Here & There Column 3-29-11

Automatic Pay Adjustments?

I had heard discussion about this topic over the years but like so many others the fact that federal and some state judges received automatic pay adjustments didn't start ringing serious thought to me until the recent debate and vote in the Village of Liberty on what to do with it's court system.
We have to go back and look at the Constitution and it turns out that under the Constitution, judges are not quite like the rest of us.
In the Declaration of Independence, one of the reasons listed by our Founding Fathers for wanting to get away from King George III and England is because the King "made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for tenure of their duties and the amount and payment of their salaries."
As a result of this it was written in the Constitution not only would judges have life tenure (with good behavior) but also that the pay of a judge would not be diminished during his/her term in office.
This is also a part of many state constitutions. At one point in time our New York State legislature said it would not give the judges of New York a raise until the legislators got a raise......which make for an interesting topic......like if you don't play the game right and keep the "good old boys style of politics alive" ........no automatic pay raise.
An interesting note here is that the Judges jumped on this as a transgression of separation of powers, then they heard their own case, ruled against the legislature (these are the facts folks which tends to make one scratch their head and say "is this legal"), and now the state legislature decided to delegate to an independent commission the job of deciding judge's pay, and of course we all know how that could turn out.
Not taking anything away from our Judges and the best Judicial System in the world, judges are required to obtain an extensive and expensive education process to get to where they are, and to have the knowledge and experience to reach fair decisions for all, the question many would ask today is can our nation and states afford any government agency that requires automatic pay raises?
As deficits got out of control and Congress's own salary lagged, they suspended the automatic pay increase which has now prompted a group of federal judges to go to court to force Congress to reinstate the automatic pay adjustment.
This case is now before the Supreme Court (more judges hearing a judges case) and one would begin to think that government today financially can't afford to do business like they have done in the past while others would feel that if one group receives automatic pay adjustments why shouldn't the rest of us?

Bowling Highlights Column 3-25-11

Horseheads, NY Shafer's Awareness To Diabetes

From football players to Olympic athletes to golfers, there is a noteworthy list of athletes who have been able to pursue their passion of competing in sports despite having to deal with the challenges of living with diabetes.

Included on that list is four-time Lumber liquidators PBA Tour champion Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y. The 44-year-old Shafer, who will compete against Tommy Jones and Randy Weiss in the Go Rving South Region finals of the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs on ESPN Sunday, March 27 at 2:30 p.m. Eastern, is making his second television appearance of the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season after finishing fourth in the Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open in February. Shafer, who has competed on Tour for 24 seasons, was diagnosed as a Type I diabetic (where the pancreas does not produce insulin) at age 19. He attracted significant media attention during the 2010-11 season in Tour markets by creating awareness for a condition that affects nearly 26 million people in the U.S. – most of whom are able to carry on relatively normal productive lives thanks to advancements in treatment. Having had diabetes during his entire PBA career, as an athlete Shafer has had to pay particularly close attention to his condition. He began by taking the necessary insulin shots to ensure his blood sugar remained at the proper levels which can sometimes be a burden to those who have the disease. But thanks to technological advances, he is now able to get his insulin injections automatically through an insulin pump made by the Animas Corporation. It was a change in PBA’s tournament schedule several years ago which persuaded Shafer to use the pump device. “The PBA made a change to its qualifying and single-elimination match play schedule in 2004 and it became difficult for me to take shots during competition. Before that change, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to continue my career,” Shafer said. “Plus, I had already gotten into a routine taking the shots and was really a little hesitant to try a new technology. That schedule change kind of forced me to see what other alternatives might be available. That’s when my doctor suggested I use a pump.” The pump Shafer uses now is about the size of a cell phone and works like an IV. It can be placed anywhere on a person’s body, but like many cell phone users, Shafer wears his on his belt. The pump carries a three-day supply of insulin and automatically injects the proper doses of insulin in a constant flow based on information Shafer programs into it. He no longer has to eat during competition rounds, but still has to pay close attention to his diet and how much he bowls during Tour events, especially demanding tournaments like PBA’s majors and the Dick Weber Playoffs. “Even though it’s more convenient than having to take shots, you still have to monitor things like your diet and how much physical activity you’re doing,” Shafer said. “There’s some trial and error involved, but after awhile you figure it out. And what’s also nice about it is that you can adjust it depending on your activity in a given day.” Originally reluctant, he now enjoys his role as a spokesperson for the disease after it was mentioned on a PBA Tour ESPN telecast several seasons ago that he had the condition. That revelation drew a lot of response especially from parents of children who had the disease. “People would come up to me at tournaments and at pro-ams and share their experiences with diabetes. Naturally, you find you have a lot in common with them,” Shafer said. “After a while I thought if I can make a difference, why not open up about it?” Another turning point for Shafer’s decision to bring further attention to diabetes was PBA’s introduction of the new Gemini jersey’s worn by Tour players that allow them to include prominent sponsor placement.

