2 top officers quit local association, charging bias

By PHIL GULICK

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 5, 2000

SEMINOLE -- A hot floor debate over a dues increase at the St. Petersburg Bowling Association's annual meeting Saturday night was the harbinger of worse things to come. They came in the form of a walkout by two of the association's top officers that shocked members and left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

Long-time executive director Dave O'Brien and his wife, Carol, resigned and walked out of the meeting after Ron Paige won the presidency on a surprise floor nomination, an unprecedented occurrence for the association. As first vice president, Carol O'Brien was next in line to succeed outgoing president John Hahmann, but Paige was nominated and won with a 27-21 vote count from the 48 board members and delegates.

"This is blatant discrimination and we hereby resign," exclaimed Dave O'Brien when the vote was announced. He said nothing more, took his wife's arm and walked out.

Dave O'Brien was a past president, a member of the association's hall of fame, executive director for eight years and a 20-year association member. Carol O'Brien was a five-year member of the association and gained the first vice presidency at last year's elections.

"This was definitely a conspiracy," said Dave O'Brien after his walkout. "There have been actions taken by certain board members for more than a year to make sure Carol did not become president. In fact, one member passed a petition around in his men's league asking if they would vote for a woman president. That's discrimination and I will no longer work for such a man or an organization that espouses discrimination."

O'Brien refused to name names.

"If they didn't want Carol as president, why did they vote her in as first vice president last year?" O'Brien asked.

"I'm as angry as I've ever been in my life," Carol O'Brien said. "To think that some biased men in that association would still think like that in these times is outrageous. I thought when the association did away with "men' in its title that discrimination was a thing of the past. I guess I am wrong, and you can bet the ABC will be getting a letter from me."

Ironically, Dave O'Brien's walkout came only minutes after he appealed to members to approve the dues increase. "If you don't approve this tonight, this association is gone," he said. The measure was approved, upping a member's total sanction fee to $16.

Hahmann was so stunned he could barely conduct the rest of the meeting. "It's an unfortunate thing to happen," he said, "but we must go on and hope they will reconsider their actions after the heat has died down."

"We've got a whole lot of work to do with the season ending and summer leagues about to begin, but I've had plenty of volunteers offer to help fill the void," Paige said. He is a board member of the state Young American Bowling Alliance (YABA), vice president of the Greater Pinellas YABA, and served as the association's third vice president this past year.

Before the fireworks, Largo's Marty Murphy was elected to the hall of fame for bowling achievement, Don Vauiso was named director of the year, and the city tournament winners were honored. Bob Atheney Service Awards went to Bill Walker, Don Hamilton, Dr. Ed Minor and Paige.

Other officers elected or re-elected were Bruce Silvey, Bill Zuben, Jim Higdon, Joe Minarik and Hamilton. Directors are Art Childs, William Ennis Jr., Dick Fleming, Bob Hervey, Dean Rosko, Ken Stanton and Murphy.

Murphy has 19 career 300 games, seven 800 series and an average that hovers around 230 every season. He is the chief mechanic at Liberty Lanes.

Paige said he is looking for candidates for executive director, but the official selection will be made by the executive board.

WEDDINGS CALL IT QUITS: Tom and Patsy Wedding have co-owned Skyway Lanes since 1995, but last month they threw in the towel and turned the center over to their other co-owner, Patsy's brother, Jerry Gross of Long Beach, Calif.

"Our investment did not live up to expectations and we did not do what we wanted for the center or our bowlers," Patsy Wedding said. SANDY HAMPSHIRE DIES: Sandy Hampshire, 52, one of the county's top bowlers with many local and state honors to her credit, died last week of cancer in Lecanto.

Miss Hampshire was a member of the Florida Queens, won a Clearwater city tournament title, and averaged better than 200 during her county league competition. She was married nine years to Largo's Gary Hampshire and they had two sons and a daughter.

BELMONT ILL: Another of the area's top bowlers, Dunedin's Bob Belmont, suffered a seizure last week and was admitted to Mease Dunedin Hospital.

"Bob has known for several years that he has a brain tumor, but this is the first seizure he's had related to that," said his wife, Michelle. "They have done several MRIs and we're just awaiting the study of those to determine the next step. They could go in and remove some of the tumor, but they can't get it all because of its location."

Belmont carries a 200-plus average in local leagues, has made a number of PBA tour stops, and competes with the High Rollers in Las Vegas. He won the Florida Match-Play Championship six times, most recently in 1998.

WHEELCHAIRS UP: Defending champion Jim Sullivan of Largo finished third in the A Division of the Florida Wheelchair Bowling Association's state tournament last weekend at Lane-Glo North Lanes in Pasco County. Jerry Jones of Delray Beach won the division. Sebring's Don Porpora won the B Division title and Dave Roberts of Virginia Beach, Va., was the scratch champion.

AROUND THE LANES: Roger Wise Jr. nailed a 300-837 and Matt Rotkis fired a 300 at AMF Kenneth City Lanes. Other honor scores: Tom Sills 300-740 at Twedt's Lanes; Bud Shane 300-712, John Burchard and Bob Niezgoda 802s at Rainbow Lanes; David Suggs 300-739 and Scott Haun 300-670 at Sunshine Bowl. ... The Youth Bowlers Tour visits Tampa's Crown Lanes Sunday, offering college scholarship money.

-- Phil Gulick can be reached at Xerxes6@aol.com or Xerxes6@earthlink.net

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