Scotch Plains, New Jersey

Scotch Plains is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the township population was 22,732.

History
The area known as Scotch Plains was first settled by Europeans in 1684 and served as a stop on the stage coach line between New York and Philadelphia. The Ash Swamp in Scotch Plains was the scene of a key action in the Battle of Short Hills, on June 26, 1777, which included skirmishes as Washington's forces moved along Rahway Road in Scotch Plains toward the Watchung Mountains. Scotch Plains is home to the house of Aunt Betty Frazee, whose retort to Lord Cornwallis led the British to find their bread from friendlier bakers in the same battle. The simple farmstead of Betty and Gershom Frazee, a type of structure that rarely survives the centuries, is today the object of a restoration effort by local organizations ( Fanwood Scotch Plains Rotary Club).

What is now Scotch Plains was originally incorporated as Fanwood Township on March 6, 1878, by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature from portions of Plainfield Township and Westfield Township. Portions of the township were taken to form Fanwood Borough on October 2, 1895. Fanwood Township was renamed to Scotch Plains as of March 29, 1917, based on the results of a referendum held that same day.

Scotch Plains was home to the Shady Rest Country Club, the nation's first African-American country club, and its pro, John Shippen, the first African-American golf professional, who led the 1892 U.S. Open in the final round before finishing fifth. The Shady Rest clubhouse hosted Cab Calloway and other greats as a local center for African-American culture in the 1920s and 1930s. It is preserved today as the Scotch Hills Municipal course.

Geography
Scotch Plains is located at 40.63825°N, -74.37391°W (40.638252, −74.373914).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 9.1 square miles (23.5 km2), of which, 9.1 square miles (23.5 km2) of it is land and 0.11% is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 22,732 people, 8,349 households, and 6,295 families residing in the township. The population density is 966.6/km2 (2,503.3/mi2). There are 8,479 housing units at an average density of 360.5/km2 (933.7/mi2). The racial makeup of the township is 78.88% White, 11.30% African American, 0.09% Native American, 7.25% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 1.52% from two or more races. 3.94% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 8,349 households out of which 36.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% are married couples living together, 8.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% are non-families. 20.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.71 and the average family size is 3.16.

In the township the population is distributed with 25.4% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.8 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the township is $99,214, and the median income for a family is $111,970. Males have a median income of $63,648 versus $43,714 for females. The per capita income for the township is $39,913. 3.0% of the population and 2.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 2.0% of those under the age of 18 and 7.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

According to BusinessWeek, Scotch Plains is the best affordable suburb in New Jersey for 2009.

Local government
Scotch Plains is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a four-member Township Council. Council members are elected at-large in partisan elections to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis. The Mayor and the Councilmembers are the only elected officials in the Township government. The Chief of Police is Brian Mahoney.

, members of the Scotch Plains Township Council are Mayor Nancy M. Malool, Deputy Mayor Jeffrey Strauss, Dominick Bratti, Mary DePaola and Kevin Glover.

Federal, state and county representation
Scotch Plains is in the Seventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 22nd Legislative District.

Education
All of the schools of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Regional School District are located in Scotch Plains. Schools in the district (with 2006–07 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are:

Elementary Schools Middle Schools High School
 * Howard B. Brunner Elementary School (468 students)
 * J. Ackerman Coles School (545 students)
 * Evergreen School (370 students)
 * William J. McGinn School (474 students)
 * School One (390 students)
 * Park Middle School (746 students)
 * Terrill Middle School (864 students)
 * Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (1,480 students)

Students from School One, Evergreen and Brunner pool into Park Middle School, whereas students from Coles and McGinn feed into Terrill. School One is the only elementary school that teaches English as a second language.

The Union County Vocational Technical Schools includes the Union County Magnet High School, the Academy for Information Technology, the Union County Academy for Allied Health Sciences, the Union County Academy for Performing Arts, and the Vocational-Technical School. The grouping of different schools is for vocational as well as gifted students, publicly funded by the combined taxes of Union County municipalities.

Union Catholic Regional High School (often abbreviated UC), a private Roman Catholic school, brings in students from the far reaches of Union County and even some parts of Essex and Middlesex counties. A large number of students come from the Woodbridge/Colonia area, where the school had erected a billboard advertisement, now removed.

Union County College has a facility in Scotch Plains.

