Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement
Little Egg Harbor Township is a township situated on the Jersey Shore, within Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is the southernmost municipality in both Ocean County and the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 20,784,<ref name="Census2020" /><ref name=LWD2020/> its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 719 (+3.6%) from the 2010 census count of 20,065,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected an increase of 4,120 (+25.8%) from the 15,945 counted in the 2000 census.<ref>Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref>
History
[edit]Founding
[edit]
Originally part of Burlington County, Little Egg Harbor took its name from the portion of a bay called Egg Harbor (known today as Little Egg Harbor) by the Dutch sailors because of the eggs found in nearby gull nests. The first known account of the town was made by Captain Cornelius Jacobsen May in 1614.<ref>Little Egg Harbor Community Profile, Ocean County Library. Accessed October 6, 2007.</ref><ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 3, 2015.</ref>
The first European to settle the township was Hendrick Jacobs Falkenberg, who likely arrived by 1693 when he does not appear on a census of the Swedes along the Delaware River, where he had lived for nearly three decades.<ref name=Craig>Craig, Peter S. "Sinnick Broer the Finn and his Sinex, Sinnickson & Falkenberg Descendants", Swedish Colonial News, Volume 2, Number 7, Fall 2002. Accessed September 3, 2015.</ref> Though he was from Holstein (now in Germany), his first wife was a Finn and part of the Swedish community. Falkenberg settled on an Template:Convert tract of land that he had acquired from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans in 1674, and a 1697 deed re-confirmed this earlier purchase. This tract included the two islands of Monhunk and Minnicunk later known as Osborn Island and Wills Island.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Falkenberg was a linguist, fluent in the Lenape language, and was considered southern New Jersey's foremost language interpreter involving land transactions between the Indians and the European settlers, particularly the English Quakers.<ref>Craig, Peter Stebbins. 1671 Census of the Delaware, p. 71. Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 1999. Template:ISBN. Accessed September 3, 2015.</ref>
The Little Egg Harbor Massacre took place in October 1778 during the American Revolutionary War, as British Army Major Patrick Ferguson was wreaking havoc on Colonial shipping in the Mullica River. Kazimierz Pułaski and his newly raised forces were ordered to oppose his actions. Pulaski's Legion, along with three companies of light infantry, three troops of light horse, and one artillery detachment, came too late to be of great use against Ferguson's operations. But their arrival did stop Ferguson from raiding the iron works at Batsto, and stemmed their attacks on privateers at The Forks of the Mullica River.
They then set up camp on a farm. A deserter, Lt. Gustav Juliet, found Ferguson and told him of Pulaski's encampment; he mentioned that morale was fairly low, and security almost nonexistent, so that a surprise attack would be devastating. Ferguson promptly loaded 250 of his best men onto boats and rowed them, in the dark, some Template:Convert to Osborne Island. He then marched them a further Template:Convert to the site of the infantry outpost, which comprised 50 men a short distance from the main encampment. At first light, Ferguson ordered the attack; only five of his quarry were taken alive. Pulaski eventually led his mounted troops up, causing Ferguson to retreat to his boats minus a few men that had fallen into the colonists' hands. A memorial on Radio Road commemorates the attack.<ref>Weaver, Donna. "Ceremony remembers massacre of Count Pulaski's troops by the British in Little Egg Harbor", The Press of Atlantic City, October 9, 2011. Accessed September 16, 2013. "A small crowd of residents and historical enthusiasts gathered at the Pulaski Monument at Pulaski and Radio roads Sunday afternoon to remember the massacre of 50 of Count Kazimierz Pulaski's troops in a surprise attack by more than 200 British troops 233 years ago this week during the Revolutionary War."</ref>
