New Jersey edition
CogniLocal

Eatontown

Your Community, More Completely.
November 7 · Technical assistant job applications close tonight (today)November 9 · Last day for mail-in ballots to arrive (2 days)November 10 · Council meeting and professional services proposals due (3 days)November 11 · Schools and Community Center closed for Veterans Day (4 days)
Weather at a glance · Eatontown
Loading weather...
Weather data: Open-Meteo

Today in Eatontown

Unofficial results reported by the Two River Times show Mayor Anthony Talerico Jr. leading in Eatontown; mailed ballots can still arrive through Monday, November 9.
Applications for the borough's technical assistant job close tonight, Saturday, November 7, at 11:59 p.m.
The Borough Council's agenda is set for Tuesday, November 10, at 7 p.m. (unconfirmed)
Professional services proposals for 2027 are due Tuesday, November 10, at 10 a.m.
Wampum Lake Dam bids are now due Friday, November 20, at 10 a.m., moved from November 13.
Schools and the Community Center are closed Wednesday, November 11, for Veterans Day.

NEW: newly reported developments or upcoming opportunities. UPDATE: later substantive information on a covered story. ONGOING: continuing useful information. RESOLVED: the reported issue has ended. BACKGROUND: dated historical context, not a new development or confirmation of current availability. UNCONFIRMED: a story, continuing story or detail that could not be confirmed against its cited source on the edition date; the note under the headline says what is not confirmed. Today and countdown lines carry "(unconfirmed)" for the same reason. All local times are Eastern Daylight Time.

Borough & Schools

ONGOING

Community Center lists November closures, trips and programs

The Eatontown Community Center closes Wednesday, November 11, for Veterans Day and Wednesday, November 25, through Monday, November 30, for Thanksgiving, and reopens Tuesday, December 1, according to Eatontown Recreation's adult-programs page.

Pokeno meets every Thursday, next on November 12.

Remaining November trips include Walmart and lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse on Tuesday, November 10; the Columbus Farmer's Market on Thursday, November 12, which the page calls the last trip to Columbus for the year; bingo at the VFW in Port Monmouth on Monday, November 16; Delicious Orchard and lunch at Huddy's on Tuesday, November 17; and brunch at Amy's Omelette House on Tuesday, November 24.

The November 19 birthday lunch and November 23 wreath craft are full. The page says anyone who wants a waiting list spot should call the office; it lists Sarah at 732-389-7666.

UPDATEUNCONFIRMED

Council agenda posted for Tuesday, November 10; October 28 minutes still pending

Not confirmed against the source as of November 7, 2026: the 7 p.m. start time and Borough Hall location of the November 10 meeting; the items on the November 10 agenda (October 28 minutes, the tree-cuttings ordinance and its December 2 hearing, the Parker Road bid award); the October 14 votes, absence and dollar amounts; and the October 28 agenda resolutions. Check the source before relying on it.

The Eatontown Mayor and Council agenda posted on the borough website is for a regular meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 10, at Borough Hall, 47 Broad Street. The borough's annual schedule had listed Thursday, November 12; the posted agenda is the more recent document. The agenda lists approval of the October 28 minutes, the first reading of an ordinance on removal of tree cuttings by private contractors (public hearing listed for December 2), and a consent agenda that includes a resolution awarding the bid for Parker Road Improvements Phases I and II. Those are scheduled items, not decisions.

The agenda lists the next meeting as Monday, November 23, at 4:15 p.m. Minutes of the October 28 meeting are listed as pending on the borough's meetings page; an audio recording is posted, so the results of the votes on that night's resolutions have not been published in minutes.

Minutes of the council's October 14 meeting show the council approved seven consent resolutions, with Councilwoman Maria Grazia Escalante absent. They authorized taking bids for Parker Road improvements, up to $16,000 for Colliers Engineering & Design to do preliminary work on the F. Bliss Price Arboretum bridge replacement, and up to $308,000 for T&M Associates to design Reynolds Drive improvements from Wyckoff Road to Pine Street.

The October 28 agenda listed resolutions on a $57,400 proposal from Brothers Eosso Paving/America Sports Construction to replace the basketball court at Maxwell Park, a shared-services agreement to keep using the Tinton Falls municipal court from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2031, Amendment No. 23 to the Fort Monmouth Reuse and Redevelopment Plan, and designation of Sligo Bay, LLC as redeveloper of 29 Main Street for a financial services business.

ONGOING

Fourth-quarter property taxes were due November 1

Eatontown's fourth-quarter property taxes were due Sunday, November 1. Payments received after the 10-day grace period are charged interest, at 8% on amounts up to $1,500 and 18% above that, according to the borough Tax Office.

The Tax Collector's office is at Borough Hall, 47 Broad Street, and can be reached at 732-720-2576. Bills can also be viewed and paid through the borough's online tax search system.

