Махва: Тарихы мен географиясы

Township in Bergen County, New Jersey, US
the river named Mahwah

Mahwah is the northernmost and largest municipality by geographic area (26.19 square miles (68 km2)) in Bergen County, in the U. S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 25,487, The name "Mahwah" is derived from the Lenape language word "mawewi" which means "Meeting Place" or "Place Where Paths Meet". The area that is now Mahwah was originally formed as Hohokus Township on April 9, 1849, from portions of the former Franklin Township (now Wyckoff). While known as Hohokus Township, territory was taken to form Orvil Township (on January 1, 1886; remainder of township is now Waldwick), Allendale (November 10, 1894), Upper Saddle River (November 22, 1894), and Ramsey (March 10, 1908). On November 7, 1944, the area was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature as the Township of Mahwah, based on the results of a referendum held that day, replacing Hohokus Township.

The Lenape and ancestral indigenous peoples were the original inhabitants of Mahwah (the meeting place) and surrounding area. Their descendants have combined with other Native Americans and ethnicities and were recognized in 1980 by the state as the Ramapough Mountain Indians. They number approximately 5,000 people living around the Ramapo Mountains of northern New Jersey and southern New York. The tribe is officially recognized by New Jersey, but does not have federal recognition. Their tribal office is located on Stag Hill Road in Mahwah, and the Chief of the Ramapough Lenape Indian Nation is Dwaine Perry (as of March 2007). In 1849, Hohokus Township was established from the northern part of Franklin Township in Bergen County. It extended from the Saddle River on the east to the western boundary of Bergen County with Passaic County and north to the New York border. Hohokus Township was first subdivided in 1886 with the creation of Orvil Township on both sides of the Saddle River, consisting of the eastern portion of Hohokus Township and the western portion of Washington Township. 1894's outbreak of "Boroughitis" brought the creation of the boroughs of Allendale and Upper Saddle River, both of which were created from portions of Hohokus and Orvil Townships. Next to leave was Ramsey, which was created in 1908. Hohokus Township ceased to exist on November 7, 1944, when a referendum was passed creating Mahwah Township from the remaining portions of Hohokus Township. For twenty five years, beginning in 1976, Mahwah hosted the A&P Tennis Classic, a tune up for the U. S. Open tennis tournament held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City's Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. The 75 room, three story Crocker McMillin Mansion, also known as Darlington, was built in 1901 for George Crocker, son of railroad magnate Charles Crocker. The estate, located at Crocker Mansion Drive, is one of New Jersey's historical landmarks. Ford Motor Company operated the Mahwah Assembly plant from 1955, producing 6 million cars in the 25 years it operated before the last car rolled off the line on June 20, 1980. At the time of its completion, it was the largest motor vehicle assembly plant in the United States. The Ford plant, along with other businesses such as American Brake Shoe and Foundry Company, helped contribute to the economic development of the township and its reputation for low home property taxes. The Mahwah town sports teams remain named Thunderbirds in honor of the Ford plant. Due to contractors' dumping of hazardous wastes at the Ringwood Mines landfill site before federal regulation, it has been designated as an EPA Superfund site which needs extensive environmental cleanup. In 2006, some 600 Ramapough Indians filed a mass tort claim against Ford for damages. Mahwah, and the closure of the Ford plant, is mentioned in the opening line of the 1982 Bruce Springsteen song "Johnny 99". In July 2017, while holding the position of Bergen County prosecutor prior to becoming New Jersey Attorney General, Gurbir Grewal ordered the Mahwah police department not to enforce a ban on non New Jersey residents using parks in Mahwah, stating his concern that a ban could lead to anti Semitic religious profiling against the growing population of Orthodox Jews in Mahwah and those visiting from neighboring Rockland County, New York. On December 14, 2017, following the advice of legal counsel, the Mahwah council repealed the still unenforced ban on out of state park users, and abandoned an attempt to amend the sign ordinance to bar "other matter" (the lechis) from being affixed to utility poles to form an Orthodox Jewish eruv.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 25.88 square miles (67.04 km2), including 25.39 square miles (65.76 km2) of land and 0.49 square miles (1.27 km2) of water (1.90%). Mahwah is near the Ramapo Mountains and the Ramapo River. Interstate 287 passes through Mahwah, but the only point of access is at the New Jersey–New York border, where 287 meets Route 17. U. S. Route 202 runs through Mahwah from Oakland to Suffern, across the state line. The Ramapo River runs through the western section of Mahwah. Mahwah is bordered by the municipalities of Allendale, Franklin Lakes, Oakland, Ramsey, Upper Saddle River and Wyckoff in Bergen County; Ringwood in Passaic County; and Airmont, Hillburn, Ramapo and Suffern in Rockland County, New York. Unincorporated communities, localities, and place names located partially or completely within the township include the residential areas of Ackermans Mills, Bear Swamp, Bogerts Ranch Estates, Cragmere, Cragmere Park, Darlington, Fardale, Halifax, Havemeyers Reservoir, Masonicus, Mountainside Farm, Pulis Mills, Ramapo Farm and Wanamakers Mills, along with the mixed residential and commercial area of West Mahwah.

Mahwah has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa).

Campgaw Mountain Reservation is a Bergen County accredited park, covering in Mahwah and portions of Oakland, that has campgrounds and ski slopes for skiing.

The 2010 United States census counted 25,890 people, 9,505 households, and 6,245 families in the township. The population density was There were 9,868 housing units at an average density of The racial makeup was 85.67% (22,180) White, 2.62% (678) Black or African American, 0.56% (146) Native American, 7.81% (2,021) Asian, 0.01% (2) Pacific Islander, 1.40% (363) from other races, and 1.93% (500) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.26% (1,622) of the population. Same sex couples headed 49 households in 2010, an increase from the 27 counted in 2000.

