Jump to content

West Milford, New Jersey

Coordinates: 41°05′47″N 74°23′58″W / 41.096517°N 74.399449°W / 41.096517; -74.399449
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from New City Village)

West Milford, New Jersey
Museum at Long Pond Ironworks
Official seal of West Milford, New Jersey
Motto: 
"A Clean Community"
Location of West Milford in Passaic County highlighted in yellow (left). Inset map: Location of Passaic County in New Jersey highlighted in black (right).
Location of West Milford in Passaic County highlighted in yellow (left). Inset map: Location of Passaic County in New Jersey highlighted in black (right).
Census Bureau map of West Milford, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of West Milford, New Jersey
West Milford is located in Passaic County, New Jersey
West Milford
West Milford
Location in Passaic County
West Milford is located in New Jersey
West Milford
West Milford
Location in New Jersey
West Milford is located in the United States
West Milford
West Milford
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 41°05′47″N 74°23′58″W / 41.096517°N 74.399449°W / 41.096517; -74.399449[1][2]
Country United States
State New Jersey
CountyPassaic
IncorporatedMarch 10, 1834
Government
 • TypeFaulkner Act (mayor–council–administrator)
 • BodyTownship Council
 • MayorMichele Dale (R, term ends December 31, 2023)[3][4]
 • AdministratorBill Senande[5]
 • Municipal clerkBill Senande[6]
Area
 • Total81.06 sq mi (209.94 km2)
 • Land75.93 sq mi (196.66 km2)
 • Water5.13 sq mi (13.28 km2)  6.32%
 • Rank10th of 565 in state
1st of 16 in county[1]
Elevation827 ft (252 m)
Population
 • Total24,862
 • Estimate 
(2023)[9][11]
24,340
 • Rank106th of 565 in state
5th of 16 in county[12]
 • Density327.4/sq mi (126.4/km2)
  • Rank470th of 565 in state
16th of 16 in county[12]
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
07480 - West Milford
07435 - Newfoundland
07438 - Oak Ridge[13] 07421 - Hewitt
Area codes973 exchanges: 657, 728[14]
FIPS code3403179460[1][15][16]
GNIS feature ID0882315[1][17]
Websitewww.westmilford.org

West Milford is a township in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 24,862,[9][10] a decrease of 988 (−3.8%) from the 2010 census count of 25,850,[18][19] which in turn reflected a decline of 560 (−2.1%) from the 26,410 counted in the 2000 census.[20] It is the largest in the county by total area, covering 80.32 square miles (208.0 km2) and more than 40% of the county.[1]

West Milford was home to a Warner Bros.-owned theme park from 1972 to 1976 entitled Warner Bros. Jungle Habitat. The 800-acre (320 ha) Jungle Habitat property, with 26 miles (42 km) of paved roads, was purchased by the state in 1988 for $1.45 million and remnants of the theme park remain until today.[21]

History

[edit]

West Milford started out as New Milford in what was then western Bergen County in the 18th century, having been settled by disenchanted Dutch from Milford, New Jersey (later renamed by the British as Newark). These same Dutch also built a town of New Milford in eastern Bergen County. When both New Milfords applied for post offices in 1828, a clerk in Washington, D.C. is said to have approved the other application first and assigned the name "West Milford" to the New Milford in western Bergen County in order to distinguish between the two locations.[22]

West Milford became a municipality by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 10, 1834, when it was formed from the westernmost half of Pompton Township, while the area was still part of Bergen County. On February 7, 1837, Passaic County was created from portions of both Bergen County and Essex County, with West Milford as the western end of the newly formed county.[23] The township was named for Milford, Connecticut.[24]

There are old place names in the township including Postville, Utterville, Corterville, Browns, Awosting, Echo Lake, Macopin, Charlottenburg (now under the Charlotteburg Reservoir, the community was named after Queen Charlotte), Clinton (or sometimes called Clinton Furnace, now under the Clinton Reservoir, and the furnace still stands), Moe Mountain, Oak Ridge (partly located in Jefferson Township), Newfoundland, Apshawa, New City, and Smith Mills. Newfoundland is divided by the Pequannock River, which divides Passaic and Morris Counties; a small part of Newfoundland lies within Jefferson Township. A large part of the township, including the New City Village area, is reservoir property owned by the City of Newark in Essex County for its water supply. Prior to the Second World War, the township was a resort area with trains coming from New York City to stations at Charlotteburg, Newfoundland, Oak Ridge in the south and Hewitt (also known as Sterling Forest station) and Awosting in the north. Railroad service in the south was from the New Jersey Midland starting around the 1850s and in the north around the 1870s from the Montclair Railroad, out of Montclair, New Jersey and later the Erie Railroad (before their merger with the Lackawanna Railroad).

Greenwood Lake is an interstate lake approximately 9 miles (14 km) long and covering 1,920 acres (780 ha), lying in both West Milford and Greenwood Lake, New York, across the New York state line. It was originally called Long Pond. It was dammed up to increase the size of the lake for water power down stream. During the resort era, several steamboats operated on the lake, the most famous and grand was the two deck steamer, Montclair. These steamboats met the trains and took passengers to the various resorts around the lake in both states.[25]

There is a seaplane area on Greenwood Lake, a few large marinas and lakeside restaurants with docks. A public airport called Greenwood Lake Airport is located just south of the lake on top of a mountain ridge and has two landing strips; one is long enough to handle small jets.[26] There is one private airport in the township on a private estate.

