeliff Pond.

The township borders the municipalities of Bloomingdale, Butler and Ringwood in Passaic County; Kinnelon in Morris County; and Warwick in Orange County, New York.

Pequannock River Watershed

Portions of the township are owned by the City of Newark, Essex County, for its Pequannock River Watershed, which supplies water to the city from an area of 35,000 acres (14,000 ha) that also includes portions of Hardyston Township, Jefferson Township, Kinnelon, Rockaway Township and Vernon Township.

A small residential development known as "New City Village" or "New City Colony" was built on the property early in the 20th century to house workers of the Newark water supply system. It included a school and health facility. Proposed alternative uses for the village never materialized and the buildings were demolished after falling into disrepair. The land is still owned by the City of Newark.

Newfoundland and Green Pond

Newfoundland is a neighborhood of West Milford located along the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYS&W) tracks (freight service only) and Route 23. It is also a mailing address for Green Pond (just north of the Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway Township, Morris County), a private lake community owned by Green Pond Corporation and Lake End Corporation, which lies in Rockaway Township where the Pequannock River divides Passaic County from Morris County.

The 2003 film The Station Agent was set, and filmed, largely in Newfoundland. There was an early silent movie produced in the township at the Mine Hole in the Hewitt section of the township. A still photo of that movie is published in the township's 1984 sesquicentennial book entitled The Day the Earth Shook and the Sky Turned Red.

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 25,850 people, 9,625 households, and 7,084 families residing in the township. The population density was 344.3 per square mile (132.9/km²). The township contained 10,419 housing units at an average density of 138.8 per square mile (53.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 94.06% (24,315) White, 1.40% (362) Black or African American, 0.52% (134) Native American, 1.29% (334) Asian, 0.02% (4) Pacific Islander, 1.06% (273) from other races, and 1.66% (428) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.85% (1,512) of the population.

Out of a total of 9,625 households, 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.4% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the township, 22.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 33.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.7 years. For every 100 females the census counted 98.4 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 96.8 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $88,692 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,308) and the median family income was $102,410 (+/- $7,418). Males had a median income of $62,925 (+/- $3,467) versus $45,449 (+/- $2,738) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $37,905 (+/- $2,289). About 1.7% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 63 households in 2010, an increase from the 58 counted in 2000.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 16,029 people, 9,190 households, and 7,186 families residing in the township. The population density was 350.1 people per square mile (135.2/km²). There were 9,909 housing units at an average density of 131.4 per square mile (50.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 95.08% White, 1.23% African American, 0.60% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.61% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.38% of the population.

There were 9,190 households out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.8% were non-families. 16.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the township the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $74,124, and the median income for a family was $80,264. Males had a median income of $51,105 versus $37,159 for females. The per capita income for the township was $28,612. About 2.6% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

West Milford businesses are represented by the West Milford Chamber of Commerce, an organization of business men and women that has worked to improve and enhance the business community in West Milford since it was established in 1949.

A&P Supermarket

For decades, West Milford was rural with only a couple of service stations, a couple of small eating establishments, and a bank or two. The community was mostly residential. In the mid-1960s a then-average-sized 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m²) A&P Supermarket was built. During the late 1990s, A&P closed this original store and built a 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m²) supermarket a few miles away from the town center, next door to their former store. In 2015, the supermarket shut down.

Jungle Habitat

In 1972, Warner Brothers opened up a wildlife theme park called Jungle Habitat. This park consisted of a drive through safari and a small park with various shows. Initially, this brought huge tourist revenue to the township. Shortly after the park opened, a tourist being driven through the safari in a taxi was attacked by a lion on October 19, 1972, bringing negative publicity to the park. The park was plagued by problems, including reports of dangerous animals escaping into West Milford.