This column is written by Ed Townsend, a public relations consultant to the amateur and professional sport of bowling and to several bowling writers associations. If you have a topic that would make good reading or have league and tournament scores and information, Ed can be reached at 845-439-8177, via email at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com and by fax at 845-230-8674. For an expanded version of this column please visit our Web Page at http://bght.blogspot.com/. This column is also available on Facebook.

Tournament Dates March 26-May 1- The 59th Annual Handicap Tournament, Men, Women, Mixed, Flox Bowling Center, Hancock, NY Information 607-637-4401. April 30-May 22- The 30th Annual South Side Bowl, Scranton, Pa. No-Tap Tournament. Team and Doubles--Information 570-961-5213. April 30-May 15- The 60th Annual Idle Hour Lanes, Scranton, Pa.Tournament-Team and Doubles. --Information 570-489-7526. May 1--40th Annual Eddie Beebe-Julia Maney Memorial Senior Tournament, Liberty Lanes. Information on all Tri-County USBC Tournaments is available at 845-784-6630.

Bowling Tip By Mike Luongo Bowlers: This week's tip is a reminder that although there are so many aggressive, high performance ball available, the main component of the sport is having a sharp game and becoming a good shot maker. Some lane conditions have become very soft and that combination with today's bowling balls has led to high scoring conditions making the majority of today's bowlers ver complacent about working on their physical game. However, the sport of bowling is making a comeback as can be seen in some of the newer Sport Bowling Leagues so knowing how to adjust to varying lane conditions and understanding how to use today's bowling balls is only part of the equation. For those bowlers who want to maximize their potential in this sport, I cannot stress enough the importance of finding a qualified and certified bowling instructor. Even more preferable, you should work with an instructor who uses video technology to completely analyze your game. For example, we use the Brunswick Pro Trainer system which gives us the ability to replay a student's shots in slow motion, showing them what adjustments need to be made and compare them to the highest caliber bowlers in the world...best of all....the student is able to take a video home to study and watch at their convenience. The knowledge you gain from a Certified Instructor is knowledge that will be useful to you and will stay with you throughout your bowling life. Mike Luongo is technically certified through IBPSIA as a Pro Shop Operator and Master Instructor. He is also a Silver Level Coach with the USBC and is an Advisor along with being involved with Special Events with the Storm and Roto Grip Bowling Ball Company. If you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached at 435-720-7939 or via email at mikel@stormbowling.com

LOCAL BOWLING SCORES BY ED TOWNSEND Beechwood Lanes Recent highlight scores in the Monday Ladies league included a 182 game, a 176 game and a 508 series by Lois Erdman, Dot McCormack 164, Jackie Mootz 168, 163, Jody Schanil 174, Diane Staves 169, 156, 155, Jackie Gieger 190, 157, Julie Yewchuck 152, 157 and Wendy Finn 151, 160. In the Tuesday Ladies League, Lillian Zieres 206, 202, 178, 586, Kelly Gombita 160, Pat Peters 160, 447 and Rebecca Rhodes 447. Fox Bowling Center Congratulations to the Moo’s Bar team in the Tuesday Early Birds Ladies League as