E-dition No. 978 • Wednesday, November 15 2017
Editor: Bob Johnson (bjibob@aol.com)
BVL Reps Take Part in Veteran’s Day Activities in D.C.
BVL’s gift of more than one million dollars to provide recreational and therapeutic programs and services for America’s hospitalized inpatient and outpatient veterans was recognized on Saturday by Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin during a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery celebrating Veteran’s Day.
BVL Executive Director Mary Harrar and the BVL Board of Directors were in attendance to make the presentation to the Secretary. With this most recent gift, the total raised by the sport’s own and oldest charity surpassed the $50 million plateau.
Prior to the facsimile check presentation ceremony, BVL representatives played a variety of roles at the national celebration to honor our nation’s veterans.
The morning began with BVL Board member Libbi Fletcher and USBC President Frank Wilkinson joining with other national veterans service organizations at a breakfast hosted by the United States Chamber of Commerce.
BVL representatives Anita LaSpina and Robbie Thomas participated in the national color guard, marching the U.S. and BVL flags into the Amphitheatre on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery to open and close the official ceremonies.
As a member of the National Veterans Day Organizing Committee, BVL representatives are afforded the opportunity to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. This year, that honor went to Wilkinson, BVL Board Chairman John LaSpina, and Board members Jost and Glenn Carano.
At the ceremony, Secretary Shulkin expressed his gratitude for BVL’s 75 years of support for America’s veterans. “We are so appreciative that our friends at BVL have remained committed to America’s veterans,” he said. “Thank you all so very much.”
Through BVL, veterans in care at VA facilities across the country take part in sports and arts programs, enjoy a variety of activities from nature walks to gardening and pet therapy, and attend cultural events.
Noted Harrar: “In big cities and small towns throughout the nation, America’s bowling family stands together to help meet our goal: providing veterans with sports and arts programs that encourage healthy and active lifestyles, boost spirits, and reduce feelings of isolation and stress.
“We encourage every bowler, association, bowling center operator as well as manufacturers and suppliers to join with us in the 2017-18 season to make next year even better.”
Long-time BMA Executive Assistant Iovine Passes Away
Eileen E. Iovine, the long-time executive assistant to Pat Ciniello at Bowling Management Associates in Fort Myers, Fla., passed away on Nov. 3. She was 75.
The native of New Haven, Conn., had been a resident of southwest Florida since 1994. Because Ciniello volunteered his time to the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, Iovine also was involved with that work.
“Eileen played an important role in helping us build the museum in Arlington,” said Keith Hamilton, former President of the IBMHF Board. “Honestly, we could not have done it without her assistance throughout the entire process.”
Appropriately, a reception after her service was held at HeadPinz Fort Myers. Friends and family members gathered in the PinBoyz room for drinks, food and story telling.
QubicaAMF Unveils HyperBowling at IAAPA Expo
After nearly three years of research, development and planned testing, QubicaAMF is previewing its new HyperBowling attraction this week at the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando.
According to the company, HyperBowling is a high-tech blend of software, advanced physical materials and mechanical design, futuristic user interfaces and all-new electronics and sensors. It’s fully integrated with BES X, the company’s Bowler Entertainment System.
QubicaAMF describes HyperBowling as an all-new product that’s “like a physical video game on a bowling lane. It features four different games and provides a ‘wow’ visual experience designed to draw attention and drive traffic.”
Noted Emanuele Govoni, CEO of QubicaAMF: “We truly believe that bowling has so much more potential to attract and entertain even more people, more often. The sophisticated technologies behind this product are truly amazing. Throughout my entire career, I have never been as excited about a new product as I am today about HyperBowling. The product is so smart and so compelling for both consumers and proprietors.”
Added Pat Ciniello, Chairman of the Board of QubicaAMF and owner of seven bowling and entertainment centers in southwest Florida: “HyperBowling has the potential to be a gamer changer for our industry.”
HyperBowling also will be featured at BPAA’s International Bowl Expo in Las Vegas, next June 17-21.
HyperBowling is a registered trademark of QubicaAMF in the U.S. and in other countries. Its features and technologies are patent-pending.
Aloma Completes Airport Lanes Modernization
Airport Lanes in Sanford, Fla., has debuted a new modern look and feel after undergoing an extensive remodel.
“Our guests are looking for a memorable experience beyond just bowling,” said Keith Baldwin, the Regional General Manager for Aloma Bowling Centers. “While we have always offered great leagues and affordable family fun at Airport Lanes, we’ve adapted to become a comprehensive entertainment center, providing a one-of-a-kind entertainment and dining experience for everything from active young adults and dates to corporate outings or family time.”
