Cyber Report #942

E-dition No. 942 • Thursday, March 9, 2017

Editor: Bob Johnson (bjibob@aol.com)

 

Pinnacle Group Selected for Florida JW Marriott Project

Pinnacle Entertainment Group has been selected by JW Marriott at Marco Island, Fla., as its family entertainment advisor.

The hotel is planning a $320 million addition to the property, located on the beach on Marco Island, which will feature a 12,000-sq.-ft. entertainment center to be known as “10k Alley.” Components will include a high-end sports bar; six lanes of Highway 66 bowling from QubicaAMF; a six-hole, highly themed miniature golf course from Creative Works; and a 50-piece game room with a state-of-the-art redemption store.

The facility will serve hotel guests as well as social and corporate groups, and will open later this year.

“We are extremely excited to be working with the JW Marriott team on this project,” said George McAuliffe, President of Pinnacle. “It’s a testament to the ‘arrival’ of family entertainment that such a prestigious hotel brand is adding it as a major component in their offerings. We are proud to have been selected to join their team and advise on design, development, and operations planning for this diverse entertainment center.

“Our first task was to assist the hotel in selecting the game and attraction operator through an RFP process,” McAuliffe said. “Tricorp Amusements was selected and they have done a terrific job as we design and develop the center. Tricorp will provide all games and attractions, as well as operate and maintain them on a multi-year basis.”

Rick Medwedeff, General Manager of the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, said, “This addition and recent brand conversion bring to fruition years of planning, dedication and hard work, and I could not be more pleased. As we move forward into the next chapter of our resort’s story, we are embracing our celebrated past and welcoming a new level of luxury and amenities. The 10k Alley Entertainment Center is a key ingredient in the new activity mix. Pinnacle’s contributions have been invaluable as we create and execute a unique, fun amenity for our guests.”

Check out a photo of the “construction site” here: https://bcmmag.com/2017/03/07/pinnacle-selected-for-jw-marriott-project/.

 

California’s Covina Bowl Ends 6-Decade Run

When it opened in 1956 with 32 lanes, Covina Bowl was one of the great examples of “Googie” architecture, defined as “a sub-division of futurist architecture influenced by car culture, jets, the Space Age and the Atomic Age.”

Countless coffee shops (Norm’s in Southern California being one example), motels (many along historic Route 66), car washes, drive-in movie theater signs and even some bowling alleys — they were not yet known as bowling centers — got the Googie treatment.

Covina Bowl underwent an expansion to 50 lanes and a few ownership changes over the years, and currently is operated by Bowlmor AMF. But now the owner of the land on which the center sits wants to sell, so this Sunday will be the center’s final day of operation.

In anticipation of this development, we recently visited Covina Bowl and snapped a few photos for the Bowlers Journal International archives. You can find our exclusive photo gallery here: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/californias-covina-bowl-ends-6-decade-run-sunday/.

The interior shot served as a reminder of how different the amenities of mid-century centers were. Covina Bowl has a number of meeting rooms that not only hosted pre-season league meetings during the heyday of league bowling, but also post-season banquets — a staple of almost every league, where season prize money and trophies were handed out, and league members had one more opportunity to socialize before the summer break.

Three brothers — Louis, Leonard and Angelo Brutocao — were the original proprietors, and engaged the services of Powers, Daly and DeRosa to design the center. That architecture firm was “widely recognized as the masters of [Googie architecture],” according to the Los Angeles Conservancy, which maintains an online library of remaining examples of the style here: https://www.laconservancy.org/search/site/Googie.

A second-generation member of the family, Terry Brutocao, operated the center during much of its heyday, and served as President of the Bowling Proprietors Association of Southern California during its peak period of membership.

By 1986, Brutocao had come to think of the design of the family’s centers — Covina Bowl, West Covina Bowl and Anaheim Bowl — as both a blessing and a curse. In an interview, he said that there’s no doubt it draws attention, “but it sure does date you.”

In recent years, various elements of the exterior architecture of Covina Bowl had become noticeably worn. From the street, the center looked pretty much the same. But as one approached the doors from the parking lot, the wear on the building was apparent.

“Covina Bowl has been in decline for years,” said Frank Barraco Jr., whose father managed the center for the Brutocao family for 35 years before retiring near the turn of the century. “They haven’t been making any money. The banquet rooms shut down last summer.”