After World War II and for the next 20 years the area underwent a major change from a resort area to year-round residences. Before there were year-round houses, the summer residence of Cecil B. DeMille was West Milford. Road maps of the 1950s showing the population on the backside said 2,000 winter and 10,000 summer.[27]

In 1972, Warner Brothers opened up a wildlife theme park called Jungle Habitat. This park consisted of a drive through safari and a small park with various shows. Initially, this brought huge tourist revenue to the township. Shortly after the park opened, a tourist being driven through the safari in a taxi was attacked by a lion on October 19, 1972, bringing negative publicity to the park.[28] The park was plagued by problems, including reports of dangerous animals escaping into West Milford.[29]

Jungle Habitat was a mixed blessing due to the amount of summer and weekend traffic into this rural area made up of small two lane roads. Jungle Habitat wanted to expand and become a huge amusement park, but residents concerned with excessive traffic voted this proposal down in 1976, which resulted in an abrupt closing and exit. Some of the animals in the wildlife park were subsequently moved to the then-recently established drive through safari at Great Adventure in Jackson Township. The former site of Jungle Habitat in recent years has become a location for various Township activities such as the annual Fourth of July Fireworks display and is a popular regional mountain biking destination.[30][31]

Geography

[edit]
View of Wanaque Reservoir and Manhattan from a mountain near the West Milford-Ringwood border.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 81.06 square miles (209.94 km2), including 75.93 square miles (196.66 km2) of land and 5.13 square miles (13.28 km2) of water (6.32%).[1][2]

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Apshawa, Awosting, Bearfort Waters, Beaver Pond, Boy Scout Lake, Browns, Buckabear Pond, Camp Hope, Cedar Pond, Charlotteburg, Clinton, Clinton Reservoir, Cooper, Dunker Pond, Echo Lake, Forest Hill Lake, Fox Island, Gordon Lakes, Green Valley Park, Greenwood Lake, Greenwood Lake Glens, Hacks Pond, Henion Pond, Hewitt, Himes Pond, Lake Lockover, Lakeside, Lindy Lake, Littletown, Lower Mt. Glen Lake, Macopin, Matthews Lake, Moe, Mount Laurel Lake, Newfoundland, Oak Ridge, Pettets Pond. Pine Crest Lake, Pinecliff Lake, Postville, Shady Lake, Smiths Mills, Surprise Lake, Terrace Pond, Upper Greenwood Lake, Upper Macopin, Upper Mt. Glen Lake, Uttertown, Vreeland Pond, West Milford Lakes, West Pond, Wonder Lake and Zeliff Pond.[32] According to Mayor Bettina Bieri, the township is "a larger geographical area consisting of numerous towns" and that "the massive territory covered by the township warrants the distinction" in place names commonly used in the township, with the four primary communities in the township being the township center, Hewitt, Newfoundland, and Oak Ridge.[33]

The township borders the municipalities of Bloomingdale and Ringwood in Passaic County; Butler, Jefferson Township, Kinnelon and Rockaway Township in Morris County; Hardyston Township and Vernon Township in Sussex County; and Warwick in Orange County, New York.[34][35][36]

Highlands Preserve is a 224-acre (91 ha) county park that is located off Union Valley Road and adjacent to Abram S. Hewitt State Forest.[37]

Pequannock River Watershed

[edit]

Portions of the township are owned by the City of Newark, Essex County, for its Pequannock River Watershed, which supplies water to the city from an area of 35,000 acres (14,000 ha) that also includes portions of Hardyston Township, Jefferson Township, Kinnelon, Rockaway Township and Vernon Township.[38][39]

A small residential development known as "New City Village" or "New City Colony" was built on the property early in the 20th century to house workers of the Newark water supply system. It included a school and health facility. Proposed alternative uses for the village never materialized and the buildings were demolished after falling into disrepair. The land is still owned by the City of Newark.[40]

Newfoundland and Green Pond

[edit]

Newfoundland is a neighborhood of West Milford located along the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYS&W) tracks (freight service only) and Route 23. It is also a mailing address for Green Pond (just north of the Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway Township, Morris County), a private lake community owned by Green Pond Corporation and Lake End Corporation, which lies in Rockaway Township where the Pequannock River divides Passaic County from Morris County.

The 2003 film The Station Agent was set, and filmed, largely in Newfoundland.[41] There was an early silent movie produced in the township at the Mine Hole in the Hewitt section of the township. A still photo of that movie is published in the township's 1984 sesquicentennial book entitled The Day the Earth Shook and the Sky Turned Red.

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18402,108
18502,62424.5%
18602,402−8.5%
18702,66010.7%
18802,591−2.6%
18902,486−4.1%
19002,112−15.0%
19101,967−6.9%
19201,763−10.4%
19301,9017.8%
19402,50131.6%
19503,65045.9%
19608,157123.5%
197017,304112.1%
198022,75031.5%
199025,43011.8%
200026,4103.9%
201025,850−2.1%
202024,862−3.8%
2023 (est.)24,340[9][11]−2.1%
Population sources:
1840–1920[42] 1840[43] 1850–1870[44]
1850[45] 1870[46] 1880–1890[47]
1890–1910[48] 1910–1930[49]
1940–2000[50] 2000[51][52]
2010[18][19] 2020[9][10]

2020 census

[edit]
West Milford township, Passaic County, New Jersey – Racial and Ethnic Composition
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[53] Pop 2020[54] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 23,232 20,895 89.87% 84.04%
Black or African American alone (NH) 327 320 1.26% 1.29%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 104 73 0.40% 0.29%
Asian alone (NH) 319 378 1.23% 1.52%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 2 4 0.01% 0.02%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 24 100 0.09% 0.40%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 330 833 1.28% 3.35%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,512 2,259 5.85% 9.09%
Total 25,850 24,862 100.00% 100.00%

2010 census

[edit]

The 2010 United States census counted 25,850 people, 9,625 households, and 7,084 families in the township. The population density was 344.3 per square mile (132.9/km2). There were 10,419 housing units at an average density of 138.8 per square mile (53.6/km2). The racial makeup was 94.06% (24,315) White, 1.40% (362) Black or African American, 0.52% (134) Native American, 1.29% (334) Asian, 0.02% (4) Pacific Islander, 1.06% (273) from other races, and 1.66% (428) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.85% (1,512) of the population.[18]

