Dixie Bowl repairs finally under way
By By Mike Carson / bowling columnist
October 5, 2004
Hopefully, by the time you read this the expected remodeling of Dixie Bowl has begun.
Due to an unexpected delay in shipping, the work due to get underway last week was put off a few days. Nevertheless local bowlers are looking forward with anticipation to the completion of the project. Most want to know what changes they will have to make in their games to adapt to the new surfaces.
Will the approaches be tackier or slicker than what we have been used to? Will the ball break more or less? Does the ball actually travel faster on synthetics than it does on wood? Will we have to get new equipment to compensate for the differences?
These are just a few of the questions being asked these days.
Unfortunately, there is no pat answer for most of these concerns. Surely there will be a period of adjustment. For those who frequently travel to other centers, the adjustment may be easier than it will be for those who rarely bowl elsewhere.
My advice is to be patient. Take your time getting the feel of the approaches. Watch how your ball reacts on different shots. Each bowler will have to learn what is best for their game. As I said, some will adjust faster than others. But when it is all said and done, I believe we will all be proud of our center and be better bowlers at the same time.
Speaking of bowlers, who woke up M. A. Copeland? After a slow start caused primarily due to illness, he seems to have regained his strength and stamina. As proof of that I offer the two 700 Series he fired off last week (and one he missed by only a few pins). His 703 in the Queen City league and 747 in the Hucklebuck league were good enough to make him top dog of the week. It's good to see him regaining his health and getting back up to snuff. Taking the high game of the week was Jeff Gaines whose 279 boosted him to a 704 while C. O. Gray and Jim Broderick Jr. each had sets of 702. Robert Brown and Barry Woods each fired their fourth "7" of the season last week. Robert checked in with a 700 on the nose while Barry cranked out a 705 in the Wednesday Night Mixed league. Other men posting some big games included Brian Kelsoe, Alan Byrd, Mike Cothern, Richard Whitten, Ryan Malley and Milton Hudson.
Somebody sure lit a fire under Kate Grant in the Wednesday Night Mixed league last week. After a so-so start in the first games she roared back with a big 268 and a 206 to fire the week's high series for the ladies with a 628. Eunice Dillard gave her a run, but came up a little short with a 619 in the Monday Nighters league. Lisa Rickles reeled off a nice 241 while Nita Fike flattened pins for a 234.
Taneezia Jones carded a 230 game, Billie Coleman fired a 224 and Cindy Rutledge rounded out the leader board with a 220. Congratulations to senior bowler Mary Warren who recorded her first deuce with a 203 in the Senior Citizens league on Monday afternoon.
The Saturday morning juniors are off and running. After Hurricane Ivan obviously was responsible for a slower than expected first week, several more bowlers joined in last week to get things off and running. You may still enroll your child or children in this program. Contact Jeff or Shirley Gaines or call Dixie Bowl Lanes and we will be glad to help your child get started. Openings are also available in the Wednesday afternoon program. Betty Dorough is in charge of this program and can also be contacted at Dixie Bowl.
Thanks to all local bowlers who participated in last week's Stan's Classic Tournaments 8-Game Sweeper. For the first time ever the event was held over a two-day period rather than the traditional one day. Final results are posted at Dixie Bowl.
That 's all for this week. Until next week, good luck and good bowling.