Little Egg Harbor Township was formed on February 13, 1740, as Egg Harbour Township from portions of Northampton Township (now Mount Holly), while the area was still part of Burlington County. It was incorporated as one of New Jersey's 104 in the Township Act of 1798 by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. While in Burlington County, portions of the township were taken to form Washington Township (November 19, 1802) and Bass River Township (March 30, 1864). Little Egg Harbor Township became part of Ocean County on March 30, 1891, after which further portions of the township were ceded to create Long Beach Township (March 23, 1899) and Tuckerton (February 18, 1901).<ref name="Story">Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 203. Accessed May 29, 2024.</ref>
Tuckerton Wireless Tower
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The Tuckerton Wireless Tower (Template:Coord), at Template:Convert in height, was built in 1912<ref>Tuckerton Wireless Tower Template:Webarchive, Little Egg Harbor Regional School District. Accessed September 16, 2013.</ref><ref>Staff. "Tuckerton Station Claimed By French; Paris Company Contends Germans Agreed to Sell It the Wireless Plant. WANTS ALL PATENT RIGHTS Petition Filed in New Jersey Court to Enforce Alleged Agreement and Get Tolls.", The New York Times, January 16, 1915. Accessed December 27, 2012.</ref> by the German "Hochfrequenzmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft Für Drahtlose Telegraphie" company (The High Frequency Machine Corporation for Wireless Telegraphy, often referred to as HOMAG) when the present-day Mystic Island was called Hickory Island. The tower was used to communicate with an identical radio telegraph station in Eilvese, Germany starting on Jun 19, 1914, less than two weeks before the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The station continued to communicate with Eilvese <ref>"Goldschmidt Transatlantic Radio Station, John L Hogan Jr, Electrical World, October 31, 1914</ref> until America entered World War I on April 6, 1917.<ref name=NJArts>Historic Monument - Telegraph Tower, Tuckerton Template:Webarchive, Stockton University Art & Architecture of New Jersey. Accessed September 16, 2013.</ref> It is rumored that it was used to send the message to order the attack by a German U-boat on the RMS Lusitania. After President Wilson's Declaration of Neutrality, the President's Executive Order 2042<ref>Executive Order 2042 - Taking Over High-Power Radio Station for Use of the Government, September 5, 1914, American Presidency Project. Accessed September 16, 2013.</ref> required the US Navy to take over the station on September 9, 1914, to assure the neutrality of messages sent to and from the station.<ref>The United States Navy and the Control of Radio Frequencies, World War I Document Archive. Accessed September 16, 2013.</ref> However, the station continued to be operated by German nationals employed by HOMAG and continued to communicate only with the Eilvese radio station.<ref>Howeth, Capt. Linwood S. "Operations and Organization of United States Naval Radio Service During Neutrality Period", from History of Communications-Electronics in the United States Navy, 1963. Accessed March 5, 2018.</ref>
When America entered the war, all U.S. radio stations were seized and shut down by Executive Order 2605A on April 30, 1917.<ref>Executive Order 2605A - Taking Over Necessary and Closing Unnecessary Radio Stations, April 30, 1917, American Presidency Project. Accessed September 16, 2013.</ref> The remaining German personnel at Tuckerton immediately became war prisoners and were replaced by U.S. Navy personnel. The Navy used the Tuckerton Radio Station for transatlantic communications while the naval radio stations in New Brunswick, New Jersey and Sayville, New York were undergoing major transmitter and antenna upgrades. Tuckerton was used for fleet broadcasts after installations of 200 kilowatt transmitters at New Brunswick and Sayville were completed in June 1918.