Of the 9,625 households, 32.4% had children under the age of 18; 61.4% were married couples living together; 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 26.4% were non-families. Of all households, 21.7% were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.12.[18]

22.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 33.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 98.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 96.8 males.[18]

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $88,692 (with a margin of error of +/− $4,308) and the median family income was $102,410 (+/− $7,418). Males had a median income of $62,925 (+/− $3,467) versus $45,449 (+/− $2,738) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $37,905 (+/− $2,289). About 1.7% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.[55]

Same-sex couples headed 63 households in 2010, an increase from the 58 counted in 2000.[56]

2000 census

[edit]

As of the 2000 United States census[15] there were 26,410 people, 9,190 households, and 7,186 families residing in the township. The population density was 350.1 inhabitants per square mile (135.2/km2). There were 9,909 housing units at an average density of 131.4 per square mile (50.7/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 95.08% White, 1.23% African American, 0.60% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.61% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.38% of the population.[51][52]

There were 9,190 households, out of which 39.9% 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 21.8% were non-families. 16.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% 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 3.23.[51][52]

In the township the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.[51][52]

The median income for a household in the township was $74,124, and the median income for a family was $80,264. Males had a median income of $51,105 versus $37,159 for females. The per capita income for the township was $28,612. About 2.6% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.[51][52]

Economy

[edit]

West Milford businesses are represented by the West Milford Chamber of Commerce, an organization of business men and women that has worked to improve and enhance the business community in West Milford since it was established in 1949.[57]

The Abby Theater opened in 1976 and was designed by Milton Herson for Music Makers Theaters, with a seating capacity of 1,400. The theater was named for Abby Leigh, wife of Mitch Leigh, then board chairman of Music Makers.[58] The Abby Theater closed down in 2009 after several unsuccessful business attempts, as the township did not have enough residents to keep the business in operation. It was slated to be demolished in order to make room for an expansion of the ShopRite supermarket in 2012.[59][60]

In May 2009, Eden Farms, an 8-acre (3.2 ha) floral farm on Union Valley Road, became the first "preserved farm" in Passaic County. County officials used money from the Farmland Preservation Funds to purchase development rights to the farm.[61] Owners George and Diana Cluff initially began working on the agreement in 2007. The deal prevents the farm from being built upon.[62]

Sports

[edit]

West Milford sports are overseen by the township department of Community Services and Recreation. The township has individual organizations that run each youth sports program, including: Junior wrestling, Youth Lacrosse, Little League Baseball (WMLL), Police Athletic League (PAL) Basketball, PAL Soccer, West Milford-Star Athletics Cheerleading, Midget Football Association (WMMFA) Football, WMMFA Cheerleading, Amateur Baseball Association (WMABA) Baseball, and Girls Softball Association softball (WMGSA).[63]

Government

[edit]

Local government

[edit]
West Milford municipal building

The Township of West Milford operates under the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Mayor-Council-Administrator plan adopted as of January 1, 2004. This plan is described as a "Faulknerized" version of the borough form of government, which was added to the Faulkner Act as the fourth optional form of municipal government in 1981 by the New Jersey Legislature.[64] The township is one of three (of the 564) municipalities statewide that use this form of government.[65][66][67] The voters of West Milford Township adopted the Mayor-Council-Administrator Plan at a special election held on December 10, 2002.[68] Under the mayor-council-administrator plan, the governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the Township Council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The Township Council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year. A municipal administrator is appointed to oversee the day-to-day operation of the township. The Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office.[7][69]

As of 2023, the Mayor of West Milford Township is Republican Michele A. Dale, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023.[3] Members of the Township Council are Council President Kevin L. Goodsir (R, 2025), Michael Chazukow (R, 2023), Matthew P. Conlon (R, 2025), Ada Erik (R, 2024), Marilyn Lichtenberg (R, 2024) and David S. Marsden (R, 2023).[70][71][72][73][74][75]

In December 2019, the Township Committee unanimously passed a non-binding resolution declaring West Milford to be a "Second Amendment sanctuary" that opposes the enforcement of gun control on the local level, becoming the first municipality in the state to do so.[76]

Federal, state and county representation

[edit]

West Milford is located in the 5th Congressional District[77] and is part of New Jersey's 25th state legislative district.[78]

For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 5th congressional district is represented by Josh Gottheimer (D, Wyckoff).[79][80] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027)[81] and George Helmy (Mountain Lakes, term ends 2024).[82][83]

For the 2024-2025 session, the 25th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Anthony M. Bucco (R, Boonton Township) and in the General Assembly by Christian Barranco (R, Jefferson Township) and Aura K. Dunn (R, Mendham Borough).[84]

Passaic County is governed by Board of County Commissioners, composed of seven members who are elected at-large to staggered three-year terms office on a partisan basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At a reorganization meeting held in January, the board selects a Director and Deputy Director from among its members to serve for a one-year term.[85] As of 2024, Passaic County's Commissioners are:

Bruce James (D, Clifton, 2026),[86] Deputy Director Cassandra "Sandi" Lazzara (D, Little Falls, 2024),[87] Director John W. Bartlett (D, Wayne, 2024),[88] Orlando Cruz (D, Paterson, 2026),[89] Terry Duffy (D, West Milford, 2025),[90] Nicolino Gallo (R, Totowa, 2024)[91] and Pasquale "Pat" Lepore (D, Woodland Park, 2025).[92][85][93][94][74][75][95]

Constitutional officers, elected on a countywide basis are: Clerk Danielle Ireland-Imhof (D, Hawthorne, 2028),[96][97] Acting Sheriff Gary Giardina (D, Wayne, 2024)[98][99] and Surrogate Zoila S. Cassanova (D, Wayne, 2026).[100][101][94]

Each of the four primary communities in the township has a post office.[33]

Highlands protection

[edit]

