Watchung New Jersey NJ Warrant Search

Watchung, New Jersey Watchung is a Borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 5,613.Watchung was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 23, 1826, from portions of North Plainfield Township (now Green Brook Township) based on the results of a referendum held on April 20, 1826. Geography Watchung is located at 40°38′21″N 74°26′37″W / 40.639202°N 74.443715°W / 40.639202; -74.443715 (40.639202, -74.443715).According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 6.0 square miles (15.6 km2), of which, 6.0 square miles (15.6 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2) of it (0.33%) is water.The name 'Watchung' comes from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans, meaning 'high hills'. It is from the first ridge of the Watchung Mountains that George Washington surveyed the British troops in Perth Amboy many miles SSE. The eastern reach of these ridges is to the Oranges in the direction of Newark.The Stony Brook flows through Watchung borough. Making its way from Warren Township to the Watchung Lake, then through the gorge in the first Watchung mountain and over the Wetumpka Falls, on its way to the Green Brook.It is roughly a 40 minute drive from New York City, and a 30 minute drive from Newark. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 5,613 people, 2,098 households, and 1,617 families residing in the borough. The population density was 933.0 people per square mile (360.0/km2). There were 2,155 housing units at an average density of 358.2/sq mi (138.2/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 84.30% White, 3.37% African American, 0.09% Native American, 9.85% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.71% from other races, and 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.99% of the population.There were 2,098 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.4% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.9% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.00.In the borough the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.The median income for a household in the borough was $101,944, and the median income for a family was $120,764. Males had a median income of $80,658 versus $54,167 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $58,653. About 0.5% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over. History Watchung, from the 1900s was a semi-rural small community of about 3,200 people in comparison with the relatively much larger cities of Plainfield and Somerville. The first mayor of the town was Henry Baldwin Macdonald (1926–28). Even as late as the 1960s, it was common for residents to know one another by name, with few moving in or out of the town. The 1967 Plainfield riots, however, caused an exodus of the large upper-middle class population from the nearby cities to move to the Watchung Hills area to towns such as Watchung, Warren Township and Bridgewater Township. It was at this time that Watchung became a bedroom community and the average income and median house prices soared.In public fear which ensued after the 1938 radio broadcast of H.G. Wells' The War Of The Worlds, National Guard Troops were stationed around the hills in Watchung, as told on the vinyl record recording of news reports of the day.[citation needed]Sports in the town of Watchung lays out a wide history of high talented athletes. Watchung has produced extremely high set of athletes in the past years. Between Bobby Thomson, Billy Ard, Tom Glassic , Brendan Ard, Keith Sims, and Carl Banks. Local government Watchung 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 and only votes to break a tie. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.The Mayor of Watchung Borough is Albert S. Ellis. Members of the Watchung Borough Council are Council President Thomas Franklin, Stephen L. Black, Debra Joren, Gerald M. Mobus, William Nehls and Stephen Pote. Federal, state and county representation Watchung is in the Seventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 21st Legislative District.New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District is represented by Leonard Lance (R, Clinton Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).The 21st Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Thomas Kean, Jr. (R, Westfield) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Jon Bramnick (R, Westfield) and Nancy Munoz (R, Summit). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).Somerset County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose members are elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one or two elected each year. As of 2010[update], Somerset County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Jack Ciattarelli (Hillsborough Township, 2012), Freeholder Deputy Director Robert Zaborowski (Franklin Township, 2011), Peter S. Palmer (Bernardsville, term ends December 31, 2011),Patricia Walsh (Green Brook Township, 2010) and Patrick Scaglione (Bridgewater Township, 2012). Education Students in Kindergarten through eighth grade are educated by the Watchung Borough Schools. Schools in the district (with 2004-05 school enrollment data from the New Jersey Department of Education School Report Cards) are Bayberry Elementary School with 365 students in grades K - 4, and Valley View School with 322 students in grades 5 - 8.Watchung's students in public school for grades 9-12 attend Watchung Hills Regional High School in Warren Township together with students from the neighboring communities of Green Brook Township and Warren Township (in Somerset County) and Long Hill Township (in Morris County). As of the 2005-2006 school year, there were over 1,900 students attending. Notable residents Notable current and former residents of Watchung include:Billy Ard(born 1959), formerNew York Giantsfootball player. Carl Banks(born 1962), formerNew York Giantsfootball player. Katt Williams(born 1973), comedian, rapper, and actor who is known for his short stint on Nick Cannon's Wild 'n' Out. Charles Aubrey Eaton(1868–1953), clergyman and politician who served in theUnited States House of Representatives, representing theNew Jersey's 4th congressional districtfrom 1925–1933, and the5th districtfrom 1933-1953. Laura Prepon(born 1980), actress best known for playing the character ofDonna PinciottionThat '70s Showand resides there when not working. Bobby Thomson(born 1923), former professional baseball player, New York Giants, hit the famous ‘Shot Heard Round the World’ to win the 1951 NL Pennant. Adella Wotherspoon(1903–2004), youngest and longest-lived survivor of theGeneral Slocum, a steamship that sank in the East River killing over 1,000 in 1904.Her ashes are buried beside her husband's at Wilson Memorial Union Church Cemetery in Watchung. James Maxime DuPont(died 1991) a famous collector of meteorites.