Jungle Habitat was a mixed blessing due to the amount of summer and weekend traffic into this rural area made up of small two lane roads. Jungle Habitat wanted to expand and become a huge amusement park, but residents concerned with excessive traffic voted this proposal down in 1976, which resulted in an abrupt closing and exit. Some of the animals in the wildlife park were subsequently moved to the then-recently established drive through safari at Great Adventure in Jackson Township. The former site of Jungle Habitat, in recent years has become a location for various Township activities such as the annual Fourth of July Fireworks display.

West Milford Shopping Center

With the loss of tax revenue and the needs of the residents in mind, the township approved the addition of more businesses. In the 1970s, a 45,000-square-foot (4,200 m²) ShopRite supermarket was built, and was expanded in the mid-1980s. Shortly thereafter, other businesses opened in the West Milford Shopping Center.

Near the ShopRite, several restaurants and fast food establishments were built, including a McDonald's restaurant as well as the Abby Theater, the first four-screen multiplex cinema in northern New Jersey. The Abby Theater was opened in 1976 and designed by Milton Herson for Music Makers Theaters, with a seating capacity of 1,400. The theater was named for Abby Leigh, wife of Mitch Leigh, then board chairman of Music Makers. The Abby Theater closed down in 2009 after several unsuccessful business attempts, as the township did not have enough residents to keep the business in operation. It was slated to be demolished in order to make room for an expansion of the ShopRite supermarket in 2012.

In May 2009, Eden Farms, an 8-acre (3.2 ha) floral farm on Union Valley Road, became the first "preserved farm" in Passaic County. County officials used money from the Farmland Preservation Funds to purchase development rights to the farm. Owners George and Diana Cluff initially began working on the agreement in 2007. The deal prevents the farm from being built upon.

Sports

West Milford sports are overseen by the township department of Community Services and Recreation. The township has individual organizations that run each youth sports program, including Little League Baseball (WMLL), Police Athletic League (PAL) Basketball, PAL Soccer, West Milford-Star Athletics Cheerleading, Midget Football Association (WMMFA) Football, WMMFA Cheerleading, Amateur Baseball Association (WMABA) Baseball, and Girls Softball Association softball (WMGSA).

Local government

The Township of West Milford operates under the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Mayor-Council-Administrator plan adopted as of January 1, 2004. This plan is described as a "Faulknerized" version of the borough form of government, which was added to the Faulkner Act as the fourth optional form of municipal government in 1981 by the New Jersey Legislature.

The voters of West Milford Township adopted the Mayor-Council-Administrator Plan at a special election held on December 10, 2002, making it one of only three municipalities that use this form. Under the mayor-council-administrator plan, West Milford is governed by an elected mayor and council, with an appointed municipal administrator. The government consists of a Mayor and a Township Council made up of six council members, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Township Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.

The Mayor holds executive power under the mayor-council-administrator plan and presides over meetings of the Township Council but does not vote except to break a tie. The Township Council enacts ordinances and resolutions, establishes policies, prepares the annual budget and levies taxes. The Township Administrator in the mayor-council-administrator plan oversees each of the departments established by ordinance and directs the business affairs of the Township.

As of 2016, the Mayor of West Milford Township is Democrat Bettina Bieri, whose term of office ends December 31, 2019. Members of the Township Council are Council President Michele Dale (R, 2016), Ada Erik (R, 2017), Michael Hensley (R, 2018), Marilyn Lichtenberg (R, 2017), Luciano "Lou" Signorino (R, 2016), and Tim Wagner (R, 2018).

Federal, state and county representation

West Milford is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 26th state legislative district.

New Jersey's Fifth Congressional District is represented by Josh Gottheimer (D, Wyckoff). 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 26th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Joseph Pennacchio (R, Montville) and in the General Assembly by BettyLou DeCroce (R, Parsippany-Troy Hills) and Jay Webber (R, Morris Plains). 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).