In 2004, the New Jersey Legislature passed the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act, which regulates the New Jersey Highlands region. West Milford was included in the highlands preservation area and is subject to the rules of the act and the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council, a division of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.[102] All of the territory in the protected region is classified as being in the highlands preservation area, and thus subject to additional rules.[103]

Politics

[edit]

As of March 2011, there were a total of 17,588 registered voters in West Milford, of which 3,397 (19.3% vs. 31.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 5,070 (28.8% vs. 18.7%) were registered as Republicans and 9,111 (51.8% vs. 50.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 10 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.[104] Among the township's 2010 Census population, 68.0% (vs. 53.2% in Passaic County) were registered to vote, including 87.7% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.8% countywide).[104][105]

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 58.4% of the vote (7,003 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 40.3% (4,832 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (154 votes), among the 12,074 ballots cast by the township's 18,268 registered voters (85 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 66.1%.[106][107] In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 7,672 votes (56.5% vs. 37.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 5,515 votes (40.6% vs. 58.8%) and other candidates with 161 votes (1.2% vs. 0.8%), among the 13,575 ballots cast by the township's 18,016 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.3% (vs. 70.4% in Passaic County).[108] In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 7,920 votes (60.9% vs. 42.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 4,783 votes (36.8% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 109 votes (0.8% vs. 0.7%), among the 13,000 ballots cast by the township's 16,932 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.8% (vs. 69.3% in the whole county).[109]

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 69.3% of the vote (5,380 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 29.2% (2,264 votes), and other candidates with 1.6% (122 votes), among the 7,885 ballots cast by the township's 18,420 registered voters (119 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.8%.[110][111] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 5,261 votes (60.8% vs. 43.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 2,720 votes (31.5% vs. 50.8%), Independent Chris Daggett with 525 votes (6.1% vs. 3.8%) and other candidates with 84 votes (1.0% vs. 0.9%), among the 8,646 ballots cast by the township's 17,322 registered voters, yielding a 49.9% turnout (vs. 42.7% in the county).[112]

Education

[edit]

The West Milford Township Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade at its five elementary schools (grades K–5), one middle school (grade 6–8) and one high school (grades 9–12).[113] As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of eight schools, had an enrollment of 3,028 students and 279.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.8:1.[114] Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[115]) are Apshawa Elementary School[116] with 999 students in grades K-5, Maple Road Elementary School[117] with 231 students in grades PreK-5, Marshall Hill Elementary School[118] with 251 students in grades K-5, Paradise Knoll Elementary School[119] with 192 students in grades K-5, Upper Greenwood Lake Elementary School[120] with 192 students in grades K-5, Macopin Middle School[121] with 777 students in grades 6-8 and West Milford High School[122] with 936 students in grades 9-12.[123][124][125][126] Westbrook Elementary School, which had 238 students in grades K-5 in 2021-22, was closed for the start of the 2023-24 school year.[127]

Our Lady Queen of Peace was a Catholic school located in the community of Hewitt until it was closed in June 2010 by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson in the face of declining enrollment.[128] OLQP School celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009, and had its Fourth Grade teacher, Lorraine Ford, named as a finalist for the 2008 New Jersey Nonpublic School Teacher of the Year award.[129]

High school students also have the option of attending Passaic County Technical Institute, a public vocational high school that serves selected students throughout Passaic County.

The old Newfoundland, two-room schoolhouse was the Village Square Inn Restaurant until it closed in 2010. The old Hillcrest School was formerly the township's community center. The few one-room schoolhouses are all gone; the last one was the Hewitt School, destroyed by fire set by vandals (it had been the former Methodist church before a new, larger church was built).

Transportation

[edit]
Route 23 northbound in West Milford

Roads and highways

[edit]

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 198.30 miles (319.13 km) of roadways, of which 163.20 miles (262.64 km) were maintained by the municipality, 26.61 miles (42.82 km) by Passaic County and 8.49 miles (13.66 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[130]

The main highway serving West Milford is Route 23. Other significant roads passing through the township include County Route 511 and County Route 513.

The stoplight at the intersection of Clinton Avenue and Route 23 has been identified by The New York Times as the longest red cycle in the United States. Drivers can wait up to 5 minutes and 33 seconds to turn onto Route 23 from Clinton Avenue.[131][132]

Railroad

[edit]

The New Jersey Midland Railway ran a trackage right-of-way through West Milford in 1872 developing the Newfoundland station, which[133] and later served passengers on the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad (NYS&W), which still serves freight along the line[134]

Public transportation

[edit]

NJ Transit provides bus service between the township and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 194 and 196 routes.[135][136]

The township provides its own bus service, on two routes. One that runs by Upper Greenwood Lake, and operates Monday-Friday, and one that runs between Oak Ridge & Newfoundland, which runs Wednesdays only.[137]

[edit]

Portions of the 2015 made-for-television comedy Simpler Times—starring Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, and written / directed by Steve Monarque—were filmed in West Milford.[138]

In 2019, the film Clinton Road, starring Ice-T, was made based on the infamous 10-mile (16 km) stretch of supposedly "haunted" road in the Newfoundland and Hewitt sections of West Milford.[139]

Notable people

[edit]

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with West Milford include:

