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New Jersey Town Fights For Its Name, Again
By
Ben Muessig
Published Nov 2, 2009
Modified Nov 2, 2009
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By
Ben Muessig
Published Nov 2, 2009
Modified Nov 2, 2009
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There are big elections tomorrow, but the most interesting race might take place in a tiny NJ town that'll be voting on its name for the fifth time since 1989. Woodland Park, population 11,000, received its outdoorsy name last year, but will decide whether or not to reinstate the community's old name, West Paterson. The pro-Woodland Park contingent says the new moniker helps distance the town from the stigma of poorer neighbor, Paterson, while the pro-West Paterson folks claim the name Woodland Park betrays the community's history and "sounds like a cemetery," according to the Times. Currently, the town is stuck between both names: The official website welcomes visitors to the "Borough of Woodland Park" with the URL www.westpaterson.com
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