Candidates battle
over Delilah’s Den
Eatontown stops workers from renovating building
By sherry conohan
Staff Writer

Fireworks broke out at last week’s Eatontown Borough Council meeting, with charges of dirty politics and ducking on Delilah’s Den.

The resulting explosions provided more of a civics lesson than expected for 10 Monmouth Regional High School students who happened to be participating in Student Government Night at the council meeting of Oct. 23.

The sharp exchanges on the council and with the public were touched off by Councilman John J. Collins, a Republican seeking re-election, when he read a statement condemning "questionable political tactics" being employed in the campaign, specifically an anonymous flier and anonymous recorded phone messages.

Collins suggested that they could be the work of someone in the Republican Party.

"I repudiate these tactics and ask voters to reject them," Collins said.

"If these efforts are conducted by an overzealous supporter, I ask that they cease immediately," he said. "If, on the other hand, it is a deliberate and cynical contravention of law and local standards, then those responsible should know that they are not welcome in the Eatontown Republican Party."

Mayor Gerald J. Tarantolo, a Democrat who is also running for re-election, said he seemed to be the target of the "dirty politics" Collins was talking about and asked Collins if he denied that any other candidate on the GOP ticket with him was responsible for the actions to which he referred.

Collins again said he was repudiating the actions.

"These acts I have no personal knowledge of," Collins insisted. "I repudiate these in the strongest terms."