E-dition No. 1,108 • Friday, May 8, 2020
Editor: Bob Johnson (bjibob@aol.com)
Brunswick Providing Resources to Help With Reopening
Brunswick Bowling Products announced this week that it is making available an array of resources to help proprietors “reset, reconnect and reopen” as they navigate the many challenges associated with the coronavirus.
On the company’s website, Brunswick is providing proprietors with downloads or links for the following:
* Restoring Power to Your Brunswick Equipment
* Cleaning Procedures for Bowling Center Equipment
* National Restaurant Association Reopening Guidelines
* OSHA Guidance for Preparing Workplaces
* Can Employees Refuse a Recall to Work and Still Collect Unemployment?
* Back-to-Work Checklist
* Sample Memo for Employee Health Screening Procedures
* Strike Ten Entertainment Videos to Welcome Customers Back
* Hand-washing Poster
Brunswick also is offering extended pro shop rebate programs, three months of complimentary tech support, and access to Brunswick’s Advanced Marketing subscription for three months at no charge.
For downloads and links, click here: https://brunswickbowling.com/bowling-centers/modernize/reopen.
BVL Grant Supports New Therapy Programs During Pandemic
The Bowlers to Veterans Link is donating a $100,000 grant to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to support Compassionate Contact Corps and Tele-yoga therapy.
These funds enable veterans to keep a virtual personal connection during the COVID-19 pandemic with programs that address essential ongoing physical therapy and mental health needs such as depression and suicide prevention.
“BVL has always been here for our veterans since 1942, and we will always be here for them with great appreciation,” said BVL Chair John LaSpina. “It’s an honor for BVL to help fund these much-needed programs and to make this donation on behalf of a bowling community that salutes and supports our veterans.”
The BVL donation will be targeted toward two VA programs to address ongoing physical therapy and mental health needs:
* Compassionate Contact Corps is a new VA program established to recruit, train and engage virtual volunteers to maintain contact with veterans who need that personal connection to other people between routine visits to the facility, or are otherwise isolated and vulnerable for depression. The VA has been working with the Office of Mental Health, Suicide Prevention, Geriatrics, Social Work and Chaplain Service to further develop the program.
* The VA’s Whole Health Office is working to expand the Tele-yoga program to make it more readily available to veterans with their certified yoga volunteers. The BVL donation will also help purchase additional Tele-yoga kits (bag, mat, towel, blocks, band, water bottle) to enable veterans to continue with this recreation therapy.
BVL is consistently acknowledged for efficient and effective programming that’s delivered with extremely low overhead, providing more than $52 million in grants to VA hospitals and clinics since 1942. For more information, visit bvl.org.
Second Round of PPP Funding Stresses Payrolls
The ongoing saga of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) continues with lawmakers agreeing to provide an additional $310 billion to the program.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act originally gave the Small Business Administration $349 billion for small-business loans to help pay up to eight weeks of payroll, taxes, mortgages, rent and utilities during the coronavirus pandemic.
BCM Accounting columnist Mark E. Battersby notes that the program is especially attractive for small businesses, with the loans provided by local banks, credit unions and other financial institutions — backed by the U.S. Treasury — so employers can access the liquidity they need immediately without having to appeal to the SBA.
No collateral or personal guarantee is required, interest is no more than 4%, and repayment, if required, can be over a period as long as 10 years. The supplement bill now requires a borrower to certify that it couldn’t borrow the money elsewhere, a standard SBA requirement absent in the original bill.
All payments of principal, interest and fees under the loans were deferred for at least six months. And most loans can be converted to grants, with the amount forgiven excluded from the recipient’s gross income.
Battersby notes that in addition to providing more than $300 billion for the PPP, $60 billion has been earmarked — and will be divided equally — for smaller banks and community lenders focusing on under-banked neighborhoods and rural areas. Another $60 billion will be available for small-business loan and grant programs delivered through an existing small-business disaster aid program, $10 billion of which will come in the form of direct grants.
To qualify for PPP funds, a business must have fewer than 500 full-time or part-time employees. PPP loans can be as large as $10 million. But most applicants will receive smaller amounts, generally a maximum of 2.5 times their average monthly payroll costs.
