Carlsbad

With a handshake, Carlsbad Councilmen Mark Pettine and John Mamaux have apparently called a truce in the dogged battle of wits they have waged since the November election.

At the council’s meeting Tuesday night, Pettine offered his hand to Mamaux as a gesture of reconciliation. After some hesitation, Mamaux grabbed it briefly.

The pair have waged verbal warfare, with Mamaux typically on the offensive and Pettine launching occasional counterattacks, since Mamaux was elected in November.

Mamaux said he was angered because Pettine, an incumbent, charged he was a building industry cohort. In the months since, the pair have clashed on numerous issues. The latest salvo was fired earlier this month, when Mamaux organized a meeting between Carlsbad business leaders and the council but failed to invite Pettine.

The war of words between the pair upset their council colleagues, in particular Mayor Claude (Bud) Lewis. On Tuesday, Lewis issued a stern warning that the councilmen should cut out the “petty bickering.”

Pettine agreed that the battle should end but Mamaux complained that Pettine still had not apologized for calling him “a danger and a peril to Carlsbad” during the campaign. Pettine denied he had ever said that and, ultimately, the pair shook hands.