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Dentist in Middletown, New Jersey - Chapel Hill Dental Arts - Red Bank chapelhilldentalarts.com |
Middletown Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census had a total population of 66,327. Middletown is one of the oldest sites of European settlement in New Jersey.[7] Middletown Township was originally formed on October 31, 1693, and was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Atlantic Township (February 8, 1847, now Colts Neck Township), Raritan Township (February 25, 1848, now Hazlet Township), Atlantic Highlands (February 28, 1887), Highlands (March 22, 1900) and Keansburg (March 22, 1917).[8] In 2006 & 2008, Middletown was voted in the Top 100 in CNN Money's Best Places to Live.[9] Middletown is part of the Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan, an effort by nine municipalities in northern Monmouth County to reinvigorate the area's economy by emphasizing the traditional downtowns, dense residential neighborhoods, maritime history, and the natural beauty of the Raritan Bayshore coastline.
[edit] HistoryThough small communities of Lenape Native Americans were common throughout the area, the first known European landing in what would become Middletown Township occurred in 1609, when the English explorer Henry Hudson landed along the shores of the Sandy Hook Bay. Hudson was in search of the mythical Northwest Passage in the service of the Dutch West India Company. Middletown Township was established in 1664, after the English conquest of New Amsterdam, but there was unauthorized settlement before that. The long-standing tradition had Penelope Stout, one of the first settlers, hiding in a tree from hostile Native Americans.[10] During the American Revolution, Middletown and much of the rest of Eastern Monmouth County was held by the British. After the Battle of Monmouth, the British retreat from Freehold Township, New Jersey carried them down King's Highway in Middletown to their embarkation points in the bay. Upon the completion of a railroad junction in 1875, the town grew more rapidly, eventually changing from a group of small and loosely connected fishing and agricultural villages into a wealthy and alarmingly fast-growing suburb at the turn of the 20th century. If Middletown ever had a recognizable town center or town square, it was lost in that rapid growth soon after World War II. In May 1958, several Nike Ajax missiles exploded at Battery NY-53 in Chapel Hill, killing ten Army and civilian personnel. The accident was one of the worst missile-related disasters of the Cold War.[11] The planned Middletown Town Center is a major concern to the town, because of traffic issues, open space, etc. A popular landmark in the community is the "Evil Clown of Middletown", a towering sign along Route 35 painted to resemble a circus clown that currently advertises a liquor store. The sign is a remnant of an old supermarket that used to be at that location called "Food Circus". The clown and recent successful attempts from residents to save it from demolition have been featured in the pages of Weird NJ magazine, on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and in the Kevin Smith-directed film Clerks II. The Indian Trails 15K road race is held each year in April. The race benefits the Monmouth Conservation Foundation. There is also a 5K walk/run event for fun. [edit] Geography and geologyAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 59.3 sq mi (153.7 km²), of which, 41.1 sq mi (106.5 km²) is land and 18.2 sq mi (47.2 km²) of it (30.72%) is water. Belford (2000 Census population of 1,340), Fairview (3,942), Leonardo (2,823), Lincroft (6,255), Navesink (1,962), North Middletown (3,165) and Port Monmouth (3,742) are all Census-designated places and unincorporated areas located within Middletown Township. Other areas that are part of the township are New Monmouth and Sandy Hook.[12] The Sandy Hook peninsula is not connected to the rest of the Township, rendering it geographically not contiguous. However, as the entirety of the non-contiguous section of the Township is occupied by the Gateway National Recreation Area (a national park), where there are no residents, this lack of contiguity is essentially inconsequential.
Poricy Creek (Poricy Park, Oak Hill Road) is locally well-known for its deposits of Cretaceous marine fossils, including belemnites. [edit] Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 66,327 people, 23,236 households, and 18,100 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,613.0 people per square mile (622.8/km²). There were 23,841 housing units at an average density of 579.8/sq mi (223.9/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 94.71% White, 1.21% African American, 0.07% Native American, 2.59% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.41% of the population. There were 23,236 households out of which 37.9% 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 22.1% were non-families. 18.9% 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 2.84 and the average family size was 3.27. In the township the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males. The median income for a household in the township was $75,566, and the median income for a family was $86,124 (which had risen to $85,049 and $99,862 respectively as of the 2007 estimate.[14]) Males had a median income of $60,755 versus $36,229 for females. The per capita income for the township was $34,196. About 1.9% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 105 or over. [edit] Government[edit] Local governmentThe Township Committee operates under a special charter approved on June 23, 1971, by the New Jersey Legislature. Middletown Township is governed by a five-member Township Committee, who are elected in partisan elections to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.[1] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor, each for a one-year term. The Township Committee establishes municipal policies and programs and appropriates funds.[15] As of 2009[update], members of the Middletown Township Committee are Mayor Gerard P. Scharfenberger , Deputy Mayor Pamela M. Brightbill, Anthony P. Fiore, Sean F. Byrnes Esq, and Pat Short.