Highlands protection

In 2004, the New Jersey Legislature passed the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act, which regulates the New Jersey Highlands region. West Milford was included in the highlands preservation area and is subject to the rules of the act and the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council, a division of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. All of the territory in the protected region is classified as being in the highlands preservation area, and thus subject to additional rules.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 17,588 registered voters in West Milford, of which 3,397 (19.3% vs. 31.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 5,070 (28.8% vs. 18.7%) were registered as Republicans and 9,111 (51.8% vs. 50.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 10 voters registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 68.0% (vs. 53.2% in Passaic County) were registered to vote, including 87.7% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.8% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 58.4% of the vote (7,003 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 40.3% (4,832 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (154 votes), among the 12,074 ballots cast by the township's 18,268 registered voters (85 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 66.1%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 7,672 votes (56.5% vs. 37.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 5,515 votes (40.6% vs. 58.8%) and other candidates with 161 votes (1.2% vs. 0.8%), among the 13,575 ballots cast by the township's 18,016 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.3% (vs. 70.4% in Passaic County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 7,920 votes (60.9% vs. 42.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 4,783 votes (36.8% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 109 votes (0.8% vs. 0.7%), among the 13,000 ballots cast by the township's 16,932 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.8% (vs. 69.3% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 69.3% of the vote (5,380 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 29.2% (2,264 votes), and other candidates with 1.6% (122 votes), among the 7,885 ballots cast by the township's 18,420 registered voters (119 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.8%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 5,261 votes (60.8% vs. 43.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 2,720 votes (31.5% vs. 50.8%), Independent Chris Daggett with 525 votes (6.1% vs. 3.8%) and other candidates with 84 votes (1.0% vs. 0.9%), among the 8,646 ballots cast by the township's 17,322 registered voters, yielding a 49.9% turnout (vs. 42.7% in the county).

Education

The West Milford Township Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. West Milford has six elementary schools (grades K-6), one middle school (grade 7-8), and one high school (grades 9-12). Further, the district supports a Center for Adult/Community Education. As of the 2011-12 school year, the district's eight schools had an enrollment of 3,782 students and 280.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.47:1. The school system has 361 certified staff members, over 50% of whom have a master's degree or higher. Schools in the district (with 2011-12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are the six K-6 elementary schools — Apshawa Elementary School (269 students), Maple Road Elementary School (325), Marshall Hill Elementary School (314), Paradise Knoll Elementary School (311), Upper Greenwood Lake Elementary School (301) and Westbrook Elementary School (399) — along with Macopin Middle School (626) for grades 7-8 and West Milford High School (1,237) for grades 9-12.

Our Lady Queen of Peace was a Catholic school located in the community of Hewitt until it was closed in June 2010 by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson in the face of declining enrollment. OLQP School celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009, and had its Fourth Grade teacher, Lorraine Ford, named as a finalist for the 2008 New Jersey Nonpublic School Teacher of the Year award.

The old Newfoundland, two-room schoolhouse was the Village Square Inn Restaurant until it closed in 2010. The old Hillcrest School is now the township's community center. The few one-room schoolhouses are all gone; the last one was the Hewitt School, destroyed by fire set by vandals (it had been the former Methodist church before a new, larger church was built).

Railroad

The New Jersey Midland Railway ran a trackage right-of-way through West Milford in 1872 developing the Newfoundland station, whichand later served passengers on the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad (NYS&W), which still serves freight along the line

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 198.30 miles (319.13 km) of roadways, of which 163.20 miles (262.64 km) were maintained by the municipality, 26.61 miles (42.82 km) by Passaic County and 8.49 miles (13.66 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service between the township and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 194 and 196 routes, with seasonal service to Mountain Creek in Vernon Township on the 304 route.

The township provides its own bus service, on two routes. One that runs by Upper Greenwood Lake, and operates Monday-Friday, and one that runs between Oak Ridge & Newfoundland, which runs Wednesdays only.

In popular culture

Portions of the 2015 made-for-television comedy Simpler Times -- starring Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, and written / directed by Steve Monarque -- were filmed in West Milford.

Notable people

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