Alpha is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

in Warren County, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its s ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the borough's population was 2,369,DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Alpha borough, Warren County, New Jersey

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

. Accessed May 31, 2013.Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Alpha borough
,

New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The New Jersey Civil Service Commission is an independent body within the New Jersey state government under the auspices of t ...

. Accessed May 31, 2013. reflecting a decline of 113 (−4.6%) from the 2,482 counted in the 2000 census, which had in turn declined by 48 (−1.9%) from the 2,530 counted in the 1990 census. Alpha was incorporated as a borough from portions of Pohatcong Township by an act of the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the ...

passed on June 26, 1911, and signed by Governor

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

, based on the results of a referendum held on May 31, 1911.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 245. Accessed October 25, 2012. The borough was named for the Alpha Cement Works.

History

Formally known as Vulcanite, Alpha was incorporated on June 26, 1911, but its history can be traced back to a much earlier date. At the time of the Great Blizzard of 1888, there were only seven houses in what is now the corporate limits of Alpha. The exact date on which the first house in Alpha is uncertain. One of the first homes in the community was a two-room log cabin constructed by the Pursel family beside an old Indian Trail on the former property of the Vulcanite Portland Cement Company, now New Brunswick Avenue. Less than two years after incorporating, the community obtained a continuation of the streetcar line from Phillipsburg and electric street lights were installed.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.72 square miles (4.44 km²), including 1.68 square miles (4.35 km²) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.09 km²) of water (2.03%). Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Vulcanite. The borough is completely surrounded by Pohatcong Township, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.

Demographics

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educat ...

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways o ...

was $63,953 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,724) and the median family income was $73,929 (+/− $6,822). Males had a median income of $49,461 (+/− $3,100) versus $40,859 (+/− $5,262) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the borough was $28,567 (+/− $2,455). About 4.0% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 U.S. census, there were 2,482 people, 989 households, and 688 families residing in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberP ...

was 1,462.0 people per square mile (563.7/km²). There were 1,034 housing units at an average density of 609.1 per square mile (234.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.06%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.28%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

, 0.04% Native American, 1.21% Asian, 0.64% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.77% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties form ...

or Latino of any race were 1.89% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Alpha borough, New Jersey

. Accessed May 31, 2013.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Alpha borough, Warren County, New Jersey

. Accessed May 31, 2013. There were 989 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.05. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $42,209, and the median income for a family was $45,435. Males had a median income of $39,957 versus $26,576 for females. The

for the borough was $20,104. About 5.5% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the

, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Alpha is governed under the

Borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the Borough Council, with all positions elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council is comprised of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 103. The Borough form of government used by Alpha is a "

weak mayor Weak may refer to: Songs * "Weak" (AJR song), 2016 * "Weak" (Melanie C song), 2011 * "Weak" (SWV song), 1993 * "Weak" (Skunk Anansie song), 1995 * "Weak", a song by Seether from '' Seether: 2002-2013'' Television episodes * "Weak" (''Fear t ...

/ strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Veto p ...

ordinances subject to an

override Override may refer to: * Dr. Gregory Herd, a Marvel Comics character formerly named Override * Manual override, a function where an automated system is placed under manual control * Method overriding, a subclassing feature in Object Oriented pr ...

by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council. , the

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Alpha Borough is Republican Craig S. Dunwell, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Alpha Borough Council are Council President Robert J. Melick Jr. (R, 2023), Angela Bickar ( I, 2022; elected to serve an unexpired term), Louis J. Cartabona (R, 2023), Todd W. Pantuso (R, 2022), Peter Petinelli (R, 2024) and Jodie Smith (R, 2024).Mayor & Council
Borough of Alpha. Accessed February 28, 2022.Summary Results Report 2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results
Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.Warren County 2020 General Election November 20, 2020 Official Results
Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.General Election November 5, 2019, Warren County Official Tally

Warren County, New Jersey Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 109,632, representing an increase of 940 (0.9%) from the 108,692 residents counted at the 2010 census. The county borde ...

, updated November 12, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. Angela Bickar was elected to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Edward Hanics Jr. Republican councilmember Jack Preiss and Democrat Kathleen Ronan, both serving terms ending in December 2018, resigned from office in September 2016. Preiss cited time conflicts with his work duties, while Ronan expressed her frustrations with working with the rest of the council. Louis Cartabona was chosen to fill the seat held by Preiss. In October, the council selected Jennifer Gable from a list of three nominees submitted by the Democratic municipal committee to fill Ronan's vacant seat. In the 2017 general election, Louis J. Cartabona and Alan Singleton were elected to serve the balance of the two unexpired terms of office.General Election November 7, 2017, Warren County Official Tally

, updated November 14, 2017. Accessed January 1, 2018. Harry Zikas became the state's youngest mayor ever when he took office in 2000 at the age of 21. Zikas announced his resignation from office in September 2014, citing his acceptance of a job in Northern New Jersey. With Mayor Ed Hanics casting the tiebreaking vote, Tracy Grossman was selected in October 2014 to fill the remainder of Zikas's term of office. In January 2014, the borough council selected Millard Rooks to fill the vacant seat expiring in December 2015 of Michael Savary, who had resigned after pleading guilty to disorderly tampering with public records.

