Page 32 - BCM June 2024

TIMELINE
TIMELINE

1949 1999 agreed to host a PWBA tournament
with only four months’ lead time yet
still made a $10,000 profit, is named
SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
Bowlers Journal’s Proprietor of the
n The Indiana State Fair Board refuses n Veteran Cincinnati proprietor and Year.
to honor its original commitments to tournament promoter Erv Hoinke Jr. is
the American Bowling Congress, so the selected to receive BPAA’s highest hon- 2014
site for the 1950 ABC Tournament is or, the Victor Lerner Memorial Award.
switched to Columbus, Ohio. TEN YEARS AGO
n The New York City PBA Experience
1974 takes over Bryant Park in the Big Ap- n Former President George W. Bush
ple’s Theater District. Mayor Rudy Gi-
will deliver the
uliani receives a gold bowling pin from keynote address at
FIFTY YEARS AGO
Brunswick, and Drew Carey, Kevin International Bowl
n Meadows Bowl, a 64-lane center in James and Terrell Davis are among the Expo in Orlando.
Indianapolis, has been selected to host celebrities in attendance. Although it’s
the 1975 WIBC Championship Tourna- difficult to see the pin action on televi- n Bill and Barb Chris-
ment. The Indiana Convention Center sion during the made-for-TV event and man receive the In-
will be the site of the WIBC Annual the shade from nearby trees makes dustry Service Award George W. Bush
Meeting. targeting a challenge for the bowlers, from the Billiard and
the Experience is deemed a success by Bowling Institute of America. The cou-
n A multi-million-dollar sports center PBA Commissioner Mark Gerberich ple had recently donated $25,000 to Su-
with a twist has opened in Osaka, Japan. because of its P.R. value. “This is like san G. Komen for the Cure to help the
The center includes four bowling lanes, our advertising for the year,” he says. United States Bowling Congress reach
specially designed by Brunswick, to its goal of making a $1 million donation
assist those with certain handicaps. n Bowling’s Salute to Champions, an to that cancer-fighting foundation.
With the use of guide rails and various annual fundraiser for the International
devices, those who are in wheelchairs or Bowling Hall of Fame and Museum, n A new concept called Punch Bowl
blind can experience and enjoy bowling honors Joyce Deitch of WIBC and Social is coming to downtown Detroit.
more. The center is operated by the Remo Picchietti of DBA Products Inc. The venue will offer craft cocktails,
Osaka city government. Nearly 400, including boxing legend upscale comfort food, ping pong
Sugar Ray Leonard, attend the black- tables, shuffleboard, darts, marbles,
n Proprietor Frank Esposito and writer tie gala in St. Louis, pushing the total retro video games and eight lanes of
Chuck Pezzano are elected to the in- raised for the museum to $1 million. bowling.
augural class of the PBA Hall of Fame.
They are joined by legendary bowlers n A week after his assistant, Bonnie n Frank DeSocio has been named the
Don Carter, Dick Weber, Harry Smith, Zitek, resigned her position at the new executive director of the BPAA,
Carmen Salvino, Ray Bluth and the late National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Di- filling a position that has been vacant
Billy Welu. rector of Operations Jack Cook follows since Steve Johnson was shown the
her out the door — but is mum about door in late 2013.
n The American Bowling Congress is the reason. “I gave… the (Reno-Sparks
investigating the possible need for a ball Convention and Visitors Authority) n QubicaAMF has announced that the
hardness specification. board a five-page letter spelling out 50th Bowling World Cup will be held in
why I left,” Cook says. “Ask them.” Wroclaw, Poland.
n Revenue, net income and earnings
per share of Bowl America Inc. break n The International Bowling Pro Shop n Patrick Lajko, the founder and presi-
all-time records for the company. and Instructors Association reveals dent of CDE Software, is killed when
that former NASA flight director Gene the motorcycle he was riding is struck
n The first 300 game rolled at a center Kranz will be the keynote speaker by a car. Lance Rasmussen, who has
equipped with the Rapid Score auto- at IBPSIA’s 9th annual Educational been with the company since 1992, is
matic scoring system is recorded at Conference at the Riviera Hotel in Las named to succeed him.
Plaza Lanes in Plymouth, Michigan. Vegas.
The bowler, Frank Padoreach, receives n Bowlers Journal’s Proprietor of the
a 19-inch color television set from the n Larry DeMoss — owner of Junction Year for 2014 is Tom Shannon of Bowl-
company. Lanes in Newnan, Georgia — who mor AMF.

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