Holmdel Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 15,781.
Holmdel Township was formed by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 23, 1857, from portions of Raritan Township (now Hazlet).[7]
History
In 1964, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson of Bell Labs discovered the cosmic microwave background radiation while working on the Horn Antenna in this town.[8] The earliest work on radio astronomy was conducted by Bell Labs engineer Karl Guthe Jansky in 1931, also in this town.
The PNC Bank Arts Center (formerly the Garden State Arts Center), a popular outdoor amphitheatre concert venue that opened in 1968, is located in Holmdel. Adjacent to it is the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which opened on May 7, 1995.[9]
VoIP provider Vonage Holdings, Inc., moved its world headquarters from Edison, New Jersey, to Holmdel in November 2005, occupying the building that formerly housed Prudential Property Casualty & Insurance.
Geography
The Horn Antenna in Holmdel
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 18.1 square miles (46.9 km²), of which, 18.0 square miles (46.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it is water. Holmdel Township is located roughly 44 miles southeast of Midtown Manhattan and is a suburb of New York City.
Crawford Hill (40 23' 28" N, 74 11'07" W) is Monmouth County's highest point, standing at least 380 feet (116 m) above sea level. The top portion of the hill is owned by Alcatel-Lucent and houses a research laboratory of Bell Laboratories.
Demographics
Population
| Historical populations |
| Census |
Pop. |
|
%± |
| 1930 |
1,191 |
|
—
|
| 1940 |
1,201 |
|
0.8% |
| 1950 |
1,380 |
|
14.9% |
| 1960 |
2,959 |
|
114.4% |
| 1970 |
6,117 |
|
106.7% |
| 1980 |
8,447 |
|
38.1% |
| 1990 |
11,532 |
|
36.5% |
| 2000 |
15,781 |
|
36.8% |
| Est. 2007 |
16,919 |
[3] |
7.2% |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[10] |
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 15,781 people, 4,948 households, and 4,328 families residing in the township. The population density was 878.4 people per square mile (339.1/km²). There were 5,137 housing units at an average density of 285.9/sq mi (110.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 80.20% White, 17.45% Asian, 0.65% African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.45% of the population.
As of the 2000 census, 9.97% of Holmdel Township's residents identified themselves as being of Chinese ancestry. This was the highest percentage of people with Chinese ancestry in any place in New Jersey with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.[11]
There were 4,947 households out of which 47.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 79.1% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.5% were non-families. 11.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.35.
In the township the population was spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $112,879, and the median income for a family was $122,785. Males had a median income of $94,825 versus $54,625 for females. The per capita income for the township was $47,898. About 2.7% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
Holmdel Township is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.[12] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor. The Township Committee exercises control over the conduct of municipal business by means of legislation through ordinances or resolutions, approval and adoption of the annual budget and the formulation of policy to be carried out by the staff.[13]
Members of the Holmdel Township Council are Mayor Serena DiMaso, Deputy Mayor Patrick Impreveduto, Janet Berk, Laurence I. Fink and Rocco Pascucci.[13]
Federal, state and county representation
Holmdel Township is in the Twelfth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 13th Legislative District.[14]
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).[15] 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).[16] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[17]
Monmouth County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. As of 2008[update], Monmouth County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry (R, Matawan), Freeholder Deputy Director Robert D. Clifton (R, Matawan), William C. "Bill" Barham (R, Monmouth Beach), John D'Amico, Jr. (D, Oceanport) and Barbara McMorrow (D, Freehold Township).[18]
Education
The Holmdel Township Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[19]) are Village Elementary School (K-3; 965 students), Indian Hill School (4-6; 821), William R. Satz School (7&8; 596) and Holmdel High School for grades 9-12 (1,184).
Holmdel High School was the 11th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 316 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2008 cover story on the state's Top Public High Schools.[20].
The high school was ranked as Number 426 nationwide in Newsweek magazine's listing of "America's Best High Schools" in the August 5, 2005, issue.[21]
Holmdel High School became the center of a scandal due to a hazing incident at a football camp in 1988 that was reported in the press and received considerable notoriety.[22]
Private schools within the township include the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton's St. John Vianney High School and St. Benedict School, a kindergarten through eighth grade Catholic school that feeds into St. John Vianney.
Some students occasionally attend Ranney School in nearby Tinton Falls, a K-12 preparatory school. However, Christian Brothers Academy (a.k.a. CBA) takes another portion of the township's residents population of school aged children.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Holmdel Township include:
- John Burke (born 1971), former professional football player, New England Patriots, New York Jets and San Diego Chargers.[23]
- John Cannon (born 1960), former defensive end who played nine seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[24]
- Christopher Dell, U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe and former U.S. Ambassador to Angola.[citation needed]
- Elena Ferrante (born 1965), Broadway actress and singer.
