By Janelle Ericsson

ORCHARD MESA, Colo., — The owner at Orchard Mesa Lanes has been opening up his business for the “Bowl With A Cop” day for nearly 15 years.

“I have kids, my kids grew up here and I think it’s a good town to grow up in, and if i can help that’s great,” owner Eric Loeb said.

It’s an event where kids bowl for free while spending time with our boys in blue.

“I think it’s a good thing for the kids to meet police in a little different setting where it’s not imposing to them or anything like that,” Loeb said. “They have fun, the police have fun and it’s just something I like to do.”

And spending time with kids is also something the cops enjoy.

“It’s good for the kids to get to talk to officers and talk to somebody in uniform and realize that we’re people, we’re human beings and that we’re approachable we can be friendly and have fun too,” Mesa County Sheriff’s Deputy Ben Carnes said.

After all, the whole event is about kids making a positive relationship with the cops, and bowling seems to break the ice.

“It seems like they’re having a good time, they’re having a lot of fun,” Carnes said. “We have one kid I he’s about 12 years old and he’s out bowling everybody so he’s teaching the cops how to bowl.”

“I don’t know I haven’t really heard anything maybe they’re just watching me trying to,” bowler Alex Williamson said.

But would he say he’s better than some of the cops?

“Some of them yeah, the other ones I’d imagine come down and practice,” Williamson said.

“Well I practice,” seven year old bowler Taylor said. “I practice bowling on the Wii and it’s my first time being in a real life bowling alley.”

Year after year, kids and police continue to show up. And Loeb says that is why he has no plans of stopping the event anytime soon.

“Well because the kids turn out and the police turn out so it pretty well takes care of itself,” he said. “We see these kids when they’re 5 years old and we see these kids when they’re 15 years old so we like to see them here instead of out on the streets.”

There will be an additional “Bowl With A Cop” day Thursday. It will be free for kids from 10 AM to 2 PM at Orchard Mesa Lanes Off 27 Road.

http://www.kjct8.com/news/30077853/detail.html

Joe Mauer is healthy and anxious to start a new season next spring.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS caught up with the Twins star catcher at his charity bowling fundraiser in Little Canada on Saturday afternoon.

Mauer has taken the time over the last two days to speak with reporters with hopes of dispelling rumors about serious health concerns, and reiterated Saturday that he is perfectly healthy.

Mauer only played 82 games in the 2011 season due to various ailments. Some speculation arose Mauer might be dealing with serious illnesses. Mauer denies the rumors have any validity.

The former All-Star and American League Most Valuable Player says once he was able to recover from a bout with pneumonia that ailed him at the end of the 2011 season, his offseason focus turned to getting answers how he can better ensure he remains healthy. He says he’s happy with the information he’s obtained and intends to use what he’s learned to be ready to hit the diamond at Spring Training in February.

Mauer was the featured guest at Saturday’s charity bowling event which is the primary fundaiser for the Highland Friendship Club. Mauer has been involved with the charity since a family friend founded it a decade ago.

Joining Mauer at the event were: fellow MLB players – and U of M alumni – Jack Hannahan and John Gaub, a large number of players on the current Minnesota Gopher baseball team, former Twins Paul Molitor and Greg Olson, US National Soccer Team alumnus Tony Sanneh, Twin Cities musician Tim Mahoney, former New York Giant Marcus Freeman and members of the Twin Cities radio and television community – including 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS’ own Dave Dahl and Naomi Pescovitz.

The Club estimates it will make over $25,000 at the event, which funds its’ efforts to provide social interaction opportunities and life-skill building events for disabled children and young adults.

http://kstp.com/news/stories/S2397995.shtml?cat=1

All the more reason to love Taylor Lautner!

The seksi werewolf/actor recently made an appearance on Conan, during which he discusses filming stunts for his latest flick, Abduction, being a child killer in one of his first movies, and most HIGHlarious of all, how he ended up spending a majority of his downtime at a bowling alley for senior citizens!

Ch-ch-check the interview!

Hey! Gotta give him some credit!

That’s a pretty smart move!

