Buena (pronounced by locals as "BYOO-na"[7]) is a borough in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 3,873.
Landisville and Minotola are unincorporated areas located within Buena Borough.
History
Charles K. Landis was a land developer who was the driving force behind the creation of Hammonton and Vineland. Landis also had a hand in establishing other small towns, including Landisville, in Buena Borough. He planned to make it county seat of a new county called Landis County, which would incorporate land from the surrounding counties. However, the locals were against this, and began calling him "King Landis".[8]
Buena was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 1, 1948, from portions of Buena Vista Township. The borough was reincorporated on May 18, 1949.[9]
In 1979, Local resident Madeline Barrale authored a 115 page book illustrating the Borough's history.
Buena Borough celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 1999 with the 1st Annual "Buena Day" at Bruno Melini Park.
Forbes Magazine ranked Buena in the top 10 list of "Best places on earth" - #1 it's ranked.
Geography
Buena is located at 39°31′25″N 74°56′45″W / 39.523475°N 74.945736°W / 39.523475; -74.945736 (39.523475, -74.945736).[10]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 7.6 square miles (19.7 km2), all of it land.
Unexpected Road was named the seventh wackiest street name according to a 2006 poll by Car Connection website.[11]
Demographics
| Historical populations |
| Census |
Pop. |
|
%± |
| 1950 |
2,640 |
|
—
|
| 1960 |
3,243 |
|
22.8% |
| 1970 |
3,283 |
|
1.2% |
| 1980 |
3,642 |
|
10.9% |
| 1990 |
4,441 |
|
21.9% |
| 2000 |
3,873 |
|
−12.8% |
| Est. 2008 |
3,710 |
[3] |
−4.2% |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[12] |
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 3,873 people, 1,454 households, and 978 families residing in the borough. The population density was 509.1 people per square mile (196.5/km2). There were 1,553 housing units at an average density of 204.1/sq mi (78.8/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 77.28% White, 7.64% African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 10.53% from other races, and 3.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.65% of the population.
As of the 2000 census, 33.5% of Buena residents were of Italian ancestry, the 22nd-highest percentage of any municipality in the United States, and ninth-highest in New Jersey, among all places with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.[13]
There were 1,454 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the borough the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $35,679, and the median income for a family was $44,352. Males had a median income of $37,985 versus $23,788 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $16,717. About 11.8% of families and 18.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
Buena Borough is governed under the Borough 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. 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.[1]
The Mayor of Buena Borough is Joseph Baruffi. Members of the Buena Borough Council are Council President Joseph Santagata (R), Patricia Andaloro (D), Rosalie Baker (R), Edward Cugini (R), Frank DeStefano (R) and David Zappariello (R).[14]
Federal, state and county representation
Buena Borough is in the Second Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 1st Legislative District.[15]
New Jersey's Second Congressional District, covering all of Atlantic County, Cape May County, Cumberland County and Salem County and portions of Burlington County, Camden County and Gloucester County, is represented by Frank LoBiondo (R, Ventnor City). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
The 1st legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Jeff Van Drew (D) and in the Assembly by Nelson Albano (D, Vineland) and Matthew W. Milam (D, Dennis Township).[16] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[17]
Atlantic County's County Executive is Dennis Levinson (Linwood).[18] The Board of Chosen Freeholders, the county's legislature, consists of nine members elected to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats coming up for election each year. As of 2009[update], Atlantic County's Freeholders are four at-large members Alisa Cooper (Linwood, term expires December 31, 2011), Frank V. Giordano (Hamilton Township, 2009), Joseph C. McDevitt (Ventnor City, 2010) and Jim Schroder (Northfield, 2011); and five members elected from districts District 1 (Atlantic City (part), Egg Harbor Township (part) and Pleasantville) Charles T. Garrett (Atlantic City, 2010), District 2 - (Atlantic City (part), Egg Harbor Township (part), Longport, Margate, Somers Point and Ventnor) Vice Chairman Thomas Russo (Atlantic City, 2009), District 3 (Egg Harbor Township (part), Hamilton Township (part), Linwood and Northfield) - Frank Sutton (Egg Harbor Township, 2011), District 4 (Absecon, Brigantine, Galloway Township and Port Republic - Richard Dase (Galloway Township, 2010) and District 5 (Buena Borough Buena Vista Township, Corbin City, Egg Harbor City, Estell Manor, Folsom, Hamilton Township (part), Hammonton, Mullica Township and Weymouth) - Freeholder Chairman James Curcio (Hammonton, 2009).[19]
Education
Public school students in grades K - 12 in Buena Borough attend the Buena Regional School District, together with children from Buena Vista Township. Students from Newfield, a non-operating school district, attend the district's schools for K-12 as part of a sending/receiving relationship. Students are sent to the district's high school for grades 9 - 12 from both Estell Manor City and Weymouth Township as part of sending/receiving relationships with the respective school districts.[20]
Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are four elementary schools (K-5, except as noted) — William B. Donini (165 students in K - 3), J.C. Milanesi (488 students), Edgarton (208 students, K-5) and Collings Lakes (270 students in grades K - 5) — Dr. J. P. Cleary Middle School (528 students in grades 6 - 8) and Buena Regional High School (985 students in grades 9 - 12).[21]
References
- ^ a b 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 8.
- ^ USGS GNIS: Borough of Buena, Geographic Names Information System, accessed January 4, 2008.
- ^ a b Census data for Buena borough, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 3, 2008.
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 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 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Driving Mower, Bus or Car, 9-Year-Old Has Town Jumpy", The New York Times, July 25, 2003.
- ^ Friends of Historic Vineland. Frank De Maio, M.D. Accessed August 29, 2007.
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 67.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ See the entry for September 19 on Ben Scott, Schott's Miscellany Calendar 2009 (New York: Workman Publishing Company, 2008).
- ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ Italian Communities, Epodunk. Accessed June 9, 2007.
- ^ Officials, Boards, & Council, Buena Borough. Accessed May 6, 2008.
- ^ 2008 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 55. Accessed September 30, 2009.
- ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ "About the Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/about/. Retrieved 6 June 2008.
- ^ County Executive Dennis Levinson, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed August 31, 2009.
- ^ Board of Chosen Freeholders, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed August 31, 2009.
- ^ Buena Regional School District 2007 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 14, 2008. "Students from Weymouth and Estell Manor join students from Buena Vista Township, Buena Borough, and Newfield at the high school."
- ^ Data for the Buena Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed March 2, 2007.
External links
