Lakewood

Lakewood Township, New Jersey
—  Township  —
Map of Lakewood Township in Ocean County. Inset: Location of Ocean County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Lakewood Township, New Jersey
Coordinates: 40°4′58″N 74°12′34″W / 40.08278°N 74.20944°W / 40.08278; -74.20944
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Ocean
Incorporated	March 23, 1892
Government [1]
- Type	Township (New Jersey)
- Mayor	Robert Singer (2010)
- Manager	Frank Edwards
Area
- Total	25.1 sq mi (65.0 km2)
- Land	24.8 sq mi (64.3 km2)
- Water	0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2)
Elevation [2]	52 ft (16 m)
Population (2007)[3]
- Total	69,937
- Density	2,431.8/sq mi (938.9/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	08701
Area code(s)	732
FIPS code	34-38550[4][5]
GNIS feature ID	0882076[6]
Website	http://twp.lakewood.nj.us

Lakewood Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 60,352.

Lakewood was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 23, 1892, from portions of Brick Township. Portions of Howell Township in Monmouth County were annexed to Lakewood Township in 1929.^[7]

Lakewood is one of the hubs of Orthodox Judaism and is home to one of the largest yeshivas in the world. The large Orthodox population, comprising nearly half of the township's population, wields considerable political clout in Lakewood Township, commanding a bloc of about 10,000 votes.^[8]

Lakewood CDP (2000 Census population of 36,065), Leisure Village (1,785) and Leisure Village East (1,594) are census-designated places and unincorporated areas located within Lakewood Township.

History

Lakewood was known as one of the New York City region's winter resorts at the turn of the 1900s. This was due to a pocket of climate that was believed to be 3 to 5 degrees warmer than the City. Its Lake Carasaljo and surrounding pine trees made for a picturesque holiday. The Rockefeller family had an estate which has been turned into Ocean County Park. The Jay Gould Estate is now Georgian Court University.^[9] Parts of The Amityville Horror were filmed there.^[10]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 25.1 square miles (65.1 km²), of which, 24.8 square miles (64.3 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) of it (1.19%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 60,352 people, 19,876 households, and 13,356 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,431.8 people per square mile (938.8/km²). There were 21,214 housing units at an average density of 854.8/sq mi (330.0/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 78.77% White, 12.05% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.39% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.61% from other races, and 2.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.80% of the population. There were 19,876 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.64.

In the township the population was spread out with 31.8% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $35,634, and the median income for a family was $43,806. Males had a median income of $38,967 versus $26,645 for females. The per capita income for the township was $16,700. About 15.7% of families and 19.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.9% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Lakewood 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.^[1] 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 all legislative power of the township, except in matters of health, which are done at the Board of Health. In addition, the Committee appoints members to many boards, commissions, and committees. Each member of the township committee serves as a liaison to different divisions, departments, and committees.

The mayor, elected from among the members of the committee, presides at meetings and performs other such duties as the Township Committee may prescribe. The mayor has the power to appoint subcommittees with the consent of the committee. When authorized, he or she executes documents on behalf of the township, makes proclamations concerning holidays and events of interest, and exercises ceremonial power of the Township and other powers conferred upon him by law.

The members of the Lakewood Township Committee are Mayor Robert Singer (R, term ends December 31, 2010), Deputy Mayor Steven Langert (R, 2011), Raymond Coles (D, 2011), Meir Lichtenstein (D, 2009), and Menashe Miller (R, 2009).^[12][13]

Federal, state and county representation

Lakewood Township is in the Fourth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 30th Legislative District.^[14]

New Jersey's Fourth Congressional District, covering portions of Burlington County, Mercer County, Monmouth County and Ocean County, is represented by Christopher Smith (R). 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 30th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Robert Singer (R, Lakewood Township) and in the Assembly by Ronald S. Dancer (R, New Egypt) and Joseph R. Malone (R, Bordentown).^[15] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).^[16]

