Archived News
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Annual Meeting Set for Thursday July 21
The DLBA will hold its annual meeting on Thursday, July 21 at the First Ward Falcon Club in Dunkirk begining at 7 PM. This is an open meeting for any members of the DLBA. The agenda will include election of officers and organization of committees for the 2016-2017 season.
2016 Masters & Association Tournaments Set!!
The 2016 Dunkirk Lakeshore Bowling Association tournament is set to kickoff on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at Lucky Lanes in Fredonia, NY. The tournament will begin with the 17th Annual Masters' Tournament on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1st, 2016. The 87th Annual open tournament beings on Monday, May 2, 2016 and runs daily until its conclusion on Saturday, May 14, 2016 (with the exception of Mother's Day). The tournament is open to all members of the Dunkirk Lakeshore Bowling Assoc. with a qualifying average. Applications along with tournament rules will be available in Association establishments the last week of March and are available on our tournament tab on this site. Best of luck to all participants!!
Popular Motiv Balls Banned by USBC
I have been informed that the USBC has banned two popular Motiv bowling balls released in 2014 and 2015, the Jackal and Jackal Carnage. The balls failed to meet field equipment specification testing. There will be no penalty for using the equipment up thru March 15th. Anyone who owns one of these balls can no longer use them in USBC sponsored league or tournament play. Using this equipment from this point forward will result in a full forfeiture of games/points won. Below is the notification I received:
ARLINGTON, Texas – The United States Bowling Congress has revoked approval of two Motiv brand bowling balls and removed them from the list of
balls approved for competition effective today, March 15, 2016. The revocation comes after USBC determined that the Jackal and Jackal Carnage balls do not comply with current specifications and
requirements in the USBC Equipment Specifications and Certifications Manual.
USBC testing showed a significant percentage of the Jackal and Jackal Carnage, both produced by Motiv, exceeded the maximum 0.060" differential radius of gyration standard specification during spot
checks of bowling balls in the field. Both balls were originally approved based on test balls submitted by Motiv. The Jackal had been approved for competition in Sept. 2014 while the Jackal Carnage
was approved for use in late Dec. 2015.
The following section of the Equipment Specifications and Certifications Manual details USBC governance in this situation:
The USBC possesses the right to spot check bowling balls during the course of the year. USBC approval may be revoked if it is determined that the production balls are significantly different than the submitted test balls or do not comply with current specifications and requirements outlined in the USBC Equipment Specifications and Certifications Manual.
Pursuant to the penalties outlined in the USBC Equipment Specifications and Certification Manual, Motiv is placed on probationary status with USBC for one year, and
subject to a fine of $16,000.
Unapproved bowling balls may not be used in USBC certified competition. Bowlers who used the Jackal or Jackal Carnage in competition on or before March 15, 2016 with no prior knowledge of their ball
being out of specification would not be subject to forfeiture under USBC rules.
1st Annual DLBA Women's Doubles Handicap Tournament is Set for April 9, 2016
The 1st Annual Dunkirk Lakeshore USBC Women's Doubles Tournament is set for Saturday, April 9, 2016 at Lucky Lanes in Fredonia, NY. The tournament is open only to current female members of the DLBA with shifts competing at 5 pm & 7 pm. Entry forms are being distributed this week, throughout all association establishments. A copy of the entry form is available below. Please plan to come out and support this new tournament, exclusively for the women of our association!! Good luck and great bowling!!
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2015-2016 DLBA Awards Setup
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"Beat the Champ" Coming to Lucky Lanes
After nearly 30 years of being off the air, Beat the Champ is back on TV!! Qualifiers for upcoming shows will be coming to Lucky Lanes in Fredonia on March 12th and 13th with multiple shifts both days. The top 24 bowlers will go to match play to compete for a spot on the show! For more information, go to www.luckylanes.com
Good luck and great bowling!!
Welcome 2016 DLBA Bowlers!!