they defeated the Fox Bowling Center team in the finals for the league championship. The Moo’s Bar team members include Sherry Persbacker, Lori Walker, Brianna Walker and Janet Sutliff. Congratulations are also in order for Rick and Kathy Mills, champions of the Sunday Afternoon Mixed Fun League. Recent highlight scores in the Tuesday Ladies Early Birds League included a 200 game, a 182 game and a 527 series by Linda Ferris, Dana McGraw 188, 237, 215, 640, Sheri Oralls 182, 210, 527, Jen Smith 197, 192, 171, 550 and Brianna Walker 167, 179, 195, 532. In the Wednesday Men’s Independent League, Steve Aitken 251, 633, Tom Anderson 229, 649, Al Bullis Sr. 237, Andrew Bullis 278, 236, 715, Marc Cetta 245, 657, Frank H. Couse Jr. 243, 625, Carl Davis 256, 623, Jim Dibble 268, 702, Brian Drumm 231, 625, Norm Ellis 235, 602, Art Gately 244, 669, Bill Gleim 235, 629, Jeremy Gulley 236, 631, Jack Hazen 247, 662, Steve Jacobi 634, Gregory Keesler 225, 647, Donnie Marino 246, 659, Josh Milucky 611, Rich Rigas 235, 246, 696, Sam Rowe 233, Paul Siegler 233, 602, Hank Whitmore 225, 619, Zuke Wormuth 623, Jay Wormuth 624 and Tony Wright 606. In the Thursday Men’s Deposit National League, Al Bullis Sr. 269, 676, Andy Bullis 232, 300, 747; 245, 257, 267, 769, Shawn Card 235, Ray Cornwell 231, 661; 248, 279, 233, 760, Mike Costello 651, Jeff Curtis 277, 663, Jim Dibble 259, 238, 240, 737, Norm Ellis Sr. 234, Paul Fritz 263, 247, 702, Bill Gleim 231, 638, Gino Jones 234, 675; 245, 642, Greg Keesler 233, 237, 694, John Lanner 231; 618, Rich Lenio 232, 603; 226, 263, 704, Rick Mills 238, 297, 710; 249, 638, Neil Mosher 610, Paul Siegler 234, Jim Valentine 258, 227, 685; 247, 278, 714, Dan Wormuth 231 and Jeremy Wormuth 286, 645; 256, 266, 716. In the Friday Mixed Doubles Couples League, Andie Rose Bullis 503; 190, 504, Andy Bullis 248; 226, 236, 683, Howey Couse Jr. 235, 676; 279, 236, 717, Howard Couse Sr. 256, 619; 249, 653, Frank Couse Sr. 236, 602; 610, Anne Couse 213, 180, 181, 574, Crystal Ellis 188, Norman L. Ellis 638; 238, Bob Ellis 637, Paul Fritz 256, 643, Bill Gleim 256, 242, 690, Gino Jones 615, Hope Jones 183, Dave Lester 236, Dana McGraw 190, 212, 210, 612; 201, 243, 200, 644, Mark McGraw 620, Rick Mills 244, Sheri Oralls 193, 515; 191, Walt Oralls 234, 269, 724; 601, Jen Smith 187, 517, Brian Tiffany 267, 639, Sandy Winans 180, 500; 230, Dan Wormuth 278, 723; 231, 228, 677, Jay Wormuth 225, 647; 605 Jeremy Wormuth 235, 232, 234, 701 and Michelle Wormuth 208. In the Sunday Afternoon Mixed Fun league Don Marino 246, 255, 679; 629, Savanna Mills (youth girls’ scores) 139, 136, 376; 166, 126, 143, 435 and Parker Tiffany (bantam boys’ scores) 102, 100. Kiamesha Lanes Recent highlight scores in the Monday Men’s League included a 266 game and 705 series by Frank Scuderi, William Helms 298, 643, Jon Wilhelm 234, 234, 677, James VanAken 278, 700, Josh Strang 229, 225, 672, Tom Belgiovene 246, 681, Dan Ricco 225, 646, Mike Weiner 246, 230, 684, Micky Lake 601, Roy Sweeney 226, Eddie Lake 236, 239, 662, Rick Lake 226, 638, Jack Moylan 236, 234, 652, Robert Sze 233, 661, James Ratner 245, 667, Kort Wheeler 243, 257, 704, Keith Hackett 238, 633, Ronnie Totten 243, 643, Kevin Stackhouse 236, 621, Donald Durland 226, 259, 699, Jaryl Scott 236, 236, 651, Vinnie Collura 238, 249, 664, Dave Graham 606, Nate Sanders 280, 225, 236, 741, John Fischer 235, 657, Larry Berens 235, 256, 652, Tim Minton 235, 624, Anthony Atkins 227 and Wayne Atkins 