Come Sunday, the rest of the center will join the banquet rooms. And Southern California bowling will lose not only another iconic center, but 50 lanes that at one time were available for use 24 hours a day.

 

 

Uptown Alley Gets Creative for ‘March Madness’ Promotions

In the March issue of Bowling Center Management, the “Promo Planner” department offered several ideas on how proprietors can take advantage of the college basketball phenomenon known as “March Madness.”

And it definitely is a phenomenon. It’s estimated that $8.9 billion — that’s billion with a B — will be wagered illegally on the 2016 NCAA basketball tournament, and an extra 3.5 million barrels of American beer will be produced to meet the demand created by people watching the tournament either at home or their favorite pub, bar, restaurant… or bowling center.

Uptown Alley in Midlothian, Va., is one of the centers “going all in” this month, beginning with a new menu tasting that began last Friday and continues through this Sunday. The promotion features $5 and $7 appetizers and entrees. Crispy brussels sprouts, bravo potatoes, buffalo chicken dip and a caprese salad are available for $5, while short rib tacos, a bella burger, smoky pork, and pizza bianco are going for $7.

Next, during Uptown Alley’s “Mayhem of March” promotion from March 14 through April 3, patrons can watch basketball games on a 20-ft. projection screen and 40 HDTVs while enjoying food specials and prize drawings. Also, on St. Patrick’s Day, guests can play the Green Pin Bowling Challenge to bowl for a $100 pizza party and other prizes.

Uptown Alley is a 57,000-sq.-ft., multi-level entertainment venue featuring 38 lanes of bowling, an arcade, upscale restaurant, patio, lounge and more. Locally owned by Uphoff Ventures and operated by Trifecta Management Group, the two companies have formed a strategic alliance to acquire, develop and operate properties, providing communities with first-class, leading-edge entertainment venues, with an immediate focus on the expansion of the Uptown Alley concept.

During “Mayhem of March,” Uptown Alley will have prize drawings for electronics, gift cards and more, with winners announced during every tournament game starting with the Sweet Sixteen.

Patrons are encouraged to sign up for the Uptown Alley eClub and pick a favorite team for the finals by Friday, March 17. Those who have selected one of the two finalists and watch the championship game at Uptown Alley will participate in a drawing for a chance to win a 50-inch HDTV and more than a dozen other prizes.

Food specials include stadium nachos, BBQ pulled pork nachos, and special March Madness fries representing four regions of the country.

 

Turbo Tech Collegiate Expo Adds Johnson and Ciminelli

U.S. Open champions Liz Johnson and Ryan Ciminelli have been added to the coaching staff for the 2017 Turbo Tech Collegiate Expo in metropolitan Cleveland on July 11-13.

Johnson, a five-time Women’s Open champion, and Ciminelli, the 2015 U.S. Open winner, are part of an extensive list of coaches and presenters at the event, which will be conducted at Game of Wickliffe, in Wickliffe, Ohio.

“I’m really looking forward to being part of the Collegiate Expo this year,” said Johnson, a USBC Hall of Famer. “The experience I had bowling in college helped develop me into the bowler I am today. I hope to share that experience and knowledge with our students.”

Both Johnson and Ciminelli are from the Buffalo, N.Y. area, and bowled in college before seeing professional success. Johnson was both Rookie of the Year and Collegiate Bowler of the Year at Morehead State University, while Ciminelli was a two-time National Junior College Athletic Association All-American at Erie Community College.

“Liz and Ryan bring a tremendous amount of talent and energy to the Collegiate Expo,” said Lori Mraz, President of Turbo Bowling Accessories. “Their perspectives and insight into the sport are a welcome addition to the event.”

Johnson and Ciminelli will be part of an elite group of players, coaches and industry experts gathered for the 2017 Collegiate Expo. Students will receive two full days of on-lane and classroom instruction, and will test their skills in a six-game Audition Tournament.

The Collegiate Expo isn’t just for student-athletes. The program also includes seminars for high school and collegiate coaches, led by many of the industry’s leading experts. Coaches also will be able to interact with parents and students directly as they gather information essential to the recruiting process.

“There’s simply no other event quite like the Turbo Tech Collegiate Expo,” said Mraz. “Having witnessed it first-hand for the past six years, the team of professionals and experts we have assembled has such a powerful impact on young bowlers and their families. It’s inspiring on all levels.”