It's hard to believe, but Summer is now winding down and it's time to dust off that bowling ball and get ready for a new bowling season! This season comes with a new twist! Over the Summer, the DLBA Board approved a 2015-16 award program for it's members! Secretaries have an outline of the new program in their packets, so many of the award taken away by the USBC have been restored, except these actual awards are things you can use and enjoy!! For more information, see your league secretary!
The 2014-15 yearbook should be out shortly. Michele will be getting them out to all bowling establishments in the near future.
I know many are wondering, so i will address the sanctioning (or desanctioning) of our Association with this brief statement. Myself personally as well as many other Board members have done extensive research on breaking away from the USBC and being "unsanctioned." At this time, there is no logical way to make this happen (which I will not disclose all the reasons in this forum) for the time being. For now, we will remain a sanctioned Association until something changes where we can address the concerns of the members and push this idea forward.
Best of luck on a great season!!
PJ
2015 Tournament Results Posted!!
The 2015 tournament prize report is now posted. The report is at the bottom of the "Information and Results" page listed on our menu. Thank you for all who participated in this years tournament. See you in the Fall!!
Alex Dailey Wins 2015 DLBA Masters!!
Alex Dailey beat Brad Bixby 259-213 to win the 2015 Dunkirk Lakeshore Bowling Association Masters’ Tournament, sponsored by Sunset Truck & Auto and Hi Tech Services, Inc. Double elimination match play finals were held this past Sunday at Chick’s Lanes in Angola. Dailey won all five matches with scores of 211, 198, 193, 202 and 259 in the Championship match to take the title. Top qualifier was Derek Bixby with a two day (8 game) total of 1,726. Scott Jagoda was the 2nd highest qualifier with a score of 1,710. This was Dailey’s first ever Masters’ victory.
The Masters Tournament now gives way to the 86th Annual DLBA Championships Tournament, also being held at Chick’s Lanes in Angola, NY. The tournament runs daily through May 11th. Space is still available for team, doubles and singles events. Please contact P.J. Azzarella at 785-1265 for availability and reservations. A current schedule is also available at www.dunkirklakeshoreusbc.com.
Other Masters Finalists Included:
2nd – Brad Bixby
3rd – Chris Hart
4th – Erick Griewisch
5th- 6th – Dan Struzynski & Mike Krzemien
7th-8th – Chris Gruber & Derek Bixby
9th-12th – Ted Schwalbe, Spenser Johnson, Jeff Alguire & Mike Damico
13th-16th – Josh Wilmot, Wayne Ames, Joe Jagoda & Scott Jagoda
Association Tournament Set to Begin This Weekend!!
The Dunkirk Lakeshore Bowling Association Tournament is set to begin with the 16th annual DLBA Masters Tournament on Saturday, April 25th and Sunday, April 26th. The open tournament begins on Monday, April 27th and runs through Monday, May 11. The tournaments are open to all members of the Dunkirk Lakeshore Bowling Association. The Masters tournament has shifts at 6pm and 8:30 pm on Saturday and Noon and 2:30pm on Sunday. Open tournament shifts run nightly at 6:30pm and 9:15pm on weekdays and 1:00pm and 3:45pm on weekends. Please make your reservations early by contacting PJ Azzarella at 785-1265.
1st Masters Deadline Set For April 15th!!
Just like your taxes, the first deadline for entering the 2015 DLBA Masters Tournament is tomorrow, April 15th! Anyone who submits their application by tomorrow will be required to pay a $50 entry fee. Anyone who commits after April 15th, will pay $60. The Masters Tournament is April 25th and 26th. See our 'tournaments' tab for more information about entering!!
Association Board Meeting on 4/19/15
The next Dunkirk Lakeshore Bowling Association Board meeting will be held this Sunday, April 19, 2015 at Lucky Lanes in Fredonia at 1pm. Topics include a tournament update, Hall of Fame nominations, awards program and year end banquet arrangements.
Tournament Schedule Posted (Revised 4/9/15)
The current DLBA tournament schedule is posted on the tournaments/events tab for your use. The schedule will identify which shifts are still available and I will keep it updated every 48 hours. Feel free to text or email me if you have questions.