243, 659. In the Tuesday Mixed Firefighters League, Laresko Niifa 246, 226, 256, 728, Kevin Stackhouse 237, 677, Ed Guthrie 269, 664, Stan Gilmore 230, 649, Eddie Walsh 648, Allen Jones 251, 646, George Kelley 617, Jon Wilhelm 601, Ryan Browne 229, Dorian Jennings 216, 204, 193, 613, Debbie Durland 215, 216, 608, Mary Lee Williams 204, 197, 562, Debra Blackford 185, 190, 181, 556, Joan Redington 193, 201, 545, Joan Lake 206, 539, Ailene Washington 209, 217, 530, Carena Collura 183, 180, 515, Andrea Grossman 202, 511 and Heather Dobell 171, 505. In the Wednesday Men’s League, James VanAken 267, 666, Paul Durland 246, 676, Steven Belgiovene 253, 617, Tom Belgiovene 601, John Hoffmann 234, 259, 225, 718, George Battle Jr. 226, 632, Laresko Niifa 235, 660, Kevin Stackhouse 611, Eddie Lake 605, Tom Palmer 234, 225, 653, Kyle Shivers 225, 242, 646, Wayne Atkins 226, 246, 681, Mike Mahusky 248, 625, Craig Wilhelm 232, Shane Deitchman 235, 611, Josh Deitchman 233, Eddie Walsh 235, 679, Rick Lara 265, 686, Jon Wilhelm 225, 276, 722, Richard Bradford 227, 238, 670, Donald Durland 227, 248, 675 and Shane Cunningham 605. In the Thursday Ladies League, Tracey Barres 203, Keri Sawyer 184, Kathy King 189, Lisa Cartwright 194, Joan Lake 201, 202, 554, April Aldrich 176, 168, 505, Mardette Wilcox 169, 202, 523, Debbie Durland 181, 181, 177, 539, Pat Shuart 189, 171, 524, Christine Schultz 203, 167, 535, Barb Merton 223, 210, 568 and Connie McKenley 206, 523. In the Friday Mixed League, Jaryl Scott 234, 259, 279, 772, Kyle Shivers 255, 257, 735, Kevin Stackhouse 278, 717, Dan Ricco 235, 661, Ryan Lepke 238, 656, Eddie Lake 267, 650, Leroy Williams 242, 640, Larry Berens 236, 634, Robert Sze 257, 621, Orshii Boldiis 617, Eugene Kelly 245, Mary Lee Williams 215, 207, 255, 677, Francine Kaiser 255, 581, Mary Ann Drobysh-Berens 212, 235, 580, Antionette Rau 182, 204, 192, 578, Laura Palmer a 191 triplicate for a 573 series, Joan Lake 182, 202, 545, Tracey Barres 201, 192, 541, Christa Sweeney 192, Julie Chen 180, Tolakii Deylii 200 and Linda Schaefer 194. Liberty Lanes Recent highlight scores in the Monday Men’s League included Thomas Fix with games of 245, 191 and 214 for a 650 series, Chris McKay 247, 214, 640, Bruce Garritt 212, 194, 232, 638, Kyle Stevens 236, 225, 633, Rudy Belanchia 214, 203, 212, 630, Ricky Nichols 197, 197, 212, 630, Carmine Santillo 231, 213, 590, Jason Jones Jr. 193, 248, 583, Chris Stevens 216, 580, Ralph Coney 228, 193, 578, Ed Blume Sr. 233, 572, Glenn Porter 224, Paul Minton 217, William Bruce 203, Jason Jones Sr. 201, 191, Mitch Mattison 199 and Carlos Torres 201. In the Shoprite League, Bryan Thomas 206, 129, 167, 514; 177, 447, James Thomas 175, 158, 168, 501, Brandon Hinkley 167, 437, Mary Heinle 166, 147, 135, 448; 158, 134, 407, Bobby Waters 201, 151, 465; 157, 152, 132, 441, James Thomas 172, 439, Barbara Brudange 126; 149, Fred Seaman 146, Scott Potter 138; 144, 143, Billy Parkinson 155, 139, 407; 142, Brandon Hinkley 142, 403, Colleen Freer 136, Fred Seaman 134, 130, 386, Jamie Sosis 124, 112; 136, 132, 113, 381, Katie Ahart 117, 104, 116, 337; 135, 105, 103, 343, Colleen Lewis 117, 102; Sue DeMestrio 116, 107, 113, 336; 137 Pam Potter 167, 427; 116, Josh Burk 116, 101, Jeff Grey 107; 115, 109, Heather Hinkley 115; 114, 99, Jeremy Whitted 103, 96, Beverly Parsons 110, May Meyers 109, 92, 89, 290, Betty Whitehead 120, 89, 94, 303; 107, 80, Judy Didinsky 95, 88; 105, Josh Burke 94, 81, 93, 268, May