There is also a Catholic school, St. Bartholomew Academy, which offers education from Pre-Kindergarten to 8th grade.

Transportation
Scotch Plains is bisected by NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line, formerly the mainline of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. A passenger station is located in Fanwood. NJ Transit also provides bus service to New York City and New Jersey points. Another rail line, the Lehigh Valley Line, carries freight trains through the southernmost tip of the township.

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 14 mi east of Scotch Plains, most conveniently reached via Route 22, and Linden Airport, a general aviation facility is in nearby Linden, New Jersey. Newark Liberty International Airport is also easily accessible via New Jersey Transit train.

Scotch Plains News Coverage
The town falls in the New York media market, with daily news being based in New York City.

Scotch Plains-Fanwood Patch: This free, online site provides up-to-the-minute news coverage of Scotch Plains and its neighboring municipality, Fanwood.

Housing Developments
The following housing developments exist in Scotch Plains Sterling Chase Berwyck Chase Canterbury Goodman's Crossing Crestwood The Reserve
 * New development located off Martine Avenue by Union Catholic.
 * Erected in the early 1990s, it used to be a cow farm.
 * It has its own tennis courts for residents.
 * Located behind Coles School, it was built by the same development company that built Stirling Chase to be a more affordable place to live than Stirling.
 * It has its own swimming pool and two tennis courts for residents.
 * A small and quiet neighborhood located north of Route 22 completely isolated from the rest of Scotch Plains.
 * Complex of townhouses between Scotch Plains and Clark.
 * Robinson's Creek runs through it and has been tested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and confirmed to be toxic.
 * Built in the 1940s, a development of several unique Cape-Cod style homes on the border of Westfield, many of which have been knocked down with newer and larger homes rebuilt.
 * K. Hovnanian recently built townhomes ranging from 2,000–2,500 square feet in size, located behind US 22, originally selling for up to $500,000.

Points of interest

 * Hillside Cemetery is the burial site of Dudley Moore and Senator James Edgar Martine
 * Bowcraft Amusement Park is an amusement park located in Scotch Plains on Route 22 West.
 * The Scotchwood Diner is a diner located on Route 22 West.
 * John's Meat Market is the site of Mr. T's reality TV show for TV Land.
 * Osborn-Cannonball House Museum is a historic home located at 1840 East. Front Street in Scotch Plains.

Notable residents
Notable current and former resident of Scotch Plains include:
 * Hank Beenders (1916–2003), early professional basketball player.
 * Judy Blume, (born 1938), author, lived in Scotch Plains while writing the classic "Fudge" series of children's books.
 * Derrick Caracter (born 1988) power forward/center for the University of Texas- El Paso Miners team. He was recently drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Draft.
 * Lance Thomas (born 1988) power forward/center for the Duke University basketball team and 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball National Champion.
 * Donald DiFrancesco (born 1944), former Governor of New Jersey and Senate President.
 * Pat DiNizio (born 1955), singer/songwriter for The Smithereens.
 * John Gano (1727–1804), chaplain who baptized George Washington.
 * Scott Goldblatt (born 1979), swimmer who won a Gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and a Silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, with both medals earned in the 4 x 200 m Freestyle Relay.
 * Jeffrey Hammonds (born 1971), Stanford University baseball star and Olympian, one all star appearance in 13 MLB seasons.
 * Jerome Hines (1921–2003), opera singer.
 * Nathan Jones (born 1982), Rutgers Academic All-American and NFL Cornerback for the Miami Dolphins.
 * Renaldo Nehemiah (born 1959), track star who set world record in the 110 meter hurdles, NFL wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers and the only four time winner of ABC's Superstar competition.
 * Thomas W. Osborn (1833–1898), Union Army officer who represented Florida in the United States Senate.
 * Joe Plumeri, (1944– ), Chairman & CEO of Willis Group Holdings and owner of the Trenton Thunder
 * Cynthia Sayer, jazz banjoist.
 * Joe Scarpati (born 1943), holder for Tom Dempsey's record 63 yd field goal in 1970.
 * Marc Shaiman (born 1959), Music & Lyrics Composer, Hairspray and Music Composer for South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.
 * Enzo Stuarti (1919–2005), tenor, musical theater performer
 * Carolyn Hougan, author, who wrote both under her name and with her husband under the John Case, grew up in Scotch Plains.