After the war, the Tuckerton Wireless Station was included in German war reparations paid to America. Shortly afterwards, it was sold to RCA which operated it until 1948 as a backup to their famous Radio Central facility in Rocky Point, New York.<ref name=NJArts/> In 1921, RCA installed two massive Alexanderson alternators, which were removed in 1948. For transatlantic communications, the radio station operated under the call signs WCI and WGG. For coastal communications, after World War I, the station operated under the callsign WSC. The Template:Convert steel tower, anchored by three large concrete blocks, was taken down on December 27, 1955.<ref>Tuckerton Community Profile, Ocean County Library. Accessed April 2, 2007. "Just prior to World War I, the German government built the Tuckerton Wireless, a Template:Convert tall tower with the capability of communicating directly with Europe. The tower was operated by German nationals until the entrance of the United States into the war. Local folklore maintains that the message "Get the Lucy" was broadcast from the tower, which resulted in the famous sinking of the Lusitania. The tower was dismantled in 1955."</ref> The three huge anchor blocks still exist today, in a backyard on North Ensign Drive and in the middle of South Ensign Drive and Staysail Drive. Many smaller anchor blocks providing foundations for smaller towers that supported the umbrella antenna are still visible in the lagoons. Remains of the large tower can be seen in scraps at the Giffordtown Museum.<ref>Museum Exhibits, Tuckerton Historical Society. Accessed September 16, 2013.</ref>
Later history
[edit]While the township was formed in the 1700s, Little Egg Harbor remained predominantly rural and undeveloped well into the late 20th century. It wasn't until the late 1950s until any major development was started. During this time, the construction of manufactured waterfront bungalows on lagoons were built and marketed as vacation properties, most notably Mystic Islands, Holly Lake Harbor, as well as Atlantis; the latter of which a "research home" was constructed to test hundreds of components and finishing materials for possible inclusion in model homes.<ref>Friedman, Charles. "Builder Puts Products to Test At New Jersey Research House", The New York Times, July 24, 1966. Accessed January 24, 2015.</ref> Most of the population were seasonal residents from either New York, Philadelphia, or other parts of New Jersey. Several developments were constructed in the decades following around the Mystic Islands area, mostly consisting of townhomes, duplex, and small single-family homes meant to act as either vacation homes or year-round residence.
In 1979, Pinelands Regional High School opened in the growing township, serving students from Little Egg Harbor, Tuckerton, Bass River, and Eagleswood; those students formerly went to Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin.<ref>The History of SRHS..., Southern Regional School District. Accessed January 24, 2015. "But eventually the high school had to go into split sessions due to over-crowding again. That problem was finally solved in 1979 with the opening of Pinelands Regional High School in Tuckerton. All mainland students south of Manahawkin would no longer be attending Southern Regional."</ref>
By the 2000s, the township was one of the fastest-growing in Ocean County, next to Barnegat.<ref>Jordan, Bob. "Suburban sprawl continues at shore", Asbury Park Press, July 10, 2001. Accessed January 24, 2015.</ref> The formerly sleepy township saw the development of several new housing developments, shopping centers, and offices. While 75% of the growth came from new retirement communities, the former resort town dubbed "Little Treasure on the Bay" saw an influx of year-round residents and families, becoming more of a suburb.<ref>Spahr, Rob. "Barnegat Township expected to bear burden of growth as Ocean County population continues to boom, officials say", The Press of Atlantic City, October 31, 2010. Accessed January 24, 2015. "Little Egg Harbor Township was once dubbed by Assemblyman Brian Rumpf, R-Ocean, Burlington, Atlantic, as 'The Little Hidden Treasure by the Bay.' ... The township's population skyrocketed from a mere 847 in 1960 to 26,818 in 2009, which represents a more than 3,000 percent increase."</ref>
On November 3, 2004, a fighter jet on a training mission from the 113th Wing of the District of Columbia Air National Guard, based at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, shot seven bullets into the roof of the Little Egg Harbor Intermediate School, and many others into the parking lot. Only a few custodians were in the school, and nobody was injured. The plane had been on a training mission at the Warren Grove Gunnery Range, a Template:Convert area about Template:Convert from the school. The school was repaired during the New Jersey Teachers' Convention, using $519,000 paid by the Air Force to the school district.<ref>Spahr, Rob. "Little Egg school shot by jet to get $519,000", The Press of Atlantic City, November 2, 2006. Accessed September 29, 2014. "Superintendent of Schools Frank Kasyan, along with Assemblyman Brian Rumpf, announced Wednesday that after a lengthy tort-claims process, the Air Force has agreed to pay the school board more than $500,000."</ref>