Meyers 81, Lou Baggata 103, Colleen Lewis 101, 82, 82, Margo Potter 91, 77 and Joanne Lotz 99, 92, 87, 278; 82. In the Wednesday Men’s League, Dwayne Cabrera 248, 235, 227, 710, Kyle Stevens 279, 242, 699, Wayne Fox 223, 201, 236, 660, Thomas Fix 266, 202, 655, Gene Smith 236, 246, 655, Chris Stevens 245, 222, 646, Stew Stevens 248, 227, 643, Robert Stewart 269, 194, 628, Jim Fiore 221, 234, 625, Herbie Sklar 229, 215, 617, Keith Smith 213, 210, 612, Rob Tuttle 224, 194, 601, Chuck McAllister 213, 191, 574, Ed Blume Sr. 190, 212, 572, Pete Meachum 203, 571, Jason Jones Jr. 246, Ralph Coney 238, Mark Carman Jr. 230, Larry Hicks 210, Juan Lopez 204 and Carlos Torres 204. In the Thursday Ladies League, Audrey Woolard 172, 194, 524, Cindy Short 190, Lynn Winters 189, Wendy Finn 173, Terri Hinkley 172, Kim Lopez 172, Florence Good 171 and Tabatha Smith 171. In the Friday Mixed League, Alan LaBounty 227, 574, Jim Fiore 215, Robert Fix III 192, 190, Gordon Hyde 191, Joel Brodie 190 and Betty Dole 181. In the Saturday Mixed League, Kyle Stevens 265, 300, 236, 801; 235, 226, 648, Anthony Atkins 195, 212, 235, 642, Josh Milucky 203, 215, 606, Phil Norris 191, 204, 210, 605; Thomas Fix 223, 213, 599, 203, 202, 586; Betty Jane Stevens 176, 487, Tabatha Smith 170, 480, Deming Roosa 232, Stew Stevens 234, 582, Herbie Sklar 213; 201, 190, 573, Harry Cohen 190, 212, Walt Edwards 209, Jon Wayne 191, 204; 205, Chris McKay 203, Phil Norris 197, Gene Smith 196, Debbie Sklar 176, Jodi Gulley 172, Russell Bivins 204, 195; Jim Fiore 204, 191; Geo Crary 203, 191 Angie Desmond 202; Keith Smith 207, 195, 585; 193; Kevin Norris 192; Rich Bivins 190; Shannon Carman 170; 170. In the Sunday Mixed League, Jim Fiore 196, 571; 235, 223, 640, Bob Feeney 193, 214, 578, Sheila Fix 175, 483, Bob Cady 212, 190, Thomas Fix 211, 208, Jerry Scandore 190, 210, Rich Winters Jr. 202, Barbara Cady 178, 173, 503; 198, Dean Winters 196 and Lynn Winters 185. In the Liberty Elks Bumper League, Hudson Danzilo 105, Logan Danzilo 104, Alli Dworetsky 82 and Jake Parks 63 In the Liberty Elks Bantam League, Ian Cody 132, 223, Sean McMahon 116, 172, Gabriel Florez 104, 80, 184, Myan Florez 99, 90, 189, Tanner Parks 92; Owen Siegel 82, 79, 161, Emma Doretsky 75, 54, 129, Kayla McMahon 71, Lindsie Siegel 70, David Schiff 67, Dara Schiff 65 and Zachary DeLong 60.In the Liberty Elks Teenage League, Louie Brahm 192, 146, 465, John Kolarik 168, 460, Jonathan Griesbeck 159, Dylan Rivera 159, 136, 136, 431, Brendan Siegel 155, Cameron Reichenbaugh 153, 147, 398, Anthony Kolarik 151, 427, Ryan Feeney 147, 135, Robby Allegretta 145, 134, 398, Thomas McCausland 144, 120, Ryan McDowell 141, 115, 130, 386, Nick Carriere 136, 128, 122, 386, Robert Feeney 131, Zachary Cody 130, 122, Hanrii Padu 125, 115, Glen McCausland 110 and Robby Lyons 90.

PBA Senior Tour Returns To Florida to Kick Off 2011 Season; The 2011 Professional Bowlers Association Senior Tour season will get underway with a sold-out field of 120 players in the PBA Senior Don Carter Open at Carter Family Bowl in Winter Garden, Fla., April 17-21. The Senior Don Carter Open will be followed by another Florida stop when the 50-and-older generation returns to Spanish Springs Lanes in The Villages, Fla., April 23-26, after a one-season absence. Heading up the 120-player field in Winter Garden will be PBA Hall of Famer and 2010 Senior Rookie of the Year Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla. The 2010 Senior Tour