By Ed Townsend
CALLICOON —March 10, 2006— A renovated Callicoon Lanes will play host to the Third Annual Sullivan County Democrat Men’s Bowling Challenge Scratch Tournament on Saturday, March 18 and Sunday, March 19.
The bowling establishment was sold to Fagesca Vaglica in June 2005. Since then several renovations have been completed to make this facility an even more enjoyable place to bowl. Vaglica purchased the business from Betsy Grady, who had owned and operated the facility for about 30 years.
A new roof has been put on the building along with a new paint job with the help of Fred LaGattuta and his crew. On the inside of the building, new carpeting has been installed, painting has also been completed and all 10 lanes have been resurfaced.
In addition, Callicoon Lanes will install new bowling pins next week before the tournament begins on Saturday, March 18.
Other improvements and renovations over the past several months have included: an addition to the kitchen, an increase in the number of lockers and new games in the game room.
For the past six weeks, the nightly duties of oiling and maintaining the lanes has been completed by Jason Lundquist.
Callicoon Lanes hosts leagues on Monday through Friday nights and on Saturdays and Sundays. The facility offers a bowling special of “unlimited bowling” for just $7 plus $1.50 for shoes. Birthday specials are also a big part of the facility’s marketing program.
The new owners are working hard to make Callicoon Lanes a place where the entire family can have fun.
Callicoon Lanes is open Monday-Friday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The format for the Sullivan County Democrat Men’s Scratch Tournament is limited to a field of 40 two-man teams that will qualify beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 18. Each team will bowl three games each with no handicaps.
After qualifying, each team will be seeded and put into one of five divisions.
Tournament Co-Chairman Brian Starr noted that when some bowlers hear the term “scratch tournament,” they immediately presume that the event is strictly for bowlers with very high averages. But that is not the case.
“It’s open to everybody,” Starr said. “Six hundred [average] bowlers will be bowling against other 600 bowlers.”
He added that the five-division system is similar to the format that fellow Democrat Bowling Tournament Co-Chairman Matt Kleiner uses each summer for the Democrat Two-Man, Better Ball Golf Tournament. In the golf tourney, the teams are divided into flights after the first round so that golfers of roughly equal skill and talent are matched against each other.
The elimination matches will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 19. Each team will be guaranteed six games, three qualifying games and a quarterfinal match. The top two teams in each division will receive prize money.
In addition, the top eight qualifiers will win bonus prize money.
Based on the maximum of 40 teams, the championship division first place prize will be $500 and the second place team will receive $250.
Entry fee for this tournament is $70 per team.
The eligibility rules for this tournament are: every bowler must be at least 16 years old, all team members must be residents of Sullivan County, Delaware County or Wayne County Pa. and USBC Rules will not apply in this event.
The deadline for entries is Tuesday, March 14 or when the first 40 teams have registered.
At the first tournament, which was held in 2004 at Callicoon Lanes, a total of 14 teams participated. The number of teams increased to 24 for last year’s event, which was held at Kiamesha Lanes.
“We are hoping to have at least 30 teams this year,” Starr said.
In addition to the Democrat, tournament sponsors include Bank of America, Callicoon Lanes, Charlie Barbuti Furniture, Kiamesha Lanes, Kohler Lumber, Kristt Company and Roche’s Garage.
For more information about the event or to register, please call Kleiner at 887-5571, Starr at 932-8643 or Callicoon Lanes at 887-5750.