On the morning of August 28, 2011, Tropical Storm Irene made its second U.S. landfall in Brigantine, though initial reports placed it at the Little Egg Inlet on the border with Galloway Township. At the time it was believed to be the first hurricane to make landfall in New Jersey since 1903,<ref name=exptimes>Staff. "Hurricane Irene makes landfall in New Jersey; storm should be gone by mid-afternoon, meteorologist predicts - UPDATE", The Express-Times, August 28, 2011. Accessed September 29, 2014. "Hurricane Irene made landfall at 5:35 this morning in Little Egg Inlet, near Atlantic City, according to Hackettstown-based WeatherWorks meteorologist Nick Troiano, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, 1 mile an hour above the level at which a hurricane is defined. It was 1903 the last time a hurricane -- also a category one storm -- Troiano said. It was also near Atlantic City."</ref> but later analysis by the National Hurricane Center determined that the storm had weakened to tropical storm status by the time it made its second landfall.<ref name=nhc>Avila, Lixion A.; and Cangialosi, John. Template:NHC TCR url, National Hurricane Center, December 14, 2011. Accessed January 24, 2015. "Irene then continued north-northeastward, just offshore of the Delmarva peninsula, and made another landfall very near Atlantic City, New Jersey, at Brigantine Island, at 0935 UTC 28 August. Although Irene's intensity at the New Jersey landfall was 60 kt, winds of that strength were confined to the waters east of the track of the center."</ref> On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused widespread damage and flooding to the township, damaging roughly 4,000 homes, especially in the Mystic Island section.<ref>Staff. "Shore residents live among lingering Sandy damage" Template:Webarchive, NewsWorks, October 8, 2013. Accessed January 24, 2015.</ref> On the one-year anniversary of the storm, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie visited the township's Community Center to celebrate both the reopening of the storm-damaged building as well as the recovery efforts from the storm.<ref>Weaver, Donna. "Gov. Christie to visit Little Egg Harbor Township on Sandy anniversary", The Press of Atlantic City, October 25, 2013. Accessed September 29, 2014. "Exactly one year after Hurricane Sandy tore through the bayfront community of Little Egg Harbor Township, Gov. Chris Christie will visit this southern Ocean County community."</ref>
Geography
[edit]According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 72.97 square miles (188.99 km2), including 47.35 square miles (122.63 km2) of land and 25.62 square miles (66.36 km2) of water (35.11%).<ref name="CensusArea" /><ref name=GR1 />
Mystic Island (2010 Census population of 8,493<ref>DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Mystic Island CDP, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 27, 2012.</ref>) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in the southern part of the township.<ref>GCT-PH1 - Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County -- County Subdivision and Place from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 for Ocean County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 27, 2012.</ref><ref>2006-2010 American Community Survey Geography for New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 27, 2012.</ref><ref name=CPH232>New Jersey: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts - 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32), United States Census Bureau, August 2012. Accessed December 27, 2012.</ref>
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Atlantis, Edge Cove, Giffordtown, Jessies Point, Nugentown, Parkertown, Storm Island, Tucker Beach and West Tuckerton.<ref>Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 21, 2015.</ref>
The township borders the Ocean County municipalities of Barnegat Township, Beach Haven, Eagleswood Township, Long Beach Township and Stafford Township; Galloway Township in Atlantic County; and both Bass River Township and Woodland Township in Burlington County.<ref>Areas touching Little Egg Harbor Township, MapIt. Accessed February 25, 2020.</ref><ref>Ocean County Map, Coalition for a Healthy NJ. Accessed February 25, 2020.</ref><ref>New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref> Little Egg Harbor completely surrounds the independent municipality of Tuckerton, which became independent when it was incorporated in 1901.<ref name="Story" /> Little Egg Harbor and Tuckerton share the same ZIP code.