Here’s hoping some of his bowling partners don’t wise up and start bringing their teenage granddaughters along, though!

http://perezhilton.com/2011-09-27-taylor-lautner-interview-on-conan#.ToMDUNRrN8E

Last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Lady Gaga, for whom even the Bowling Hall of Fame figures among her many illustrious awards, will absolutely not rent bowling shoes. Her decision is not an issue of hygiene but rather her colossal devotion to her little monsters … and her image. Plus: The female stars of music really run the late-night world in this compilation; Beyoncé, off of a powerful performance of “Best Thing I Never Had,” tells Jimmy Kimmel she ran across the Great Wall of China; Kirstie Alley, having caught the dancing bug, shows David Letterman how to dance in New York City clubs, causing discomfort for the host during some especially intimate moments; and Glee’s Jayma Mays performs the old “sip ‘n smile” in a coffee commercial that has percolated into her gleeful acting career. Watch our compilation to see what you missed.

By William Wilkerson

wwilkerson@star-telegram.com

ARLINGTON — All of the intrigue of seeing one of the five finalists walk away with $1 million at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, which was the award for a perfect game, was cut short after one frame of the final match at Cowboys Stadium.

But that didn’t take away from the atmosphere and bowling in front of some 6,000 fans, which came up short of breaking the world record for a bowling event of 7,212.

No. 2 seed Leanne Hulsenberg, of Roseville, Calif., defeated defending champion and top-seeded Kelly Kulick, of Union, N.J., 218-183 in the final match to win the event. It was Kulick’s lowest score of the tournament.

“I can’t believe this happened,” Hulsenberg said. “It means something very personal to me, because my husband had never seen me win a tournament because we met after I stopped bowling full time. It is a very special day. It is the perfect day.”

Hulsenberg, who took home a winner’s check for $50,000, mounted a furious rally to reach the finals in a 247-246 victory over Double Oak’s Lynda Barnes. Barnes, the No. 5 seed, needed three strikes on her 10th frame to win. She got the first two but left the No. 6 and No. 10 pins high on her last throw.

That wasn’t the only tense moment for Barnes. She was also the closest one to winning the $1 million prize for a perfect game by throwing strikes on her first seven frames in her win over Liz Johnson, the No. 3 seed.

“I was like ‘we are way too early [for the perfect game],” said Barnes of the bid for perfection in her second match. “It was fun. With this amount of talent the idea is to get as many as you can as quick as you can.”

Bowling took place on two lanes set up on each side of the blue star at the 50-yard line, and was broadcast live on the stadium video board. Roughly 100 fans from Ebonite International, the official sponsor of the event, sat near the right lanes where play was held. A few hundred more sat just in front of the lanes on bleachers. The rest sat in the stands that took up most of the seats in the first two levels on what would be the side of the visiting bench during Cowboys games.

The five finalists were introduced to the crowd in similar fashion as the Cowboys. Each competitor ran out of a tunnel behind the visiting bench, through two lines formed by the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders and then up a ramp onto the playing platform.

They then took position on the five points of the blue start and were surrounded by the cheerleaders as country music star Neil McCoy sang the national anthem.

The first match between Barnes and Arlington’s Shannon O’Keefe started shortly after a brief introduction video showed the women getting out of a limousine just in front of the stadium.

The crowd was energetic before play began, looking skyward most of the time with hopes of finding their face on the stadium’s video board. But once play began between the two Texans they fell into a hushed mode, which is customary at bowling events.

There were seven breaks in play, excluding those between matches, which acted as television commercial breaks for ESPN2’s coverage of the event at 5 p.m. on Saturday. That’s when the music turned up and the fans made use of the blow-up sticks they were given upon entry. T-shirts were thrown into the crowd, and the cheerleaders performed a few routines.

Kulick and Hulsenberg watched from chairs in front of the left two lanes as the first two matches took place. They stayed loose by bowling during commercial breaks.

To the right of the lanes were 58 cocktail tables and a buffet for VIP guests, who stayed around after the event for a concert from McCoy. He performed from a stage set up in the corner of one of the end zones.

“I could see it from my hotel and it still looked big,” Kulick said. “You can’t fathom the sheer size of it. I just felt like a little person in this big, big place.”

William Wilkerson, 817-390-7760

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/06/30/3192740/bowling-at-cowboys-stadium-no.html#ixzz1Qt2oMLlN

By Lucas Wiseman
USBC Communications

EULESS, Texas – Defending champion Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., went 6-2 in the opening round of match play Tuesday night as she maintained her lead at the 2011 Bowling’s U.S. Women’s Open.