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.
  2. ^ a b US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  3. ^ a b Mayor, Township of West Milford. Accessed April 17, 2023.
  4. ^ 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.
  5. ^ Contact Information: Administration, Township of West Milford. Accessed November 16, 2023.
  6. ^ Contact Information: Clerk's Office, Township of West Milford. Accessed November 16, 2023.
  7. ^ a b 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2006, p. 121.
  8. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of West Milford, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 14, 2013.
  9. ^ a b c d e QuickFacts West Milford township, Passaic County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 15, 2023.
  10. ^ a b c Total Population: Census 2010 - Census 2020 New Jersey Municipalities, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Minor Civil Divisions in New Jersey: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023, United States Census Bureau, released May 2024. Accessed May 16, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.
  13. ^ Look Up a ZIP Code for West Milford, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed August 29, 2012.
  14. ^ Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for West Milford, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed October 1, 2014.
  15. ^ a b U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  16. ^ Geographic codes for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
  17. ^ US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  18. ^ a b c d e DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for West Milford township, Passaic County, New Jersey Archived February 12, 2020, at archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 29, 2012.
  19. ^ a b Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for West Milford township Archived August 11, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed August 29, 2012.
  20. ^ Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  21. ^ Staff Writers (May 11, 2024). "West Milford Jungle Habitat". West Milford, New Jersey: West Milford Museum. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  22. ^ Stewart, Holly. "Where we're at", Suburban Trends, July 19, 2012. Accessed January 15, 2013. "In the 18th century, West Milford was part of Bergen County; it was comprised of the westernmost areas of Franklin and Saddle River townships. It was settled by Dutch who moved north from the place we now call Newark; as they had called their former home 'Milford,' they wished to call the new place 'New Milford,' but another faction of the same migrants had already done the same in a community near the Hudson River. When both locales petitioned for a post office in 1828, a federal clerk is said to have applied the adjective 'west' to one in order to distinguish them."
  23. ^ Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 211. Accessed May 30, 202.
  24. ^ Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 25, 2015.
  25. ^ Greenwood Lake Tour Guide, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed October 25, 2015.
  26. ^ Airport Information, Greenwood Lake Airport. Accessed January 15, 2013.
  27. ^ Hagstrom Maps
  28. ^ Laplaca, Bryan. "Back in the Day - Oct. 8, 1997: 'Hal from North Bergen' sued Bloomingdale", Suburban Trends, October 15, 2012. Accessed September 22, 2014. "The man in the picture is Abraham Levy who was in the intensive care unit of Chilton Hospital in Pompton Plains. He was bitten by a lion while visiting Jungle Habitat in West Milford.... Two eyewitnesses to the mauling of Levy on Oct. 9, 1972 blasted the Habitat management for allowing what they called dangerous conditions to exist."
  29. ^ Hudson, Edward. "Habitat Neighbors Fear Possible Animal Escapes", The New York Times, December 16, 1972. Accessed August 28, 2020.
  30. ^ Jungle Habitat, Jersey Off Road Biking Association.Accessed May 17, 2023.
  31. ^ "Jungle Habitat Trail Revitalization Project Begins", New York–New Jersey Trail Conference, December 1, 2020. Accessed May 17, 2023."The New Jersey Park Service is revitalizing the trail network at the former Jungle Habitat in West Milford. The project will improve trail conditions and connectivity, as well as contiguous trails in Long Pond Ironworks State Park and northern Norvin Green State Forest. Project partners include the Trail Conference and the Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association (JORBA)."
  32. ^ Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 21, 2015.
  33. ^ a b Zimmer, David M.; Sheingold, Dave.; Shkolnikova, Svetlan; and Fagan, Matt. "Sorry, your New Jersey hometown may not be a town at all", The Record, June 15, 2018. Accessed July 3, 2023.
  34. ^ Areas touching West Milford, MapIt. Accessed March 12, 2020.
  35. ^ Passaic County Map, Coalition for a Healthy NJ. Accessed March 12, 2020.
  36. ^ New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
  37. ^ Highlands Preserve, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 15, 2017. "This county park, located in the Township of West Milford, is largely undeveloped. It contains multiple hiking trails.... The hiking trails meander through the Preserve and are connected to the A. Abram S. Hewitt State Forest."
  38. ^ Primerano, Jane. "Newark appealing watershed taxes against Jefferson", AIM Jefferson, May 8, 2015. Accessed July 2, 2015. "Besides West Milford and Jefferson, Newark owns watershed land in Hardyston, Vernon, and Rockaway Townships and Kinnelon Borough, Leach said."
  39. ^ City of Newark v. Vernon Tp., Leagle from Tax Court of New Jersey, April 1, 1980. Accessed July 2, 2015. "The City of Newark appeals the denial of the Sussex County Tax Board of its claim for a reduction of assessments of 5,424 acres of vacant watershed land in the Township of Vernon for the years 1973, 1974 and 1976.... Generally, the lands are part of the 35,000-acre Pequannock Watershed (approximately two times the size of Newark), which was purchased by Newark at the turn of the century to provide a water supply. The watershed, which contains five major bodies of water, is located in Vernon and Hardyston in Sussex County, Jefferson, Rockaway and Kinnelon in Morris County, and West Milford in Passaic County."
  40. ^ "Newark makes decision to block off New City Road", The Record, December 11, 2009. Accessed March 23, 2016.
  41. ^ DeStefano, Robert. "Choo choo choosing a home with personality", The West Milford Messenger, May 26, 2005. Accessed January 15, 2013. "They moved into the old Newfoundland building last July, and are hard at work to make it their comfortable, if slightly offbeat, living quarters.... In 2002 the building gained celebrity status when the independent film The Station Agent was filmed there."
  42. ^ Compendium of censuses 1726-1905: together with the tabulated returns of 1905, New Jersey Department of State, 1906. Accessed July 23, 2013.
  43. ^ Bowen, Francis. American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge for the Year 1843, p. 231, David H. Williams, 1842. Accessed January 15, 2013.
