Emerson, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Emerson is a borough
Borough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....

 in Bergen County
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, United States, a suburb in the New York metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...

. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,401.

What is now Emerson was originally formed on April 8, 1903, from portions of Washington Township as the Borough of Etna, the name of a railroad station in the community. The name was changed to Emerson as of March 9, 1909.

Geography

Emerson is located at 40.975140°N 74.027258°W (40.975140, -74.027258).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the borough has a total area of 2.42 square miles (6.3 km²), of which 2.24 square miles (5.8 km²) is land and 0.18 square mile (0.4661978598 km²), or 7.44%, is water.

Demographics

As of the 2010 Census, Emerson had a population of 7,401. The median age was 44.3. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 87.3% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 8.6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander, 1.1% some other race and 1.8% reporting two or more races. 8.4% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 7,197 people, 2,373 households, and 1,964 families residing in the borough. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 3,216.3 people per square mile (1,240.5/km2). There were 2,398 housing units at an average density of 1,071.7 per square mile (413.3/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 89.62% White, 0.85% African American, 0.06% Native American, 7.89% Asian, 0.88% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.61% of the population.

As of the 2000 Census, 2.2% of Emerson's residents identified themselves as being of Armenian-American
Armenian-American
Armenian Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Armenia. During the United States 2000 Census, 385,488 respondents indicated either full or partial Armenian ancestry...

 ancestry. This was the 20th highest percentage of Armenian American people in any place in the United States with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.

There were 2,373 households out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.2% were non-families. 14.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the borough the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $75,556, and the median income for a family was $83,521. Males had a median income of $52,450 versus $36,818 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the borough was $31,506. About 1.3% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

Emerson is governed under the Borough
Borough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....

 form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office and only votes to break a tie. The Borough 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
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 of Emerson Borough is Carlos Colina (R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

, term ends December 31, 2014). Members of the Emerson Borough Council are Council President Charles Shaw (R, 2012), Thomas Browne, Jr. (D, 2011), Danielle DiPaola (R, 2013), Elizabeth Garis (R, 2013), John Lazar (D, 2011) and Scott Rivers (R, 2012).

Day-to-day operation of the Borough is handled by Joseph Scarpa, who has served as Borough Administrator since 2000 and also serves as the Borough's Recycling Coordinator. The Borough Clerk is Carol Dray, the Treasurer is Catherine Henderson.

Federal, state and county representation

Emerson is in the 5th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 39th state legislative district. The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission
New Jersey Apportionment Commission
The New Jersey Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections...

 based on the results of the 2010 Census.




Politics

As of Election Day, November 4, 2008, there were 4,492 registered voters. Of registered voters, 878 (19.5% of all registered voters) were registered as Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

, 2,066 (46.0%) were registered as Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 and 1,547 (34.4%) were registered as Undeclared
Undeclared (New Jersey)
Unaffiliated is a status for registered voters in New Jersey. Those voters who do not specify a political party affiliation when they register to vote are listed as unaffiliated....

. There was one voter registered to other parties.

In the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...

, Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....

 received 57.7% of the vote here, defeating Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

, who received 41.5% of the vote, with 79.5% of registered voters participating. In the 2004 election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...

, Republican George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 received 58% of the vote here, defeating Democrat John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...

, who received around 41%. 78% of registered voters voted in the 2004 presidential race (vs. 77% countywide).

Education

The Emerson School District
Emerson School District
The Emerson School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in Pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade from Emerson, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States....

 serves public school students in Pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...

) are
Emerson Memorial School with 322 students in PreK-2,
Patrick M. Villano Elementary School with 387 students in grades 3-6 and
Emerson High School with 525 students in grades 7-12.

Assumption Academy is a parochial school serving grades K-8 that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Union, Hudson and Essex .-History:Originally established as the Diocese of...

.

Transportation

Emerson is served by New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...

 on the Pascack Valley Line
Pascack Valley Line
The Pascack Valley Line is a commuter rail line operated by the Hoboken Division of New Jersey Transit. The line runs north from Hoboken, New Jersey through Bergen County and into Rockland County, New York, terminating at Spring Valley. Service within New York is operated under contract with...

 at the Emerson
Emerson (NJT station)
Emerson Station is a New Jersey Transit rail station on the Pascack Valley Line. The station is in Emerson, New Jersey and is located at Linwood Avenue and Kinderkamack Road....

 train station. The station is located at the intersection of Linwood Avenue and Kinderkamack Road. This line runs north-south to Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...

 with connections via the Secaucus Junction
Secaucus Junction
The Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey...