was one of the most exciting in history with a Senior Player of the Year race involving three Hall of Famers that was decided in the last tournament of the season. Wayne Webb secured Senior Player of the Year honors by winning the Senior Jackson Open, outlasting Williams and another Hall of Famer, Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas. W.R. Williams, who earlier in the 2010 season earned PBA Player of the Year, narrowly missed in his bid to become the first to win PBA Player and Senior Player of the Year honors in the same year. Named after one of bowling’s all-time greats, the Senior Don Carter Open, will also benefit two charities — United Cerebral Palsy and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Other stars scheduled to compete are PBA Hall of Famers Dave Soutar, Bradenton, Fla.; Johnny Petraglia, Jackson, N.J.; Tom Baker, King, N.C.; Dale Eagle, Frisco, Texas; and Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, Wash. Also entered are 2009 Senior Player of the Year Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, and 1998 Senior Player of the Year Pete Couture, Titusville, Fla. Other Florida standouts entered are five-time PBA Tour and one-time Senior Tour titlist Bob Handley of Winter Park, six-time Senior Tour and four-time PBA Tour winner Steve Neff of Homosassa Springs and four-time Senior Tour and two-time PBA Tour winner Bob Chamberlain of The Villages. Qualifying rounds will be conducted April 18-20 and match finals rounds on April 21. Practice rounds will be conducted the morning of April 17 with pro-am squads conducted at 1, p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. with a special youth pro-am conducted April 16 at 5 p.m. Pro-am entry information may be obtained by contacting Carter Family Bowl at (407) 656-2000. Tickets for qualifying and match play finals rounds are also available by calling Carter Family Bowl. In addition to Carter Family Bowl, Playdrome Rose Bowl in Allentown, Pa., will be a first-time Senior Tour host when the PBA Senior Mark Roth Allentown Open is conducted May 21-24. The second major of the season, the USBC Senior Masters moves from Las Vegas to Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl in Columbus, Ohio, July 31-Aug. 5. The Senior Tour’s other major, the PBA Senior U.S. Open presented by the Suncoast, returns to the Suncoast Bowling Center in Las Vegas June 12-17. 2011 PBA Senior Tour Schedule April 17-21 – PBA Senior Don Carter Open, Carter Family Bowl, Winter Garden, Fla. April 23-26 – PBA Senior Sun Bowl In The Villages, Spanish Springs Lanes, The Villages, Fla. May 1-4 – PBA Senior Miller High Life Classic, George Pappas Victory Lanes, Mooresville, N.C. May 21-24 – PBA Senior Mark Roth Allentown Open, Playdrome Rose Bowl, Allentown, Pa. June 12-17 – PBA Senior U.S. Open, Presented by the Suncoast, Suncoast Bowling Center, Las Vegas June 19-22 – PBA Senior Northern California Classic, Harvest Park Bowl, Brentwood, Calif. July 31-Aug. 5 – USBC Senior Masters, Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio Aug. 8-11 – PBA Senior Lake County Open, Olympia Lanes, Hammond, Ind. Aug. 13-16 – PBA Senior Decatur Open, Spare Time Lanes, Decatur, Ill. Aug. 22-25 – PBA Senior Jackson Open, Airport Lanes, Jackson, Mich. Aug. 27-30 – PBA Senior Dayton Classic, Capri Lanes, Dayton, Ohio