Also, get your Masters entries in before 4/15/15 to avoid paying $60 versus the early entry fee of $50!!
Year End Tournament Entry Forms are Available
Entry forms for the 2015 Masters and Dunkirk Lakeshore Association Tournament are now available. Look for applications to be delivered to all lanes this week and are available for downlaod on our Tournament/Events tab. This years tournament is at Chick's Lanes in Angola. Two major changes come to the tournament this season. First, an all new womens division has been added to the doubles and singles portion of the tournament. Women may bowl in the womens or open division or both if they wish to enter twice. Second, all events is now $10 instead of $5. This event pays several positions in scratch and handicap divisions. All events is calculated by adding your doubles, singles and high team event scores. We look forward to seeing many of you in the weeks to come!!
2014 Hall of Fame Class
The 2014 Dunkirk Lakeshore Hall of Fame class included Greg Haase and William Barnes. Recently, Greg was awarded his comemorative plaque honoring the occasion. Great job Greg! You deserve it!!
Association Meeting Scheduled for February 15
The Dunkirk Lakeshore Bowling Association will have its quarterly meeting at Chick's Lanes on Sunday, February 15, 2015 at 1pm. This meeting is open to all DLBA members and the Board of Directors. Agenda includes a financial report, awards program, hall of fame update and Masters and Association tournament preview.
Top Scores Keep Rolling In!!
It may be cold outside, but according to some recent reports, the lanes seem pretty hot!! Below are recently reported high scores around the Association:
Mike Damico 300 - January 30th at Chick's Lanes
Alex Haase 300 - January 29th at Lucky Lanes
Lee Szalkowski 300 - January 19th at Lucky Lanes
Great job guys!! Keep up the good work!!!!!!!!
Mid Term Report Card - Youth Style!!
As promised, I received some exceptional youth scores from Gregg Haase that I wanted to get posted. They are:
Name: Score: Age:
Ricky Burgstrom 280-746 15
Brandon Haase 277-702, 708 17 (First youth bowler from Lucky Lanes to post back to back 700 series!!)
Our future sure looks bright!! Keep up the great work and keep those scores rolling in!!
Check back for more updates as they come in!! If you bowled a high score and dont see it here, let your secretary know and I will get it posted!!
Mid Term Report Card: High Scores!!
It's pretty hard to believe that we are half way through the season all ready!! Tournaments are starting up and the year ending Association Tournament will be here before you know it. Hopefully, some warm weather too!!
As part of our mid-term report, I thought it would be nice to report some of the high scores coming from our Association so far. Below is a list of Adult scores I have so far (Youth scores will follow shortly!)
Name: Score:
Mike Lucas 300
Jim Cerrie 300
P.J. Azzarella 300-296
Don McAndrews 300
Todd Langworthy 300
Dan Struzynski 299-808
Ed Howard 299
Jamie Fort 299
Clark Chaplin 298
Spenser Johnson 296
Dakota Griewich 296
Dennis Alguire 298
Gary Ginnitti 295
Any new or missed scores can be emailed to me and I will get them posted!! Thank you for your participation so far this season and Happy New year!!
PJ Azzarella
President, DLBA
2015 Baker Tournament Contested
The ninth annual Baker Tournament was contested on Sunday, January 4th, 2015 at Lakeview Lanes in Silver Creek, NY. Eight teams competed in head to head three game matches using the "Baker" format style of team bowling. After the seven matches were contested, top qualifiers included ENI (Home: Lakeview Lanes), Falcon's Club (Home: Lucky Lanes), Bowler's Corner (Home: Lucky Lanes) and Lakeview Lanes (Home: Lakeview Lanes). In the preliminary round, Lakeview Lanes knocked off the top seeded ENI with George Majkut stiking on the first ball in the 10th frame of the deciding game to seal the victory for Lakeview Lanes. In the other match, Bowler's Corner outlasted the Falcon's Club whos match also went to the third and deciding game. In the finals, it was all Lakeview Lanes winning the first two games to take the victory. THE DLBA wuld like to thank all who participated in this years event!! Hope to see most all of you again on the first Sunday in 2016!!