Kulick has a 40-game total of 9,812, including 30 bonus pins for each victory, to lead the final 16 bowlers in the field at AMF Euless Lanes. The top five players for Thursday’s championship round will be determined in the final eight games of match play starting Wednesday morning.

“I didn’t score as well as well on the fresh today as I did yesterday,” Kulick said. “I’m trying to pull away from the field, but everyone is bowling well behind me. I think if I focus on repeating shots, I’ll be in position to make the show tomorrow.”

The Team USA member, who won the 2003 and 2010 U.S. Women’s Open, turned it on down the stretch, closing with games of 249, 257, 228 and 232 to lead by 247 pins. Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., is second with 9,565.

Leanne Hulsenberg of Roseville, Calif., who was one of two bowlers to shoot 300 Tuesday night, is in third place with 9,551. Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, is fourth with 9,487, while Rachel Perez of Maumelle, Ark., is fifth with 9,440.

The finals of the U.S. Women’s Open will take place at Cowboys Stadium and be broadcast on Saturday, July 2 at 6 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2. If a bowler throws a 300 game in the championship match, she will win $1 million. The champion will earn $50,000.

The 2011 U.S. Women’s Open has already broken one record with 286 participants, which tops the previous record of 267 set in 2003. A total of 17 countries are represented in the field.

For more information Bowling’s U.S. Women’s Open, visit bowlingsuswomensopen.com. For complete coverage of the event, including stories and videos, visit BOWL.com.

About International Bowling Campus
The International Bowling Campus (IBC) is the headquarters for the bowling industry and directly serves the more than 71 million bowlers in the United States. The IBC houses the resources of the United States Bowling Congress, the governing body and membership organization for the sport; the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America, representing the business interests of bowling centers; Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for the industry; the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame; The Bowling Foundation; the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association; the Bowling Writers Association of America; the Bowling News Network; the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America; and the International Training and Research Center.

http://www.bowl.com/news/xmlburner.jsp?xa=./webapps/ROOT/news/main/data/062811USWO4.xml

A record total of almost 300 bowlers will flood AMF Euless Lanes starting today for a chance to reach the finals of the U.S. Women’s Open.

But only five will advance to Thursday’s event at Cowboys Stadium.

The qualifying rounds include competitors from Columbia, South Korea, Denmark, England, Finland and the Philippines.

New Jersey’s Kelly Kulick won the event in 2010. She was the first woman to win a Professional Bowling Association Tour title when she won the 45th Tournament of Champions in January 2010.

“I’m ecstatic about how big this tournament has grown,” she said. “There are over 280 entries. And the fact that it is being held at Cowboys Stadium will make it even more exciting and energetic for the crowd to watch.

“This event is taking place in a venue that is unprecedented in bowling. We’ve never bowled outside of a bowling center or an arena. So this is new for everyone. All I can do is hope for the best and hopefully be in the top five that get to bowl for the show.”

There will be three blocks of qualifying. Once the field is cut to 16, bowlers will compete in a round-robin format to determine the top five.

“We have a record number of participants with the strongest ladies from all around the world,” said Grand Prairie’s Stefanie Nation, one of the sport’s young stars. “It will be no easy feat to be one of the top five finalists, but you just have to take it one game at a time and hope for the best.”

By William Wilkerson – wwilkerson@star-telegram.com

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/06/23/3176116/qualifying-starts-today-for-five.html#ixzz1QDAbIJKh

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – For the next 88 days, Syracuse will be home to thousands of female bowlers taking part in the U.S. Bowling Congress Women’s Championships. The event got underway Thursday with a simultaneous roll down each of the 48 lanes specially built in the Oncenter.

The event is expected to bring about 30,000 total bowlers to the area through July. It is also expected to inject $40 million to the local economy.

With so many people stopping by during the tournament, the squeeze is on at hotels.

Vicki Larson, for example, just rolled into town with a team of six for the weekend. She says she’s learned to book hotel rooms far in advance, after all her years of traveling to tournaments. “I usally book in September,” she said.

Over the next three months, the bowlers are expected to spend 54,000 nights in hotel rooms that might have otherwise been empty.

“We’ll have at least 5,000 just at our hotel alone. It’s huge,” said Sandy Baker of the Crowne Plaza hotel. “We are the closest hotel to the Oncenter and we are so excited.”

Hotels outside the City are also picking up some extra business. The brand new Staybridge Suites in Liverpool opened Thursday, just in time for the tournament.

