Bowling alley could re-open

Don’t sell that bowling ball just yet.

It appears there is a good chance that the Riverview Lanes will reopen for play, and in time for winter league play, albeit a bit late.

Hope for the reopening of the bowling alley came at last Wednesday night’s Coulee Dam Town Council meeting.

Two men from the west side of the state appeared before the council to inquire about a possible lease that could involve more than just the bowling alley.

Craig Jones and Scott Elmore indicated an interest in the eight-lane alley and perhaps the space housing the closed theater.

They spoke after current alley owner Pat Zlateff addressed the council, saying he and his wife Sara had gotten the alley back by default after the person they had sold it to defaulted. He asked the council to give Jones and Elmore six months to get the alley cleaned up and operating properly before charging them lease payments.

Jones, a Microsoft employee, told the council that he was about ready to “turn my life upside down” and put the rat race over in the Seattle area behind him. Elmore works for a manufacturing company dealing with plastics.

Town officials stated that they would try to work with the pair in regard to a lease and their other concerns.

The Zlateffs got the bowling alley back when the operator they’d sold to, Sherry Moore, got behind in lease and utility payments to the town, then locked the place up and left.

The closing of the bowling alley came on the heels of the closing of the local movie theater, located in the same building.

Jones and Elmore stated they would like to get a license to sell beer in the alley, upgrade the signage for it and explore other things they might be able to do if they also gained the theater space.

The pair said they would like to quickly enter into some kind of lease agreement that would enable them to open the alley almost immediately so winter league play could start. Zlateff stated that winter league play should already be started.

They indicated they wanted to talk with the owner of the Melody Restaurant about their interests. The lease for the Melody is up in November, Mayor Greg Wilder reminded the council.