2014-15 Season Set to Begin (9/2/14)
Believe it or not, Summer is rapidly winding down, football season starts Thurday night and yes, bowling season is here!!
Secretarial supplies were delivered by Michele Bouquin over the holiday weekend. All proprietors should have your supplies when you arrive at the lanes (unless other arrangments were made). If you are missing any supplies or need more supplies, contact Michele at 951-0006 or visit www.bowl.com and look for downloadable supplies under Association/Forms and Manuals. There, you can find blank sanction cards, league applications, etc.
This year, some new things will be coming to DLBA. We will now administer our own awards through the Association since USBC stopped the award program for this year. A list of eligible awards will be out shortly, but expect them to mirror what you saw in the past. Also, we will be starting our shirt program over again. The 1st round of shirts came out in 2007. A new design has been chosen and the criteria for getting a shirt will be broadcast shortly.
From the Board of Directors and myself, I want to wish everyone a great bowling season!! Thank you so much for your participation. Without you, it cannot and would not happen!!
Sincerely,
PJ Azzarella
President, DLBA
Board Meeting Held on 7/22/14
The Dunkirk Lakeshore Bowling Association Board of Directors recently held their annual season kickoff meeting at the First Ward Falcons Club in Dunkirk, NY. Several items made this years agenda of which the highlights are listed below:
Michele Bouquin was voted Association Manager taking over for the outgoing Association Manager Priscilla Seybold, who is retiring.
Three Board members were re-elected to new three year terms. Those members were Roberta Patterson, Ben Montague and Jim Michaels.
P.J. Azzarella presented a brief tournament recap. A final results book will be posted on this website shortly.
Budget and Awards committees were created to develop an Association budget for the coming season and determine what Association level awards will be recognized this coming season. More to follow.
P.J. Azzarella announced that due to failure to submit proper compliance reports to the IRS, the Association had their non-profit status revoked. PJ and Michele are working on getting that restored and are putting processes in place to be sure future comliance reports are submitted on a timely basis.
The Board authorized PJ Azzarella to spend no more than $2,000 on two Association owned laptop computers and printers. These will be used by the Association Manager and the Tournament Manager going forward. They will also be lent out to Board members to support other fund raising activities as needed.
The Board has determined that we have adequate reserves to start the DLBA shirt program over again. The current program began in 2007. A new design will be chosen and you will need to earn a new shirt ths season. The requirement to earn a shirt will be available at the beginning of the season.
The Board has agreed to create a consolidated Hall of Fame list for future use. PJ Azzarella, Joanne Arnold and Tom Battaglia will assist in making the database.
The decision was made by the Board to USBC sanction at least one more year. It was determined that we were not prepared to go unsanctioned on such short notice. This will be reviewed again mid-season.
Association Board Meeting Slated for July 22nd
The 2014 Summer DLBA Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 22nd at 7 p.m. at the First Ward Falcons Club on Lakeshore Drive in Dunkirk. Agenda topics include election of officers, election of a new Association Manager, 2014 season wrap up, 2015 Association sanction decision and other business as presented. The meeting itself is open to all members of our Association, however the vote for Association Manager is limited to Board members only per USBC rule.
Tournament Leaderboard Is Now Posted on the Information & Results Page!!
2014-15 USBC Sanction Q & A
As your elected President, it is my job to get answers to questions or concerns you may have regarding our Association. Recently, I was approached by many bowlers and proprietors regarding the changes being made at USBC for the 2014-15 bowling season. More specifically, the USBC's intent to remove a vast majority of awards for both adult and junior bowlers. Based on the new plan, many asked "What is the real benefit of sanctioning with USBC next year?" and "Why not keep the $10 portion of our sanction money local to buy our own awards?" With those questions in hand, I reached out to USBC to get answers. Below is the questions I posed and their response.
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is P.J. Azzarella and I am the President of the Dunkirk Lakeshore Bowling Association in Western New York. As my elected duty to serve the needs of our members, I was recently tasked with asking USBC the following question:
Based on the changes to the award programs for the 2014-2015 season combined with the fact that less than 2% of our Association participates in the National Tournament, what benefit would there be to sanctioning at the National level next season?