Jaros, Weiss, Allen Advance To Conference Championships In PBA Playoffs Seven-time Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour champion Steve Jaros of Yorkville, Ill.; 10-time PBA Regional winner Randy Weiss of Columbia, S.C., and two-time PBA Tour titlist Dick Allen, also of Columbia, S.C.., advanced to the Conference Championships in the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs after victories in the Go RVing Regional Championships Round at Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis, Ind. The Go RVing Regional Championships Round, which aired Sunday on ESPN, featured three three-player regional championship matches with the winners advancing to the Conference Championship Round, and the two lowest scores being eliminated. The Conference Championships will air Sunday, April 10, at 1 p..m. Eastern on ESPN. Jaros, who has now made a television appearance in 20 consecutive seasons, nipped Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., 258-257, to win the East Region championship. Scott Norton of Costa Mesa, Calif., finished third in the three-player East Regional final with a 224. Weiss, in his national television debut, threw five strikes in a row to end his game and stun 12-time PBA Tour champ Tommy Jones of Greenville, S.C., 239-238, in the South Region championship. Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y., also was eliminated after rolling a 207 game. Allen was nearly perfect in throwing a 289 game that eliminated Walter Ray Williams Jr. (221) of Ocala, Fla., and Mika Koivuniemi (201) of Hartland, Mich., in the Central Region finale. In the East Region championship, Jaros started with seven strikes before leaving back-to-back 10 pins, but Smallwood battled Jaros into the 10th frame.. Jaros finished first, throwing a strike on his first ball in the 10th and filling the frame with a 10 pin/spare. Smallwood needed the first strike to win, but left a 7 pin. After converting the spare, he then needed a strike to tie Jaros, but he left a 4 pin on his fill ball. Jaros said he thought the match would be close, but “I figured it would be Tom or me versus Scott after the way he bowled in practice. But Scott just didn’t look comfortable once the show started.” Weiss was the surprise of the day with his clutch finish to nip Jones after a horrible break ended Shafer’s hopes. Shafer was very much in the hunt, but trying to extended a double in the eighth and ninth frames, the four-time PBA Tour winner left a 7-10 split on a pocket hit in the 10th frame to end his chances. At the same time, Jones overcame the carry issues he had during the first half of his game, stringing five strikes before leaving a 4 pin on his fill ball in the 10th frame. That pin gave Weiss an opportunity to strike out in the 10th to win by one pin. “I knew I was going to have to strike because these guys are really good,” Weiss said, “but they are human, so I knew I had to stay in my world and see what happens. “My thought in the last frame was that there is no way you could ask for anything better than an opportunity to win in the 10th, so I told myself to get a good shot off my hand and let the chips fall where they may. “Mike Machuga may have given me the best advice when he said it’ll be the fastest 10 minutes of your life, so slow it down in your mind as much as you can, and that’s exactly what I did,” Weiss added. “I just kept slowing my thoughts and not watching what they were doing, and I focused on what my job was.” In the Central Region match, Allen and Williams both started with five strikes while Koivuniemi struggled