Ocean County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders consisting of five members, elected at large in partisan elections and serving staggered three-year terms. As of 2009^[update], Ocean County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director John C. Bartlett, Jr. (Pine Beach, term ends December 31, 2009), Freeholder Deputy Director Gerry P. Little (Surf City, 2009), John P. Kelly (Eagleswood Township, 2010), James F. Lacey (Brick Township, 2010) and Joseph H. Vicari (Toms River, 2011).^[17]

Education

The Lakewood School District is broken up into three different stages of schooling. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics^[18]) are four Elementary Schools — Ella G. Clarke School, with 996 students; Clifton Avenue School, with 708 students; Oak Street School, with 945 students; and Spruce Street School, with 638 students - Lakewood Middle School, which has 761 students in grades 7 and 8, and Lakewood High School, with an enrollment of 1,314 students in grades 9-12.

Georgian Court University is a private, Roman Catholic university located on the shores of Lake Carasaljo. Founded in 1908 by the Sisters of Mercy as a women's college, the school's strong emphasis on education for women continues, with women making up 88% of the student population in Fall 2006.

There are many Yeshivas and Jewish day schools catering to the Orthodox Jewish community, with thousands of children enrolled. Beth Medrash Govoha, the largest Yeshiva (Rabbinical Academy) in North America, is also located in Lakewood. In addition, there are at least two Christian schools in Lakewood - the non-denominational Calvary Academy [1], and the Roman Catholic affiliated Holy Family School. The former serves grades K-12, while the latter serves youth from pre-school through 8th grade.

Commerce

Urban Enterprise Zone

Portions of Lakewood Township are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3½% sales tax rate (versus the 7% rate charged statewide).^[19]

Transportation

Lakewood Airport is a public-use airport located 3 miles (5 km) southeast of the township's central business district. The airport is publicly owned.^[20]

Attractions

• Sister Mary Grace Burns Arboretum, on the campus of Georgian Court University
• FirstEnergy Park, home of the Lakewood BlueClaws, Single A South Atlantic League minor league baseball team and affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies
• In nearby Jackson Township New Jersey, there is the amusement park, Six Flags Great Adventure

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Lakewood Township include:

• Joe Baum (1920-1998), restaurateur.
• Ngo Dinh Diem (1901-1963), first President of South Vietnam.^[21]
• Marc Ecko, Founder and CEO of *eckō unltd.^[22]
• George Jay Gould I (1864-1923), financier and railroad executive, whose estate was donated to create Georgian Court University.
• Serge Jaroff (1896-1985), conductor, composer and founder of the Don Cossack Chorus.
• Stan Kasten (born 1952), President of the Washington Nationals, and former President of the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers.^[23]
• Edith Kingdon (1864-1921), actress wife of George Jay Gould I
• Rabbi Aharon Kotler (1891-1962), founder of the Beth Medrash Govoha yeshiva and a pre-eminent authority on Jewish law (halacha) in the 20th Century
• John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937), industrialist and philanthropist, had an estate in Lakewood, as well as other homes in Ohio, New York, and Florida. His family donated a large tract of land it owned in Lakewood to Ocean County, where the County built the current Ocean County Park on Route 88, Lakewood.
• Robert Schmertz (1926-1975), founder and CEO of Leisure Technology Corp.; former owner of the Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics.^[24]
• J. R. Smith (born 1985), NBA basketball player and currently plays for Denver Nuggets.^[25]
• Lew Soloff (born 1944), jazz trumpeter.^[26]
• Laurence Tisch (1923-2003), CEO CBS, part owner: Loews Corp.; Lorillard; Bulova Watch
• Preston Robert Tisch (1926-2005), Postmaster General of the U. S. (1986 - 1988); partner, New York Giants; part owner of Loews Corp.
• Charles Waterhouse (born 1924), artist.^{[citation needed]}
• Mookie Wilson (born 1956), American baseball player, mostly notably with the New York Mets.^[27]

References

External links

• Lakewood Township web site
• Lakewood School District
• Lakewood School District's 2007–08 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for the Lakewood School District, National Center for Education Statistics
• Lakewood Branch of Ocean County Library

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