Joaquin Cancels East Coast Bowling Centers Convention
As was first reported on BowlersJournal.com, the 2015 East Coast Bowling Centers Convention - which was to have been held Oct. 5-7 at the Golden Nugget Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., had to be cancelled due to the on-shore impact of Hurricane Joaquin.
This decision was made by the convention committee and based on concerns for the safety of attendees, exhibitors and staff members. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had already declared a state of emergency ahead of anticipated severe weather, as did governors from three surrounding states.
"We're talking about more than just a little water washing over roads in low-lying areas," said Nick Wiltgen, senior digital meteorologist for The Weather Channel. "This is the kind of flooding that can put seawater into homes and businesses, disrupting people's lives and livelihoods."
Kelly Parker, Director of Meetings and Events for BPAA, said reimbursement for attendee registrations would be made within seven to 10 days.
"We appreciate your support of this decision and of the East Coast Bowling Centers Convention, and apologize for any inconvenience," Parker said. "If you have any questions or need any additional information, please call us." The number is 888-649-5586or 817-385-8476.
The 2016 ECBC Convention has been scheduled for Oct. 24-26, also at Atlantic City's Golden Nugget.
Steltronic Moves Into New Digs in Montclair, Calif.
Steltronic, a manufacturer of automatic scoring equipment and software, has moved into a larger warehouse in Montclair, Calif.
The new facility consolidates former locations in New Berlin, Wis., and San Dimas, Calif., and encompasses 6,160 square feet.
"With growing sales in the North American market, Steltronic [needed] more offices and warehouse space," said Jim Osdale, President of Steltronic North America. "The extra offices were needed to hire a software programming team to develop new software and extra features for our automatic scoring and complete center management operating system."
The new facility's address is: 4600 Arrow Highway, Montclair, CA 91763. The company's phone number remain unchanged: 909-971-9656, and 800-942-5939.
Paula Carter Elected to Florida Sports Hall of Fame
The Florida Sports Hall of Fame has announced nine 2015 inductees for its November ceremony at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
The selections span a breadth of sports and skills: former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy, University of Miami diving coach Randy Ableman, former University of Miami football star Bennie Blades, 1971 national Bowler of the Year Paula Carter, former Miami Marlin Jeff Conine, Jai-Alai legend Joey Cornblit, former University of Miami announcer Sonny Hirsch, former Dolphins Pro Bowl and All-Pro linebacker Zach Thomas, and goalie John Vanbiesbrouck, who was a three-time All-Star in five seasons with the Florida Panthers.
In addition to being a star bowler, Carter also was a long-time bowling center proprietor in Florida.
Robert Lawrence Joins KR Strikeforce
KR Strikeforce has announced that Robert Lawrence has joined the company as Southwest/West Coast Product Specialist.
Lawrence comes to KR with a wealth of experience in the industry. The Austin, Texas, native grew up in the bowling industry, managing centers, owning pro shops and traveling the country as a touring professional bowler. He holds three PBA Tour titles, including the 1992 U.S. Open. For the past 12 years, Lawrence was the Southwest Consumer Product Specialist for Brunswick.
"We are extremely excited to add Robert to the Strikeforce team," said Tony Mendiola, KR's Vice President of Sales. "His passion and knowledge of the industry fits perfectly with our group. He will play a key role in product development and strategy and helping to grow KR's market share."
Lawrence will cover the states of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon and Washington. He can be reached at 512-507-1073or via email at RobLaw@KRStrikeforce.com.
Junior Gold Schedule Is Overhauled for 2016
The Junior Gold Championships will expand its schedule by a day in 2016, one of several changes intended to provide a better experience for both competitors and attendees, and to prepare for continued growth of the event.
"As we started to see the record participation in Junior Gold last season, we put together a targeted survey to the bowlers themselves and commissioned a task force comprised of volunteer leaders, Junior Gold coordinators, former bowlers and staff to lay out 'what's next' for Junior Gold," said Chad Murphy, United States Bowling Congress Executive Director. "We are really proud to see such great response to the surveys and a clear direction from the task force to enhance the experience and build toward a brighter future for the sport through this event."
The 2016 Junior Gold Championships presented by Storm, Roto Grip and Master will take place July 15-23 in Indianapolis. Five bowling centers will be used for competition: Western Bowl, Expo Bowl, Woodland Bowl, All Star Bowl and Southern Bowl.
The extra day of competition allows for additional squads. This will mean fewer bowlers on each pair, will make the centers more accessible for family and friends, and will set up the tournament for additional growth, according to USBC. The TV finals for the event will take place on Saturday, July 23.
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