Battersby says that the proceeds from the PPP loan program may be used only for paying certain expenses, generally:
* Payroll (including benefits)
* Mortgage interest
* Rent
* Utilities
Perhaps the most reassuring aspect of PPP loans is that they can be forgiven, as long as the rules are followed. Battersby stresses that many rules and limits continue to apply.
The PPP was swamped by businesses applying for loans, eventually reaching its appropriations limit after approving nearly 1.7 million loans, leaving thousands of small businesses in limbo as they sought help. Unfortunately, the PPP also has been plagued by controversy and confusion.
Many businesses have complained that banks have favored customers with whom they already do business. Some businesses that haven’t been substantially harmed by the coronavirus pandemic have also, reportedly, received loans, along with a number of publicly traded companies.
The SBA application Form 2483, Paycheck Protection Program Application Form, stated, “Due to high demand, not more than 25% of the forgiven amount may be for non-payroll costs.”
Even though the original law allowed the use of the PPP loan proceeds to be used for such things as mortgage interest, lease payments, utilities and interest on pre-existing loans, the priority remains on payroll. In other words, in order to get loan forgiveness, most of the funds should be spent on payroll.
The cost of the PPP would, according to lawmakers, be partially offset by a reduced burden on unemployment insurance. Since it makes more sense for the government to keep people employed rather than unemployed, the program has restrictions to cap salaries and pay raises.
However, with limited funds available, even after the refunding plan, Battersby says that those who can qualify should apply as soon as possible.
AP Story Provides Bowling Perspective on Pandemic
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp did bowling no favors when he announced that “bowling alleys” could be among the first businesses to reopen in the Peach State.
Television’s late-night talk show hosts, never ones to allows facts to get in the way of a laugh (or a ratings point), immediately weighed in with snarky comments.
Stephen Colbert of “The Late Show” said, “Really? Bowling alleys? I’m going to go out on a limb here and say now is not the time for a sport where strangers stick their fingers inside the same three holes.”
Trevor Noah, host of “The Daily Show,” said that Kemp might as well urge “people to join a competitive sneezing league.”
Even Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms felt compelled to chime in, noting: “There’s nothing essential about going to a bowling alley.”
Once again, bowling’s long-held negative reputation had been resurrected — through absolutely no fault of the bowling business.
Credit Paul Newberry of Associated Press for working to present some balanced reporting on the reopening of bowling centers in Georgia. For perspective from the bowling side of things, he sought out Keith Hamilton, President of Luby Publishing Inc., the industry’s leading publishing company.
“It’s about as bad as it can get,” Hamilton told Newberry. “Bowling centers have closed, and they closed during what we consider the peak season. All the tournaments are happening, national events are happening, you’ve got tournaments going on at the local level and leagues finishing up.”
Not exactly a joking matter…
Newberry then reported on the trickle-down effect caused by shuttered bowling centers. As Hamilton pointed out, when people aren’t bowling, they’re not buying bowling products, and that impacts the entire supply chain.
Aussie star Jason Belmonte also was quoted extensively in the story, providing a professional athlete’s point of view.
Newberry concluded his story with another comment from Hamilton: “We have taken a blow. The same thing happened to bowling in 1919 and ’20 when the Spanish flu hit. But every time a crisis has hit our country — or, in this case, the world — bowling has bounced back.”
Proprietors Face Challenging Times If Virus Persists
As is the case with small businesses of many types, simply being able to reopen won’t necessarily equate with success, especially if there are government-mandated restrictions in place that limit capacity.
Bob Ansara, who has been operating the iconic Ricardo’s Mexican Restaurant in Las Vegas for four decades, has made the decision to close down, even though he says he figures he has “another 10 good years” in him.
Like many other restaurants in town, Ricardo’s has been operating on a take-out-only basis since Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak shut down the state. Ansara had to reduce his staff from 67 to four to make even that work.
“But that’s really a Band-Aid,” Ansara told Heidi Knapp Rinella of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I just don’t see a clear path forward. When you take into consideration the hurt of the last two months and what it’s going to take to regenerate the business, and when I look ahead to the next 18 months and see what those months will be like…”
Restaurants in Las Vegas and elsewhere around the country will not be able to operate anywhere close to full capacity when they reopen, at least for a while. Bowling centers, in many cases, will be in the same boat. And that could be devastating, Ansara said.