The renovations include new wood plank flooring throughout, updated seating areas with couches and modern tables, and updated service counters with rock and wood accents.
In addition to bowling, Airport Lanes offers an arcade, billiards and a full-service bar and grill with offerings such as hand-tossed pizza, hand-crafted burgers, house-made wing sauce, local craft beer and specialty drinks.
Baldwin added that Aloma Bowling Centers is committed to the greater Orlando community, and the renovation of the Sanford location comes after an investment in Aloma Bowl in Winter Park. The company also has planned updates for its other Central Florida bowling center, Boardwalk Bowl.
Summit to Offer Proprietors Guidance on Property Taxes
According to the Council on State Taxation, property taxes represent, by far, the largest state and local taxes paid by businesses. However, few bowling center owners are aware of how to check the computation of that property tax bill, or the underlying valuation.
At BPAA’s 2018 Bowling Summit, national commercial property tax consulting professional Paul Pennington will help proprietors understand their options when they’re not satisfied with the valuation of their property. Pennington’s firm has secured more than $24 million in client tax savings to date.
Joining Pennington for this unique session will be fellow property tax professionals Jon Simard and Ray Browning. Together, they will provide a full review of individual state procedures, requirements and remedies for real and personal property assessments.
BPAA’s Bowling Summit is a strategic midwinter conference for bowling center proprietors, managers and bowling industry leaders to network and learn from top business professionals. It’s scheduled for Jan. 14-18 at the Marriott Phoenix Tempe at the Buttes, Tempe, Ariz. For registration information, visit bpaa.com/bowlingsummit.
New Kegel Connection Pro Shop Opens This Month
A new Kegel Connection Pro Shop is opening this month inside Bowland Woodside in Naples, Fla. Tyler Armour has joined the Kegel team and will be the manager of Kegel Connection-Naples.
The pro shop will feature a full spectrum of modern coaching tools and shop services. The location has a SPECTO Ball Tracking System and will soon have a Torch Lane Targeting Light. The shop will include a full supply of inventory to help customers match up to today’s lane conditions.
Armour has dedicated more than 20 years of his life to bowling. He joined his first youth league in 1996, and since then has rolled four 300s, three 800 series, and won the 2014 NJCAA National Championship with his team at Vincennes University, where he studied Bowling Management and Technology.
With his degree, he pursued a management position at Champlain Lanes, where he served as a pro shop technician. Currently, Armour is a DV8 Regional Staff member.
“I look forward to continuing to dedicate my time to the game that has given me so much,” Armour said.
Del Warren, VP of the Kegel Training Center, said, “We are excited about this opportunity both for Tyler and Kegel. Tyler has shown a love for the sport that fits in perfectly to our culture. We look forward to working with the bowlers in the Naples area.”
Skip Forsyth will remain on staff to help with coaching and ball drilling as needed.
‘Month of Giving’ Underway at Uptown Alley
The Uptown Alley entertainment venue in Midlothian, Va., is in the midst of a “Month of Giving.” Each Sunday in November, Uptown Alley is donating a portion of bowling and arcade sales to a designated local nonprofit organization.
“It is a privilege for Uptown Alley to partner with these nonprofit organizations that are making the Richmond community stronger,” said Michelle Vivian, Director of Sales and Marketing at Uptown Alley.
Here is the list of nonprofit benefactors:
* November 5 — Richmond Animal League, which provides temporary housing, medical treatment, sterilization, and quality care to more than 1,700 companion animals each year until they are adopted into permanent and loving homes.
* November 12 — Autism Society of Central Virginia, which offers services, advocacy and support to families and professionals involved with autism. It is the local affiliate of the Autism Society of America, founded in 1965.
* November 19 — the doorways (the organization’s name is in all lower-case letters), which is a provider of temporary lodging and non-medical services to patients and their families referred through participating Richmond-area hospitals.
* November 26 — The James House, which offers cost-free, confidential help for people affected by sexual violence, domestic violence and stalking in the Tri-Cities area of Virginia.
World Bowling Signs With App Provider Lanetalk
World Bowling has signed a two-year contract with bowling application provider Lanetalk. The company’s app is designed to connect bowlers around the world and provide a platform for individual bowlers to track their scores.
Lanetalk functions as a bowling data platform, tracking the scores of an individual’s bowling performance in a center over time and allowing its users to view a history of their activities, measure their progress and assess their current goals. Lanetalk will allow users to share their personal content through social channels and compete against other people in different centers.
Through cooperation with World Bowling, Lanetalk also will look to log the statistical data from the federation’s major events, meaning that users can play against world champions and the best in the sport.