to strike after starting with a double. Williams’ string ended when he also left a pocket 7-10 in the sixth frame, but Allen kept on striking until leaving a 10 pin on his 11th attempt. By that time, thanks to a 4-6-7-10 split by Williams in the ninth frame, the match was over. “I followed all of the old clichйs – keep your head down, don’t watch what they’re doing, make one shot at a time – and that’s exactly what I did,” Allen said. “I wasn’t worried about anybody else. I know when I throw it good, I can strike with the best of them.” Allen has a history of being one of the PBA Tour’s more volatile players, but after the birth of his first child in early March, “I came here with less negative thoughts,” he said. “I’ve got some cool pictures on my phone, I’m smiling more because of (daughter Piper). My mind’s in a different place and I’m not so upset if I make a bad shot. And I’m not making as many bad shots because of a grip change and a swing change I made, and those are probably the keys to success more than anything. “I got away with about three bad shots,” Allen added. “That was probably the highest 220 game I’ve ever shot; let’s put it that way. Without a doubt I knew I was going for 300. When Walter got that second split in the ninth frame and I knew the match was over, I told myself to finish it off. Unfortunately I threw a really good shot in the 10th and they didn’t fall.” The Lucas Oil Regional Championships Round will complete the field for the Conference Championships. The Lucas Oil Regional round, which airs Sunday on ESPN at 1 p.m., will feature three finalists each in the Midwest (Jack Jurek, Wes Malott, Bill O’Neill), Southwest (Brad Angelo, Dino Castillo, Jason Belmonte) and West/Southwest (Chris Barnes, Lennie Boresch Jr., Lonnie Waliczek) Regions. On Sunday, April 10, the Conference Championships telecast at 1 p.m. Eastern will include the East Region winner (Jaros) against the South (Weiss), the Central (Allen) vs. the Midwest winner, and the Southwest vs. the West/Northwest winner. Those three winners will return to Woodland Bowl on Sunday, April 17, for the live ESPN finals at 1 p.m. Eastern. First prize in the inaugural Dick Weber PBA Playoffs is $50,000. LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR DICK WEBER PBA PLAYOFFS Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis, Sunday GO RVING REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS ROUND East Region Championship (winner advances to Conference Championships to meet South Region winner Randy Weiss on ESPN on Sunday, April 10, at 1 p.m. Eastern): 1, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 258. 2, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 257, $6,000. 3, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 224, $5,000. South Region Championship (winner advances to Conference Championships to meet East Region winner Steve Jaros on ESPN on Sunday, April 10, at 1 p.m. Eastern): 1, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 239. 2, Tommy Jones, Greenville, S.C., 238, $6,000. 3, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 207, $5,000. Central Region Championship (winner advances to Conference Championships to meet Midwest Region winner on ESPN on Sunday, April 10, at 1 p.m. Eastern): 1, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 289. 2, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 221, $6,000. 3, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 201, $5,000.