Smilestones
LOOK WHAT THE STORK BROUGHT
AVA ROSE IANNELLI
Ava Rose Iannelli made first-time parents of Alfred and Ashleyann Iannelli, of Egg Harbor Township, on July 14. Ava weighed in at 6 pounds, 13 ounces and measured 19 inches long. Her dad, Al, is the owner of Diamonds Liquor and The Accounting Network, and her mom, Ashley, is a teacher in the Egg Harbor Township School District and a realtor with the TI Realty Group. Ava’s grandparents include Roxann Ragusa, of Sea Isle City, and Al and Maryann Iannelli, of Sewell.
COBIA CATCH BREAKS STATE RECORD
Joe Cunningham broke the state record for spearfishing cobia on Aug. 11 with his 59-inch catch that weighed in at 74.5 pounds at Sea Isle Bait and Tackle. The old mark of 60 pounds was set in 2015.
Cunningham, a contractor and charter boat captain, was out on a family fishing trip on Aug. 10 when he spotted several large cobia while fishing for king mackerel. Unable to get them to bite on any of his lines, they finally gave up. The following day, much like the name of their boat, the Cunninghams were “Relentless” – heading back out to the spot where they spotted the monster fish the day before.
Within 10 minutes, he spotted the cobia in nearly the same spot from the day before. After spearing the fish, it took two to three minutes of fighting before he was able to get the fish over his boat’s gunnel with the assistance of his wife, Kelly.
“I wasn’t thinking about any kind of record,” he said. It wasn’t until he was back at his dock that someone alerted him after seeing his post on social media that he might have speared a state record.
UPPER TWP. DUO PLACE THIRD IN AROUND THE ISLAND ROW
Ryan Fisher and Kyle Rumaker of the Upper Township Beach Patrol placed third in the 44th annual Bud Tarbotton Around the Island Row, hosted by the North Wildwood Beach Patrol on Aug. 13. Competing in the grueling, 20-mile race for the first time, their time was 2 hours, 40 minutes and 21.4 seconds, less than 3 minutes behind the winners, Ventnor’s Brett Hanson and Doug Davis. The defending champs, Wildwood Crest’s Darrick Kobierowski and Terry McGovern, were second.
Rumaker and Fisher have been a doubles team for four years. The duo started off strong this season, winning the Cape May County championships and placing second in the Atlantic City Classic as well as the Six-Mile Bay Race.
From left, Frank Edwardi, William Kehner, J.B. Feeley, Wawa Area Manager Lori Allar, Wawa Sea Isle City Store Manager Loretta Murphy, Mayor Desiderio, Chief Thomas McQuillen, Jack Gibson and Mary Tighe.
WAWA SALUTED FOR SICPD GRANT
The Wawa Foundation was recognized for its generosity to the Sea Isle City Police Department at the Aug. 13 City Council meeting. The foundation recently awarded the SICPD a $8,246 grant to purchase body armor and other protective gear for 23 officers. Mayor Leonard Desiderio presented Loretta Murphy and Lori Allar with a plaque in appreciation.
“This is the latest example of Wawa helping the local first responders of this community,” Police Chief Thomas McQuillen said. “Time and time again, Wawa continues to show that they genuinely care about the well-being of others. The equipment this grant was able to provide our department will go a long way to the everyday well-being of our officers – and the well-being of our community.”