Demographics
[edit]2010 census
[edit]The 2010 United States census counted 20,065 people, 8,060 households, and 5,674 families in the township. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 10,324 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup was 94.19% (18,899) White, 1.35% (271) Black or African American, 0.16% (33) Native American, 1.24% (249) Asian, 0.01% (2) Pacific Islander, 1.51% (303) from other races, and 1.54% (308) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.22% (1,047) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>
Of the 8,060 households, 25.5% had children under the age of 18; 55.5% were married couples living together; 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 29.6% were non-families. Of all households, 24.2% were made up of individuals and 11.8% 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 2.90.<ref name=Census2010/>
20.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.8 males.<ref name=Census2010/>
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $59,365 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,765) and the median family income was $66,345 (+/− $4,466). Males had a median income of $56,279 (+/− $3,204) versus $42,683 (+/− $3,850) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $28,566 (+/− $1,778). About 6.5% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Little Egg Harbor township, Ocean County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 27, 2012.</ref>
2000 census
[edit]As of the 2000 United States census<ref name="GR2" /> there were 15,945 people, 6,179 households, and 4,442 families residing in the township. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 7,931 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the township was 96.22% White, 0.79% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.98% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.26% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Little Egg Harbor township, Ocean County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 27, 2012.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Little Egg Harbor township, Ocean County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 27, 2012.</ref>
There were 6,179 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.98.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>
In the township the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 23.9% 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 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>
The median income for a household in the township was $45,628, and the median income for a family was $51,580. Males had a median income of $39,668 versus $29,576 for females. The per capita income for the township was $20,619. About 4.1% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>
Government
[edit]
Local government
[edit]Little Egg Harbor Township operates under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state.<ref>Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.<ref name=DataBook>2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 49.</ref><ref>"Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 7. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> Annually, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor, and another as Deputy Mayor, each serving one-year terms.<ref>Little Egg Harbor Township form of Government Template:Webarchive, Little Egg Harbor Township. Accessed July 5, 2006.</ref>
Template:As of, the members of the Township Committee are Mayor Blaise Scibetta (R, term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2024), Deputy Mayor Dan Maxwell (R, term on committee and as deputy mayor ends 2024), Ray Gormley (R, 2026), John Kehm Jr. (R, 2026) and Kenneth W. Laney Jr. (R, 2025).<ref name=Committee>Mayor and Committee, Little Egg Harbor Township. Accessed June 3, 2024. "The Township Committee is voted in by Public election on the General Election Day. The Mayor in Little Egg Harbor Township is appointed annually by the Township Committee from among the Committee’s five members. Under this form of government the Mayor is not elected directly by the citizens."</ref><ref>2023 Municipal Data Sheet, Little Egg Harbor Township. Accessed June 3, 2024.</ref><ref name=OceanProfile>Township of Little Egg Harbor, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed June 3, 2024.</ref><ref name=OceanOfficials>2024 Ocean County & Municipal Elected Officials, Ocean County, New Jersey Clerk, updated April 2, 2024. Accessed January 3, 2024.</ref><ref name=Ocean2023>General Election Results November 7, 2023 Official Results, Ocean County, New Jersey, updated November 22, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Ocean2022>2022 General Election Official Results November 8, 2022, Ocean County, New Jersey Clerk, updated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Ocean2021>2021 General Election Official Results, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref>
In January 2022, the Township Committee appointed Kenneth Laney Jr. to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Barbara Jo Crea until she stepped down from office to take a seat on the Ocean County Board of County Commissioners.<ref>Johnson, Pat. "Little Egg Harbor Appoints New Committeeman Kenneth Laney", The SandPaper, January 19, 2022. Accessed July 11, 2022. "The Little Egg Harbor Township Committee appointed local businessman Kenneth Laney Jr. to fill the unexpired term of Barbara Jo Crea, who has left to take her position on the Ocean County Board of Commissioners. Laney took the oath of office at the Jan. 13 committee meeting."</ref>
Emergency services