  44. ^ Raum, John O. The History of New Jersey: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Volume 1, p. 274, J. E. Potter and company, 1877. Accessed January 15, 2013. "West Milford is the most northerly and westerly township in the county, and contained in 1850, a population of 2,624; in 1860, 2,402; and in 1870, 2,660."
  45. ^ Debow, James Dunwoody Brownson. The Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, p. 140. R. Armstrong, 1853. Accessed January 15, 2013.
  46. ^ Staff. A compendium of the ninth census, 1870, p. 260. United States Census Bureau, 1872. Accessed January 15, 2013.
  47. ^ Porter, Robert Percival. Preliminary Results as Contained in the Eleventh Census Bulletins: Volume III - 51 to 75, p. 99. United States Census Bureau, 1890. Accessed January 15, 2013.
  48. ^ Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910: Population by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions, 1910, 1900, 1890, United States Census Bureau, p. 335. Accessed January 15, 2013.
  49. ^ "Fifteenth Census of the United States : 1930 – Population Volume I", United States Census Bureau, p. 718. Accessed January 15, 2013.
  50. ^ Table 6: New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1940 - 2000, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network, August 2001. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  51. ^ a b c d e Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for West Milford township, New Jersey Archived August 10, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 29, 2012.
  52. ^ a b c d e DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for West Milford township, Passaic County, New Jersey Archived February 12, 2020, at archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 29, 2012.
  53. ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – West Milford township, Passaic County, New Jersey". United States Census Bureau.
  54. ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – West Milford township, Passaic County, New Jersey". United States Census Bureau.
  55. ^ DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for West Milford township, Passaic County, New Jersey Archived February 12, 2020, at archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 29, 2012.
  56. ^ Lipman, Harvy; and Sheingold, Dave. "North Jersey sees 30% growth in same-sex couples", The Record, August 14, 2011, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 3, 2013. Accessed October 1, 2014.
  57. ^ About Us, West Milford Chamber of Commerce. Accessed November 30, 2011.
  58. ^ Staff. "Impressive Score; Music Makers Composes Showstopper: Five-fold Screen Growth in Six Years.", Boxoffice Magazine, August 23, 1976. Accessed January 28, 2015.
  59. ^ Green, Jeff. "ShopRite in West Milford gets green light for expansion", The Record, September 28, 2012. Accessed October 1, 2014.
  60. ^ Hancharick, L.S. "ShopRite expansion approved New retail space will take place of defunct theater", The West Milford Messenger, November 21, 2012. Accessed October 1, 2014.
  61. ^ Eden Farms forever preserved, West Milford Messenger, June, 2009
  62. ^ Eden Farms gains preserved status, Suburban Trends, May, 2009.
  63. ^ Links, Township of West Milford. Accessed April 14, 2012.
  64. ^ Government, West Milford Township. Accessed July 1, 2008.
  65. ^ Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.
  66. ^ "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 15. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023. "The Mayor-Council-Administrator Form of municipal government was added to the Optional Municipal Charter Law in 1981. As of July 1, 2011 only three municipalities, the townships of Berkeley Heights, North Brunswick and West Milford, had adopted it."
  67. ^ Zimmer, David M. "Mayor-Council-Administrator", Suburban Trends, April 26, 2010. Accessed October 1, 2014. "Voters approved the Mayor-Council-Administrator form of government during a special election in December 2002, making West Milford only one of three towns in New Jersey to operate under this charter."
  68. ^ Allee, Rod. "Dueling mandates approved by voters", The Record, December 18, 2002. Accessed October 1, 2014.
  69. ^ Form of Government, Township of West Milford. Accessed April 29, 2022. "The voters of the Township adopted the Mayor-Council-Administrator Plan at a Special Election held on December 10, 2002. The Mayor-Council-Administrator plan provides that an elected Mayor and Council shall govern a municipality with an appointed Municipal Administrator. The Council consists of the Mayor and six Council people, elected at large, in the partisan general election in November. The Mayor serves a four-year term. The six Council members serve staggered three-year terms with two council seats up for election each year."
  70. ^ Town Council, Township of West Milford. Accessed April 17, 2023.
  71. ^ 2022 Municipal Data Sheet, Township of West Milford. Accessed April 29, 2022.
  72. ^ Passaic County 2022 Directory, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed March 1, 2023.
  73. ^ 2022 General Election November 8, 2022 Summary Report Passaic County Official Results, Passaic County, New Jersey, updated December 7, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.
  74. ^ a b 2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results, Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.
  75. ^ a b November 3, 2020 Summary Report Official Results, Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.
  76. ^ Jennings, Rob. "N.J. town declares itself a sanctuary for 2nd Amendment. ‘We’re gun-friendly.’", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 13, 2019. Accessed December 24, 2019. "West Milford is now a self-proclaimed 'sanctuary township' for law-abiding gun owners, though the provocative designation is purely symbolic. The township council approved last week a non-binding resolution that 'opposes further interference with, or abridging of, the rights of lawful gun owners.' West Milford Council President Pete McGuinness said the local resolution, introduced by another council member and approved in a 5-0 vote on Dec. 4, was modeled after a resolution adopted in Illinois. It appears to be the first of its kind in New Jersey."
  77. ^ Plan Components Report, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.
  78. ^ Municipalities Sorted by 2023-2031 Legislative District, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed September 1, 2023.
  79. ^ Directory of Representatives: New Jersey, United States House of Representatives. Accessed January 3, 2019.
  80. ^ Biography, Congressman Josh Gottheimer. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Josh now lives in Wyckoff, New Jersey with Marla, his wife who was a federal prosecutor, and their two young children, Ellie and Ben."
  81. ^ U.S. Sen. Cory Booker cruises past Republican challenger Rik Mehta in New Jersey, PhillyVoice. Accessed April 30, 2021. "He now owns a home and lives in Newark's Central Ward community."
  82. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/23/nyregion/george-helmy-bob-menendez-murphy.html
  83. ^ Tully, Tracey (August 23, 2024). "Menendez's Senate Replacement Has Been a Democrat for Just 5 Months". The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  84. ^ Legislative Roster for District 25, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 18, 2024.
