Lyndhurst, New Jersey

Lyndhurst is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 20,554,  reflecting an increase of 1,171 (+6.0%) from the 19,383 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,121 (+6.1%) from the 18,262 counted in the 1990 Census.

Lyndhurst was originally formed as Union Township on February 19, 1852 from portions of Harrison Township. On May 15, 1917, the area was incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature as the Township of Lyndhurst, based on the results of a referendum held one week earlier.

Geography
Lyndhurst is located at 40.798°N, -74.11325°W (40.798004,-74.11325). According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 4.894 square miles (12.676 km2), of which, 4.558 square miles (11.806 km2) of it is land and 0.336 square miles (0.870 km2) of it (6.86%) is water.

The Passaic River, crossed by the Avondale Bridge and the Lyndhurst Draw, creates the municipal and county border at the west. The eastern portion of the municipality is part of the uninhabited wetlands in the New Jersey Meadowlands.

2010 Census
The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $68,177 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,370) and the median family income was $79,579 (+/- $4,878). Males had a median income of $56,299 (+/- $6,347) versus $44,468 (+/- $2,406) for females. The per capita income for the township was $34,233 (+/- $2,119). About 3.8% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 58 households in 2010.

2000 Census
As of the 2000 United States Census there were 19,383 people, 7,877 households, and 5,206 families residing in the township. The population density was 4,169.7 people per square mile (1,609.4/km2). There were 8,103 housing units at an average density of 1,743.1 per square mile (672.8/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 89.94% White, 9.0% Hispanic or Latino, 5.40% Asian, 0.61% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.95% from two or more races, and 2.05% from other races.

As of the 2000 Census, 33.8% of township residents were of Italian ancestry, the 19th-highest percentage of any municipality in the United States, and eighth-highest in New Jersey, among all places with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.

There were 7,877 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the township the population was spread out with 19.1% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males. Lyndhurst has the highest proportion of single females ages 18–25.

The median income for a household in the township was $53,375, and the median income for a family was $63,758. Males had a median income of $42,359 versus $35,429 for females. The per capita income for the township was $25,940. About 2.8% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Local government
The Township of Lyndhurst has been governed under the Walsh Act form of New Jersey municipal government since 1913. All committee members are elected concurrently at-large on a partisan basis to four-year terms of office, with the five members selecting a mayor from amongst its members after each election.

, members of the Township Committee are:
 * Richard J. DiLascio - Mayor and Commissioner of Public Works (D, term ends December 31, 2013)
 * Joseph Abruscato - Commissioner of Revenue and Finance (D, 2013)
 * Thomas DiMaggio - Commissioner of Parks and Public Property (D, 2013)
 * Robert B. Giangeruso - Commissioner of Public Safety (D, 2013)
 * Brian C. Haggerty - Commissioner of Public Affairs (D, 2013)

Federal, state and county representation
Lyndhurst is located in the 9th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 36th state legislative district.

Politics
As of Election Day, November 4, 2008, there were 10,799 registered voters. Of registered voters, 3,181 (29.5% of all registered voters) were registered as Democrats, 2,290 (21.2%) were registered as Republicans and 5,323 (49.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were five voters registered to other parties.

In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 50.0% of the vote here (4,332 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama, who received 48.7% of the vote (4,225 ballots), with 80.6% of registered voters participating. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 50.5% of the vote in Lyndhurst (4,346 cast), ahead of Democrat John Kerry, who received around 48.3% (4,163 votes), with 8,612 ballots cast among the township's 11,721 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.5%.

Education
The Lyndhurst School District serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are six elementary schools (K-8, except as noted) — Columbus School (K-5; 125 students), Franklin School (245), Jefferson School (256), Lincoln School (6-8 272), Roosevelt School (442) and Washington School (PreK-8; 336) — along with Lyndhurst High School for grades 9-12 (630).

Sacred Heart School is a Catholic elementary school serving grades K-8 that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.

Police
The Lyndhurst Police Department (LPD) provides emergency and protective services to the township of Lyndhurst, and is currently led by Chief James B. O'Connor. The LPD was established on January 1, 1907, under the laws of Union Township. The department has lost four officers in the line of duty; which is higher than any other municipality in Bergen County.

There is also a Police Auxiliary Unit that falls under the Police Department and the Office of Emergency Management. The Police Auxiliary members augment the services of the Police Department, with participants required to dedicate at least 16 hours a month for patrols on weekends, evenings and at township events and functions.

Fire
The Lyndhurst Fire Department (LFD) is an all-volunteer fire department. The LFD was organized in February 1886. The department is staffed by 70 fully trained firefighters and responds to an average of 600 calls per year.

Ambulance
Lyndhurst has both a volunteer Ambulance Squad known as the Lyndhurst Police Emergency Squad (LPES) that cover nights, weekends and holidays and a Township EMT service that covers the mornings shifts.

