Monk, twp. try to reach compromise over sign BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer Archimandrite Ephraem Bertolette MIDDLETOWN - The self-described monk who calls his suburban home a monastery is cooperating with authorities regarding the large sign on his front lawn. On June 18, Archimandrite Ephraem Bertolette, 63, received notice from the township giving him 14 days to remove the sign or face legal prosecution. Contending it was a religious obligation to keep the sign in place, Ephraem vowed at the time that he would go to jail before abiding by the township's demand. The sign states the culde sac home is the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Saint Barbara. Ephraem said he erected the sign in order to gain legitimacy in his battle for tax-exempt status. Township Attorney Bernard Reilly, who Ephraem refers to as "the devil," said the monk's attorney has been working with the town. "We are reviewing the situation," Reilly said recently. "He's gotten himself an attorney, and there's been some discussion about a compromise or a relocation of the sign or a blocking of the sign." On Monday, Ephraem said he didn't know anything about the talks and referred comment to his new attorney, John Marinan. Marinan is a former Middletown police officer, according to Reilly. "He's made some overtures towards resolving it," Reilly said of the attorney. Marinan was unavailable for comment on Monday, but according to Reilly, Marinan argues that there are large estates on Navesink River Road that have signs declaring homes to be horse farms or other similar declarations. "They are arguably saying it's the same thing," Reilly said. "My point is he has raised certain arguments and frankly, I'm still looking into it." Because the argument relates to a religious matter, Reilly wants to take care to investigate the subject thoroughly before acting any further. "As the saying goes, act in haste and repent in leisure," Reilly said. Reilly said he hopes an agreement can be reached in which the sign is placed out of sight, say, in the backyard. "You can do a lot of things in your backyard as long as nobody sees it," Reilly said.