MOUNT OLIVE (11/2/06) – True to form and as expected Mayor Richard DeLaRoche has sent out a town wide end of campaign scurrilous mailing attacking both the Republican and Democratic candidates running to replace him as mayor.

If the Democrat, John Mania and Republican David Scapicchio wish to respond they will have missed two main news sources, the local weekly papers, the Chronicle and the West Morris Reporter, because their next issue will not be published until next Thursday.

In a last minute e-mail early today to Joyce Estey, the news director at Radio Station WRNJ, DeLaRoche cancelled his participation in a debate with the three mayoral candidates. The third candidate is Independent Walter Lata.

DeLaRoche’s cancellation was a disappointment to Estey and the radio station personnel as they had to scurry about making last minute program changes. The candidates were disappointed as well although both Scapicchio and Mania said they weren’t surprised. He nearly always avoids facing opponents, resorting to lone local television and radio talk shows where he makes claims that are totally untrue.

Statements have come back to Scapicchio and Mania through friends that DeLaRoche has been making outrageous and completely fabricated statements about them and members of the governing body.

In the e-mail canceling his appearance, DeLaRoche said, "I feel the invitation may be misplaced as I am the duly elected Mayor of Mount Olive and my record of public service working always in the best interest of the people of Mount Olive speaks for itself. As a non-candidate I fail to see how my participation would in anyway benefit the people of Mount Olive. I feel the time allotted for the debate would best be spent by all those seeking the office to explain their past performance and why the township voters would want to place them in that high office of public trust."

Not wanting to face opponents is par for the course for DeLaRoche. He declined participation in the Chamber of Commerce candidates night last week; he only was present at two Council meetings since last January and when he was elected three years ago he hadn’t made any campaign appearances, sent no notices or press releases to newspapers and relied again on a last minute defamatory town wide letter that then Mayor Paul Licitra had no time in which to respond.

This space is not available to air the charges DeLaRoche makes other than to say they are totally untrue, and without merit and some are believed to be libelous. If the other candidates choose to respond their responses will be printed here.