Come July 1, if you walk into a Florida center with a cigarette in hand, an employee will ask you to leave.
"No Smoking" signs will be posted by that date at all Pinellas County lanes, conforming to a law passed this year by the Florida Legislature.
Although there are exceptions to the ban, the centers are not among them.
The exceptions are private homes, retail tobacco shops, smoking guest rooms in public lodging, customs smoking rooms at airport lounges, membership association facilities (such as veterans clubs) and stand-alone bars.
Bowling proprietors are upset those exemptions don't include centers.
"It's an uneven playing field," said Kevin Krauss, general manager of Seminole and Sunrise lanes and Sunshine Bowl.
"Enforcement should be across the boards, no exceptions, and that's what bothers me. This will take revenue away from us for the next three or four years," he said.
Krauss' centers will replace ceilings and carpets to purge the smell of smoke.
"It was inevitable," said Bobbie Stealy, owner of the Twedt's and Ten Pin centers. "I see a move to our old high school days when we fled to the bathrooms to sneak a smoke. That may happen because smokers will always find a way to beat the law.
"Smoking and drinking go hand it hand, and when my bowlers know they can't smoke and drink after they bowl, they'll be out the door in a flash, headed for those stand-alone bars. That's a loss of revenue."
Liberty Lanes owner Bob Hanna expressed a different twist.
"They exclude veterans clubs and the like, and those guys need smoking least of all," Hanna said. "They sit in there and smoke and drink their lives away. Sure, it's going to hurt my income, but we'll manage."
Southland Lanes' father-son owners, Rocco and J.R. Sarley, may have unintentionally skirted the law when the center was built in 1985. Included is an outside patio deck that overlooks a large retention pond.
"All our bowlers have to do is step out the door, have a drink and a smoke, and it's all legal," J.R. said.
NABI: Louis Odierno, Venice, won the National Amateur Bowlers Inc. Tournament and $340 at Sunshine Bowl. Odierno came from the No.4 qualifying spot to defeat Sarasota's Ron Brown 197-165 in the final. Brown received $170. Clearwater's Amy Bowes finished second, and St.Petersburg's Royce Pauley was fourth.
SMO STILL ALIVE: The single membership organization proposal refuses to die despite rejection by two of the sport's four governing bodies. The Women's International Bowling Congress board of directors, the American Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance and USA Bowling have formed a task force to further study the issue. Earlier this year, the WIBC and ABC rejected the proposal after the YABA and USA Bowling accepted it.
PIDGEON HONORED: Former Tampa resident Pat Pidgeon is the Young American Bowling Alliance Volunteer of the Year. Pidgeon, living in Lake Panasoffkee, is secretary-treasurer and tournament director for the Florida State YABA. She served 17-plus years with the Tampa YABA in various board positions. Pidgeon is a YABA-certified Master instructor and teaches other instructors how to conduct coaching classes. She became involved in bowling more than 30 years ago.
WIBC: Largo's Anne Jones remains in fourth place in the Division 3 singles competition of the organization's championship tournament at National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev. Jones shot a 578 series and trails leader Hope Achatz, Alamosa, Colo., 604. The division is for players with 131-149 averages. Sterling Photo No.1 of Palm Bay is second in the team standings with a 2,437. Hope Gillispie, Davenport, is tops in all-events with a 1,608 pinfall.
AROUND THE LANES: Ziggy Podlas rolled a 299-684 at Seminole Lanes. ... Rainbow Lanes is having a mixed scotch doubles tournament Saturday. The entry fee for duos is $20. The winner will receive $500.