“Most of the time you open up a new hotel and you don’t have any business for a couple of weeks, but we started out well and the bowling tournament has been a big help to us,” said Jim Gallagher.

The rooms are going to be even more difficult to grab during graduation weekend.

“Graduation weekend is always a big weekend for the entire community but on top of the bowling tournament. It’s probably going to be one of the best weeks we ever had here,” Gallagher said.

The transformation of the Oncenter into a world-class bowling center took about a month and cost about $2 million. In addition to 48 meticulously leveled lanes, a video screen was built that spans the entire length of the setup.

In all, there is enough wood used for the lanes, stands and other structures to build five, three-bedroom homes. Underneath runs six miles of wiring.

Each day until July 3, pins will topple from about 7:00 a.m. through midnight. In late April, ESPN will be in Syracuse to televise the finals for the professionals who will be competing.

Reese Witherspoon has officially become a married woman once again. Representative for the “Water for Elephants” actress confirmed that she has tied the knot with her entertainment agent fiance, Jim Toth, on Saturday evening, March 26 in a 20-minute private ceremony at her ranch estate in Ojai, California.

35-year-old Reese walked down the aisle to “Here Comes the Bride”, while 40-year-old Jim arrived to the processional music of “Tennessee Waltz”. The nuptials, which saw the couple exchanging wedding bands designed by jeweler William Goldberg, was officiated by Reverend Jimmy Bartz, Us Magazine reported.

People Magazine additionally detailed that the ceremony started a bit late and was preceded with a pre-wedding cocktail hour. Reese and Jim swapped vows in front of her children, Ava and Deacon, as well as about 100 guests, that included Renee Zellweger, Alyssa Milano, Tobey Maguire, Salma Hayek and Robert Downey Jr. with his wife Susan.

Meanwhile, Reese’s ex-boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal spent his Saturday evening bowling. The “Love and Other Drugs” actor was spotted with Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine and a group of friends at the Spare Room in Los Angeles. A witness told Us Magazine “They looked really into it and seemed really relaxed. As the game progressed, the guys started high-fiving each other; at one point Jake did what looked like a little dance after bowling a spare.”

During the outing, the 30-year-old was also seen chatting up a few ladies. After being spotted joking with a brunette, he reportedly spent time with Swedish model Mini Anden at around 1 A.M. “He put his hand on her back, trying to convince her to bowl with them and being really sweet,” spilled the witness. “He looked like he was trying to give her a lesson on bowling. He seemed to want to show off a little bit.”

http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00039294.html

By Jeanie Mayer Sun-Times Media Apr 1, 2011 09:21AM

There they are, every Monday and Wednesday afternoon, teams of seniors rolling strikes and adding up “turkeys” at Heritage Woods Assisted Living Center.

The Wii bowling competition rolls around each year through the activities designed to highlight Supportive Living Week (April 24-30 this year).

Gracie Nebel, Heritage Woods administrator, said the seniors have a good shot at making it to the state competition this year, which will be held in Springfield.

The four-member teams — with bowlers ages 71 to 95 —are in competition that lasts eight weeks. Scores are submitted each week to the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition, which is administering the program.

Nebel said the teams are being sponsored by Preferred Home Health Agency. Thus, the teams have selected names that reflect their sponsor. The Preferred Pins team practices Monday afternoons, while the Wii Prefer Strikes team puts in its time on Wednesdays.

“One of our teams is in the top three in the state,” Nebel said. “If they win, we will get them to Springfield for the final competition.”

Supportive Living Week has a theme that goes further than bowling — it crosses over into art as well. The theme this year is Art Is Ageless, and residents at the center are entering submissions that include an acrostic poem, paintings and a cross-stitch craft. If chosen, these submissions will go on to the statewide competition as well.

“My goal here is to get our residents to realize, yes, being here benefits their safety, but their lives can be so much richer through the experiences they can be a part of,” she said. “When you move into Heritage Woods, life is only just beginning.”

To that end, Nebel said residents have started several clubs that help support their interests, such as theater, glee, baking and knitting.

“One of my goals has been to be more serving of the community — to help people outside our scope,” Nebel said. “Our residents would like to start making booties and blankets for local pediatric units. The glee and theater clubs can go into nursing homes and perform. There are so many things [our residents] can learn to do. We are still opening doors [of opportunity] for people.”