World-Record Payout In 50th WMO

out of Ocean City took third and earned John Zimmerman from Boynton Beach, Fla , $169,929

All spots in the wahoo division were covered with Shooting Star out of Indian River, Del , taking first place and $4,700 with a 57-pounder caught by John Harris from Boyertown, Pa Captain Deadly out of Ocean City took second and $31,065 for angler Chad Jackson from Ft Myers, Fla The third-place wahoo was caught by Matthew Gessler from Chads Ford, Pa , of the Boy’s Toy out of Indian River Del His 46-pounder took $29,065 It should be noted that the Gessler family has been fishing the open for decades The father, sons and daughters have all won money in the open In the 1993 tournament, then-15year-old Tommy Gessler Jr won the top marlin and the Rolex watch that came as a special prize that year ney off the High Yield with 700 points Dave McKendrick fishing on the Taylor Jean took third with 665 points Top female angler was Holly McAlhany on Sweet Spot with 560 points, second place female angler was Kelly Weber on Max Bet with 420 points and the thirdplace female angler was Jaclyn Tenuto on Sequel with 350 points

Next year ’s White Marlin Open will be held from Aug 5-9

All boats winning prize money from the $10 5 million purse are listed below Floor Reel, $6,235,436

Reel Tight, $1,019,440

Fishlik, $366,661

Game Over, $169,928

Ro Sham Bo, $1,782,403

Reel OPPOR-TUNA-TY, $88,406

Taylor Jean, $28,925

Fin Planner, $58,740

Max Bet, $60,965

OCEAN CITY –The 400 registered boats for the 50th Annual White Marlin Open were probably the most conservation-minded group that has ever fished the open – or any other billfish tournament held in recent memory Of the 605 billfish caught during the five-day event, 602 were released

With over $7 million of the total $10 5 million purse reserved for billfish, it was remarkable not one boat brought a noncontender to the scale before the closing day on Friday

For the first four fishing days, tuna ruled the scales and the prize money That changed on the final day when the Floor Reel out of Ocean City made the 6 p m bridge and headed for the Harbour Island scales with a fish they knew would qualify It was the third billfish brought to the scales Friday The first was the Skirt Chaser out of Manteo, N C , with a 67 5-pound white marlin that made the 70-inch minimum needed to weigh, but just missed the 70-pound minimum to qualify The No Limit out of Indian River, Del , brought in a blue marlin that possibly lost a bit of length in the hours after being boated and missed the 114-inch minimum length by two inches, so it was not weighed

The blue marlin from the Floor Reel left no doubt when it was measured at 118-inch in the boat before electrifying the crowd while tipping the scales at 640 5 pounds Caught by John Ols from Laytonsville, Md , it proved to be the only qualifying billfish and won most of the money reserved for both white and blue marlin The $6 2 million awarded sets a new world record for the catch of a fish

Buried in tournament rules are the contingencies for awarding prize money if a category is not won Little known to the public was the fact that before the blue marlin qualified on Friday, a 215pound tuna caught off the Ro Sham Bo out of Ocean City by Rusty Shriver of Leonardtown, Md , was winning over $7 1 million If no marlin are caught, that prize money goes to the heaviest tuna in that division With the only qualifying fish in the special 50th-anniversary winner-take-all level, the Ro Sham Bo did win the $1 7 million dollars it held

The heaviest tuna was a 265-pound bigeye caught off the Reel Tight out of Ocean City by Brian Stewart from Shady Side, Md , who won $1,019,441 The 247 5-pound bigeye caught by Chris Mentlik from Street, Md , off the Fishlik out of Chincoteague, Va , took second place and $366,662 The Game Over

The dolphin division was won by the Roncito out of Ocean City The 32-pounder won $32,065 for angler Andrew Spangenberger from New Freedom, Pa The Aquila from Beach Haven, N J , weighed a 31-pound dolphin caught by Timothy Goodman from Palm Beach, Fla , taking second place and $82,520 The Aquila also won money from other categories In third with a 31-pound dolphin was Ocean City’s Maverick winning $30,065 for Will McAteer from Kent Island

The most prestigious categories are for billfish releases The top anglers were Brian Demile off the Trash Man with 770 points followed by Bernard Lin-

Trash Man, $44,945

Roncito, $32,065

Aquila, $82,520

Maverick, $30,065

Shooting Star, $4,700

Capt Deadly, $31,065

Boy's Toy, $29,065

Bow Down, $47,704

Skid Row, $47,704

Full Service, $35,778

Instigator, $152,635

No Limit, $69,153

Hey Buddy, $25,365

Sea Fix, $25,365

Prime Hook, $32,336

Covered Up, $8,306

Sharon L Taylor

BERLIN – Sharon L Taylor, age 71, died peacefully, Friday, Aug 11 at Coastal Hospice-Stansell House

She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Francis Taylor, and her parents, Edward Leo and Alice Leona Dixon Wisniewski. She is survived by her foster dog, Wyatt, cousins and a select group of special friends

Sharon was born in 1952, in Baltimore She was a 1970 graduate of North East High School in Pasadena Sharon worked in her family business, Sherry’s Inn, until it was sold and then she continued in the hospitality industry, as a waitress at Ruby Tuesdays

Sharon had an especially fond love of Boxer dogs She owned and showed several of them within the AKC circuit She has an abundance of ribbons to show for it Dogs were truly her best friends

A service in celebration of her life will be held at Friendship Church of Berlin, 10537 Friendship Road, on Saturday, Aug 19 at 11 a m Friends may call an hour prior to service

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Worcester County Humane Society or Friendship Church of Berlin

Rudy Magnone

BERLIN – Rudy Magnone was born on May 23, 1932, in the village of Brenizer, Pa to Tito and Laura Magnone He was the youngest of seven children

After graduating from high school in 1949, Rudy married his soulmate, Bernice (Hlad) In 1952, he joined the US Army He served as an infantryman for two years of active combat duty in Korea in The US Army Third Division He was seriously injured in combat but was always humble about his military career He was, however, proud of the fact that he was made to scrub the bathrooms with a toothbrush after pointing out that a particular lieutenant had gotten shot in the buttocks while running “the wrong way” in combat

When he returned stateside, Rudy enrolled in Slippery Rock University, not sure if he would enjoy academic life He thrived in college and went on to earn a B S in Education, a Master ’s in education, a second Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling, and a PhD in Education/Behavioral Science from The University of WV, Temple University and The University of MI

Rudy began his career as a high school teacher and youth counselor He became the Director of The Youth Corps in Elmira, N Y , which was a work/study organization that served young people with intellectual disabilities

Eventually, his career took him to New England, where he was the Regional Services Administrator for the MA Department of Mental Health He then was appointed to the Governor ’s Cabinet in the State of OH as Director of the OH Dept of Mental Retardation

Rudy was then recruited as the Spe- cial Master to help the State of NY navigate through the famous Willowbrook case Rudy was instrumental in successfully finding appropriate placements for the thousands of patients who were displaced when the notorious institution was shut down

Rudy then accepted a position in the State of Georgia as director of two of its largest hospitals that served people with developmental disabilities

After finally retiring, not happy to be idle, Rudy volunteered with CASA of Worcester County, where he served as an advocate for children in foster care When not volunteering, Rudy’s escapades include him race walking through the streets of Havana, Cuba, in the middle of the night after enjoying a show at La Tropicana, driving crazily through the streets of Milan, Italy, jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, cruising the neighborhood on his bike with this chihuahua riding in the basket, and other such nonsense

On Aug 5, 2023, Rudy passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love Rudy was proceeded in death by his parents, his brother, and his five sisters He is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife, Bernice, whom he loved beyond human limits He was the caring father of his children, Dino (Hollie) and Leah (Rob) He was the beloved Pappy to his grandchildren, Niko, Dina, Romy, Sienna, Aaliyah, Claudia, Shelbi and

Marcus

Rudy was kind, intelligent, compassionate, fearless, and loving He was a scholar, a soldier, a civil rights activist, a humanitarian, and a friend to all He will be deeply missed but his legacy will continue through the countless lives he touched

Arrangements are in the care of Eastern Shore Cremation and Funeral Service, 504 Franklin Avenue, Berlin, Md 21811 To send condolences to the fam-ily, please visit www easternshorecremation com

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Lower Shore CASA, P O Box 387, Salisbury, Md 21811.

Beverly Mattox

SELBYVILLE – Beverly Mattox, age 85, of Selbyville, Del passed peacefully on Aug 10, 2023 at Delaware Hospice in Milford, Del

Bev was born in Baltimore on Sept 10, 1937 and was the only child of the late Thelma Kelly Meredith Brown and William Morton Meredith

An active educator for over 50 years, after college she served as a teacher, principal, project director and training specialist In the mid1960’s she was one of the first teachers to wear pantsuits Always a trailblazer, she was reprimanded by administrators because her lipstick was “too pink” She always championed women’s rights

Beverly conducted programs for school systems and organizations in 26 states and Canada She addressed more than four hundred groups with her specialized knowledge of parenting and women’s friendships