“Creating this partnership will bring a fresh approach to the sport of bowling,” said World Bowling CEO Kevin Dornberger. “We are confident that the app gives us a passageway to connect the casual player to the bigger picture and grow our youth fan base for the sport.”
Viggo Hanson, COO of Lanetalk, said, “In an age when everyone is connected online and through social media, we want to bring the sport and the game of bowling to this global phenomenon. Through the setup of a statistical data base, players can now create a profile, log their scores and play against friends, strangers and even the professionals, all through the Lanetalk app.”
Over coming months, World Bowling will be assisting Lanetalk with final preparations before rollout of the system begins in the first quarter of 2018.
Lanetalk also is the PBA’s statistical analysis partner for the World Series of Bowling IX at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno.
Business Briefs…
* Following a six-month build-out, a 20,000-sq.-ft. entertainment facility called The Pin Deck has opened in the greater Cincinnati community of Miami Township, Ohio. The dramatically lit space includes 12 lanes. “We don’t want to be known as your regular old grungy bowling alley,” Pin Deck General Manager Michael DuChene told Cincinnati.com. “You’re not just coming here for bowling. You’re coming here for an experience.” An official grand opening is scheduled for Nov. 22. You can check out the venue’s website and learn more here: https://www.scene75.com/the-pin-deck/.
* Temecula Lanes in Temecula, Calif., has updated its two-lane VIP section with a complete ColorSplash LED lighting system from ZOT Pinsetter Parts. Meanwhile, Franklin Family Entertainment Center in Franklin, Tenn., has installed ColorSplash LED Pindeck lighting.
Other News You Can Use…
* The United States and the Philippines both have found great success at the QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup through the years, and the two countries added to their legacies Saturday by claiming the titles at the 2017 event. Team USA’s Jakob Butturff was victorious on the men’s side, using the experience of a recent live TV appearance as motivation, while Krizziah Lyn Tabora quietly outdistanced a talented field to claim the women’s title in Hermosillo, Mexico. Read more here: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/butturff-wins-qubicaamf-world-cup-tabora-of-philippines-wins-womens-title/. And look for a special feature story on the World Cup in the January issue of BJI.
* Houston Rockets All-Star point guard Chris Paul brings his State Farm CP3 PBA Celebrity Invitational Presented by Go Bowling! to his new home of Houston when he hosts the ninth fundraiser on Friday, Dec. 1 at Bowlero The Woodlands in the Houston suburb of Conroe, Texas. Paul, an accomplished bowler, is the event’s defending champion and will be joined by an A-list group of celebrities and PBA Tour players who will compete in the doubles format event which benefits the Chris Paul Family Foundation. The foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting youth education, health, sports and social responsibility. The show will air on ESPN on Sunday, Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. Eastern.
* After six days of competition and 60 games on four different lane patterns, Sweden’s Jesper Svensson averaged 241 to earn top qualifier honors for the stepladder finals of the PBA World Championship at the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IX, presented by Eldorado Reno Resorts Properties. The 22-year-old left-handed two-hander finished with a 60-game pinfall total of 14,465 at the National Bowling Stadium Tuesday to lead right-handed two-hander Jason Belmonte of Australia, who qualified a distant second for the finals with a 14,129 total. They’ll be joined in the Saturday stepladder finals taping by Ryan Ciminelli, Kyle Troup and Matt Sanders. Read more here: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/pba-world-championship-stepladder-finalists-set/.
* The field for the 2017 World Bowling Tour Women’s Finals Presented by the PBA is set after the women contending for the three berths in the finals completed their competition in the PBA World Championship qualifying rounds. The women who will compete for $12,500, $7,500 and $5,000 in prize money Sunday at the National Bowling Stadium are top qualifier Diana Zavjalova of Latvia, defending champion Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, N.Y., and Malaysia’s Shalin Zulkifli.
* Boston Red Sox star Mookie Betts had only two weeks from the end of his major league baseball season to prepare for his second trip to the World Series of Bowling, and by all reasonable measurements, it was a successful venture… and more. Read all about it — including his 300 game — here: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/mookie-betts-accomplishes-goals-and-then-some-at-wsob-ix/.
* The guest this week on Phantom Radio is PBA Tour champion Bruce Hamilton. To listen to the interview, go to: http://www.kegel.net/phantomblog/2017/11/15/bruce-hamilton-phantom-radio.
* CONTACT: Please send business news, event information, etc. to Bob Johnson at bjibob@aol.com. For breaking business news, visit bcmmag.com or bowlersjournal.com, and “Like” Bowling Center Management and Bowlers Journal International on Facebook. BJI Cyber Reports are now archived at bcmmag.com.
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