Times Talk
Jack Gibson, Mary Tighe and J.B. Feely took their oath of office at the July 1 city council meeting.
GIBSON ELECTED CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT
Jack Gibson was elected Sea Isle City Council president during the council reorganization meeting July 1. Gibson was nominated by Mary Tighe and elected unanimously to the one-year term of office.
Gibson, Tighe and fellow incumbent J.B. Feely were reinstalled for another round of three-year terms at the meeting and took their oaths of office while surrounded by family and friends. They were re-elected May 11 after running unopposed.
Gibson, who has been serving on city council since 2013, was administered his oath of office by his brother Anthony, a retired Superior Court judge. Tighe has served on the council since 2007, and Feely since 2017.
“We appreciate that voters had confidence in us and voted us back in,” Tighe said. “We hope that we are representing them the way they want us to, and we will continue to.”
The other members of city council are Bill Kehner and Frank Edwardi, Jr.. Council meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. The meetings take place in the City Council Chambers on the third floor of City Hall.
Mayor Desiderio presents “Best of the Best” Award to Lisa and Arthur Iannone, owners of Sands Department Store.
SANDS DEPARTMENT STORE: ‘BEST OF THE BEST’
A pillar of the community, Sands Department Store has been a staple in Sea Isle City since it first opened back in 1958. Sands has been known for having everything … well, except one thing – until now, that is.
Mayor Leonard Desiderio acknowledged the store’s impact on the Sea Isle City community by presenting the owners, Lisa and Arthur Iannone, with the 2021 “Best of the Best” award.
“This award is to honor and acknowledge exceptional businesses – especially those that remained open during the pandemic,” Desiderio said. “We know that running a business this summer can be very difficult due to the lack of part-time help; but despite that, businesses such as Sands Department Store remain open and continue to provide the services that we have become accustomed to receiving – and they do it with a smile.”
Sands Department Store, located at 6208 Landis Ave., is a family-run business that is known in the community for supporting events, giving outstanding customer service, and being a place that residents and vacationers both enjoy visiting. It carries almost anything you could need, from beach essentials to toys and games to household items.
The business was started by Arthur’s father, Matthew, then run by Arthur’s brother, Jim. Now Arthur runs it with the help of his wife Lisa and their two daughters.
“Receiving this honor is greatly appreciated, and we want to thank the mayor and all of our many customers who have supported us through the last 60-plus years – during the good times and especially during the challenging times,” Arthur Iannone said. “Our customers have helped keep us afloat and have made us stronger than ever.”
Teams competing during the first round of the Steve Libro Basketball Tournament on July 17.
CITY LAUNCHING TRIO OF HOOP TOURNEYS
Sea Isle City’s Department of Recreation is launching three new annual men’s basketball tournaments this summer, all at the municipal courts on JFK Boulevard.
Mayor Leonard Desiderio has chosen to name these tournaments in honor of members of the community who have made a great impact in Sea Isle through the Department of Recreation and the sport of basketball.
The Steve Libro Basketball Tournament was held July 17. Libro, who passed away in 2020, was a longtime city commissioner who was involved with Department of Recreation. He and his family have a well-established footprint in Sea Isle.
The Dave Farina Basketball Tournament is scheduled for July 31. Farina is the owner of Farina & Boeshe Real Estate Company. He also is a past chairman of the Tourism Commission and has been involved in numerous community events over the years. When he was younger, Farina was also quite a basketball player in Sea Isle City.
The Bill Liddell Basketball Tournament is set for Aug. 14. Liddell has been involved in recreation in various ways, including running the men’s pickup basketball games on Saturday mornings for many years.
Each tournament will consist of five-on-five games with a maximum of eight players on each team. Every team will have a three-game guarantee, and players must be at least 18. There is a registration fee of $150 per team, used to help cover the costs of the event. Each player will receive a commemorative T-shirt.
“We are very excited to host these new competitions,” said Christie Ostrander of the recreation office. “We look forward to participants from across the region competing here in Sea Isle City during the inaugural year of this program – and we are certain it will be a lot of fun!”
Space is limited, and preregistration is required. To register, visit seaislerec.recdesk.com. For more information, phone the recreation office at 609-263-0050.
Newly installed kayak racks at the Jim Iannone Fishing Pier and Kayak Launch.
KAYAK RACKS INSTALLED AT FISHING PIER
Racks to hold 112 kayaks have been installed at the new Jim Iannone Fishing Pier & Kayak Launch at 60th Street.
The kayak racks are for the use of all Sea Isle City property owners and full-time residents of the city. A lottery will be used each year to determine who will be assigned a spot on the racks for the season.
This year’s lottery has already taken place. Winners were chosen at random by computer and the winners have been notified.
The fresh lottery will be held each year in late winter or early spring. More information on how to enter next year’s lottery will be available via the city’s e-newsletter and website.
While the fishing pier and kayak launch was mostly paid for by a grant from the Cape May County Open Space Board, funds from Sea Isle City’s municipal budget were used to purchase and install the kayak racks. The racks were installed by EZ Docks Unlimited of Middletown.
They will be available for use each year from spring to fall. All kayaks must be removed from the racks by Oct. 31. The racks will then reopen next year on May 1.
Deborah Dunn and Joyce Allegretto of 1st Bank of Sea Isle City donate food and home goods to Saint Maximilian Kolbe Food Pantry.
1st Bank of Sea Isle City’s Tracie Fitzgerald (left) and Kathleen Deever (right) brought donations to Beacon Veterinary Clinic, represented by vet tech Tracy Smedley (second from left) and Dr. Susanne Poff.
1ST BANK OF SEA ISLE CITY LENDS A HAND
The 1st Bank of Sea Isle City loan department staff recently donated goods to Saint Maximilian Kolbe Parish Food Pantries and Beacon Veterinary Clinic in the latest example of the bank helping provide for those in need.
The 1st Bank of Sea Isle City was founded in 1888, with the goal of providing Sea Isle City and the surrounding areas with their banking and loan needs. Since then, the company has continued its goal to help this community by supporting programs that also provide for Sea Isle City and its surrounding areas.
The bank’s loan department carried on this tradition by donating nourishing food items and household provisions to Saint Maximilian Kolbe Food Pantries, which through the Saint Maximilian Kolbe Parish of Marmora feeds families of need in its community.
The members of the loan department also helped the four-legged friends of this community by providing necessary medical equipment, supplies and treats to support the Beacon Veterinary Clinic in Ocean View with its efforts of caring for animals in Cape May County.
The Beacon Veterinary Clinic opened in April as a part of the Beacon Animal Rescue. The clinic services cats and dogs from the rescue as well as those of adopters, volunteers and the general public.
“I am pleased that through the generosity of our lending staff, we were able to assist these two worthy organizations,” said Joyce Allegretto, the bank’s vice president and chief lending officer.
In addition to Allegretto, the members of the loan department are Dawn Evans, Mary Ellen Lindsay, Deborah Dunn, Joe Krajicek, Lauren Barnhart, Tracie Fitzgerald, Kathleen Dever, Sheryl Zappala and Bridget Cardwell.