THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 2, 1994 TAG: 9409300278
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 23 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Bill Leffler
LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
Interest once again is stirring to bring one of the two major bowling tournaments to this area.
There is a definite desire to secure a future Women's International Bowling Congress Tournament. And the long range possibility of a new convention center in Chesapeake has kindled hope a bid might be made for an American Bowling Congress Championship Tournament.
And past tournaments show either event has a fiscal impact up to $70 million. Each brings in more than 70,000 bowlers. With additional family members coming, the visitors exceed 100,000.
The 1995 WIBC tournament is scheduled in Tucson. It goes to Buffalo in 1996 and to the new National Bowling Stadium in Reno in 1997. At the annual meeting in Tucson, the 1998 tournament site will be chosen.
The local WIBC affiliate, the Tidewater Women's Bowling Association, is pondering submitting a bid and has requested information on the bidding procedure from WIBC. The TWBA bid could come for a later year.
``I know I would like for us to make a bid before I step down as secretary of the TWBC,'' said longtime director Reba Callis. ``We now have adequate centers here to house the tournament.''
The WIBC tournament uses existing centers and does not erect lanes. ABC puts lanes into convention centers.
``For the convention we could use a facility such as Scope,'' said Callis. ``We have about 3,800 in attendance for the three-day meeting.''
WIBC had the largest competition ever in any sport for women when 14,872 teams competed in its 1988 tournament.
Chesapeake's Alton Forbes is the seventh vice-president of ABC and was excited when he heard his hometown is considering a new convention center. The U. S. Open 9-Ball Championship was held in Chesapeake Sept. 21-25 and its commissioner, Don Mackey, asked that the city provide a larger facility in order that this tournament can continue to grow. He suggested the city look into long range plans to build a convention center. Mayor William Ward said the city is looking into it.
``ABC has a tradition of breaking in new convention centers,'' Forbes pointed out. ``It was one of the first in the new facility in Mobile, Ala. this year. We`ll be going into new centers in Salt Lake City in 1996 and Huntsville, Ala. in 1997. And let me point out that tournaments are being awarded in places even before they build the centers.''
The 1995 ABC in Reno will be the largest competition ever conducted in any sport. The deadline for team entries is Jan. 5. Dave DeLorenzo, public relations manager of ABC, said there are between 30 to 50 team entries being received daily and 15,033 already have been processed. ``We're looking for 20,000 five-bowler teams,'' he said.
Forbes said the next bids from cities seeking future tournaments will be in 1996. ``We'll be awarding the tournaments for 2002 and 2003. Wouldn't it be nice to be putting in a bid for Chesapeake or one of the cities here?''
Bowler of the Week honors go to Kendra Allen, who established a new youth league duckpin record for three games at Victory Lanes.
Competing in the Victory Youth League, Allen had games of 164, 114 and 187 for 465.
Her third game was an all-marker, closed out with a strike. It gives her an early season average of 144.
Tenpin topics - Triplicates were pitched by two bowlers in leagues at Pinboy's of Chesapeake and one at Pinboy's of Norfolk. Georgia Graver had three 144 games in the Thursday Nite Mixed League and Michelle Council tossed a trio of 128 games in the Ladies Nite Out League at Chesapeake. At Norfolk Irene Wooldridge notched three 134 games in the Senior Social League. . . . John Gray had the hot hand at Franklin Bowl, pitching a 290 game and 724 series in the Mixed Nuts League and coming back with a 727 series in the Thursday Men's League. . . . Ernie Driver registered an all-spare game in the Twilighters League at Indian River. . . . Junior bowler Harold Credle Jr., 17, powered his way to a 279 game in a 621 series in the Junior/Senior/Major League at Pinboy's of Western Branch. . . . Fresh out of the youth league, Leslie Livesay rolled a 254 game in a 647 series in the Charles Peete League at Pinboy's of Norfolk. . . . Chris Baron was a pin off perfection with his 299 in the Big Chiefs League at Indian River. Ditto Steve Conrad in the Late Starters League at the same center. . . . Maya Turner had the thrill of rolling her first 200 game, reaching 209, in the Ladies Nite Out League at Pinboy's of Chesapeake. . . . Don and Lynn Blythe won the weekly Scotch Doubles at Franklin Bowl with 685. by CNB