“In many cases, those restrictions will be worse than being closed,” he said. “While I think they’re all well-intentioned, I think they pretty much spell disaster for small businesses.”
The best hope for small businesses of all kinds will be for the COVID-19 virus to make a hasty retreat.
Junior Gold Cancellation Was a Fait Accompli
Even before International Bowling Campus Youth Development announced the cancellation of the 2020 Junior Gold Championships Presented by Hammer on April 16, it had become apparent that the tournament would not be able to be conducted in Las Vegas this summer.
That’s because Governor Sisolak has been slower than most governors in formulating a reopening plan for the state, and likely will be imposing very strict guidelines for casinos — which will be among the last businesses allowed to reopen.
Every bowling center that had been earmarked to host some aspect of the 2020 Junior Gold tournament is housed inside a casino-resort.
Anticipated social-distancing guidelines would have cut the capacity at those centers in half, causing significant logistical challenges for tournament organizers.
Adding to the dilemma is the fact that Texas Station, one of the host facilities, will not be reopening right away when its parent company, Station Casinos, begins bringing its properties back on line. Texas Star Lanes at Texas Station has 60 lanes, only 30 of which likely would have been available under Sisolak’s anticipated guidelines.
Add in the fact that America’s airlines have cancelled flights and trimmed capacity to a bare minimum, and many families would have been faced with making extremely long drives in order to get to the tournament.
Virtually all entertainment in Las Vegas has been cancelled through June, and it’s not yet known when it will begin to be rescheduled, as concert venues, arenas and other large gathering places also are facing new capacity limits.
The Orleans Arena, which was to have hosted the Junior Gold opening ceremonies and a PWBA finals telecast, is closed, and its parking lot is now being used for COVID-19 testing.
Just like everywhere else, it’s a whole new world in Las Vegas these days.
Difficult Decision: Reopen… Wait… or Close Down
There is no one-size-fits-all reopening plan for those in the bowling business, given the numerous business models that exist today, whether a center sits on leased or owned-by-the-proprietor land, and whether the business itself is “free and clear” or there’s still a mortgage to be paid.
As we’re seeing across the country as states begin to reopen, some proprietors are opening as soon as they are allowed, some are taking a wait-and-see attitude, and some won’t be reopening at all.
Back Bowl in Eagle, Colo., opened its doors on April 27 after outlining its plan for doing so with the Eagle County Department of Public Health.
During the first phase of the reopening, the center was allowed to offer bowling, billiards and take-out food. It will not be allowed to open its restaurant until the second phase kicks in.
Meanwhile, in Fishers, Ind., Kevin Walter, the Chief Operating Officer of Pinheads, says, “I’m not really interested in reopening for now — especially if the plan is nearly impossible to execute.”
Early guidelines would cut capacity and revenue streams significantly.
“I could lose more than I’m losing now,” Walter said, “not to mention damaging the experience for the long term, ruining repeat business and word of mouth.”
Jen and Jeff Young, unfortunately, could not wait out the pandemic-caused closure of Elmira Bowl in Elmira, Ontario, Canada.
They made the difficult decision to close down the center, addressing the matter on Facebook: “The rumors you have been hearing are true. We are closed. Elmira Bowl will no longer be offering any services.”
“Speaking” to the center’s customers directly, the Youngs added: “Elmira Bowl could not have been as successful as it was without your loyalty.”
Just not successful enough to outlast Canada’s mandated closing.
ISBPA Curates Resources for Illinois Centers
The Illinois State BPA’s Board of Directors approved funding proposed by its Self-Guidance Social Distancing Task Force, and will provide all members a reopening package of several items they may have difficulty sourcing on their own for their employees and guest safety.
According to ISBPA Executive Director Bill Duff, the funding comes from the association’s Marketing Fund reserves, entirely supported by non-dues revenue through members’ use of programs such as WBPI insurance, Satori Power Pool electricity aggregation, QubicaAMF bowling pin purchases and BPAA Smart Buy programs.