Public transportation
There are two train stations in Lyndhurst. Lyndhurst Station and Kingsland Station are both served by New Jersey Transit's Main Line to Hoboken Terminal. Transfer is available at Secaucus Junction to New York Penn Station, Newark Penn Station, and Newark Airport. At Hoboken transfer is possible to PATH trains, Hudson Bergen Light Rail, and New York Waterway ferries.

New Jersey Transit offers buses serving Newark on the 76 route and to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 191, 192, 193 and 195 routes. Lyndhurst is also served by DeCamp Bus Lines routes 32, 44 and 99.

Roads
Route 17 and County Route 507 pass through Lyndhurst. Route 3 is just over the northern border of Lyndhurst in neighboring Rutherford. Also, Route 21 is across the Passaic River in neighboring Nutley and Clifton.

The New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur (I-95) passes through the southeastern part, but the closest interchanges are in East Rutherford (Exit 16W) and Kearny (Exit 15W).

Economy
Lyndhurst was historically a producer of machinery and metal products.

Lyndhurst is also home to several locally owned and operated businesses such as Mazur's Bakery and the Lyndhurst Pastry Shop, which produces regionally acclaimed Italian cakes and pastries, homemade Italian Ice during the spring, summer and fall. The main business sections are Valley Brook Avenue, Ridge Road and Stuyvesant Avenue. Lyndhurst has many neighborhood delis, eateries, restaurants and stores which allow residents the ability to walk rather than drive.

Because portions of the township are located in the New Jersey Meadowlands, a number of radio stations have their transmitters and towers located in Lyndhurst. These include AM stations WOR and WINS, as well as Amateur Radio and HD TV station W2INS.

Lyndhurst Meadowlands is also home to one of nine Medieval Times dinner theaters.

Lyndhurst, together with North Arlington and Rutherford, was the site of the EnCap project, an effort to remediate landfills on the 785 acre site and construct homes and golf courses on top of the cleaned up site. On May 27, 2008, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission terminated its agreement with EnCap Golf Holdings, the company that had the contract to redevelop the site, after the company had missed targets to clean up the landfills as part of the project.

At one time LJN Toys had its headquarters in Lyndhurst.

From 1946 until 1966, Lyndhurst was home to the BUR Barbell Company, the second-largest producer of weight training equipment in the United States.

Kingsland explosion
On January 11, 1917, a fire started in Building 30 of the Canadian Car and Foundry Company, in what is now Lyndhurst, in a plant that was producing munitions for sale to the United Kingdom and the Russian Empire during World War I. After a spill of flammable liquid started a fire in a building where shells were cleaned, about 500,000, three-inch (76 mm) explosive shells were discharged in about four hours, destroying the entire facility. It was said to have been a spectacle more magnificent than the explosion at Black Tom in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Tessie McNamara, who operated the company switchboard, was credited with saving 1,400 lives, contacting each of the buildings and shouting the warning, "Get out or go up!" Thanks to her dedication, no one was killed in the fire.

The Lyndhurst Historical Society has created a vest pocket park dedicated to her memory. The park is located on Clay Avenue, between Valley Brook Avenue and Wall Street West. The brick stack can be seen from this park.

Sports and recreation
Town Mascot & Names: Lyndhurst Golden Bears/Lyndhurst Post 139/Lyndhurst Cubs/Lyndhurst Bulldogs

Lyndhurst baseball
American Legion, Cricket, Lyndhurst Florist, Hild Landscaping, and Stellatos make up the Lyndhurst-American Little League Baseball club. Amvets Post 20, Bergen County Glass, Century 21, Elks Club, I.A.C.L, and Savinos make up the Lyndhurst-National Little League Baseball club.

On July 14, 2006, the Lyndhurst-American Little League baseball team ended their 17-year drought to become district champs. Throughout the nine district play-off games, Lyndhurst-American hit 14 home runs and eventually emerged as sectional finalists; two wins away from appearing on national television.

Lyndhurst Youth Soccer
Lyndhurst Youth Soccer has approximately 600 players from age 5 to age 13 and several travel teams.

Notable people
Notable current and former residents of Lyndhurst include:
 * Victor Cruz (born 1986), wide receiver who has played for the New York Giants.
 * Evoken, funeral Doom Metal band, which is credited as one of the first band in America to play that style of metal.
 * Wayne Johnsen (born 1977), professional boxer who appeared on the reality television series The Contender 3.
 * Lou Monte (1917–89), singer best known for a number of best-selling, Italian-themed novelty records which he recorded in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
 * Johnny Weir (born 1984), figure skater.

Historic sites
Lyndhurst is home to the following locations on the National Register of Historic Places:


 * River Road School - 400 Riverside Avenue (added 1977)
 * Jacob W. Van Winkle House - 316 Riverside Avenue (added 1983)
 * Jeremiah J. Yeareance House - 410 Riverside Avenue (added 1986)