Wayne, New Jersey

Wayne is a township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, located less than 20 mi from Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 54,717,  reflecting an increase of 648 (+1.2%) from the 54,069 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 7,044 (+15.0%) from the 47,025 counted in the 1990 Census.

Wayne was formed as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 12, 1847, from portions of Manchester Township. Totowa was formed from portions of Wayne and Manchester Township on March 15, 1898.

Wayne is home to Willowbrook Mall, Wayne Hills Mall, Wayne Towne Center, High Mountain Park Preserve and William Paterson University.

History
In 1694, Arent Schuyler, a young surveyor, miner and land speculator, was sent into north-western New Jersey to investigate rumors that the French were trying to incite the local Lenni-Lenape Native Americans to rebel against the English. Schuyler found no evidence of a rebellion, but discovered a rich fertile valley where the Lenni-Lenape grew a variety of crops. Schuyler reported his findings to the English and then convinced Major Anthony Brockholst, Samuel Bayard, Samuel Berry, Hendrick and David Mandeville, George Ryerson and John Mead to invest in the purchase of the land he referred to as the Pompton Valley. The seven chose Schuyler to be negotiator with the Lenape for the rights to the area. Samuel Bayard purchased 5000 acre from the East Jersey Company on November 11, 1695, in what was then known as New Barbadoes Township in Bergen County.

In 1710, this same area became part of Saddle River Township in Bergen County. By 1837, the residents of Wayne found themselves in Manchester Township in the newly formed Passaic County. Finally, on April 12, 1847 the first Wayne Township organization meeting was held at the Henry Casey House on the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike. The citizens voted to name the town after American Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne. The first mayor, called the Chairman of the Township Committee until 1962, was William S. Hogencamp.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Wayne remained a farming community. The Morris Canal ran through the southwestern part of Wayne, carrying produce to market and coal from Pennsylvania. The canal was replaced by the railroad at the end of the 19th century. In the early 20th century, Wayne grew as a vacation retreat for wealthy New Yorkers. In the summer, hordes of people from Manhattan and Brooklyn came to live in the summer bungalows and enjoy the beautiful rivers.

World War II marked the impetus for tremendous change in Wayne. Summer bungalows were converted to year-round residences to accommodate factory workers. Following the war, farmland was converted to residential living. As Wayne grew, it adopted its current form of government in 1962. Modern highways, including New Jersey Route 23, U.S. Route 46, and Interstate 80 made Wayne easily accessible, and several national firms have located here.

Geography
Wayne is located at 40.94586°N, -74.24508°W (40.945855, &minus;74.245077). According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 25.174 square miles (65.202 km2), of which, 23.728 square miles (61.456 km2) of it is land and 1.446 square miles (3.746 km2) of it (5.75%) is water.

Wayne shares its borders with 12 neighboring municipalities. Franklin Lakes and Oakland in Bergen County; Fairfield and North Caldwell in Essex County; Lincoln Park and Pequannock in Morris County; and Haledon, Little Falls, North Haledon, Paterson, Pompton Lakes, and Totowa in Passaic County.

Neighborhoods and lake communities
Wayne has a number of lakes, with distinct communities and neighborhoods located around them. These include Pines Lake, Packanack Lake, Lions Head Lake, Tom's Lake and Pompton Lake (half of which is in Wayne). The Passaic River also flows through a portion of Wayne and often floods near Willowbrook Mall and riverside neighborhoods.

2010 Census
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $100,638 (with a margin of error of +/- $3,630) and the median family income was $117,745 (+/- $5,252). Males had a median income of $80,420 (+/- $5,367) versus $54,413 (+/- $2,379) for females. The per capita income for the township was $40,875 (+/- $1,473). About 2.2% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 105 households in 2010, an increase from the 75 counted in 2000.