[edit]Little Egg Harbor Township is served by Great Bay Regional Volunteer EMS, which also provides primary 911 emergency medical services for the residents of Bass River Township and Eagleswood Township.<ref>Home Page, Great Bay Regional Volunteer EMS. Accessed June 13, 2016. "Great Bay Regional Volunteer EMS is committed to protecting the lives of Little Egg Harbor's, Bass River's, and Eagleswood's residents and visitors by providing the best possible emergency and medical response services."</ref>
Federal, state and county representation
[edit]Little Egg Harbor Township is located in the 2nd Congressional District<ref name=PCR2012>Plan Components Report, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 9th state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2011>Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=LWV2019>2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.</ref><ref>Districts by Number for 2011-2020, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 6, 2013.</ref>
Template:NJ Congress 02 Template:NJ Senate
Template:NJ Ocean County Commissioners
Politics
[edit]As of March 2011, there were a total of 13,562 registered voters in Little Egg Harbor Township, of which 2,641 (19.5%) were registered as Democrats, 3,963 (29.2%) were registered as Republicans and 6,951 (51.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 7 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.<ref name=VoterRegistration>Voter Registration Summary - Ocean, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 27, 2012.</ref> Among the township's 2010 Census population, 67.6% (vs. 63.2% in Ocean County) were registered to vote, including 84.9% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 82.6% countywide).<ref name=VoterRegistration/><ref>GCT-P7: Selected Age Groups: 2010 - State -- County Subdivision; 2010 Census Summary File 1 for New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 27, 2012.</ref>
In the 2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump received 64.97% of the vote (6,700 cast), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 30.88% (3,184 votes), and other candidates with 4.15% (428 votes), among the 10,417 ballots cast by the township's 14,633 registered voters (105 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 71.1%.<ref name=Ocean2016>General Election November 8, 2016, Ocean County, New Jersey Clerk. Accessed September 9, 2019.</ref> In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 57.0% of the vote (5,129 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 42.0% (3,777 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (97 votes), among the 9,060 ballots cast by the township's 14,200 registered voters (57 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 63.8%.<ref name="2012Elections" /><ref name=2012VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 56.5% of the vote (5,577 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 41.6% (4,108 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (117 votes), among the 9,879 ballots cast by the township's 14,042 registered voters, for a turnout of 70.4%.<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Ocean County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed December 27, 2012.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 58.9% of the vote (5,046 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 40.0% (3,430 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (71 votes), among the 8,571 ballots cast by the township's 12,064 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 71.0.<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Ocean County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed December 27, 2012.</ref>
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third Parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2024<ref name="2024Elections">Template:Cite web</ref> | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|65.3% 8,116 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|32.9% 4,095 | 1.8% 188 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2020<ref name="2020Elections">Template:Cite web</ref> | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|62.4% 7,873 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|35.6% 4,492 | 2.0% 204 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2016<ref name="2016Elections">Template:Cite web</ref> | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|65.0% 6,700 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|30.9% 3,184 | 4.2% 428 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2012<ref name="2012Elections">Template:Cite web</ref> | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|57.0% 5,129 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|42.0% 3,777 | 1.1% 97 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2008<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Ocean County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed December 24, 2012.</ref> | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|56.5% 5,577 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|41.6% 4,108 | 1.2% 117 |
| style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2004<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Ocean County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed December 24, 2012.</ref> | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|58.9% 5,046 | style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|40.0% 3,430 | 0.6% 71 |