Current programs funded by the Marketing Fund include consultant support of school bowling initiatives, rebates to members toward their In-School Bowling equipment, and lane carpet equipment donations to schools.
The ISBPA secured 1,000 gallons of a water-based hand sanitizer produced by CH Distillery, manufacturer of Malort liquor, among other products. Like many distilleries affected by the pandemic, they converted their facility to produce sanitizer and have been donating their product to Chicago-area hospitals.
ISBPA’s purchase provides CH Distillery a small margin, helping them to continue donating their product to health-care providers. Approximately half of the bulk purchase will be included in the reopening packages, with the other half being offered exclusively to ISBPA-member centers at cost (approximately $30/gallon, plus shipping).
The number of items in each package will be based on each center’s number of lanes, in three groupings: 15 lanes or fewer, 16-39 lanes, and 40 or lanes or more.
The packages will include hand sanitizer, reusable mask shields for front-line staff, social distance floor decals, a neoprene facemask, and information on how to purchase additional units of each of the items. The kit also will include a document with local sources for items such as Plexiglas, temporary dividers, etc.
The ISBPA Task Force is now focused on providing the State of Illinois with suggested reopening and self-guidance best practices from a bowling business perspective. Each member will receive a copy that will be incorporated into a checklist document, intended to identify best practices for membership with a common goal of creating consumer confidence.
‘Trickle-Down Effect’ Impacts Sales Training
As LPI President Keith Hamilton noted in his comments to Associated Press, the mandated closing of bowling centers by the government creates a trickle-down effect throughout our industry.
It also impacts sales coaching companies such as TrainerTainment, which was founded by BCM/BEC columnist Beth Standlee.
“More than 90 percent of our retained coaching clients paused their services in mid-March,” Standlee said. “We do believe those clients will come back once they get back to work. We have stayed in touch and are doing everything we can to support them and the industry in the meantime.”
The company had nine speaking and/or trade-type events scheduled in the second quarter of 2020, and all but one cancelled. The lone exception is one scheduled in late June, for which Standlee may present her keynote virtually.
“We are very excited that the rest of the world has gotten comfortable with virtual training and coaching,” Standlee said. “Our hope is we can provide training and coaching support in a virtual setting, which saves the customer travel expenses and wear and tear on our trainers and coaches. Travel can certainly take a toll, and potentially we can be more supportive with our training specialties.”
Meanwhile, the company has launched a new website with a combined learning management system and enhanced “Xpress Training” subscription platform that gives people instant access to live webinars, articles, training tools and more. A 60-day free trial is now being offered.
Standlee said that the company missed the first round of PPP and was forced to lay off everyone except the leadership team. TrainerTainment did, however, expect to receive funding during the second round and is “hopeful to get everyone back on board soon.”
And Standlee offered this “free tip” for proprietors who are reopening with social distancing mandates in place: doubles leagues at 6:15 and trios leagues at 8:30 — or the other way around.
“I think people are going to be frustrated they didn’t get to finish their winter season, and the joy of getting back to bowling in a safe way will turn them on,” Standlee said.
Steltronic Installs Equipment at Closed-for-Now Centers
Steltronic’s home office and warehouses in Italy were closed down for months because the coronavirus hit that country particularly hard.
But the company’s North America office in Montclair, Calif., has remained open throughout the Golden State’s lockdown because it’s deemed an essential business as a provider of equipment to the government’s military bases.
Being operational also made it possible for the company to assist several commercial bowling centers with installations during this period when they’re closed to the public.
In California, both Matador Bowl in Northridge, and Jewel City Bowl in Glendale, had planned installations for this summer, but moved them up to take advantage of the current down time.
According to Steltronic North America’s Jim Osdale, the company also has been working with proprietors in Florida, Kansas and Ohio, using a mix of local workers and company staff members to get the installations done.
The company also has been able to handle special requests, including providing a custom laser-cut logo for the pedestals of one client’s touch screens, and providing another client with larger-than-usual pedestal bases to cover up floor remnants of a replaced system.
Steltronic is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and a special feature on the company appears in the May issue of BCM. Steltronic’s facilities in Italy were scheduled to reopen on Monday.