  85. ^ a b Board of County Commissioners, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022. "Passaic County is governed by a seven-member Board of County Commissioners. Each County Commissioner is elected at large for a three-year term. The board is headed by a director, who is selected for a one-year term at the board's annual reorganization meeting (at the first meeting of the year in January)."
  86. ^ Bruce James, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.
  87. ^ Cassandra "Sandi" Lazzara, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.
  88. ^ John W. Bartlett Esq., Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.
  89. ^ Theodore "T.J." Best, Jr., Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.
  90. ^ Terry Duffy, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.
  91. ^ Nicolino Gallo, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.
  92. ^ Pasquale "Pat" Lepore, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.
  93. ^ 2022 County Data Sheet, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.
  94. ^ a b Passaic County 2021 Directory, Passaic County, New Jersey, updated as of April 2021. Accessed April 29, 2022.
  95. ^ 2019 General Election November 5, 2019 Summary Report Passaic County Official Results, Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.
  96. ^ County Clerk, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.
  97. ^ Clerks, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.
  98. ^ Acting Sheriff Gary Giardina, Passaic County Sheriff's Office. Accessed June 21, 2022.
  99. ^ Sheriffs, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.
  100. ^ Our Surrogate, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.
  101. ^ Surrogates, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.
  102. ^ Assembly Committee Substitute for Assembly, No. 2635, New Jersey Legislature, June 7, 2004. Accessed October 31, 2014.
  103. ^ DEP Guidance for the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act-Highlands Region Counties and Municipalities; Highlands Municipalities, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, updated July 8, 2014. Accessed October 31, 2014.
  104. ^ a b Voter Registration Summary - Passaic, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed January 16, 2013.
  105. ^ GCT-P7: Selected Age Groups: 2010 - State -- County Subdivision; 2010 Census Summary File 1 for New Jersey Archived February 12, 2020, at archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 16, 2013.
  106. ^ "Presidential General Election Results - November 6, 2012 - Passaic County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Elections. March 15, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  107. ^ "Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 6, 2012 - General Election Results - Passaic County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Elections. March 15, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  108. ^ 2008 Presidential General Election Results: Passaic County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed January 16, 2013.
  109. ^ 2004 Presidential Election: Passaic County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed January 16, 2013.
  110. ^ "Governor - Passaic County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Elections. January 29, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  111. ^ "Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 5, 2013 - General Election Results - Passaic County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Elections. January 29, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  112. ^ 2009 Governor: Passaic County Archived August 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed January 16, 2013.
  113. ^ West Milford Public Schools District Bylaw 0110 - Identification, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve in the West Milford School District. Composition: The West Milford School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of West Milford."
  114. ^ District information for West Milford Township Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  115. ^ School Data for the West Milford Township Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  116. ^ Apshawa School, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  117. ^ Maple Road Elementary School, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  118. ^ Marshall Hill Elementary School, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  119. ^ Paradise Knoll Elementary School, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  120. ^ Upper Greenwood Lake Elementary School, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  121. ^ Macopin Middle School, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  122. ^ West Milford High School, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  123. ^ About Our Schools, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  124. ^ Passaic County 2022–23 Public School Directory, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2023.
  125. ^ School Performance Reports for the West Milford Township Public School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 1, 2024.
  126. ^ New Jersey School Directory for the West Milford Township Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  127. ^ Zummo, Mike. "Westbrook School will no longer serve elementary students next fall", West Milford Messenger, November 30, 2022. Accessed October 10, 2023. "The West Milford Township School District Board of Education on Tuesday voted to repurpose the Westbrook Elementary School into Highlander Academy, an inclusive special education program. The Restructuring Committee recommended changing the Westbrook School, starting in 2023-24 school year, into an academy for two separate Emotional Regulation Impairment programs, one for middle schoolers and the other for high schoolers."
  128. ^ Zimmer, David M. "Our Lady Queen of Peace School to close in June", Suburban Trends, March 29, 2010. Accessed January 15, 2013. "The Our Lady Queen of Peace (OLQP) School on Union Valley Road in the Hewitt section of West Milford will officially be closing at the end of the year, due to a lack of enrollment and operating revenue."
  129. ^ Wojcik, Michael. "Inspiring Students to Learn; West Milford Catholic school teacher honored by NCEA", Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. Accessed January 15, 2012. "Ford's teaching excellence has earned her many other honors in the realm of Catholic education, among them finalist for the 2008 N.J. Non Public Teacher of the Year Award and a nomination for the NCEA's Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award in 2007."
  130. ^ Passaic County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed July 18, 2014.
  131. ^ Chesler, Caren. "On The Road; The Longest Light", The New York Times, June 24, 2001. Accessed January 12, 2018. "Welcome to West Milford, home of the country's longest traffic light. Drivers pulling up to the light at the intersection of Clinton Avenue and Route 23 in Passaic County can wait as long as 5 minutes and 33 seconds during the morning rush hour if they approach it as it is turning red. Looked at another way, residents on Clinton Avenue who need to use Route 23 could spend about 20 hours a year waiting at the light. The only light that comes close to being as long, transportation officials say, is in Delaware -- and that light lasts only four minutes."