- Renzo Gracie (born 1967), professional mixed martial arts Fighter from Brazil.[25]
- Tab Ramos (born 1966), football midfielder, is a retired U.S.Olympic and National Team soccer player. Was the first player to sign with Major League Soccer, where he played seven years with the MetroStars.[26]
- Bob Roggy (1956-1986), who set the American javelin throw record in the early 1980s, whose javelin is on display in the front entrance hall of Holmdel HS, and after whom the Holmdel HS football field and track is named.[27]
- Felicia Stoler, host of Honey, We're Killing the Kids on The Learning Channel.[28]
- John H. Tilelli, Jr., retired United States Army four star general.[29]
- Robert Woodrow Wilson, (born 1936), awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1978.[30]
- Jon Bon Jovi (1980s) and Bruce Springsteen (70s and 80s) both lived in Holmdel for periods of time prior to moving to Rumson.
- SallyAnn Mosey, weekend meteorologist for WNBC since 2006.
Points of interest
Lucent Building (Now vacant, but still owned by the Alcatel-Lucent Corporation) designed by Finnish architect, Eero Saarinen, who also designed (among other structures) St. Louis' Gateway Arch.
References
- ^ Office of the Administrator, Holmdel Township. Accessed May 27, 2008.
- ^ USGS GNIS: Township of Holmdel, Geographic Names Information System, accessed November 17, 2007.
- ^ a b Census data for Holmdel township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 23, 2008.
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 180.
- ^ Astronomy and Astrophysics: Horn Antenna, National Park Service. Accessed November 17, 2007.
- ^ "PULSE; Planning for Memorial Day", The New York Times, May 22, 1995. Accessed November 17, 2007. "Vietnam veterans were honored on May 7, with the opening of the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Holmdel."
- ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ Chinese Communities, Epodunk. Accessed August 23, 2006.
- ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 67.
- ^ a b Your 2007 Township Committee, Holmdel Township. Accessed April 16, 2008.
- ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 58. Accessed August 30, 2006.
- ^ Municipalities, Congressman Rush D. Holt Jr. Accessed June 29, 2008.
- ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ "About the Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/about/. Retrieved on 6 June 2008.
- ^ Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed January 29, 2008.
- ^ Data for the Holmdel Township Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 16, 2008.
- ^ Top Public High Schools in New Jersey, New Jersey Monthly, September 2008
- ^ "America's Best High Schools", Newsweek, August 5, 2005.
- ^ Sports hazing incidents, ESPN.com. Accessed June 21, 2007. "About 20 underclassmen reportedly played a nude game of Twister as about a dozen senior teammates urged them on. As a result of the incident, all of the school's 85 football players reportedly were ordered to undergo mental health counseling, and some coaches reportedly were disciplined."
- ^ Jon Burke player profile, Database Football.
- ^ John Cannon player profile, Database Football. Accessed May 25, 2007.
- ^ Newman, Dan. "Gracie under pressure: Holmdel man earns living in violent world of mixed martial arts, and loves it", Independent, August 1, 2007. Accessed July 3, 2008. "Gracie, a Holmdel resident, is one of the top fighters in the International Fight League (IFL), the world's first team-based mixed martial arts league, which combines disciplines such as wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, karate, judo and muay thai."
- ^ Galacep, Ives. "Immersed in the game", Herald News, October 24, 2006. Accessed May 3, 2007. "It isn't every day that a 15-year-old is mentioned as a candidate to add his name to the storied list of New Jersey standouts to leave St. Benedict's for memorable professional careers, such as U.S. national team legends Tab Ramos and Claudio Reyna."
- ^ USATF Notes; Marion, Monique and Tom Petronoff, USATF, June 8, 2007. "The meet is hosted by Shore Athletic Club in cooperation with Holmdel High School, alma mater of the late Bob Roggy, a former world No. 1 in the javelin."
- ^ Tesoriero, Tobi Drucker. 'Felicia Stoler: Spreading Health With A Little TLC", living Marlboro, July 1, 2007. Accessed November 15, 2008. "Stoler calls both Holmdel and Marlboro home. She grew up in Marlboro, where she attended the Delfino (Central School), Marlboro Middle School, and Marlboro High School (her family still owns a home in town). Now she, along with her 9-year-old daughter Isabella and 6-year- old son Zachary, live in Holmdel."
- ^ Kozaryn, Linda D. "Marine Corps Fetes USO's Tilelli", American Forces Press Service, April 6, 2000. Accessed August 30, 2007. "Tilelli, who was raised in Holmdel, N.J., is a 1963 graduate of Pennsylvania Military College, now named Widener University."
- ^ Nobel Lectures, Physics 1971-1980, Editor Stig Lundqvist, World Scientific Publishing Co., Singapore, 1992. [1]. Accessed March 11, 2008.
External links
