Bowling lanes owners question venue used by Minooka team
By Kris Stadalsky For The Herald-News October 8, 2012 8:42AM
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Updated: November 12, 2012 10:52AM
MINOOKA — The owners of Channahon Lanes, Tom Doud and Greg Paul, asked the Minooka High School Board why the girls bowling team is still using a Joliet venue as its home base.
Each year there’s a different reason from Coach Frank Yudzentis, Doud said. The most recent reason is a handful of practice days that would conflict with meets between the boys and girls teams.
“This is the last straw,” Doud told board members. “Once we get something rectified, it’s something else.”
It was understandable why the teams didn’t use Channahon Lanes when Doud and Paul first bought it in 1998. The facility was in bad shape, said Paul. By the following season, the bowling alley was back into tip-top shape.
The second year they owned it, Doud and Paul were told the coaches didn’t look at the facility in time for the season. Since then there’s been a different reason each year, Doud said.
Channahon Lanes has been home for the boys bowling team since 2003. The facility provides a volunteer coach to make sure the program is successful and they’ve held boys team national tournaments and some girls team invitational tournaments.
“We run a phenomenal tournament,” Doud said.
Paul said he has spoken with the boys’bowling team coaches, and they are fine with working out a schedule to rectify the conflicting dates. The practicing team could use six instead of eight lanes or could swap to a different night.
“It’s just a handful of days,” said Doud.
Moving the girls team back to Channahon makes better financial sense for the business as well as the school district, Doud said.
The girls team is bused to Joliet for each practice. In the past, parents were responsible for picking up their students afterward. This year the bus driver is scheduled to wait at the Joliet facility to drive the team members home.
“That’s double the time and taxpayer money,” Doud said.
The boys bowling team takes the regular route bus.
The topic has been brought up to the board recently, said board President Chris Kobe. The issue will be taken up in the co-curricular committee, she said.
“We have recently asked that (same) question,” board member Debra Warning said. “Why are we in Joliet?”
Doud and Paul believe it makes more sense to support local businesses that in turn support the school district.
Their hope is that something is accomplished before the girls bowling season starts in November, Doud said.
