Locals participate in national bowling event
Local bowlers participated in the men’s National Bowling event in Syracuse, New York last month with one of the bowlers being honored for attending his 40th year at the national event.
Roger Ludtke received a plaque in recognition of his 40 years of bowling in the Nationals with Pete Peterson having bowled 25 years while Dan DeLong has attended the event 24 years.
Leaker’s Place of Glenwood City sponsored the team. Betty Ludtke writes about the snow storm that they braved to drive from here to New York.
The weatherman told us that we were in for a very big snowstorm on the weekend the team was leaving for New York. Hoping to get ahead of the snowstorm, Roger and I left a day early.
On April 14th it snowed a little here, but when we got to Eau Claire on I-94 where it had snowed during the night. The roadway was all snow packed and turning into ice. There were semi trucks and cars in the ditches. Roger kept his speed at 45 miles per hour as it was white knuckle driving. I was thinking to myself, hope our will is up to date!
The westbound lane of I-94 had a big problem with a semi truck “Jack Knifed” right in the middle of the lane backing up traffic for at least 20 miles. Continuing on it started to clear by the time we reached Tomah and it was time to make up for lost time. After Tomah we encountered just a few flurries.
Our first stop was at Waterford, WI where our son, Doug and Terri live, and we spent the night with them. I got up the next morning to find at least four inches of new snow on our car. Nothing stops a bowler, not ice, sleet or snow.
The next thing is the Chicago tollbooths. Roger tells me to get the change ready. Truth is they don’t want change, just cash. The last time I drove through a tollbooth there was a big funnel to throw your change in, now they hold you up for big money, just one time is was $8.50. I figured that going to and coming from New York, cost us close to $80.00. Now that’s not change.
Our next stop was at Mike and Sue Zacher’s place in Painesville, Ohio for a cookout. Pete, Tamie and Dan, and Barb met us there and Roger and I stayed at a hotel in Mentor, Ohio.
In the morning it’s still snowing. The people who live near Lake Erie told us that it never seems to stop snowing. It comes off the lake.
We hit the road and it’s all slush. Roger has a few choice words for that white stuff. Getting travel worn and tired but we reached Syracuse late Tuesday afternoon and the rest of the team were all coming in. Eight of the members are all Leaker’s Lanes bowlers, with Mike Zacher coming form Painesville, Ohio and Robert Godfrey is from Florida.
The first day for the team to bowl was Wednesday, April 18th. But before they bowl, pictures must be taken and while that was happening, another surprise came about for Roger, as his daughters, Wendy, Heidi and Doug, Kayla and Travis Turner came to watch. Heidi said, “my dad bowled for 40 years in Nationals and I have never watched him.” So she put the word out and Travis brought his fun bus down and they were there, just in time to watch dear ole Dad throw his first ball.
The second day of bowling was singles and doubles. All of us watched them hoping it would be better than the first day. I hate to write this, but their bowling was as bad as the snow, no further comment. Leaving for home on Friday morning, arriving back Sunday afternoon.
There was a big surprise when we got home as a big black bear was eating out in the new Rye grass east of our house. We watched him for a while and then about 9:30 I heard a noise on our deck and we had a visitor, the bear took my bird feeders and bent all the poles. I started to yell and he took off into the woods. Hopefully I will not see him again. There isn’t anymore to this story, it was a very long and snowy trip.