Bowling subreddit & Discord added to sidebar links

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I recently found Discord, an Internet chat service, through my involvement in a videogaming project, and I got to wondering if the bowlers were there. I searched Google, and, sure enough, they were, and, in the process, also found the bowlers on another social media service, the long-standing Reddit (on the Internet since 2005). The bowling Discord server was started by users of the bowling subreddit, so I decided to add these two resources together, although I’ve never been a “redditor.”

The links can both be found in the “Bowling Sites” list, but the Discord link acts a bit differently, as you’ll be taken to Discord’s login page, where you may sign up for a Discord account if you need to, then be dropped into the #welcome-rules channel on the server. Many Discord servers require you to be a member for a specified period (ten minutes, usually) before you can send messages in the server, so you may need to be patient. The Discord link on this website will load in a browser, but Discord has nice desktop and mobile apps, so if you have either or both and know how to add servers in those, feel free. I’m on Discord if I’m online usually, but don’t expect me to be active if I’m busy at Westgate, but feel free to “ping” me (mention me in a message) and I’ll try to get to you when I can. 🙂

Westgate Mixed meeting note

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I’ve been asked about the Westgate Mixed league, the other league that bowls on Wednesday night, and I can finally report that they will be meeting next Wednesday, as well, at 6 PM (before the Pepsi league’s meeting). I would assume both meetings will be in the pool room.

Westgate league social distancing

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I stated in an earlier post that Westgate Lanes would be able to use every lane in the facility. If you’ve been in the bowling facility, you’ll know that a lot of this is because the tables at each pair (except for the lanes near the desk) are offset, with the table at the left lane closer to the ball return than the right one, keeping them at least 6′ from each other.

AC and Yogi did reveal the rest of their plan to accomplish social distancing for the leagues last night at the league officers meeting, the main point being that bowling will be done PBA style. This means the team on the left lane will bowl their entire first frame, then the team on the right lane will bowl their first two frames, one on each lane, with each team bowling two frames thereafter until the team that started bowls their 10th frame on the right lane. The other major point is that there will be temperature checks, random for now, done with one of the no-touch scanning thermometers everyone’s used to seeing by now.

Bowlers with questions may ask their league officers when their leagues meet in the coming days.

Link to Tenpin Toolkit app added to sidebar

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Always on the lookout for useful things to add to the sidebar links, I found, indirectly through Facebook, the Tenpin Toolkit app, developed by British coach Simon Kimber. It’s kind of a Swiss Army knife of bowling apps, as it has these features:

  • Angles & Targeting
  • Axis Tilt & Rotation
  • Ball Speed & RPM (Rev Rate)
  • Observation Trainer
  • Pattern Library
  • Score Calculator
  • Spare Names

Each of these tools is described in more detail on the app’s homepage (now linked in the sidebar, under “Bowling Software/Apps”), along with links to the app on the Apple Store and Google Play. The app does cost about US $10, but it could be the best $10 a bowler spends on technology.

Site theme and header changed

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I’ve been involved in another web design project (not for bowling), and, seeing what was out there now, I felt it was time to update this site a little bit. Looking through the available (free) themes, the Nucleare one looked fresh enough, but functionally similar to the P2 theme I’ve had, so I went with that.

I also had the opportunity to use a larger header graphic, so I used that to try my hand at some simple graphic design in Paint 3D, resulting in what’s on the site now. I went with the Boxer Red & Black this time, and was able to match the colors up on the site with the header somewhat. The site also has a little bit of a background to it. The last thing everyone will note is that the menu bar now has a search button, eliminating the need for the sidebar search widget.

Let me know on Facebook what you think of the new look.

Update: Paint 3D wasn’t using the full dimension of the image I’m allowed by the theme, so I did a second header, porting a blank canvas in the optimum theme dimension from Paint, first.

I’d like to also note that, with my font face choices (which I was able to make with this theme), it now makes a good mobile site, although you’ll still need to view the site in desktop mode in mobile browsers to get the sidebar.

Reopening social distancing follow-up

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While I had to run a few other errands, I stopped in at Westgate, and was informed by Yogi Patel that he was told that he didn’t have to enforce social distancing with regard to lane assignments as long as his total capacity didn’t exceed 300. This they can use every lane in the house and offer the same leagues at the same times, and is likely the same statewide. Of course, the ultimate judgment about whether a bowler wants to bowl leagues this season will be up to the individual bowler.

Westgate reopening summary

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I would have gone on Facebook Live today if Westgate Lanes changed drastically for the pandemic’s aftermath, but they didn’t install anything special, so I decided just to write a normal post. I was briefed by Yogi Patel and Tim Major, however, and they were able to report that the roof and air conditioning were repaired during the shutdown (likely during Phase 1 of the reopening in Massachusetts), and the facility has been given a thorough cleaning.

Westgate’s capacity for bowling will be 300, and masks will be required as you enter the facility, and you don’t have to wear them while you are bowling (in the settee area), but you must when you are going through the building. For the bowlers using house balls, those will be disinfected and wrapped in plastic as they are returned. Westgate is also encouraging social distancing where they can, with markers on the floor at various places in the establishment:

These are in front of the desk.
And these are in the snack bar and pro shop area.

Kevin Thibeault has also informed me that only two people other than staff (mostly he & Alex Aguiar) will be allowed in the pro shop at a time.

Welcome back, folks! 🎳🎉💖

Westgate Lanes to reopen Mon. July 13

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Per the Facebook post above, Westgate Lanes announced that they will resume operations following the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday, July 13, with hours from 12-9 PM. The center will follow all regulations and guidelines posted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for indoor recreation.

Looking forward to returning to bowling, finally! 😀

Bill Briggs elected to BPUSBC Hall of Fame

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View this post on Instagram Congratulations to Bill Briggs (left), the first member of the Bristol-Plymouth USBC Hall of Fame elected by the merged association. Bill won the Brockton USBC association doubles (with #BPUSBC Hall of Famer Tina Gannon) and all-events titles in 2016, is a NEBA champion (won in 2001 at Milford Lanes in […]

Brian Egan, Kevin Thibeault, Jon Hester take titles at 2020 Northeastern Open

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Per the posted final prize list, Westgate bowler Kevin Thibeault has won the scratch doubles title at the 2020 Northeastern Open Championships at Yankee Lanes in Keene, NH with Chris Viale, and Patriots league sub Jon Hester won handicap doubles with Shawn Hagan. I was also told Hester additionally was a member of the winning scratch team, Massholes, as was were Hagan and Brian Egan, along with Bill Beck and Dave Chalifoux.

Congrats to everyone! 🙂

Sean Richard, Bill Briggs, Danny Khuu win titles in shortened SEMASS tournament

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Per the post in their Facebook group, Westgate bowlers Sean Richard, Bill Briggs, and Danny Khuu won titles in a shortened Southeastern Mass. association tournament, which took place last month at Holiday Lanes in Westport. Richard and Briggs were on the winning scratch team with Ralph Dahlgren, John Camara, and Tiler Levesque, with Richard additionally winning handicap all-events and Khuu taking down the scratch singles title.

Congrats everyone! 🙂

Mar. 11 Brunswick Mixed recap

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My Week 26 bowling, frame-by-frame

Mostly happy with my spare game last night, particularly with my 10, where I missed only one. However, I’m not going to get much further if I don’t get my third game, in which I’m averaging eight pins under my full average, figured out.

Result: 190-177-140=507
Average (24 games): 164
9-game moving average: 174
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 501

Team won second game and was leading total after it, but we couldn’t put a good third game together, so that was the only point we won.