USBC Amends Playing Rules to Help Get Leagues Rolling
The United States Bowling Congress Board of Directors has approved waivers and modifications to USBC Playing Rules to provide certified leagues and tournaments with greater flexibility to return to bowling while adhering to local health guidelines related to COVID-19.
The modifications allow certified competition to take place on one lane for the entirety of a game. Also, bowlers will be allowed to use isopropyl alcohol, more commonly known as rubbing alcohol, to clean their bowling balls during competition. The Environmental Protection Agency lists isopropyl alcohol as an approved disinfectant for use against COVID-19.
Effective immediately, USBC has temporarily waived USBC Playing Rules 106a, 106b, 320a and 320b, which state that two lanes must be used for competition and bowlers must alternate lanes. It also waived the requirement that both lanes must be used for a bowler to be eligible for awards and average recognition.
USBC said it would continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and may rescind the waiver of Rules 106a,106b, 320a and 320b at any time.
The USBC Board, which has the authority over general playing rules, was able to make the waivers following the adoption of General Playing Rule 14 – Emergency Authorizations. That rule states USBC may authorize temporary modifications to the General Playing Rules, Award, League and Tournament Rules in cases of emergency.
Read more here: https://www.bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622334430.
More COVID-19 Updates from Our Bowling Family…
* Two PBA tournaments at South Plains Lanes in Lubbock, Texas — the PBA50 Lubbock Sports Cup and the PBA Lubbock Sports Open — have been cancelled by managing partner JimBo Evans. “The city was going to back me whatever I decided to do,” Evans told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, “and I just told them I can’t draw enough for my pro-am, and I can’t draw enough people to watch…” It may have been a moot point considering the PBA has suspended all tournaments for the time being. Read more here: https://www.lubbockonline.com/sports/20200505/no-bowling-for-now-south-plains-lanes-cancels-two-pba-tour-events.
* Airway Fun Center in Portage, Mich., which was featured in the February 2020 issue of BEC, had planned to reopen some of its outdoor attractions on the heels of golf courses opening up in the state. But reaction to the announcement was so negative on social media that management decided to remain closed. “We heard from our customers and we listened,” General Manager Marc Wiese told Michigan Live. Read more here: https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2020/04/portage-fun-center-scraps-plan-to-reopen-after-community-backlash.html
* Stars and Strikes locations in Georgia delayed reopening after polling customers. The company used that time to modify its facilities to adhere to both state and federal mandates. “This has been a very substantial undertaking, necessitating new operating processes in each of our core businesses,” the company announced on its website. “Equipment has been purchased to accommodate the social distancing, sanitation and sterilization guidelines.” As a result, the company now plans to open its Georgia locations with limited hours on Friday. Birthday parties will be welcomed, but must consist of 10 or fewer people. Stars and Strikes centers in five other states remain closed.
* Another Georgia center, The Clubhouse in Statesboro, will reopen on Friday, but only with its outdoor miniature golf attraction and half of its 24 lanes in use. During the time that the facility has been closed, new sterilization and deep-cleaning protocols have been implemented. Center management plans to gradually phase in other attractions. Both staff members and guests will be required to wear masks and practice social distancing, and temperature checks at the door are planned.
* While there is no good time for a pandemic to strike, as you will hear from PBA CEO Colie Edison, the timing has been particularly unfortunate for the PBA. Just a season and a half into its run as a Bowlero property and following one ratings success after another with FOX, its players are wondering when they once again will have a chance to make a living, and its executives are fighting an uncertain battle to put those players in a position to do so as soon as possible. One striking thing about this Bowlers Journal Podcast with Edison is the can-do attitude she demonstrates in the face of an unprecedented crisis for the industry. It may be a while before PBA players are contending for titles again, but in the nearer term Edison’s close collaboration with FOX may bring some fresh PBA action to your television screens and devices in the form of made-for-TV special events. Edison discusses that and many other aspects of COVID-19’s impact on the PBA, and on the bowling industry more broadly, in this interview, which you can listen to here: https://soundcloud.com/user-658733792/pba-ceo-colie-edison-on-the-pbas-future-in-a-pandemic-stricken-sports-landscape
* Lakes Bowl in Round Lake, Ill., has been preparing for its reopening by installing large red protective dividers between each pair of lanes and in other areas of the center. It’s a unique look — although it may not be unique for long. Check it out on the center’s Facebook page.