There is a very large contingent of bowlers and proprietors who do not want to sanction next year, but would rather keep the National portion of the annual dues, local, to pay for awards programs. The same goes for our Youth Program. Personally, I have read the changes to the awards, which are basically eliminated for 99+% of bowlers and for the less than 1% of bowlers who do bowl honor scores, they are reduced to ‘once in a lifetime’ awards. The bottom line is this is viewed by many as nothing more than a cost savings initiative for the USBC. That statement, combined with a brand new facility inArlington, TX which the USBC boasted about, has sent a very wrong message to the bowlers who built that facility. The mission of the USBC to “Protect the integrity of the Sport of Bowling” means little or nothing to just about everyone. People are not willing to pay for that service, whatever it is.
Please respond as soon as possible as our Board of Directors are under the microscope about this issue. I can be reached at this email or any of the numbers listed below.
Thank you in advance.
P.J. Azzarella
Dunkirk Lakeshore Bowling Association
Association President
USBC Response:
Hi P.J.,
Thanks for contacting us with your concerns about USBC membership. It’s important to remember that USBC is the governing body of the sport of bowling and because of that, our membership will impact our members in different ways. The following is a small list of what USBC does:
* As the National Governing Body for bowling, we are responsible for protecting the games integrity by
governing and maintaining the rules and specifications for the game.
* We provide uniform rules for competition, a certified average and meaningful national performance comparisons.
* We provide every certified league bonding insurance for the protection of your league prize funds.
* We provide the best run tournament opportunities including the Open Championships, the Women's Championships, Junior Gold Championships, Youth Open Championships, the
Youth Pepsi Championships, the Queens and Senior Queens, the Masters and Sr. Masters, Team USA Trials, Xbowling.com
Collegiate Team/Singles and many more.
* USBC sponsored scholarships and the SMART scholarship program.
* Youth programs such as Junior Gold and Collegiate Bowling.
* We ensure the safety of our youth with the Registered Volunteer Program (RVP), which provides background checks and is mandatory for all certified
coaches.
* The Bowling Foundation organizes bowlers to raise millions of dollars each year for charities such as Susan G. Komen, Bowlers to Veterans and Special
Olympics.
* We sponsor and manage Team USA and Junior Team USA and are assisting in the drive to allowing bowling in the Olympic Games.
* We offer our members terrific affinity programs through our Member Rewards program on BOWL.com/member rewards.
* BOWL.com (the number one website for bowling) which is filled with tips, dozens of free live bowling events, access to league and tournament information as well as
bowler histories, interesting information from around the game of bowling, etc..
* We certify the coaches across the country and offer member tips for improvements through many forms of media including BOWL.com.
* We provide Sport Bowling leagues for those bowlers looking to compete in more challenging environment.
Most importantly, we invest in the future of the sport of bowling so that the next generation will get to enjoy it just as we have.
I hope this helps answer your questions. If you need further information, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Mike Donahue
Manager – Association Development
(o) (817) 385-8297 | (f) (817) 385 - 8260
United States Bowling Congress
“Together We Can”
621 Six Flags Drive, ArlingtonTX76011
(800) 514-BOWL | BOWL.COM
Steven Jones Rolls 300 in DLBA Team Event
Steven Jones from Gowanda rolled his first ever 300 game on Wednesday night in front of a large, cheering crowd at K & L Lanes. Steve paired up the 300 with a 156 & 157 game for a 613 series, but the 300 stole the show!! This is Steve's first year bowling and averaged 168 this season! Congratulations on your outstanding achievement!!
Other notable scores so far include a 780 series from Brad Bixby, a 299-765 by George Majkut and Bill Thompson rolled a 726 series. Action continues daily through May 10th.
A leaderboard will be posted in the coming days!!
Tournament Update
An up to date schedule has been posted on 4/29/14.
I have changed the 2014 tournament schedule to a .pdf file so everyone should be able to see it now!! It was a Microsoft Excel file, which many cannot view. I'm sorry for the error!!