2000 Census
As of the 2000 Census, there were 54,069 people, 18,755 households, and 14,366 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,269.5/mi2 (876.4/km2). There were 19,218 housing units at an average density of 806.7/mi2 (806.7/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 90.05% White, 1.66% African American, 0.10% Native American, 5.67% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.17% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.09% of the population.

There were 18,755 households out of which 34.4% had related children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the township the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $83,651, and the median income for a family was $95,114. Males had a median income of $61,271 versus $39,835 for females. The per capita income for the township was $35,349. About 1.6% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Local government
Wayne is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government, which took effect on January 1, 1962. A mayor is elected by the voters in partisan elections to serve a four-year term. A nine-member council forms the legislative branch of the township government. Three council members are elected at large and one from each of six wards for a term of four years.

, Wayne's mayor is Christopher P. Vergano, whose term of office ends December 31, 2013. Members of the Township Council (with all at-large seats expiring in 2013 and all ward seats expiring in 2015) are Council President Nadine Bello (R, Ward 6), James Jimenez (R, at-large), Franco Mazzei (R, Ward 3), Chris F. McIntyre (D, Ward 5), Alan Purcell (R, Ward 1), Lonni Miller Ryan (R, at-large), Al Sadowski (R, Ward 2), Joseph Schweighardt (R, at-large) and Joseph Scuralli (R, Ward 4).

Federal, state and county representation
Wayne is located in the 11th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 40th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Wayne had been part of the NJ's 8th congressional district, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Politics
As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 35,661 registered voters in Wayne, of which 8,538 (23.9% vs. 31.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 11,180 (31.4% vs. 18.7%) were registered as Republicans and 15,933 (44.7% vs. 50.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 10 voters registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 65.2% (vs. 53.2% in Passaic County) were registered to vote, including 83.5% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.8% countywide).

In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 14,803 votes here (53.9% vs. 37.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 11,853 votes (43.1% vs. 58.8%) and other candidates with 265 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 27,486 ballots cast by the township's 36,386 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.5% (vs. 70.4% in Passaic County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 15,013 votes here (54.9% vs. 42.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 11,582 votes (42.4% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 190 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 27,331 ballots cast by the township's 35,463 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.1% (vs. 69.3% in the whole county).

In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 10,246 votes here (57.1% vs. 43.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 6,623 votes (36.9% vs. 50.8%), Independent Chris Daggett with 769 votes (4.3% vs. 3.8%) and other candidates with 101 votes (0.6% vs. 0.9%), among the 17,930 ballots cast by the township's 35,321 registered voters, yielding a 50.8% turnout (vs. 42.7% in the county).

Public schools
The Wayne Public Schools serves students in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade.Schools in the district (with 2010-11 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are nine K-5 elementary schools (except as noted) — Randall Carter (354 students), Theunis Dey (472) James Fallon (416), John F. Kennedy (459), Lafayette (382), Packanack (PreK-5; 520), Pines Lake (425), Ryerson (309) and A. P. Terhune (405), — George Washington Middle School (637), Schuyler-Colfax Middle School (758) and Anthony Wayne Middle School (717) for grades 6–8 and both Wayne Hills High School (1,333; for students living north of Ratzer Road) and Wayne Valley High School (1,489; for students living south of Ratzer Road) for grades 9–12.

Passaic County Technical Institute is a regional vocational public high school that serves students from all of Passaic County.

Private schools
Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Academy Catholic School (formerly Our Lady of Consolation) serve students in grades K-8 and DePaul Catholic High School serves students in grades 9-12, operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson.

Post-secondary education
William Paterson University, founded in 1855, has over 11,500 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs.

Transportation
Wayne is criss-crossed by several major roadways, including Interstate 80, U.S. Route 46, U.S. Route 202 and Route 23.

Wayne is served by the Mountain View and Wayne Route 23 New Jersey Transit stations, offering service on the Montclair-Boonton Line to Hoboken Terminal, with connections to Midtown Direct trains to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan. Wayne-Route 23 station opened in January 2008 which offers train service via the Montclair-Boonton Line and regular bus service into the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.

