Somerville News article on Sacco's Bowl-Haven closing

[ron_newman]

This week's Somerville News has an article on the upcoming spring closing of Sacco's Bowl-Haven. I mention the article here because it quotes from this LiveJournal community. It's pretty evident that the Sacco family wants to get out of the bowling business.

Reporter Elizabeth Bernardi was unable to get a response from Trish Blain, despite my best efforts to connect them to each other. Trish, if you're reading this, please let everyone know what the current plan is.

Comments

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

I'd like to know myself.

On a side note, that "rentable-by-the-hour" comment in the article was REALLY out of line. I don't know if it was a bad joke or somebody thought a Davis Square brothel was a genuine concern, but either way...

[ron_newman]

To put that in context, read this (last item, and then all the following comments including Blain's)

[daft.livejournal.com]

Wait...Brandon Wilson is a woman?

[ron_newman]

Most definitely.

[daft.livejournal.com]

Chreezy. I should really get my ass out to a public hearing instead of just stalking the SHC website.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

It makes a little more sense, but even so, I still think it's a bit unprofessional.

Of course, considering all the bitchy comments in that link, that's probably the least of their worries! Ah, local news!

[ron_newman]

What's really unprofessional is the News Talk column itself. Not just that week, but every week. They really did spell it "hostile" until they received those first two comments.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I got the sense that it was more a gossip column/online wailing wall than anything resembling proper newsgathering and reportage.

[takeapicaresque.livejournal.com]

This is so depressing. How many places do we need to get coffee and look at the internet? How exactly does that benefit the community? And a hotel? Yeah, that benefits residents a whole lot. Right.

I'm pretty sure close to everybody in Davis would be happier if somebody bought the place, got a beer & wine license and some french fries, and gave us an awesome place to spend some nights of the week. If they're still paying rent on $1.50 per shoe rental, there's got to be loads of potential for a revitalized business. I'm tired of canned "unique spaces," give me something genuine with soul and history.

Seriously, how can I let this Trish know how bad an idea all of that is? Or, how much will it cost to out-bid her?

[ron_newman]

I'm sure Trish is reading this. I hope she'll comment here. She has posted here in the past -- click on the sacco's bowl-haven tag to find the earlier posts.

Here's the basic problem, as I see it: the Sacco family, after many decades of faithful service to our community, want to exit the bowling business and sell the property -- which they own outright (no rent payments). I can't blame them in any way for this decision. The Saccos think that Trish's proposal is the best way to preserve at least some part of Bowl-Haven. Maybe they're right, maybe they're wrong, but there are no bad guys in this story.

[sissychrissy1.livejournal.com]

I don't blame the Saccos for being ready to move on, but I must say that I'm devastated to see one of my very favorite hangouts close and I'm crying a little on the inside.

[dylanesque29.livejournal.com]

Ugh, the closing of Sacco's sucks pretty bad. I feel a little guilty since I hadn't made more effort to get there more often. Between that, and Good Times moving to Natick (WTF?????), that's a huge portion of the game-type places in the city drying up.