 transfer station to New Jersey Transit one-stop service to New York Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...

 and to ten other NJ Transit rail lines. Connections are available at the Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...

 to other New Jersey Transit rail lines, the PATH
Port Authority Trans-Hudson
PATH, derived from Port Authority Trans-Hudson, is a rapid transit railroad linking Manhattan, New York City with Newark, Harrison, Hoboken and Jersey City in metropolitan northern New Jersey...

 train at the Hoboken PATH station, New York Waterways ferry service to the World Financial Center
World Financial Center
The World Financial Center is a complex of buildings across West Street from the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan in New York City, overlooking the Hudson River. This complex is home to offices of companies including Merrill Lynch, RBC Capital Markets, Nomura Group, the Wall Street...

 and other destinations and Hudson-Bergen Light Rail
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail
The Hudson–Bergen Light Rail is a light rail system in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Owned by New Jersey Transit and operated by the 21st Century Rail Corporation, it connects the communities of Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, Union City , and North Bergen.The system began...

 service.

New Jersey Transit provides bus service on the 165 route to the Port Authority Bus Terminal
Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City...

 in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...

. Rockland Coaches routes 11A/11AT provide service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, while the 11C serves the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan in New York City, New York....

, with all routes also providing access to Rockland County, New York
Rockland County, New York
Rockland County is a suburban county 15 miles to the northwest of Manhattan and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area, in the U.S. state of New York. It is the southernmost county in New York west of the Hudson River, and the smallest county in New York outside of New York City. The...

.

Emerson has two traffic light
Traffic light
Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...

s, located at the intersection of Linwood Avenue and Kinderkamack Road
County Route 503 (New Jersey)
County Route 503 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends 17.95 miles from Paterson Plank Road in Carlstadt to the New York state line at the Montvale NJ/Pearl River NY border, where it continues as New York State Route 304...

 and at the intersection of Van Wagoner Avenue and Kinderkamack Road.

Bomb threat

On Wednesday, September 19, 2007, there was a threat made to the Emerson School System. A letter addressed to Emerson Mayor Lou Lamatina was received around 10:30 a.m. in a small envelope, along with what appeared to be a computer-printed address pasted onto the front, authorities said. The note inside appeared to also be computer-generated, and was pasted on a blank piece of paper; it read, "All three schools will be blown out on Thursday, Sept. 20th at 11:30 a.m., with two other schools in near by towns." The note was later sent to the Bergen County Sheriff's Office for forensic examination.

All three Emerson Schools were immediately evacuated by a fire drill around 11:00, and neither students nor teachers were allowed to collect any of their belongings, including backpacks, cell phones, and purses. Seniors were allowed to retrieve their cars later that day, but nobody else was allowed near the school.

Members of the Bergen County bomb squad were sent to Emerson on Wednesday morning; however, a search of the district's schools revealed nothing dangerous or extraordinary. The bomb squad also searched Oradell and Washington Township schools, and searched Emerson's Assumption Academy on Thursday morning.

Thirteen districts closed their schools for September 20, 2007, including Emerson, Westwood, Washington Township, Oradell, River Edge, Closter, River Vale, Demarest, Haworth, Harrington Park, Northvale, Norwood, and Old Tappan. Some selected Catholic grammar and high schools were closed. The bomb threat affected 12-14,000 students, including 1,200 from Emerson alone. The schools were closed for two days until they were deemed safe.

Noted residents

Notable current and former residents of Emerson include:
  • Aron Abrams
    Aron Abrams
    Aron Abrams, was an American screenwriter and television producer whose works ranged from Everybody Hates Chris to Grounded for Life....

     (1960–2010), screenwriter.
  • Kevin Higgins
    Kevin Higgins
    -FCS Playoffs:Kevin Higgins' Record in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Playoffs:-Rivalry games:Kevin Higgins' Record in The Military Classic of the South :Kevin Higgins' Record in The Rivalry :...

    , head football coach at The Citadel
  • Andy Papathanassiou
    Andy Papathanassiou
    Andy Papathanassiou was the first person hired as a pit crew coordinator when he was hired as a member of NASCAR's Hendrick Motorsports team in 1992....

    , pit crew coordinator of NASCAR
    NASCAR
    The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

    's Hendrick Motorsports
    Hendrick Motorsports
    Hendrick Motorsports , originally named All Star Racing, is a current American auto racing team created in 1984 by Rick Hendrick. The team currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Chevrolet Impalas...

    , graduate of Emerson Jr./Sr. High School

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

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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