* Holiday Bowl in Albuquerque, N.M. — featured as the cover story in the February 2019 issue of BCM — has been closed since New Mexico mandated the closure of “non-essential” businesses. But it now has been allowed to open its restaurant, which was created as part of its modernization project, for take-out orders. The “To-Go Curbside Menu” is available Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and features many of the restaurant’s favorite food items. Check out the special menu here: https://www.holidaybowlabq.com/wpcontent/uploads/2020/05/combinepdf.pdf.
* Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said the state’s economic recovery group would be issuing guidance on Wednesday for “small-group recreation outfits” to reopen on Friday. Such businesses include bowling centers and miniature golf courses.
* Wild Island Adventure Park in Sparks, Nev., has announced that its waterpark will not open on May 22 due to the coronavirus outbreak. No new opening date has been set. However, the park’s Coconut Bowl, featured in the September 2019 issue of BCM, will open once the governor lifts restrictions on businesses. Those who purchased waterpark season passes will receive special add-ons, including a Coconut Bowl all-day pass.
* As a five-time PBA Tour champion who now works on the business side of the industry, Mike Fagan brings a unique perspective to COVID-19’s impact on both of those segments of the bowling world. The Director of Business Development for Triple Shift Entertainment, a chain of 10 bowling centers in Minnesota, took in nearly $900,000 in career earnings over a PBA career that spanned more than a decade, and he still has good friends who continue to battle it out in the pro ranks. In this exclusive interview, Fagan discusses what he is hearing from those players about how they are handling the implications of this pandemic, financially and otherwise, how he sees Triple Shift Entertainment adjusting to the new reality that awaits the bowling-center business as centers slowly reopen across the country, and much more. Read the interview here:
https://www.bowlersjournal.com/former-pba-champ-turned-proprietor-mike-fagan-on-how-bowling-industry-might-adjust-to-post-pandemic-world
* Although the reopening protocols can vary widely from state to state, Bob Langley of Bowling Center Insurance shared some that could be part of early-phase mandates in many areas. For bowling centers, these include closing off every other lane, limiting the number of people per lane, and controlling the use of house balls. For miniature golf attractions, they could include limiting the number of people on the course, and ensuring parties are separated by at least two holes. It’s a bit more complicated for arcades — something bowling-based FECs have come to depend on for significant revenue. It’s expected that operators will be required to block off, turn off, or place “out-of-order” signs on certain games so that the available ones are spread out at least six feet apart. Games could be placed on an operating rotation throughout the day.
* Accentuating the positive: Marketing experts always tell us that we need to avoid using the word “no” with customers whenever possible. With that in mind, “out-of-order” signs on arcade games could send the wrong message. Instead, operators could consider developing a daily schedule for each game, so that no single game is down for a significant period of time. With a schedule in place, an “out-of-order” sign could be replaced with a sign that reads, for example, “This game will return at 3 p.m.”
* A story worth following: Starbucks is in the processing of reopening most of the company stores it had closed due to coronavirus concerns and/or state mandates. The coffee giant promotes itself as “the third place,” which company CEO Kevin Johnson describes as “a mindset — a feeling of comfort that uplifts customers everywhere, and in every way, they experience Starbucks.” Many people think of their local bowling center in a similar manner, so it will be interesting to see what steps Starbucks takes to earn the trust of customers during this reopening phase. Starbucks says it is partnering with the Tryer Center to improve store design and other areas of operation, which Johnson says will “help us adapt as we accelerate a retail transformation.”
* Carey Tosello is the founder of eBowler.biz, which specializes in digital marketing services for bowling centers, but he’s also a former bowling proprietor. And in his crystal ball, post-pandemic, he sees lots of paper towels — including some in places they don’t belong. “Think about the increase in paper towels, along with soap, in the restrooms,” Tosello said. “Plan on going through lots of soap and paper towels, which means more maintenance for your staff to keep up with. That also means more dirty towels to dispose of, half of which will end up on the floor as people will use them to open the restroom door.” One possible solution for this new challenge: “This would be a good time to install electric hand dryers, as it will save you from buying more paper towels and having to dispose of the used ones.”
