EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY

'East Rutherford' is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 8,716.
By an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 17, 1889, a portion of the old Union Township was incorporated under the name of 'Boiling Springs Township'."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 77 re East Rutherford, p. 76 re Boiling Springs Township. The new township took its name from a spring in the community. On March 28, 1894, the Borough of East Rutherford was created, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day, and Boiling Springs Township was dissolved. While there was no change in its borders, the name and form of government were changed.^[2]
East Rutherford's claim to national fame is that it is the home of the Meadowlands Sports Complex, which includes Continental Airlines Arena, where the NBA New Jersey Nets play their home games (and former home of the NHL New Jersey Devils); and Giants Stadium, home of the NFL New York Giants and New York Jets as well as Red Bull New York of Major League Soccer (until 2008, when the Red Bulls move to Harrison). This makes East Rutherford the only town of fewer than 10,000 people to have been home to five professional sports teams simultaneously.

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Government

Local government

Federal, state and county representation

Politics

Education

Transportation

Public Transportation

Roads

Corporate residents

Notable residents

Sources

References

External links

Geography

East Rutherford is located at (40.830158, -74.097079).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 10.7 km² (4.2 mi²). 9.9 km² (3.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.9 km² (0.3 mi²) of it (8.19%) is water.
The Borough of East Rutherford is bounded on the north by the Boroughs of Carlstadt and Wallington and to the south by the Borough of Rutherford. The Passaic River is the western boundary and the Hackensack River is the eastern boundary. The area in which East Rutherford is located is the valley of the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,716 people, 3,644 households, and 2,157 families residing in the borough. The population density was 883.3/km² (2,289.1/mi²). There were 3,771 housing units at an average density of 382.1/km² (990.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 79.68% White, 3.72% African American, 0.11% Native American, 10.69% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.21% from other races, and 2.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.65% of the population.
There were 3,644 households out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.8% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the borough the population was spread out with 19.4% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 36.5% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $50,163, and the median income for a family was $59,583. Males had a median income of $40,798 versus $36,047 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $28,072. About 7.4% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

East Rutherford is governed under the Borough form of government. In addition to a Mayor, the Borough Council consists of six members elected at large to three-year terms on a staggered basis in partisan elections, with two seats coming up for election each year.
East Rutherford's Mayor is James L. Cassella, whose current, four-year term of office ends on December 31, 2007. The Borough Council members are Joel Brizzi, Jeffrey J. Lahullier (2009), George Perry (2009), Edward Ravettine, Sam Stallone and Gary M. Viccaro.^[3]
On Election Day, November 7, 2006, the two parties split one seat each, on a council that at the time was evenly split with three Republicans and three Democrats. Jeffrey J. Lahullier (1,228 votes) was successful in his bid for a second term in office and Democratic incumbent George E. Perry, Jr. (1,026) won his third term on the Council, defeating challengers Republican Thomas A. Banca (1,084) and Democrat Richard De Lauro (1,053). Voters rejected a ballot initiative to add a tax of 5¢ per $100 in assessed value that would have gone to an Open Space Trust Fund by an 801-628 margin.^[4][5][6]

Federal, state and county representation

East Rutherford is in the Ninth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 36th Legislative District.^[7]

Politics

As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 8,754 in East Rutherford, there were 4,349 registered voters (49.7% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 750 (17.2% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,114 (25.6% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 2,484 (57.1% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There was one voter registered to another party.^[8]
On the national level, East Rutherford is almost evenly split. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 50% of the vote here, edging Republican George W. Bush, who received around 49%.^[9]

Education

Public school students in grades K through 8 attend the East Rutherford School District. Schools in the district (with 2003-04 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Alfred S. Faust School (403 students) and McKenzie School (361 students), both of which serve students in Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade.
For grades 9 to 12, public school students attend the Henry P. Becton Regional High School in East Rutherford, which serves high school students from both Carlstadt and East Rutherford. The school is part of the Carlstadt-East Rutherford Regional School District.

Transportation

Public Transportation

New Jersey Transit's Bergen County Line serves Rutherford, but the Rutherford Station is right on the Rutherford - East Rutherford border. The Pascack Valley Line travels through East Rutherford, but does not make a stop in East Rutherford. New Jersey Transit buses include the 76, 144, 145, 148, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164 and 703.^[10]

Roads

Route 17, Route 120, Route 3 and the western spur of New Jersey Turnpike serves East Rutherford.

Corporate residents

East Rutherford is home to the Hudson Group, a retailer which operates a chain of newsstands, bookstores, fast food restaurants, and other retail stores chiefly at airports and train stations

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents include:

★ Harold C. Hollenbeck, U.S. Representative.^[11]

★ Henry Hook, crossword creator.^[12]

★ Dick Vitale, sports broadcaster who attended high school and coached at his alma mater, East Rutherford High School. Inducted into the East Rutherford Hall of Fame in 1985.^[13]

Sources

★ "History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630-1923;" by "Westervelt, Frances A. (Frances Augusta), 1858-1942."

★ "Municipal Incorporations of the State of New Jersey (according to Counties)" prepared by the Division of Local Government, Department of the Treasury (New Jersey); December 1, 1958.

References

1. , Geographic Names Information System, accessed April 16, 2007.
2. "Municipal Incorporations, p. 77.
3. East Rutherford Mayor and Borough Council, Borough of East Rutherford. Accessed May 11, 2007.
4. East Rutherford Election guide, ''The Record (Bergen County)'', November 1, 2006.
5. East Rutherford election results, ''The Record (Bergen County)'', November 8, 2006.
6. Bergen County 2006 General Election Results, Bergen County, New Jersey, accessed February 1, 2007.
7. 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 56. Accessed August 30, 2006.
8. "County of Bergen: Voter Statistics by Municipality, Ward & District," Bergen County, New Jersey, dated April 1, 2006.
9. 2004 Presidential Election results: Bergen County, New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety: Division of Elections, dated December 13, 2004.
10. New Jersey Transit Bus Schedules, New Jersey Transit. Accessed August 30, 2007.
11. Harold C. Hollenbeck, ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress''. Accessed June 2, 2007.
12. Anecdotage, accessed May 11, 2007. "When Henry Hook was fourteen years old, living in East Rutherford, New Jersey, his grandmother gave him a crossword jigsaw puzzle for Christmas."
13. Dick Vitale bio, ESPN.com, dated November 2004.

External links

★ East Rutherford official website

★ East Rutherford School District

★

★ National Center for Education Statistics data for the East Rutherford School District

★ Carlstadt-East Rutherford Regional School District

★ Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce

★ Meadowlands Liberty Convention & Visitors Bureau