Blogs and bowling

[hallie-mathia.livejournal.com]

Hi guys!  I hope you're all having a great weekend.

I just wanted to say I had a GREAT time bowling last night!  I'd never bowled like that before, with the tiny balls and thin pins -- my roommates called it either "duck pin" bowling or "candlestick" bowling.  Whatever it was, it was fun :)

I also just can't say enough how impressed I am with the friendliness of the people of Davis.  You all have been so, so welcoming.  Thank you!

One last thing -- I've updated my Davis Square blog with a bunch of pictures from last night's bowling, as well as included an article that I wrote about a Somerville community meeting last weekend.  

I'm also going to start working on another article about Tom Champion -- if you want more information on that, head over to the blog, and if you'd like to contribute just leave a comment or email me and I'll get back to you!  http://davissquare.wordpress.com

Hallie

Comments

[jenskot.livejournal.com]

Duckpin and candlepin are actually different - duckpins look like baby ten-pins, while candlepins look like... candles. Duckpin is also apparently a more southern type of bowling - I've never seen it played in the area, although I'm curious. Bummed I couldn't make it out, but glad someone else enjoyed an introduction to Boston-style bowling! It's actually more challenging than the "big ball" type: http://www.masscandlepin.com/id14.html

[hallie-mathia.livejournal.com]

Ahhhh, it's more challenging than "regular bowling"? So *that's* why I did so badly at it :)

[jenskot.livejournal.com]

Well, big-ball *hurts* more for those of us without buff arms, but candlepin is a game of finesse and strategy. ;) And "regular" is relative - growing up in the Boston area before Kings came around, I'd only ever seen big-ball on the Flintstones, so I thought it was fictional (like birds playing record players with their beaks)!

[ron_newman]

The Boston area has a few bowling alleys that have both tenpin ('regular bowling') and candlepin lanes. One of them is Lanes & Games (aka Turnpike Bowladrome), on Route 2 near Alewife station.

If you're looking for more local stories to write, you may want to look at the ongoing transformation of Sacco's Bowl-Haven on Day Street from a 15-lane candlepin and billiards parlor to a 10-lane alley with a Flatbread Company pizza restaurant. (Check the sacco's bowl-haven tag for some history.)

Here's another idea: Take a look at three businesses that have been around Davis Square for many decades -- Sacco's, Somerville Theatre, and Rosebud -- and explore how they have all greatly changed (or in the process of changing) in response to changing demographics and economics.

[ron_newman]

Indeed, while perfect 300 games (12 strikes in a row) are reasonably common in tenpin bowling, there has never been a recorded 300 game ever in candlepin.

[hallie-mathia.livejournal.com]

Yup, I think I bowled a 46 last night :)

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

If by "southern" you mean Maryland. Duckpin's actually pretty specific to MD, especially around Baltimore...

Also, Candlepin is the only one of the three where you leave your garbage laying around. (Meaning that knocked down pins stay there to be hit by the next ball...)

[jenskot.livejournal.com]

Lol, that's exactly what I mean by "southern" - I couldn't remember which states had it, and my geography is so bad I'd probably mix up Pennsylvania and South Carolina if I started getting specific.

And the "garbage" provides strategic elements to the game! }:J

[ron_newman]

The technical term for 'garbage' is 'deadwood'.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

I grew up with duckpin in Rockville, MD.

[hallie-mathia.livejournal.com]

It's funny you mention this -- my roommate who called it duckpin is from Rockville :)

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

There you go! There were two great lanes, one in Twinbrook, one in Glenmont.

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

Oddly, I Too, am from Rockville... weird.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

RHS or RMHS?

Ah, Wooton.
Was Mr Smetanick still teaching there?

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

there were two (completely unrelated) duckpin alleys in RI in the late 90s when I was going to school there.

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

dude, all we have in RI is duckpin half the time. it's all we played growing up, i've still never played candlepin and hadn't heard of it till a few years after i moved here.

[ron_newman]

Glad to meet you last night! This was candlepin bowiing. Duckpin is something else (that I've never seen, and I'm not sure exists in New England.)

If you edit your post to add http:// before your WordPress URL, LiveJournal should turn it automatically into a link. Like this:
http://davissquare.wordpress.com

Some of us talked briefly last night about doing another Ball Square bowling meetup some time this summer.

[hallie-mathia.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Ron! I'll fix that now. And too bad I won't be here over the summer :(

[wellstar.livejournal.com]

Duckpin is something else (that I've never seen, and I'm not sure exists in New England.)

Rumor has it there's a duckpin alley in North Chelmsford (http://www.gotduckpins.com/). Having grown up in the DC area with duckpins as my preferred style, it's a shame I've never actually confirmed its existence in person. However, I recommend clicking on "History of Duckpin Bowling" for, well, a history of duckpin bowling.

[ron_newman]

Oooh, I want to check that out some time. It's even a reasonable bike ride from Lowell.

The Wikipedia article on duckpin actually claims that duckpin was invented in Lowell rather than in Maryland. Without checking its sources (including a book not found in any US library), I don't know whether to trust it.

[mem-winterhill.livejournal.com]

Ah, funny--I grew up in Lowell. I remember duckpins, candlepins, and 10 pin.

Wow, who knew it was such a bowling mecca....

[jenskot.livejournal.com]

Looks like N Chelmsford existed as recently as last year, I'm definitely going to check it out! http://www.wickedlocal.com/chelmsford/sports/adult_leagues/x1416196533/North-Chelmsford-Lanes-a-hidden-treasure

[ron_newman]

Thanks for finding that article! It also mentions another duckpin alley in Billerica which is easily bikeable (and somewhat walkable, 38 minutes) from North Billerica station.

[lizzielizzie.livejournal.com]

Collins Bowladrome is on 3A, maybe 1/4 of a mile from Billerica Center.

[ron_newman]

But I don't think there is any public transit to Billerica Center (as opposed to North Billerica).

[lizzielizzie.livejournal.com]

I know exactly where that place in N. Chelmsford is...it is in Vinyl Square. I've seen the open sign up once or twice, but it is usually closed.

I would totally be able to go to an event here! Yay!

[ron_newman]

Don't you love hours that say "Open Bowling from 1PM to CLOSE"

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

see my reply to jenskot.

it'd be news to me if all the ones in RI were closed now.

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

in fact, we even have this, apparently, lol!
http://www.ridba.net/