[15] [edit] Federal, state, and county representationMiddletown Township is split between the Sixth and Twelfth Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 13th Legislative District.[16] New Jersey's Sixth Congressional District, covering portions of Middlesex County and Monmouth County, is represented by Frank Pallone (D). New Jersey's 12th congressional district, covering portions of Hunterdon County (8 municipalities), Mercer County (9), Middlesex County (12), Monmouth County (14) and Somerset County (1), is represented by Rush D. Holt Jr. (D).[17] New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken). For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 13th district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Joseph M. Kyrillos (R, Middletown Township) and in the Assembly by Amy Handlin (R, Middletown Township) and Samuel D. Thompson (R, Old Bridge Township).[18] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[19] Monmouth County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. As of 2009[update], Monmouth County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Barbara J. McMorrow (D, Freehold Township), Freeholder Deputy Director John D'Amico, Jr. (D, Oceanport), Lillian G. Burry (R, Matawan), Robert D. Clifton (R, Matawan) and Amy A. Mallet (D, Fair Haven).[20] [edit] Emergency services[edit] PoliceThe Middletown Township Police Department is one of the largest police forces in Monmouth County, with approximately 120 sworn officers.[21] [edit] Fire DepartmentThe Middletown Township Fire Department (sometimes called the MTFD) consists of 11 fire companies spread throughout the town and is completely made of volunteers'. The Town even has its own air unit vehicle to help firefighters refill their air cylinders while at prolonged incidents. It is commonly stated that the Middletown Township Fire Department is "The World's Largest Volunteer Fire Department".[citation needed] [edit] HistoryThe first company to be created was the Navesink Hook and ladder Fire Company No. 1 on May 1, 1886. It was followed by Brevent Park & Leonardo Fire Company on October 16, 1903; Belford Engine Company No.1 on August 14, 1916; Community Fire Company of Leonardo on September 9, 1922; East Keansburg Fire Company No.1 in 1922; Port Monmouth Fire Company No.1 in November 1922; Belford Independent Fire Company in 1923; Middletown Fire Company No.1 in April 1924; River Plaza Hose Company No.1 on December 8, 1927. For a time these companies acted separately until August 28, 1928, when all the stations were brought together to form the current fire department. Since then two more companies have been formed: the Lincroft Fire Company in May 1932 and the Old Village Fire Company on September 7, 1955. [edit] Specialized UnitsThe MTFD has other special units besides the main fire companies. The MTFD has its own fire academy, Fire Police, Air Unit, Special Services including: HazMat, Confined Space Teams, and Specialized Rescue units. [edit] EMSMain article: Middletown First Aid and Rescue Squad There are five squads that make up Middletown Twp. EMS. They are Middletown First Aid and Rescue Squad, Fairview First Aid Squad and Rescue Squad, Port Monmouth First Aid Squad, and Leonardo First Aid and Rescue Squad, Lincroft First Aid and Rescue Squad. They are all volunteer. [edit] EducationThe Middletown Township Public School District consists of seventeen public schools, with a student population of more than 10,000. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[22]) are twelve K-5 Elementary Schools — Bayview (420 students), Fairview (338), Harmony (510), Leonardo (311), Lincroft (450), Middletown Village (397), Navesink (255), New Monmouth (500), Nut Swamp (533), Ocean Avenue (340), Port Monmouth (226) and River Plaza (318) — three grade 6-8 middle schools — Bayshore (717), Thompson (935) and Thorne (872) — and two high schools for grades 9-12, Middletown High School North (1,692) and Middletown High School South (1,435). Four elementary schools feed into each of the three middle schools. The facilities vary in age, architecture, size, and student population. Along with public education, Middletown Township is home to two private high schools. Christian Brothers Academy is an all boys College preparatory school with a focus on Christian education run by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, located in Lincroft. Mater Dei High School is a four-year Catholic coeducational high school located in the New Monmouth section. Middletown also hosts a public magnet school, High Technology High School, on the property of Brookdale Community College, located in the Lincroft section of town. There are also three private grammar schools, Saint Mary in New Monmouth, Saint Leo the Great Schoolin Lincroft, and Oak Hill Academy in Lincroft. [edit] Transportation[edit] Major RoadwaysExits 109 and 114 of the Garden State Parkway's are located in Middletown Township, which provides easy access to the New Jersey Turnpike, New York City and the state of New York This factor is also contributing to the demise of the country like feeling of this town due to the New Yorkers moving here. Routes 35 and 36 pass through Middletown. Three toll gates are located in Middletown. Two of them are at Exit 109 (northbound entry, southbound exit), and one at Exit 114 (northbound entry). CR 520 passes through Middletown. 520 turns into CR 612 (at its western end), which then leads to Exit 8A of the New Jersey Turnpike. This makes CR 520 a connector between Shore Points/Garden State Parkway (Exit 109 in Middletown Township) and the New Jersey Turnpike at Exit 8A in Monroe Township. [edit] Public TransportationNew Jersey Transit's, North Jersey Coast Line which runs from New York City's Pennsylvania Station to Bay Head, New Jersey has a rail station in Middletown. New Jersey Transit is a major commuter rail system which operates throughout the New York metropolitan area, with track-sharing agreements with Amtrak, Metro-North Railroad, Norfolk Southern, CSX Transportation, and Conrail Shared Assets. NJ Transit also offers bus service, which stops many places throughout Middletown. [edit] Notable residentsNotable current and former residents of Middletown Township include:
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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