The Association tournament dates are filling up fast!! Get your entries in soon to avoid not getting your desired date and time!!
Final Average Submission Reminder
League Secretaries!! Just a reminder, please submit your final average reports to Priscilla, as soon as your league ends, so we have the most current information for the Association Tournament. The tournament starts on April 28th. Thank you!!
2014 Tournament Schedule Posted!!
On the "Tournaments/Events" page, I have now posted the real time 2014 DLBA tournament schedule. This will allow you to see what time slots are still available. Entry blanks have been distributed to all lanes and are available for download on the tournaments/events page as well. Please get your entries in quick as spots are filling up fast!!
Also, Hall of Fame ballots are due in by 4/1/14 for consideration this year. See your local bowling establishment for nomination forms. You must be 50 years old by 4/1/14 to be eligible for this years Hall of Fame class. For more information, see the "Hall of Fame" tab in the menu on the left.
New Tournament Announcement Page!!
In an effort to promote tournaments and events in our Association, I have added a new page (listed on the left) that has links to current and future tournaments flyers in our area!! Please give the new page a look!! Anyone interested in posting their tournament flyer, please get me a copy and I will get it posted.
PJ
Association Meeting Held Recently
Recently, the DLBA held its Board meeting at K & L Lanes in Gowanda. Meeting topics included the November lottery report, an Association report, the upcoming DLBA Tournament schedule, preliminary plans for the annual Association Banquet and general business which included Hall of Fame nominations and the DLBA shirt program. A detailed minute report will be available shortly. Thank you to all Board Members who attended!!
2012-2013 Yearbook Available For Download
For those that are interested, click on the "2012-2013 Final Averages" link to the left to find a PDF file for our yearbook. Please reproduce as much as you need.
When tournament season starts up, please remember to read rules carefully! If rules require a "composite average," please go to www.bowl.com and use the find a member function. There you will find a complete list of averages and achievements from prior seasons.
2013 Elections Held!!
On July 25, 2013, the Board of Directors met at the First Ward Falcon Club in Dunkirk, NY to hold annual elections. There were three Board seats up for election this year as well as President. During elections, Tom Battaglia indicated that he would not be rerunning as Association President due to current job committments. P.J. Azzarella was nominated for the President position and ran unopposed. That made three director seats available (Azzarella vacated one). The three remaining seats were voted on and appointed to Ted Schwalbe, Debbie Skinner and Michelle Bouquin. Congratulations to all appointed members!!
In other news, four $250 scholarships were awarded to youth members preparing for their college careers. This years winners included John Nickerson Jr., Jannelle Jasinski, Elizabeth Golubski and Emily Dillenburg. Also, efforts are underway to get the annual average yearbook printed and posted on this site before the start of the 2013-14 season. The annual fundraiser will be the New York evening numbers for the month of November 2013. Jim Michaels and Al Pearson will once again coordinate that program. Tickets will be sold in all the bowling centers starting in late September. Efforts are also underway to get Assocation shirts distributed to those who earned them in 2012-13. They will be avilable shortly after the season begins.
Our next meeting will be held in late October, 2013. Please check back for meeting details, as everyone is invited to attend.
November Lottery Fundraiser Completed
I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who supported the DLBA by buying a lottery ticket. By clicking on the link to the left, you will find the list of this year's winners. Checks will be mailed to the winners very shortly.
I also want to give special thanks to the two people who run this fundraiser for all of us, Al Pearson and Jim Michaels. They take their time to get the tickets printed and distributed and keep track of the winners. So, when you put on that new shirt or sit down to a free dinner in June, just remember the people who volunteered their time to make it happen.
Great work guys!
Tom
2012-2013 DLBA Recruitment & Retention Program
New to the DLBA this season is the introduction of our Recruitment & Retention Program. This service is a joint venture between the DLBA and its proprietors.
Basically, the State and Local Share of membership dues will be refunded to new bowlers within our Association, and to the bowler who recruits that new person to bowl.
Full details can be found by clicking on the link to the registration form below.
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