Hall inductee Cuthbert 'speechless -- almost'

By PHIL GULICK

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 17, 2001

When Suncoast Men's Association assistant executive director Jack Cuthbert stepped to the microphone Saturday in Tarpon Springs, people squirmed in their chairs.

League officers from five upper Pinellas and Pasco county associations knew they were in for another long session of explanations, instructions and story-telling from Cuthbert.

However, Cuthbert was mercifully short-winded. Perhaps it was because he had just been inducted into the men's association's Hall of Fame, along with Joe LaVoy, James Ellis, Lloyal Shuman and Billy Finocchi.

"I was speechless -- well, almost," joked Cuthbert.

It's his unenviable task to impress on league officials the value of proper paper work, timely honor score submissions, sensible money management and other duties.

"Every year, despite what I preach, there's always someone who screws it up," Cuthbert said.

The seminar drew officials from the Clearwater and Suncoast women's associations, Upper Pinellas Junior Bowling Association, Suncoast YABA and Suncoast Association. LaVoy and Finocchi were inducted into the Hall for bowling achievement. Ellis, Shuman and Cuthbert made it for meritorious service.

Shuman was praised for his long service to the men's association. He has been a member since its inception in 1953. Cuthbert joined in 1986 and was elected to the board in 1992.

The President's award went to Linda Rusher, a board member of the Suncoast men's and Clearwater women's associations and the Suncoast public relations director.

The Chuck Spicer-Jerry Bates Awards, presented by the men's association for youth achievement, went to Raymond Azzazcaeta, Andrea Traci and Shawn Ryan.

WORKING LATE: Holiday's Darin Baginski worked until 4:30 a.m. Sunday, grabbed a few hours sleep, then strolled into Sunshine Bowl and won the Florida Men's All-Star Match-Play Championship.

Tampa's Bonnie Joel had a more normal day and easily captured her third straight women's title.

Baginski, a mechanic at Pasco County's LaneGlo Bowl, worked late on lane resurfacing but had enough energy to dispose of Clearwater's Steve Kenyon, 662-628, for the crown. Baginski collected $1,200 in his first try at the tournament. Kenyon earned $600.

Joe Bereczki, Kenneth City, took home $300. Dunedin's seven-time defending champion, Bob Belmont, didn't compete.

Joel outpaced St. Petersburg's Sheila Mannarelli 727-658 in the women's championship for $500. Mannarelli won $250. Clearwater's Deb Wolfe earned $125, and Tampa's Lucy Sandelin won $90.

The women's field of 30 doubled last year's turnout, and the men's field of 126 was slightly smaller. "Both my matches against Steve (Kenyon) were the toughest," Baginski said. "I beat him earlier, and he gave me a good battle in the finals."

Baginski averaged 233 through six matches and 18 games in the double-elimination finals and fired an 805 series to top qualifying. He defeated Steve Felsman, Drew Beierlein, Tim Dunbar and Halstrom en route to his title.

Kenyon reeled off nine consecutive strikes to oust Bereczki 756-548, but Kenyon couldn't buy a strike against Baginski in the championship.

"He gave me a chance with a couple of opens, but I couldn't jump in and I left a bunch of 10-pins," Kenyon said.

Bereczki slipped past Halstrom 679-670 in a quarterfinal match Sunday that pitted former high school stars. Halstrom defeated Alan Rushton with a 300-836, the tournament's top series.

St. Petersburg Hall of Fame member Darryl Dempsey had his first match won, then Dave Taylor uncorked the tourney's second 300 game to beat him.

Joel marched through Freida Wheeler, Dawn Brembs and Janie Harper before dropping Wolfe into the loser's bracket. Mannarelli defeated Tia Brennan and Sandelin, a longtime Team USA competitor, and eliminated Wolfe on Sunday before taking on Joel for the crown.

"I bowled the best I have in a long time, but she's just too good," Mannarelli said.

"She is a tough competitor and bowled very well," Joel said, "but I was really on my game." MOVING ON: Billy Petty, a longtime Pinellas proprietor, has sold his interest in Clearwater's Rainbow Lanes and moved to Fort Lauderdale to manage a Don Carter center.

Chuck Wong and his son, Gene, became the sole owners of Rainbow Lanes.

The Petty family owned Shore Lanes, now defunct, and brought the women's pro tour to the area for the first time in the 1980s.

Petty moved to Michigan to manage a center, then returned to the area to manage Highland Lanes, now Rainbow. