BOWLING HIGHLIGHTS 

Bowling Is A Different Business Today

  "It's a different business then when just the bowing alley was here," Christopher Collins, general manager of Lake George Lanes & Games center told us while we were vacationing in the Lake George area of New York State in mid August. 

  In their heyday's bowling alleys were just that and that alone......they were all popular places to gather and throw bowling balls and on weekends wait time for a lane might be one to three hours.

  One by one America's once-grand bowling alleys are either shutting down or coming into the new age of entertainment offering not only bowling lanes but sit down dining, a round bar, ping pong tables, arcade games, golf and game simulators, shuffleboard, darts, horseshoe pits, pool tables and even reaching into the popular growing sport of cornhole.....all of which offer leagues for all the above mentioned sports. 

  The decline in the old alleys has brought about new entertainment centers.

  We walked into the Lake George Lanes & Games where general manager Collins told us that new owners took over the center five years ago, kept the 24 lanes and added new furniture and television screens above the lanes and put synthetic lanes 20 feet down the lanes and kept the wooden lanes from there on down.

  They added a new restaurant and bar, the latest state-of-the-art facility, Galactic Bowling with music and a light show, Adirondack Fort Multi-Level lazer tag, a deluxe indoor playground, bar and grill serving lunch,dinner and drinks, a Redemption arcade, electronic simulators for golf, soccer, football, baseball, rugby, cricket, basketball, hockey and dodge-ball...all offering leagues in each sport. 

  This is the new-style  entertainment bowling centers that are replacing the once-grand old bowling alleys. 

  This concept is working and bowling will stay alive but in an entirely different atmosphere.

Ed's Outlook

  Both Kiamesha Lanes and the Villa Roma 8-lane center have started the 2019-2020 bowling league season.

  Leagues at Kiamesha Lanes include the Monday Men's, Tuesday Mixed Firemen, Thursday Ladies and Friday Mixed.

  The Villa has the Monday Ladies and Wednesday Fun (Mixed) league. 

  Joining us this year will be the Port Jervis Thursday Ladies league and the Hancock Fox Bowling Center leagues.

  League secretaries are reminded to get their individual league scores into us by Friday of each week and they should be sent to  bght75@gmail.com 

Bowling Tip

By Mike Luongo

  Bowlers: This week's tip is for any bowler who ends up out of balance at the foul line when delivering a bowling ball.

  If you find yourself unable to finish your delivery in a strong balanced position, it may be a result of your follow through.

 It is important that when you follow through on you delivery, you do not reach OUT with your arm, but UP with your follow through.

  The reason?

  If you reach out, the weight of the ball will pull your upper body forward and may cause you to lose your balance. If you reach up, you can stay planted in a strong, solid position to deliver your bowling ball with accuracy and leverage.

  Mike Luongo is a certified IBPSIA Pro Shop Operator, Master Instructor, USBC Silver Level Coach and an Advisor-Special Events assistant with the Storm and Roto Grip Bowling Ball Company. Have a question, email at mikel@stormbowling.com 

Local Scores

Beechwood Lanes

Villa Roma Monday Ladies

  Barbara Cady 163, Rebecca Rhodes 184, Darlene Mantzouratos 157, Tracy Puerschner 166, 170.

Port Jervis Bowl

Thursday Women's

  Erin McDonagh 202, 569, Josephine Zych 192, 470, Carol Flynn 190, 533, Kim DeGarmo 171, 489, Darlene Amarilla 163, 460.

Fox Bowling Center

Wednesday Independent

  Papa John Brienza 222, Tim Smith 223, 224, 204, 651, Bob Sobas 236, Roger Widmann 214, Shane Dirig 214. 

Thursday Night 3

  Rick Mills 208, 212, 266, 686, Gino Jones 233, 234, 200, 667, Dan Wormuth 206, 236, 624, Ray Cornwell 235, 203, 612, Dan Keesler 210, 572. 

Friday Couples

  Jay Wormuth 245, 222, 655, Jeremy Wormuth 232, Howard Couse Sr. 256, 218, 643, Jeremy Barnes 211, 223, 604, Janet Martin 181. 

Kiamesha Lanes

Monday Mens

  Pedro Agapito 280, 244, 236, 760, Jon Wilhelm Sr. 244, 245, 246, 735, Jaryl Scott 225, 268, 246, 739, Eddie Lake 245, 247, 234, 726, Kevin Stackhouse 257, Larry Whipple 257. 

Tuesday Mixed Firefighter

  Eddie Lake 277, 684, Kyle Giordano 247, 228, 687, Jon Wilhelm 257, 667, Larry Whipple 242, 643, Shane Cunningham 227, 638, Cara Nicholson 192, 190, 556, Mary Lee Williams 503. 

Friday Mixed

  Pedro Agapito 246, 258, 257, 761, Charlie Tuttle 234, 279, 732, Bill VanAken 273, 259, 741, Jason Rogers 260, 226, 688, Loretta VanAken 195, 529, Julie Chen 183, 507. 

  Ed Townsend is a Public Relations Consultant to the sport of bowling and brings over 60 plus years of sports journalism experience in writing and compiling the information for this column. If you have league or tournament information, bowl a 300 or an 800 series, let Ed know at 845-439-8177, email to edwardctownsend@hotmail.com or fax to 845-205-4474. Visit this column and Ed's photos at http://bght.blogspot.com We are also on Facebook and Twitter

Attracting bowlers to bowling centers today is the new modern comfortable seating and television coverage on all lanes as seen here at the Lake George Lanes & Games center.

  

Very popular in the winter at the Lake George Lanes & Games Center are the Simulators offering golf, soccer, football, baseball and many other sports and the modern bowling center is saying they have winter leagues in these sports which have saved their bowling centers from going out of business.