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 74.6% of the vote (4,603 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 23.5% (1,449 votes), and other candidates with 2.0% (122 votes), among the 6,322 ballots cast by the township's 13,898 registered voters (148 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 45.5%.<ref name=2013Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 63.0% of the vote (4,198 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 28.9% (1,926 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 5.5% (364 votes) and other candidates with 1.4% (91 votes), among the 6,666 ballots cast by the township's 13,690 registered voters, yielding a 48.7% turnout.<ref>2009 Governor: Ocean County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed December 27, 2012.</ref>
Education
[edit]Students in public school for grades pre-kindergarten through sixth grade attend the schools of the Little Egg Harbor Township School District.<ref>Little Egg Harbor Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Little Egg Harbor Township School District. Accessed May 21, 2022. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-K through sixth in the Little Egg Harbor School District. Composition: The Little Egg Harbor School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Little Egg Harbor."</ref> Students from Bass River Township attend the Little Egg Harbor district as part of a sending/receiving relationship, that started in the 2020–21 school year.<ref>Lowe, Claire."Bass River Township students to attend Little Egg Harbor schools next year",The Press of Atlantic City, April 6, 2020. Accessed May 22, 2022. "Students from Bass River Township will attend Little Egg Harbor Schools next year as financial and academic challenges have crippled the district’s ability to operate.... The decision to enter into an agreement with Little Egg Harbor Township was reached at a March 25 school board meeting and will go into effect on July 1."</ref> As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,672 students and 156.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.7:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Little Egg Harbor Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref> Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics.<ref>School Data for the Little Egg Harbor Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.</ref>) are Robert C. Wood Sr. Early Childhood Center<ref>Robert C. Wood Sr. Early Childhood Center, Little Egg Harbor School District. Accessed August 2, 2023.</ref> with 281 students in pre-kindergarten, George J. Mitchell Elementary School<ref>George J. Mitchell Elementary School, Little Egg Harbor School District. Accessed August 2, 2023.</ref> with 611 students in kindergarten through third grade and Frog Pond Elementary School<ref>Frog Pond Elementary School, Little Egg Harbor School District. Accessed August 2, 2023.</ref> with 780 students in grades 4 to 6.<ref>Living & Learning in Ocean County - Public Schools Directory 2022-2023, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed August 2, 2023.</ref><ref>School Performance Reports for the Little Egg Harbor Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 1, 2024.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the Little Egg Harbor Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>
Public school students in seventh through twelfth grades attend the schools of the Pinelands Regional School District, which also serves students from Bass River Township, Eagleswood Township and Tuckerton Borough.<ref>Pinelands Regional School District 2016 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed January 22, 2020. "The Pinelands Regional School District is a regional school district located in southern Ocean County. The District consists of a Junior High School for grades 7-9 and a High School for grades 10-12. The communities of Bass River, Eagleswood, Little Egg Harbor, and Tuckerton are served by the District with approximately 1,700 students in grades 7-12."</ref><ref>School Choice Pinelands Regional School District. Accessed January 22, 2020. "Pinelands Regional School District is comprised of a Junior High School and a High School. The District serves students in grades 7 through 12 living in the communities of: Bass River Township (Burlington County), Eagleswood Township, Little Egg Harbor Township, Tuckerton Borough"</ref><ref>Staff. "Regional School Districts", Burlington County Times, March 14, 2012. Accessed July 14, 2022. "Pinelands Regional - Serves: Bass River in Burlington County; Eagleswood, Little Egg Harbor and Tuckerton in Ocean County"</ref><ref>Greenfield, Bruce. "Ocean County Report On Consolidation and Regionalization", Report of the Executive County Superintendent, March 15, 2010. Accessed April 21, 2011. "Pinelands Regional - Eagleswood, Tuckerton, Bass River, Little Egg Harbor"</ref> Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics<ref>School Data for the Pinelands Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref>) are Pinelands Regional Junior High School<ref>Junior High School, Pinelands Regional School District. Accessed August 2, 2023.</ref> with 532 students in grades 7–8 and Pinelands Regional High School<ref>Senior High School, Pinelands Regional School District. Accessed August 2, 2023.</ref> with 1,070 students in grades 9–12.<ref>Living & Learning in Ocean County - Public Schools Directory 2022-2023, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed August 2, 2023.</ref><ref>School Performance Reports for the Pinelands Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed August 2, 2023.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the Pinelands Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref> The high school district's board of education is comprised of nine members directly elected by the residents of the constituent municipalities to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year.