NJ Transit provides bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 191, 193, 194 and 195; to Newark on the 11, 28 (Saturday and Sunday only) and 75 routes, with local service provided on the 873, 704, 705, 712, 744, 748, 970 and 971 routes.

Wayne is 25.9 mi from Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark / Elizabeth, and 30 mi from LaGuardia Airport in Flushing, Queens.

Notable people

 * Chris Carter, the alternative rock band Dramarama.
 * Jay Della Valle (born 1979), filmmaker, singer and songwriter.
 * Cecil B. DeMille (1881–1959), film director, producer (The Ten Commandments).
 * Lou Duva (born 1922), Hall of Fame boxing trainer and manager.
 * John Easdale lead singer and songwriter for the alternative rock band Dramarama.
 * Lisa Edelstein (born 1967), American actress and playwright known for her role as Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the television drama House.
 * Theodore Ellenis, keyboard player for the alternative rock band Dramarama.
 * Mark Englert, guitarist for the alternative rock band Dramarama.
 * Jesse Farbman, drummer for the alternative rock band Dramarama.
 * John A. Ferraro (1946–2010), actor, television director and stage director.
 * Paulie Harraka (born 1989), stock car racing driver.
 * Brandon Jacobs (born 1982), running back who played for the New York Giants.
 * Ronny Machuga, drummer for the alternative rock band Dramarama.
 * Gene Mayer (born 1956), former tennis player from the United States who won fourteen singles titles during his career. At Wayne Valley, he went unbeaten in his two years on the tennis team.
 * Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels (born 1964), American musician and hip hop artist (Run-D.M.C.)
 * Ryan Neill (born 1982), Football long snapper and defensive end for the Buffalo Bills.
 * Greg Olsen (born 1985), tight end for the Carolina Panthers.
 * Sam Porcello (c. 1936-2012), food scientist who developed the Oreo cookie filling.
 * Queen Latifah (born 1970), singer and actress.
 * Robert A. Roe (born 1924), former member of the United States House of Representatives who served as mayor of Wayne from 1956 to 1961.
 * Major General Guy C. Swan III (born 1954), commanding general of the United States Army North.
 * Danielle Staub (born 1962), cast member on The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
 * Albert Payson Terhune (1872–1942), author, dog breeder.
 * David Tyree (born 1980), wide receiver for the New York Giants and a 2005 Pro Bowl selection.
 * Kathy Wakile (born 1965), cast member on The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
 * George Washington (1732–1799), Founding Father and the first President of the United States. He resided in Dey Mansion during the American Revolutionary War before the area was called Wayne.

Corporations, sports and culture
Wayne is home to the Toys "R" Us corporate headquarters. and to the Valley National Bank corporate headquarters.

Wayne is the home of the 1970 Little League World Series Champions. The Preakness Stakes, a race in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, was named after a race horse from Wayne's Preakness Stables, who won the Dinner-Stakes race at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, sponsored by the Maryland Jockey Club on October 25, 1870.

Wayne is home to the Ice Vault ice rink, where world-class figure skaters such as Johnny Weir and Stéphane Lambiel train and 1992 Olympic figure skating gold medalist Viktor Petrenko coaches.

The indie rock band Fountains of Wayne took their name from a lawn ornament store of the same name located in the township on the westbound side of U.S. Route 46, though no members of the band are from the town.

In a Hans and Franz sketch from Saturday Night Live, the pair says they are opening up a gym in Wayne. The fact that Wayne's ZIP code, 07470, is a palindrome, was noted on an episode of the television series Full House in the seventh season episode "Smash Club: The Next Generation".

Trees from Wayne have been selected to serve as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York City in 1998, 2001, 2005 and 2006. One of the largest, the 2005 tree, was a Norway Spruce that stood 74 ft tall, spreading 42 ft wide and weighing in at 9 short ton that was removed from the backyard of a Wayne resident.