WOOD-RIDGE, NEW JERSEY

'Wood-Ridge' is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 7,644.
Wood-Ridge was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on December 6, 1894, from portions of Bergen Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day. The town was settled and founded by a majority of Irish and British families."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 89.

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Government

Local government

Federal, state and county representation

Politics

Education

Transportation

Notable natives

References

External links

Geography

Wood-Ridge is located at (40.847638, -74.087549).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.8 km² (1.1 mi²), all land. The average elevation of the borough is 174 feet.^[1]
Wood-Ridge is bordered by Lodi and Hasbrouck Heights to the north, Wallington to the west, Carlstadt to the south, and Moonachie to the east.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,644 people, 3,024 households, and 2,137 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,683.1/km² (6,958.5/mi²). There were 3,087 housing units at an average density of 1,083.5/km² (2,810.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 91.01% White, 0.84% African American, 0.08% Native American, 5.02% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.77% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.27% of the population.
There were 3,024 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the borough the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $60,949, and the median income for a family was $72,500. Males had a median income of $48,309 versus $40,025 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $29,865. About 0.8% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.6% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

The Mayor of the Borough of Wood-Ridge is Mayor Paul Sarlo, who also represents the district in the New Jersey Senate. Members of the Wood-Ridge Borough Council are Ezio I. Altamura (2009), Dominick Azzolini, Richard Carbonaro, Catherine Cassidy, Thomas C. Gonnella and
Robert Riccardella (2009).^[2]
On Election Day, November 7, 2006, Wood-Ridgee voters filled two seats on the Borough Council. As of Election Day, the council was comprised entirely of Democrats in a community in which registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 7-5 margin. Democratic incumbents Ezio Altamura (1,733) and Robert Riccardella (1,718) ran unopposed, winning re-election to three-year terms in office.^[3][4][5]

Federal, state and county representation

Wood-Ridge Borough is in the Ninth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 36th Legislative District.^[6]

Politics

As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 7,657 in Wood-Ridge, there were 4,698 registered voters (61.4% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 1,016 (21.6% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 722 (15.4% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 2,960 (63.0% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There were no voters registered to other parties.^[7]
On the national level, Wood-Ridge leans toward the Republican Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 53% of the vote here, defeating Democrat John Kerry, who received around 46%.^[8]

Education

Students in Pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade attend the schools of the Wood-Ridge School District. Schools in the district (with 2003-04 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Catherine E. Doyle Elementary School, with 364 students in Kindergarten through 4th grade; Grett R. Ostrovsky Middle School, with 308 students in grades 5-8; and Wood-Ridge High School, with 367 students in grades 9-12.
For grades nine through twelve, students from Moonachie attend Wood-Ridge High School, as part of a sending/receiving relationship.

Transportation

Wood-Ridge is served by New Jersey Transit on the Pascack Valley Line at the Wood-Ridge train station. The station is located at Park Place East near the intersection with Route 17.
This line runs north-south to Hoboken Terminal with connections via the Secaucus Junction transfer station to New Jersey Transit one-stop service to New York Penn Station and to other NJ Transit rail service. Connections are available at the Hoboken Terminal to other New Jersey Transit rail lines, the PATH train at the Hoboken PATH station, New York Waterways ferry service to the World Financial Center and other destinations and Hudson-Bergen Light Rail service.
The Pascack Valley Line is a single-track line providing service towards Hoboken during the morning rush hour and service from Hoboken in the evening rush hour.
Wood-Ridge is also serviced by several New Jersey Transit bus routes. The 76 bus runs from Hackensack along Terrace Avenue through Wood-Ridge to Newark Penn Station. The 144, 145, 148, 163 and 164 buses run from various New Jersey terminals such as Midland Park and Hackensack along Valley Boulevard through Wood-Ridge to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. ^[9]
Route 17 passes through Wood-Ridge.

Notable natives

★ Frankie Muniz, ''Malcolm in the Middle'' star, spent most of his childhood to early teen years growing up on 10th Street and being a student within the Wood-Ridge School District. He is seen in pictures inside the restaurant, Emilia Romagna, on Valley Boulevard.

References

1. [1], accessed April 11, 2007
2. Wood-Ridge Mayor and Council, accessed March 1, 2007
3. Wood-Ridge Election Guide, ''The Record (Bergen County)'', November 1, 2006
4. "Election 2006: Municipal Results", ''The Record (Bergen County)'', November 8, 2006
5. Bergen County 2006 General Election Results, accessed February 1, 2007
6. League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 66, accessed August 30, 2006
7. "County of Bergen: Voter Statistics by Municipality, Ward & District," dated April 1, 2006
8. 2004 Presidential Election results: Bergen County New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety: Division of Elections, dated December 13, 2004
9. New Jersey Transit Bus Schedules. Accessed August 30, 2007.

And he Is A Big Time Movie Star Now

External links

★ Wood-Ridge Borough official website

★ Wood-Ridge School District

★ Wood-Ridge Fire Department

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★ National Center for Education Statistics data for the Wood-Ridge School District