As of the 2000 United States census The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is composed of the Mayor and the seven member Township Council, with all members elected at large to staggered four year terms of office on a non partisan basis as part of the November general election in even numbered years. Four council seats are up for vote together and then three seats and the mayoral seat are up for vote together two years later. The legislative powers of the township are exercised by the Township Council. In September 2010, the township council voted to shift the township's non partisan elections from May to November, citing increased voter participation and prospective savings of $30,000 associated with supporting each election, with the first November election taking place in 2012.

as of 2023, the Mayor of Mahwah is Jim Wysocki, who was elected to succeed John Roth, and whose term of office ends December 31, 2024. Roth had been elected in November 2018 following the recall of the former mayor, William Laforet. Members of the Township Council are Council President Rob Ferguson (2026), Council Vice President Michelle Paz (2026), Janet Ariemma (2026), Kim Bolan (2024), Ward Donigian (2026), Dave May (2024) and Jonathan Wong (2026). Then Mayor Bill Laforet faced a recall election in November 2018, after a resident group submitted in June a list of 5,000 petition signatures that they had collected calling for the action, in excess of the 25% needed to place the measure in front of voters. In the November 2018 general election, Laforet was recalled from office and John Roth was elected mayor. The successful recall was the first in the county for at least 25 years. Michelle Paz, a Republican, was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that was vacated following the resignation of Steven Sbarra that became effective at the end of December 2017, and was elected in her own right in November 2018 to fill the unexpired term. At the January 2017 reorganization meeting, David May was sworn in to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been won by Jonathan Marcus in the November 2016 general election, but which Marcus decided not to accept; May was elected in his own right in the November 2017 general election, to serve the balance of the term. In December 2016, the Township Council selected George Ervin to fill the seat that had been held by Mary Amoroso expiring in December 2018 that became vacant after she was elected the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders; Ervin served on an interim basis until the November 2017 general election, when voters elected him in his own right to fill the balance of the term. Ervin was re elected in the November 2018 election to fill a full four year term, expiring in 2022. In August 1997, due to personal debt, then Mayor David J. Dwork shot and killed himself in the town's mayoral offices. There were also unverified allegations of corruption. Dwork was memorialized with a tree dedicated to him at the site of the Mahwah Public Library. Dwork was succeeded by Richard J. Martel, then a township council member, who served for 14 years until his own death, of natural causes, on March 7, 2011. Martel himself was succeeded by Council President John DaPuzzo as acting mayor.

Mahwah is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 39th state legislative district.

As of March 2011, there were a total of 15,168 registered voters in Mahwah Township, of which 3,410 (22.5% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 4,349 (28.7% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 7,399 (48.8% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 10 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 58.6% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 73.1% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide). In the 2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump received 6,811 votes (52.6% vs. 41.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 5,623 votes (43.4% vs. 54.2%) and other candidates with 525 votes (4.1% vs. 4.6%), among the 13,108 ballots cast by the township's 17,408 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.3% (vs. 72.5% in Bergen County). In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 6,862 votes (56.2% vs. 43.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 5,143 votes (42.1% vs. 54.8%) and other candidates with 99 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among the 12,203 ballots cast by the township's 16,357 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.6% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 6,768 votes (54.3% vs. 44.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 5,501 votes (44.2% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 100 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 12,457 ballots cast by the township's 15,705 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.3% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 6,829 votes (58.1% vs. 47.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 4,829 votes (41.1% vs. 51.7%) and other candidates with 67 votes (0.6% vs. 0.7%), among the 11,758 ballots cast by the township's 14,759 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.7% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 70.4% of the vote (5,115 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 28.5% (2,070 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (79 votes), among the 7,391 ballots cast by the township's 15,601 registered voters (127 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 47.4%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 4,602 votes (57.4% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 2,942 votes (36.7% vs. 48.0%), Independent Chris Daggett with 404 votes (5.0% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 34 votes (0.4% vs. 0.5%), among the 8,018 ballots cast by the township's 15,479 registered voters, yielding a 51.8% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Young World Day School serves students in pre kindergarten through fifth grade using Montessori and traditional educational methods.

Ramapo College is a public liberal arts college founded in 1969 with more than 6,000 students.

as of 2010, the township had a total of 110.29 mile (177 km) of roadways, of which 81.91 mile (132 km) were maintained by the municipality, 20.59 mile (33 km) by Bergen County and 7.79 mile (13 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Interstate 287 and Route 17 merge in Mahwah, and U. S. Route 202 also passes through. The northern terminus of County Route 507 is also in Mahwah. Interstate 87 (the New York State Thruway) is just outside the state in Suffern, New York. Interstate 287 heads north from Franklin Lakes, continuing for 5.3 mile (9 km) to the New York State border. U. S. Route 202 heads north for 5.7 mile (9 km), running from Oakland to the New York State border. Route 17 extends 2.5 mile (4 km) from Ramsey until it forms a concurrency where it merges with Interstate 287. County Route 507 runs 2.0 mile (3 km) across the northeastern portion of the township, from Ramsey to an intersection with U. S. Route 202 near the state line.

NJ Transit rail service is available from the Mahwah station to Secaucus Junction, Hoboken Terminal, and Newark on the Main Line and Bergen County Line. Passengers may also take advantage of express service on the same line from the Ramsey Route 17 station located on Route 17 South and the Suffern station, just across the New York state line. Short Line Bus offers service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan and intermediate locations.