Other News You Can Use…
* A reminder that the extended deadline to apply for the inaugural Daroll & Dee Frewing Scholarship is almost here: May 15. The scholarship, valued at $25,000, is available to BPAA family members in their senior year of high school. For eligibility details and to download and application, click here: https://www.bowlingmuseum.com/Get-Involved/Daroll-Dolores-Frewing-Scholarship.
* Feeling nostalgic? A months-long stay-at-home order will do that to you. So take a moment and view “10 great photos from old Wisconsin bowling alleys” here: https://onmilwaukee.com/history/articles/10-vintage-milwaukee-bowling-photos.html.
* Meanwhile, bowling pins decorated like rabbits are multiplying like, well, rabbits in a garden in Burien, Wash. Check out this hare-raising art experience here: https://b-townblog.com/2020/05/06/photos-bowling-ball-community-expanding-plus-a-recent-sunset-from-burien/.
* The 2021 Junior Gold Championships is scheduled for July 5-17. Indianapolis will extend its record for the most times to host, as the 2021 event marks the event’s sixth visit to the city. With the maximum age for USBC Youth membership changing to 18 with the start of the 2020-21 season, the U20 division will take place during the first week of the event, separating the adult division from the youth divisions. The U20 division will be for bowlers born between Aug. 1, 2000, and July 31, 2002. The Junior Gold qualifying season runs until May 16, 2021. Competitors must have a Junior Gold membership, which costs $10 for U12 competitors and $30 for all other divisions, in addition to USBC Youth membership (or, for U20 bowlers, adult membership). More: https://www.bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622334422
* The Scholarship Management and Account Reporting for Tenpins (SMART) is making an investment earnings allocation of $3.5 million to provide additional scholarships for youth bowlers. The allocation is the largest made by the SMART Board over the past seven years. The board reviews income earned from investments to determine the allocation. Any available investment earnings are allocated each May, and this year’s allocation was scheduled to be shown this week as available unassigned funds for providers to use for scholarships. Since 2017, the SMART Board has returned $7 million in investment earnings allocations. This year’s allocation is from investment earnings in 2019. More: https://www.bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622334428
* For 24-year-old Jordan Richard, the postponement of the PWBA Tour’s 2020 season due to COVID-19 has been a double-edged sword. On one hand, it has disrupted the momentum the former PWBA Rookie of the Year and two-time champion has been building at the start of her career. On the other, the unexpected time home with her family and her boyfriend JJ has been a delightful change of pace at a time of year when she otherwise would be gearing up for the life of a road warrior on tour. It also helps that parents Jody and Ken have a bowling center in Tecumseh, Mich., where Jordan is able to stay sharp while eagerly awaiting news that someday, somehow, there will be women’s pro bowling action to be had this year. Richard discusses that and other aspects of what it has been like to wait out this pandemic as a pro bowler on this episode of The Bowlers Journal Podcast:
* Need more bowling-related ear-tertainment? Here’s this week’s podcast schedule coming out of the International Bowling Campus (all times Eastern): May 7 at 1 p.m., ICYMI (in case you missed it), The PWBA Podcast with Kelly Kulick; May 7 at 2 p.m., Inside The OC with Steve and Jeff Fehr; May 8 at 1 p.m., The Sport of Bowling Show with Chad Murphy and Frank DeSocio; May 8 at 2 p.m., ICYMI, Inside The OC with Mike Nape; May 9 at 1 p.m., ICYMI, The PWBA Podcast with Liz Johnson; May 10 at 1 p.m., ICYMI, Inside The OC with Steve and Jeff Fehr.
* As the Phantom Radio trivia contest continues, long-time BJI columnist and feature writer Lyle Zikes makes an encore appearance. See how he does by clicking here: https://kegel.squarespace.com/phantomblog/2020/5/6/lyle-zikes-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, “Like” Bowling Center Management and Bowlers Journal International on Facebook, and follow BJI on Twitter (Twitter.com/BowlersJournal). BJI Cyber Reports are now archived at bcmmag.com. Please remember that the Cyber Report is a B-to-B publication and not intended for consumers.
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