Federal, state and county representation

Alpha is located in the 7th Congressional districtPlan Components Report

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington; ...

, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 23rd state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as we ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019. Prior to the 2010 Census, Alpha had been part of the , a change made by the

that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, p. 54, New Jersey

. Accessed May 22, 2015.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 1,441 registered voters in Alpha, of which 548 (38.0% vs. 21.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 296 (20.5% vs. 35.3%) were registered as Republicans and 596 (41.4% vs. 43.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.Voter Registration Summary - Warren

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed May 31, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 60.8% (vs. 62.3% in Warren County) were registered to vote, including 78.7% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 81.5% countywide). In the

2012 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January: ...

, Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

received 497 votes (51.1% vs. 40.8% countywide), ahead of Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusett ...

with 436 votes (44.8% vs. 56.0%) and other candidates with 25 votes (2.6% vs. 1.7%), among the 973 ballots cast by the borough's 1,457 registered voters, for a turnout of 66.8% (vs. 66.7% in Warren County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...

received 470 votes (47.7% vs. 55.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 464 votes (47.1% vs. 41.4%) and other candidates with 18 votes (1.8% vs. 1.6%), among the 985 ballots cast by the borough's 1,408 registered voters, for a turnout of 70.0% (vs. 73.4% in Warren County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

received 510 votes (50.1% vs. 61.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...

with 489 votes (48.0% vs. 37.2%) and other candidates with 12 votes (1.2% vs. 1.3%), among the 1,018 ballots cast by the borough's 1,369 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.4% (vs. 76.3% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in ...

received 70.0% of the vote (442 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

with 26.9% (170 votes), and other candidates with 3.0% (19 votes), among the 651 ballots cast by the borough's 1,471 registered voters (20 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 44.3%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 334 votes (48.2% vs. 61.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran ...

with 251 votes (36.2% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 64 votes (9.2% vs. 9.8%) and other candidates with 21 votes (3.0% vs. 1.5%), among the 693 ballots cast by the borough's 1,397 registered voters, yielding a 49.6% turnout (vs. 49.6% in the county).

Education

Students in

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called Pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschoo ...

through

eighth grade Eighth grade (or grade eight in some regions) is the eighth post- kindergarten year of formal education in the US. The eighth grade is the ninth school year, the second, third, fourth, or final year of middle school, or the second and/or final ...

for public school attend the Alpha School District at Alpha School.''Warren County 2022-2023 Public School Directory''

. Accessed December 27, 2022. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 211 students and 24.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 student ...

of 8.6:1.District information for Alpha Borough School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district financ ...

. Accessed April 1, 2020. In the 2016–2017 school year, Alpha had the 42nd smallest enrollment of any school district in the state, with 194 students. Public school students in

ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, it ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 1 ...

s attend Phillipsburg High School in Phillipsburg, which serves students from Alpha as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the

Phillipsburg School District The Phillipsburg School District is a comprehensive public school district in Phillipsburg, in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. The district serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from a population of 16,000 peop ...

. The high school also serves students from four other sending communities:

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...

(in Hunterdon County), Greenwich Township, Lopatcong Township and Pohatcong Township. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,650 students and 126.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 13.0:1. Students from the borough and from all of Warren County are eligible to attend Ridge and Valley Charter School in Blairstown (for grades K–8) or Warren County Technical School in Washington borough (for 9–12), with special education services provided by local districts supplemented throughout the county by the Warren County Special Services School District in Oxford Township (for Pre-K–12).

Transportation

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Warren County and by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. The main road that goes through is CR 519. Route 122 runs through briefly in the north. While

Interstate 78 Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland Tu ...

passes through the southern portion of the borough, the closest access point is at US 22 in neighboring Pohatcong. The

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (3 ...

's Lehigh Line (formerly the mainline of the

Lehigh Valley Railroad The Lehigh Valley Railroad was a railroad built in the Northeastern United States to haul anthracite coal from the Coal Region in Pennsylvania. The railroad was authorized on April 21, 1846 for freight and transportation of passengers, goods, wa ...

), runs through Alpha on its way to

Phillipsburg, New Jersey Phillipsburg is a town located along the Delaware River in Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located across the river directly east from Easton, Pennsylvania. Phillipsburg is the most populous municipality in Warren County ...

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Alpha include: * Joe Buzas (1919–2003), Minor League Baseball executive who played one season with the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

* Hector A. Cafferata Jr. (1929–2016),

United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...

who received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor ...

for his actions at the

Battle of Chosin Reservoir The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Battle of Lake Changjin (), was an important battle in the Korean War. The name "Chosin" is derived from the Japanese pronunciation "''Chōshin'', instead of th ...

during the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

* Jack Orchulli (born 1946), politician * Jennie Somogyi (born 1977/78), ballet dancer who joined the

New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's ...

in 1993, at age 15, became a principal dancer in 2000, and retired in 2015 Smith, Dinitia
"Dance; Two Rising Stars, On Different Arcs"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', February 11, 1996. Accessed January 3, 2021. "There is little in her background to make Ms. Somogyi a candidate for the role of classical ballerina. She was raised in Alpha, a small town in central New Jersey, where her father is a mechanic, her mother a receptionist."

References

External links

Borough of Alpha official website
{{Authority control 1911 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in Warren County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1911