MANASQUAN, NEW JERSEY

'Manasquan' is a Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 6,310.
The Borough's name is of Lenni Lenape origin, Man - A - Squaw - Han (stream of the Island of Squaws). Manasquan, Maniquan, Mannisquan, Manasquam, Squan, and Squan Village are variations on the original pronunciation and spelling. The meaning has also been interpreted as "an island with enclosure for squans." ^[1]
Manasquan was formed as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on December 30, 1887, from portions of Wall Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 182.

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Government

Local government

Federal, state and county representation

Community

Transportation

Education

References

External links

Geography

Manasquan is located at (40.118819, -74.044743).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 6.6 km² (2.5 mi²). 3.6 km² (1.4 mi²) of it is land and 3.0 km² (1.1 mi²) of it (45.45%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,310 people, 2,600 households, and 1,635 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,765.4/km² (4,579.6/mi²). There were 3,531 housing units at an average density of 987.9/km² (2,562.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.89% White, 0.41% Black, 0.11% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.48% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.48% of the population.
There were 2,600 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the borough the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $63,079, and the median income for a family was $73,670. Males had a median income of $52,368 versus $33,333 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $32,898. About 2.2% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Manasquan operates under the Borough form of municipal government, the most common type in New Jersey. The borough has a seven-member governing body, consisting of a mayor and a six-member Borough Council. The mayor of the Borough is elected every four years and council members are elected at large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year. Under this form of government, council members act as the legislative body with the mayor voting only in the event of a tie.
The Mayor of the Borough of Manasquan is Richard Dunne. Members of the Borough Council are George Dempsey, William Giunco, Jr., Ron Jacobson, Jeff Lee, Joseph Lucas and Michael Mangan.^[2]

Federal, state and county representation

Manasquan is in the Fourth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 10th Legislative District.^[3]

Community

Due to its location bordering the Atlantic Ocean, the population of Manasquan increases dramatically in the summer months as tourists — derisively referred to by locals as "bennies" — flock to the beach. The Manasquan Inlet provides some of the East Coast's best surfing (sometimes over 15 foot swells) with waves being corralled, refracted and enlarged by the jetty protruding out into the Atlantic Ocean.
Manasquan also has a downtown area with many small businesses. The Algonquin Arts Theatre has shows and movies that play throughout the year.
In recent years, Manasquan has become more of a year round community, a fact stemming from the increase in the demolition of traditional beach bungalows and their replacement with family dwellings. The decrease in tourism and rise in residency can be attributed to the decline of once popular tourist destinations; Manasquan no longer has a 24-hour diner, miniature golf course, and has lost many of the bars it once contained.

Transportation

Commuter rail New Jersey Transit has a station in Manasquan on the North Jersey Coast Line. Passengers can travel south to Point Pleasant Beach and Bay Head or north to points such as Belmar, Long Branch, Newark, Hoboken Terminal and Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.
The Garden State Parkway is the nearest major highway. Route 71 runs through the town.

Education

The Manasquan Public Schools serve students from Kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district are
Manasquan Elementary School for grades K-8 and
Manasquan High School, the home of The Warriors, for grades 9-12. In addition to students from Manasquan, the high school serves students from Belmar, Brielle, Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights, and Avon-by-the-Sea (during the 2004-2005 school year, there were seven students from Avon) who attended Manasquan High School as part of sending/receiving relationships with their resepctive districts^[4]. The High School is known for its intense rivalry in sports against Wall High School in Wall Township (the previous rivalry was with Point Pleasant).

References

1. A Brief History of Manasquan New Jersey, accessed February 20, 2006
2. Manasquan Government, accessed May 22, 2007.
3. League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 60, accessed August 30, 2006.
4. About MBOE, accessed September 7, 2006

External links

★ Manasquan website

★ Manasquan Public Schools

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★ National Center for Education Statistics data for the Manasquan Public Schools

★ WDOS-FM Radio Streaming radio station broadcasting from Manasquan NJ