  132. ^ Frassinelli, Mike. "N.J. motorists continue to be frustrated by 'nation's longest traffic light' on Route 23 in West Milford", The Star-Ledger, June 14, 2010. Accessed January 12, 2018.
  133. ^ Hadowanetz, Wasco. National Register of Historic Places Registration: Backwards Tunnel, National Park Service, November 17, 2005. Accessed January 1, 2017.
  134. ^ Kaminski, Edward S. New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad in New Jersey, p. 19. Arcadia Publishing, 2010. Accessed January 1, 2017. ISBN 978-0-7385-7367-0.
  135. ^ Passaic County Bus / Rail Connections, NJ Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 26, 2010. Accessed October 1, 2014.
  136. ^ Passaic County System Map, NJ Transit. Accessed August 16, 2015.
  137. ^ Bus Schedule, Township of West Milford. Accessed October 1, 2014.
  138. ^ Kolton, Tara. "Simpler Times, filmed in downtown Pompton Lakes, returns to the Garden State", Suburban Trends, April 20, 2015. Accessed March 21, 2017. "Simpler Times, the 33-minute comedy starring Jerry Stiller and written/directed by Pompton Lakes native Steve Monarque, was filmed primarily in Pompton Lakes and West Milford."
  139. ^ Zimmer, David M. "Ice-T movie about West Milford's 'haunted' Clinton Road set to premiere June 14", The Record, May 31, 2019. Accessed November 30, 2019. "What's behind the urban legends of Clinton Road and Dead Man's Curve? What is known about this 10-mile stretch in West Milford that has been associated with ghost stories and strange happenings? Clinton Road is not haunted. There are no roving bands of witches, albinos or deranged murderers in the dense woods alongside the long, desolate stretch, nor is there a yeti."
  140. ^ Charles L. Banks, The Hall of Valor Project. Accessed June 19, 2020. "Place of Birth: West Milford, New Jersey"
  141. ^ Biography, ChuckBurgi.com. Accessed May 26, 2016.
  142. ^ Alfano, George. "$30,000 Allocated To Cooley House", The Record, February 19, 1987. Accessed January 15, 2013. "Mayor Stewart Perry said he had estimates of between $73,000 and $96,000 to move the home, which belonged to 19th-Century artist Jasper Francis Cropsey. Cropsey lived in the Greenwood Lake home, and was a painter of the Hudson River School and a noted architect." - See Clipping from Newspapers.com.
  143. ^ DiTrani, Vinny. "Friedman Works His Way Back -- NFL In Sight After Major Knee Surgery", The Record, May 14, 2000. Accessed July 24, 2007. "It was just another hurdle the West Milford native had to clear..."
  144. ^ Guererro, Millie. "NY Giant shares his passion for football with local kids", West Milford Messenger, April 23, 2007. Accessed January 15, 2013. "Garnes moved to West Milford seven years ago and has just recently been able to reach out to the community and give back the knowledge he obtain throughout his career by forming a football clinic that he is expanding into neighboring towns."
  145. ^ Sampson, Peter J. "W. Milford Man Told Wife Of Plan To Storm Cockpit", The Record, September 13, 2001. Accessed July 20, 2008.
  146. ^ Presinzano, Jessica. "Celebrities, politicians and athletes who call North Jersey home", The Record, October 11, 2017. Accessed November 18, 2017. "Larry Hand, formerly of the Detroit Lions was born in Paterson, but grew up in West Milford."
  147. ^ Makin, Robert. "Album Reviews", Courier News, June 1, 2000. Accessed October 25, 2015. "Keenan formed the band with West Milford-raised guitarist Billy Howerdel, who performed on 'Aenima.'"
  148. ^ Genader, Ann. "Township council to honor Derek Jeter?", Aim West Milford, November 27, 2009. Accessed April 14, 2012. "One of the homes he presently owns is Tiedemann Castle on the West Milford/Greenwood Lake, N.Y. border."
  149. ^ Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, Volume 213, p. 239. E. J. Mullin, 2008. Accessed July 7, 2023. "Steve V. Oroho, Rep., Franklin (Sussex)... Senator Oroho was born July 26, 1958, in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised in West Milford. He earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from St. Francis University, Loretto, Pa., in 1980."
  150. ^ Rohan, Virginia. "Former fan now in charge of 'Sesame Street'", The Record, August 13, 2007. Accessed January 15, 2013. "Born in Queens, Parente largely grew up in West Milford, having moved there from Long Island when she was 8."
  151. ^ Lattman, Peter; and Miller, Claire Cain. "Steve Jobs's Widow Steps Onto Philanthropic Stage", The New York Times, May 17, 2013. Accessed July 23, 2013. "Ms. Powell Jobs, 49, grew up in West Milford, N.J., and earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania."
  152. ^ Heaphy, Leslie. "Professional Woman Umpires". Society for American Baseball Research.
  153. ^ Kolton, Tara. "Young actress from West Milford lands role in upcoming Cameron Crowe movie", Suburban Trends, January 20, 2014. Accessed September 10, 2016. "Fourteen-year-old Danielle Russell, of West Milford, has recently returned after spending three-and-a-half-months in Hawaii on the set of writer/director Cameron Crowe's latest movie, which counts among its star-studded cast Bradley Cooper, Rachel McAdams, Emma Stone, Bill Murray, Alec Baldwin and John Krasinski."
  154. ^ Keller, Ilana. "Orange Is The New Black actor connects with murderous character's past", Asbury Park Press, February 12, 2019. Accessed June 19, 2020. "Through the past few seasons, Soules, a veteran stage and screen actor and activist celebrating 50 years in the show business, has found she connects with Frieda in many ways as the show explores her character's past. Perhaps most surprising, she finds parallels with Frieda's survivalist experiences in her own upbringing around Greenwood Lake in West Milford."
  155. ^ Crespo, Charley. "Manhattan Beat – Jimmy & Immy, Red Wanting BLue, & More!", The Aquarian Weekly, January 23, 2019. Accessed June 19, 2020. "Born in West Milford, New Jersey, Scott Terry sang in choirs and a cappella groups while growing up in Moorestown, New Jersey."
  156. ^ Fox, Ron. "West Milford's Walker Still A Face In The Crowd", The Record, February 25, 1991. Accessed July 1, 2008.
  157. ^ Laplaca, Bryan. "Back in the Day - April 24, 1988: Sparta man survived shark attack", Suburban Trends, April 22, 2013. Accessed October 25, 2015. "West Milford's Kevin Walker was the second selection in the third round for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was the first football player from the township's high school to be drafted into the NFL's ranks."
  158. ^ Anderson, Dave. "Sports of The Times; The Olympics Don't Need Us vs. Them", The New York Times, February 16, 1992. Accessed August 29, 2012. "That's what Donna Weinbrecht of West Milford, N.J., did in winning the first women's gold medal in a new Olympic sport, freestyle mogul skiing."
  159. ^ via Associated Press. "Hazzard actor Tom Wopat faces DUI", Today.com, March 17, 2006. Accessed July 1, 2008. "Wopat, 54, of West Milford, was released into the custody of his girlfriend, Maer said."
[edit]