The Turbo Tech Collegiate Expo will be held prior to the USBC Junior Gold Championships. Students should be enrolled in high school grades 10-12 for the 2017-18 school year, or be a 2017 graduate. A minimum entering average for boys of 190 and for girls of 175 is suggested for greatest recruiting consideration.

Sponsors of the Turbo Tech Collegiate Expo include:

• Bowlers Journal International
• Bowlingball.com
• Brunswick
• Columbia 300
• Dexter
• DV8
• Ebonite
• 900 Global
• Hammer
• International Art of Bowling
• Kegel
• KR Strikeforce
• Logo Infusion
• Motiv
• OnTheBallBowling.com
• Professional Bowlers Association
• Roto Grip
• Storm
• Track
• Turbo
• Metro Detroit USBC Association

 

C.J. Anderson Promotes Bowling’s Cool Factor

Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson not only bowled in last weekend’s 5th annual PBA Lakewood Super Regional in Lakewood, Colo., he co-sponsored it with Storm Products.

Anderson admitted during the tournament that when he was a kid, bowling wasn’t very cool. It was something old people — like his grandmother — did while he spent his time in the bowling center playing arcade games.

As an adult, however, Anderson has made a 180-degree turn, and is now in love with the sport and all of the many aspects of the game most people overlook. In fact, he has become so fascinated with the sport, and the advanced skills one has to develop in order to compete at the PBA level, he decided to sponsor a PBA Southwest “Super Regional” at Holiday Lanes in Lakewood, Colo., last weekend. A two-time participant in the CP3 PBA Celebrity Invitational, Anderson used that platform to explain his passion for the sport to members of the Denver area news media who came out to cover the event.

“C.J. Anderson is cool,” said the PBA’s CEO and Commissioner, Tom Clark, who also attended the event. “A great running back for the Denver Broncos who scores touchdowns in the Super Bowl is cool. All of us who are involved with bowling know [bowling is] cool, but a lot of people have a perception that tells them it’s not. So when you have a guy like C.J. devote this much time and passion to the sport, it really elevates the cool factor in our game.”

Anderson, who has competed in PBA Regional events during the NFL’s offseason, said he is hopeful that bowling can rise to the level of popularity that would allow for more people to make a living doing it. He also is hoping that more young people will pursue scholarships in bowling.

“The bigger picture is to get other sponsors and to get a bunch of people into bowling and get the PBA back to what it was when I was younger and when I watched my grandma bowl,” Anderson said.

Anderson, who employs an unusual “wrong foot” delivery, bowled in the Lakewood event and averaged 197.88 for a respectable 68th-place finish in the field of 100.

In addition to Anderson, Boston Red Sox star Mookie Betts also has received considerable mainstream media related to his bowling skills, including a great feature story by ESPN.com’s Scott Lauber, after bowling with Anderson in the CP3 PBA Celebrity Invitational in January.

Media coverage of Anderson’s and Betts’s bowling activities are posted in the “In The News” section of pba.com.

 

 

Winds Rip Roof Off Center in Alden, N.Y.

If you’re looking for one picture to symbolize the damage caused by the windstorm that hit western New York on Wednesday, look to Alden Bowling Center in the community of Alden, about 22 miles east of Buffalo.

“It’s pretty awful,” Penny Glambrone, an employee of the center, told WBEN NewsRadio. She added that a new roof had been put on the center last year, “so this is not good.”

The Erie County Blotter posted a photo gallery of the center, post-storm. You can view it here: http://www.eriecoblotter.com/single-post/2017/03/08/Alden-Bowling-Center-Damage.

 

March Bowling Business Calendar

• March 6-10 — Brunswick GS-Series Pinsetter Maintenance School, Muskegon, Mich.; schools@brunswickbowling.com

• March 8 — West Virginia BPA Board of Directors Meeting, Mountaineer Lanes, Bluefield, W.V.; skip@bpaa.com or 817-385-8446

• March 9 — QubicaAMF Webinar: “The Price Is Right — Best Practices to Price Keys”; qubicaamf.com

• March 12-13 — Foundations Entertainment University Pre-Amusement Expo Seminar Program, Sheraton Dallas Hotel, Dallas, Texas; foundationsuniversity.com

• March 14 — QubicaAMF Webinar: “New BES Marketing Kits — All Kinds of Tools for Every Kind of Customer” qubicamf.com

• March 14-16 — AAMA/AMOA Amusement Expo International 2017, Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, Texas; amusementexpo.org