BACKGROUND

Meadowbrook School auxiliary parking lot has a right-turn-only exit

The auxiliary parking lot next to Meadowbrook School opened to families in September, Superintendent Scott McCue said in a September 21 letter. He credited a partnership between the Board of Education and the borough, and said a few steps remained before the project is finished.

Drivers enter through the existing entrance and leave through a new exit on the opposite side, where only right turns are allowed. Drivers are asked to follow the lines that have been installed and use designated spaces. The lot has two accessible spaces, and traffic is monitored by security camera by school and police officials.

ONGOING

Eatontown schools close November 11 for Veterans Day

Eatontown Public Schools is closed Wednesday, November 11, for Veterans Day, according to the district's 2026-27 calendar. Schools were closed Thursday, November 5, and Friday, November 6, for the NJEA Convention.

Wednesday, November 25, is a one-session day for students and staff, and schools are closed Thursday, November 26, and Friday, November 27, for Thanksgiving recess.

ONGOING

Borough takes proposals for 2027 professional appointments until November 10

Eatontown is accepting proposals for its 2027 professional appointments until 10 a.m. Tuesday, November 10, at Borough Hall, 47 Broad Street, according to a request for proposals signed by Borough Clerk Trina Lindsey.

The request lists 26 positions, including borough attorney, borough engineer, auditor, bond attorney, prosecutor, public defender, planner, grant writer and affordable housing agent, along with attorneys, engineers and planners for the Planning Board and Zoning Board, which those boards appoint themselves.

BACKGROUND

Eatontown schools post 2026 state test results presentation

Eatontown Public Schools has posted the 2026 state assessment presentation given at the Board of Education's Monday, October 26, meeting, Superintendent Scott T. McCue said in an October 27 letter. It covers New Jersey Student Learning Assessment results along with results from the NJ DLM test and the ACCESS for ELLs test.

McCue wrote that the district-level data shows where the district is doing well and where it needs improvement, along with steps the district is taking. The full presentation is linked from the district's Curriculum and Instruction page, and questions go to each school's principal.

Parks, Housing & Jobs

ONGOINGUNCONFIRMED

Council approves preliminary study for arboretum bridge replacement

Not confirmed against the source as of November 7, 2026: the October 14 council authorization of Colliers Engineering & Design, the $16,000 cap and the described scope of the study. Check the source before relying on it.

The Eatontown Borough Council on October 14 authorized Colliers Engineering & Design to do preliminary due diligence for the bridge replacement at the F. Bliss Price Arboretum and Wildlife Sanctuary, at a cost not to exceed $16,000, according to the meeting minutes. The work includes evaluating existing conditions, identifying environmental and regulatory constraints and setting out preliminary replacement concepts.

The resolution says the work is meant to lay out a path through survey, permitting, geotechnical investigation, final design, bidding and construction. Monmouth County awarded Eatontown $65,000 for Phase II of the bridge replacement through its 2026 Municipal Open Space Grant program, which the county announced September 29 as $9.15 million in grants to 27 municipalities.

The grant and the study authorization are early steps; neither is a construction contract.

UPDATE

Wampum Lake Dam bid opening moves to November 20

Eatontown will open bids for the Wampum Lake Dam Rehabilitation at 10 a.m. Friday, November 20, in the Council Chambers at Borough Hall, 47 Broad Street, according to a revised notice to bidders on the borough's bids page. The notice lists Addendum No. 1, issued October 30, and Addendum No. 2, issued November 4.

An earlier revised notice had set the opening for November 13, and the first notice for November 5. The bids page lists the November 13 and November 20 notices side by side; the November 20 notice is the one that carries Addendum No. 2.

The notice gives contractors 360 calendar days from the notice to proceed. The work includes replacing the timber bulkhead with sheet piling, rebuilding the auxiliary spillway, building two timber fishing piers and a concrete sidewalk, and replacing a sanitary sewer line. The notice says the project is funded in whole or in part through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

ONGOING

Borough technical assistant job closes tonight

Eatontown is taking applications for a full-time technical assistant in its Department of Construction/Building until 11:59 p.m. tonight, Saturday, November 7, according to the borough jobs page. The job works Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at an annual salary of $50,000.

Community, Food & Recreation

ONGOING

Borough directory lists two local pantries and a regional food bank

Eatontown's food-resource directory lists the Eatontown Food Co-op at 15 Meridian Drive, off Industrial Way (732-547-8359), and Saint Dorothea's Pantry at 240 Broad Street (732-542-0148). It also points to Fulfill of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, whose Neptune facility can be reached at 732-918-2600.

The directory does not give distribution hours or eligibility details, so call ahead for the current schedule.

ONGOING

Memorial School Thanksgiving food drive runs through November 13

Memorial School's CSA is collecting nonperishable food and canned goods for families in need through Friday, November 13, according to the Eatontown Public Schools website. The drive began October 19.