<ref>Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Pinelands Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2013. Accessed January 22, 2020. "The Pinelands Regional School District is a Type II district located in the County of Ocean, State of New Jersey. As a Type II district, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education. The Board is comprised of 9 members elected to three-year terms. These terms are staggered so that three members' terms expire each year."</ref> Little Egg Harbor Township is allocated six of the nine seats.<ref>Board of Education: About Us, Pinelands Regional School District. Accessed May 29, 2024. "The Board of Education is composed of nine citizens elected to serve terms of three years each. Representatives are elected on the basis of constituent population - one from Bass River Township, one from Eagleswood Township, six from Little Egg Harbor Township, and one from the Borough of Tuckerton."</ref>
St. Mary Academy near Manahawkin, a K–8 school of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton, is managed by St. Mary Church of Barnegat. From 1997,<ref name=MaryRenameArch>Template:Cite web</ref> until 2019 it operated as All Saints Regional Catholic School and was collectively managed by five churches,<ref name=Heyboerall>Template:Cite web</ref> including St. Theresa Church in Little Egg Harbor Township.<ref name=MaryRenameArch/> In 2019 St. Mary took entire control of the school, which remained on the same Manahawkin campus, and changed its name. The other churches no longer operate the school but still may send students there.<ref name=Heyboerall/>
Transportation
[edit]_at_Exit_58_(Ocean_County_Route_539,_Little_Egg_Harbor,_Tuckerton)_in_Little_Egg_Harbor_Township,_Ocean_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
Roads and highways
[edit]Template:As of, the township had a total of Template:Convert of roadways, of which Template:Convert were maintained by the municipality, Template:Convert by Ocean County, Template:Convert by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and Template:Convert by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.<ref>Ocean County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed July 18, 2014.</ref>
The Garden State Parkway passes through the township, connecting Bass River Township in Burlington County in the south to Eagleswood Township in the north<ref>Garden State Parkway Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, January 1997. Accessed September 29, 2014.</ref> and includes interchange 58, which is signed for County Route 539 serving Tuckerton / Trenton.<ref>Travel Resources: Interchanges, Service Areas & Commuter Lots, New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Accessed September 29, 2014.</ref> County Route 539 and Route 9 are major arteries in the township.
Public transportation
[edit]NJ Transit provides bus service between the township and Atlantic City on the 559 route.<ref>Ocean County Bus / Rail Connections, NJ Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 26, 2010. Accessed December 27, 2012.</ref>
Ocean Ride local service is provided on the OC6 Little Egg Harbor – Stafford Township route.<ref>Ocean County Bus Service Template:Webarchive, Greater Mercer TMA. Accessed August 10, 2015.</ref><ref>Ocean Ride Rider's Guide Template:Webarchive, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed August 10, 2015.</ref><ref>Ocean County Transit Guide Template:Webarchive, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed August 10, 2015.</ref>
Notable people
[edit]Template:Category see also People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Little Egg Harbor Township include:
- Gaten Matarazzo (born 2002), star in the Netflix original series Stranger Things<ref>Jackson, Vincent. "Little Egg Harbor teen's journey from Broadway To NetflixGaten Matarazzo has a role in Netflix's Stranger Things", The Press of Atlantic City, July 12, 2016. Accessed September 4, 2016. "Gaten Matarazzo, of Little Egg Harbor Township, learned something about the world of Hollywood casting when he auditioned for a child's role in the new Netflix series Stranger Things."</ref>
- Lily McBeth (1934–2014), transgender substitute teacher at the town's local schools who made national news after she underwent a gender reassignment operation<ref>Lee, Michelle. "Transgender teaching sub won't return", The Press of Atlantic City, July 23, 2009. Accessed September 12, 2011. "Lily McBeth, a substitute teacher from Little Egg Harbor Township, became a national symbol of acceptance for transgender Americans in 2006 when the Eagleswood and Pinelands Regional school districts kept her on the job despite protests from some parents."</ref>
- James Moody, (Template:Circa 1744–1809), loyalist soldier who fought for the British during the American Revolutionary War; after the war, Moody retired to Canada so as not to face punishment as a traitor<ref>"The Loyalist",Sparta Independent, September 21, 2017. Accessed July 11, 2022. "The man George Washington dubbed 'that villain Moody' and New Jersey's loyalist Gov. William Franklin called 'the best Partizan we had,' was born an American in 1744, in Little Egg Harbor in what is now Ocean County."</ref>
- Brian E. Rumpf (born 1964), member of the New Jersey General Assembly since 2003, who also served on the Little Egg Harbor Township Committee, serving as the township's mayor from 2000 to 2003<ref>Assemblyman Rumpf's Legislative Website Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed December 27, 2012.</ref>
See also
[edit]References
[edit]External links
[edit]Template:Ocean County, New Jersey
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