Noyo Bowl owner Angelene Leist has a challenge to the community: Come up with a plan to continue that distinctive crack of balls hitting pins at the 50-year-old bowling alley by Jan. 15.
Leist has been in the process of selling the north Fort Bragg alley to Calvary Chapel for use as a church facility but that deal may not now go through. Regardless, she will close the bowling alley Dec. 31.
“I”m willing to wait and not sell the bowling equipment until at least Jan. 15 to see if anyone can come up with a plan to make this work for this community as a bowling alley,” she said.
Leist says she has used up all her savings keeping a business going that she bought with her ex-husband and her parents 31 years ago.
“My heart goes out to my employees and to the Special Olympics bowlers. These are great bowlers,” she said of the Special Olympics bowlers, “but they can”t just hop in a car and go to Ukiah. This is their life, and swimming, and now that”s threatened too.”
Leist says regular customers and her seven employees have supported her.
“The people who had the right to be critical have been supportive. I”m thankful to my employees. They could have said bye bye three months ago, but they said, No, we are staying till the end.” My heart goes out to them, they are going to have to go out and find another job,” she said.
Leist has been stung by criticism in letters to the editor, before the Fort Bragg Planning Commission and from people walking in off the street. One man contacted a lawyer in order to sue her.
“There are people I know who haven”t been in the building for 25 years. They come in and eat and say, Now where am I going to eat?” I have to bite my tongue to not say where have you been eating for 25 years, because you haven”t been here supporting us?” said Leist.
Leist asks anyone with an actual plan to contact her realtor, Century 21 broker Paul Clark. Clark has had the property listed for several years at $699,000. Leist is willing to offer owner financing and consider offers involving lease to own.
“I keep hearing about money people who could save the bowling alley if they had the chance. Where are they? Give me a call,” Clark said.
Clark said two major bowling operators came to look at the alley in past years, but became discouraged when they left the property and looked at the overall Fort Bragg economy.
Leist wasn”t big on bowling when her ex-husband led the purchase, but clearly grew to love the fun and energy and those distinctive sounds. Back in 1979 when she purchased the alley, it was packed nightly.
Monday night was mill night, Tuesday men”s night and Wednesday was women”s night. There were waiting lists to get in.
“The mill had three shifts, then went down to two, then one, then it closed,” she said.
She tried to keep the alley open, hoping for an economic turn around. The recession that began in 2008 has hurt more.
“My league bowlers have declined. Some bowl every other week, because they can no longer afford to bowl every week … they used to bowl three times a week. They want to do what they can to keep the alley open but they can only do so much,” she said.
Leist knows of bowlers losing their cars and even their homes in recent years. She knows of older locals who have been bowling at the alley since it opened in 1960 — and some even before. She can think of at least one bowler who played at the Tip Top Lounge when it had an alley where pins were set by hand. Another regular bowler can only move in his wheelchair enough to aim and push the ball.
Bowling is a sport on the decline, newspaper headlines across the country show.
“I understand the urgency that people feel about this, I am staying in this community and want to support it, but I can no longer afford to keep it open myself,” Leist said.
Those interested can contact Clark at 964-0811 or pclark@mcn.org.