Donations go in collection boxes in classrooms.

ONGOING

Eatontown Youth Committee meets monthly for students in grades 6 to 12

The Eatontown Youth Committee, open to students in grades 6 through 12, meets once a month on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Eatontown Community Center, 72 Broad Street. Membership is free for residents, with registration through Eatontown Recreation.

The program page lists no November meeting. The next listed meeting is Wednesday, December 2, followed by January 6, February 3, March 3, April 7 and May 5, 2027. Eatontown Recreation can be reached at 732-389-7607.

ONGOING

Winter recreation basketball registration closes November 25

Eatontown Recreation's winter basketball league has a November 25 registration deadline. Practices begin the week of December 7 and games begin the week of January 11, 2027. The resident fee is $95.

Divisions run from a kindergarten and first-grade Bitty group through boys and girls divisions up to eighth grade. Late registrations are handled case by case with a late fee, and the page says volunteer coaches are needed.

ONGOING

Pre-K basketball clinic runs Saturdays starting January 9

Eatontown Recreation is taking registrations for a seven-week basketball clinic for 4- and 5-year-olds, held Saturdays from January 9 through February 20, 2027, from 9 to 9:45 a.m. at the Meadowbrook School gym, 65 Wyckoff Road. The resident fee is $75.

Children must be 4 by the start date, with no exceptions, according to the page. Registration help is available at 732-389-7607.

ONGOING

Community Center offers free weekly fitness classes for adults

Eatontown Recreation runs weekly fitness classes for adults 18 and over in the Room With Stage at the Eatontown Community Center, 72 Broad Street. Most are free: Healthy Bones (Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m., Fridays at 10 and 11:30 a.m.), Cardio Sculpt (Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m.), Chair Yoga (every other Tuesday at 10:45 a.m.) and Tai Chi (Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.).

Cardio, Core and More meets Fridays at 9 a.m. and is free for Eatontown residents and $10 for nonresidents. Zumba meets Tuesdays at 6 p.m. for $10 a session. The boxing classes listed on the page are not running at this time. Registration help is available at 732-389-7607.

Elections

UPDATE

Talerico leads unofficial results in Eatontown mayor's race; Faust and Jones lead for council

Democratic Mayor Anthony Talerico Jr. led Republican Councilwoman Maria Grazia Escalante in Eatontown's November 3 mayoral race, 2,913 votes (67.03%) to 1,428 (32.86%), the Two River Times reported. The newspaper cited unofficial results on the Monmouth County Clerk's website as of press time Wednesday, November 4.

For the two full-term Borough Council seats, Democrats Candace M. Faust (2,736 votes) and Danielle M. Jones (2,659) led Republicans Kevin Gonzalez (1,623) and Ali Mehdaoui (1,516), according to the same report.

Mailed ballots had to be postmarked by Election Day and can still be received by the Board of Elections within 144 hours (six days) after the polls closed, according to the Monmouth County Clerk. That puts the deadline at November 9, so the totals may change.

ONGOING

Two candidates were on the ballot for three Eatontown school board seats

Eatontown's November 3 ballot included three full-term seats on the Eatontown Board of Education, with two candidates listed: Linda Rogers and Ben Haygood, according to the Monmouth County Clerk's official Board of Education candidate list. The list shows no petition filed for the third seat.

Eatontown voters also had one full-term seat representing the borough on the Monmouth Regional High School Board of Education, where Daniel Murphy was the only listed candidate. School board races in New Jersey are nonpartisan, and the county list shows no party or slogan for these candidates. Results were not available for this report.

AI in Your Community

BACKGROUND

Monmouth Regional handbook sets rules for classroom AI

Monmouth Regional's 2026-27 student handbook allows students to use AI when teaching staff permit it, as a supplemental aid for brainstorming. Students must cite AI-generated content, and teaching staff must clarify whether students are prohibited from using AI on assignments.

The handbook bars sharing confidential or personally identifiable information with AI technology and says the policy prohibits relying on AI detection tools as the sole determination of academic integrity. It directs the Chief School Administrator or designee to make sure parents and guardians are informed of AI use within the curriculum.

Still Developing

The latest confirmed movement, the open question and the next checkpoint.

OPEN

Police plate-reader record does not identify the current vendor

The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Atlas of Surveillance lists an Eatontown Police automated license-plate-reader program, citing a New Jersey State Police audit released in July 2025. The inventory does not identify a vendor or establish current camera counts, retention or sharing settings. A borough policy, contract or accessible audit is still needed.

First covered October 1, 2026.

About CogniLocal

CogniLocal is human-led community information supported by AI-assisted research, source discovery, verification and story tracking. Editorial judgment and final publication decisions remain human. Meet the publisher and read the editorial standards.

News tips and corrections: editor@cognilocal.com.