Holden, Massachusetts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Holden, Massachusetts | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Massachusetts | ||
| County | Worcester | ||
| Settled | 1723 | ||
| Incorporated | 1741 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Open town meeting | ||
| - Town Manager |
Brian J. Bullock | ||
| - Board of Selectmen |
David J. White James M. Jumonville Kenneth O'Brien Kimberly N. Ferguson Joseph G. Sullivan |
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| Area | |||
| - Total | 36.2 sq mi (93.8 km²) | ||
| - Land | 35.0 sq mi (90.6 km²) | ||
| - Water | 1.2 sq mi (3.2 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 860 ft (262 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Total | 15,621 | ||
| - Density | 446.4/sq mi (172.4/km²) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 01520 | ||
| Area code(s) | 508 / 774 | ||
| FIPS code | 25-30560 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0618365 | ||
| Website: http://www.townofholden.net/ | |||
Holden is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is bounded on the west by Rutland; on the northwest by Princeton; on the east by Sterling and West Boylston; on the southeast by Worcester; and on the southwest by Paxton.
The population was 15,621 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.2 square miles (93.8 km²), of which, 35.0 square miles (90.6 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.2 km²) of it (3.40%) is water. The landscape is dominated by hills, rivers, and the mighty Quinapoxet River
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 15,621 people, 5,715 households, and 4,423 families residing in the town. The population density was 446.4 people per square mile (172.4/km²). There were 5,827 housing units at an average density of 166.5/sq mi (64.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.39% White, 0.49% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.96% of the population.
There were 5,715 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.8% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $64,297, and the median income for a family was $73,614. Males had a median income of $52,203 versus $36,194 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,971. About 2.0% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
| County government: Worcester County | |
|---|---|
| Clerk of Courts: | Dennis P. McManus (D) |
| District Attorney: | Joseph D. Early, Jr. (D) |
| Registrar of Deeds: | Anthony J. Vigliotti (D) |
| Registrar of Probate: | Stephen Abraham (D) |
| County Sheriff: | Guy W. Glodis (D) |
| State government | |
| State Representative(s): | Lewis G. Evangelidis (R) |
| State Senator(s): | Harriette L. Chandler (D) |
| Governor's Councilor(s): | Thomas J. Foley (D) |
| Federal government | |
| U.S. Representative(s): | James P. McGovern (D-3rd District), |
| U.S. Senators: | Ted Kennedy (D), John Kerry (D) |
[edit] Schools
Holden is part of the five town Wachusett Regional School District, which also includes neighboring towns Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, and Sterling. The towns share the newly renovated Wachusett Regional High School. Holden has three elementary schools; Davis Hill Elementary, Dr. Leroy E. Mayo Elementary, and Dawson Elementary.
[edit] Fire Department
| Holden Fire Department |
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| Staffing | Part Time/Full Time/Auxiliary |
| Stations | 2 |
| Engines | 4 |
| Trucks | 1 |
| Squads | 1 |
| Rescues | 1 |
| EMS Level | EMT |
| Fire chief | Jack Chandler III |
| Title | Collar and Badge Insignia | Helmet Color | Helmet Shield Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief of Department | 5 crossed bugles, gold background | White | White |
| Deputy Chief | 4 crossed bugles, gold background | White | White |
| Captain | 2 vertical parallel bugles, blue background | Yellow | White |
| Lieutenant | 1 vertical bugle, blue background | Yellow | White |
| Firefighter (includes both EMT and Paramedic) |
Silver with "firefighter scramble" | Black | Black |
| Explorer | Silver with "Explorer 'E'" | No collar insignia | Green |
| Firefighters must be a minimum of EMT-Basic (EMT-B) to run EMS calls. |
The Holden Fire Department is basically run as a fire department but does run EMS calls. What makes the department more of a fire based department is the fact that receiving an EMT certification is not mandatory but those that do obtain an EMT certification run what's called "The Squad". Holden's Squad 1 responds to every EMS call in Holden. Holden does not run a fire-based ambulance service but instead leases the services of American Medical Response, a private ambulance provider.
The fire department in Holden has reached out to the community in many ways. The fire deparment supports the S.A.F.E. program by going to different schools and teaching children the importance of fire safety and the Holden Fire Department has a Fire Service Exploring program for young adults ages 14-21. The Fire Service Exploring program in Holden is currently the leading program in Massachusetts with a total of 32 registered Explorers.
The department still owns and maintains its 1920s Ahrens Fox pumper. This apparatus was Engine 1 from the late 1920s until the late 1950s.
[edit] Public Safety Building Proposal
Holden Fire Chief Jack Chandler III has been actively exploring the possibility of either adding on to the original station or demolishing the original station and just starting from scratch. If the proposal was to be approved, Chandler would pursue the possibility of purchasing an ambulance instead of continuing with a private ambulance service.
[edit] References
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