• March 21 — Alabama/Mississippi BPA Board of Directors Meeting, Oak Mountain Lanes, Pelham, Ala.; skip@bpaa.com or 817-385-8446

• March 21-23 — Washington State BPA/BPAA Bowling University Session, Washington Athletic Club, Seattle, Wash.; greg.olsen@wsbpa.org or 800-736-2695

• March 23 — Colorado State BPA Board of Directors Meeting and Seminar, Golden, Colo.; bowlcolorado.com

• March 23 — QubicaAMF Webinar: “What’s New in Conqueror Pro, Version 11”; qubicaamf.com

• March 28 — Missouri BPA Board of Directors Meeting, Site TBA, Columbia, Mo.; skip@bpaa.com or 817-385-8446

 

Business Briefs…

• President Trump is more business-friendly than President Obama was, and he’s also making a point of being friendlier in general. According to Bloomberg, the President has been reaching out to Representatives on both sides of the aisle, hoping that he can get them to work together on important legislation. There’s also the possibility that get-togethers on the White House lanes could become a regular thing, beginning with one such outing today. Read more here: https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-09/in-private-trump-flashes-charm-humor-and-energy-with-lawmakers.

• White House Bowling Follow-up: The Daily Mail also reported on the bowling get-together, adding that Trump is not likely to don bowling shoes but probably will put in an appearance. That report is here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4297946/Trump-invites-conservative-health-care-naysayers-BOWLING.html.

• When the management of Spare Time Lanes in Halfmoon, N.Y., attempted to shut down a private party last Saturday night, several fights broke out and others in the crowd of more than 800 became unruly. The Saratoga County Sheriffs Department had to call in police from surrounding communities to calm the situation and disperse the crowd. Three men from Albany were arrested and charged with inciting a riot. Read more here: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/03/09/bowling-alley-riot-halfmoon/.

 

Other News You Can Use…

• The Bowlers to Veteran Link is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and has rolled out a new website. Check it out here: http://www.bowlforveterans.org.

• David Yamauchi of La Palma, Calif., the Executive Director of the Junior Amateur Tour in Southern California, has been selected by the International Bowling Campus Youth Committee to receive the Kerm Helmer Horizon Award. The award recognizes leaders in the sport of bowling who have displayed courage, determination and the ability to develop far-reaching programs that provide fun and exciting opportunities for collegiate and/or youth bowlers. Yamauchi has been involved with the JAT for 31 years, first as a bowler, then as an assistant director and now as the man who operates it for Southern California’s youth bowlers.

• Betty Mivelaz of Tujunga, California, a United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer, died Feb. 26. She was 86. Mivelaz had a banner year on the lanes in 1967, winning the Professional Women’s Bowling Association National Championships and capturing a Classic Team title at the USBC Women’s Championships in Rochester, New York. She was inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame in 1991. She was one of the top bowlers ever in Southern California, winning 10 Western Women Professional Bowlers titles to go along with numerous state and local wins. She was selected to the Southern California Bowling Writers’ All-Star Team from 1966-75, and earned Southern California Bowler of the Year honors in 1968. Read more here: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/usbc-hall-of-famer-betty-mivelaz-dies-at-age-86/.

• Five United States Bowling Congress Youth members have been selected to receive the Earl Anthony Memorial Scholarship in recognition of their community involvement and academic achievements. Named in honor of the late bowling great, Earl Anthony, who was dedicated to helping youth bowlers, the five recipients were selected by the International Bowling Campus Youth Committee based on applications. Each of the youth bowlers selected will receive a $5,000 scholarship. They are Taylor Ausec of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Rachel Bamford of Rochester, N.H.; Eric Cowan of Rogersville, Mo.; Courtney Gervais of Staten Island, N.Y.; and Connor Jones, Madison, Miss. Read about each recipient’s accomplishments here: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/earl-anthony-memorial-scholarships-awarded-to-five-youth-bowlers/.

• The guest this week on Phantom Radio is BJI’s own resident historian, J.R. Schmidt, and the main topic of the discussion is Dr. Jake’s new book, “The Bowling Chronicles.” To listen to the interview, go to: http://www.kegel.net/phantomblog/2017/3/8/jr-schmidt-phantom-radio.

* CONTACT: Please send business news, event information, etc. to Bob Johnson at bjibob@aol.com. For breaking business news, visit http://www.bowlersjournal.com/?cat=6.