She was a member of Washington Plaza Baptist Church and attended Sound United Methodist Church, always singing in the choir She directed the "Especially For You" project and also the "Prayer Bears" project in her church She worked tirelessly for the less fortunate, always running bags of donations to veterans, women’s shelters, and other church projects She was recognized as a Jefferson Award winner on Delmarva for all her philanthropy

She is survived by two daughters, Leanne Ruark and husband Gary of Eden and Leslie Knopfler and husband Dave of Grandy, N C

She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Tony Mattox, in 2018 They met on the beach in Ocean City in 1954; honeymooned in Ocean City in 1958; and bought their first condo on 32nd Street in 1972, also Ocean City

There will be a remembrance of life service at Sound United Methodist Church, 37894 Sound Church Road, Selbyville, Del on Aug 25, 2023 at 10 a m , which all are invited to After the service, at the annex next door, there will be a luncheon for all

Condolences may be sent by visiting

SEE PAGE 75

• Check the electrical service panel and wiring

• Tighten screws and lugs on circuit breakers to ensure proper functioning

• Apply Noalox on branch circuits’ aluminum wires

• Check all outlets with tester for loose connections, open grounds, neutral wires, proper polarity

• Test/inspect GFCI outlets and breakers

• Check for double tapped breakers to eliminate overloading a circuit breaker

• Survey for proper surge protection

• Check smoke detectors and make recommendations for compliance with local electrical codes

Who’s Where When

Who’s Where When

Bottom Blues Duo

Wednesday, Aug 23: Aaron Howell Duo

Thursday, Aug 24: Union Road

410-289-6953

Between Caroline & Talbot Sts. On The Boards

Friday & Saturday, Aug 18 & 19 Surreal

Sunday & Monday, Aug 20 & 21:

Total Stoked

Tuesdays: D J Madame Dutchess

Wednesdays: D J Papi Roisterous

S E A C R E T S 410-524-4900

49th St. & Coastal Hwy.

Friday, Aug 18: D J Tuff, D J Bobby O, D J Cruz, Full Circle, 9 Mile Roots, Turning The Tide

Saturday, Aug 19: D J Bobby O, D J Cruz, D J Tuff, Turning The Tide, 9 Mile Roots, Hometown Radio, Garden State Radio

Sunday, Aug 20: D J Davie, D J Connair, D J Bobby O, D J Tuff, Triple Rail Turn, Lost In Paris

Monday, Aug 21: D J Davie, D J Bobby O, Blake Haley, Tuesday, Aug 22: D J Davie, D J Bobby O, D J Tuff, Opposite Directions, My Hero Zero

Wednesday, Aug 23: D J Bobby O, D J Connair, Full Circle Duo, Dear Zoe

Thursday, Aug 24: D J Davie, D J Cruz, D J Bobby O, John McNutt Band, Go Go Gadjet

T H E O R I G I N A L G R E E N E T U R T L E 410-723-2120

116th St & Coastal Hwy

Friday, Aug 18: D J Magellan

Saturday, Aug 19: No Brakes Band

Ever y Sunday: Farmers Market

Berlin will host along Main Street with 35plus vendors from 9 a m -1 p m Rain or shine TheBerlinFarmersMarket com

Ever y Monday: TOPS Meeting

5-6:30 p m Atlantic General Hospital, Berlin Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a support group promoting weight loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle Call Rose 443880-8444

Ever y Monday: Acapella Chorus

All ladies who love to sing are invited to the Delmarva Woman’s Acapella Chorus, Ocean Pines Community Center, 239 Ocean Parkway, 6-8 p m Contact Mary 410629-9383 or Carol 302-242-7062

Ever y Monday: Bridge Games

Are you interested in joining others for a game of Bridge at the Ocean City 50+ Senior Center? If so, please call or text Tish at 410-804-3971

Ever y Monday: Overeaters Anonymous

Meetings are from 7-8 p m at the Ocean Pines Library branch No dues or fees Call 410-459-9100

Ever y Tuesday: TOPS Meeting

Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a weekly support and education group promoting weight loss and a healthy lifestyle Meetings are held at the Worcester County Berlin Health Department at 9730 Healthway Drive, Berlin from 3:30-4:30 p m every Tuesday 410289-4725

Ever y Tuesday: Beach Cleanup

Beach Heroes, a volunteer Ocean City group, holds cleanups 9-10 a m yearround Trash bags, grippers and gloves provided Check the Facebook page "Beach Heroes-OC" for weekly meeting locations All are welcome

Ever y Wednesday: Bingo

Elks Lodge 2645, corner of Sinepuxent Avenue and 138th Street in Ocean City Has bingo all year Doors open 4:30 p m with first game sharply at 6:30 p m Kit-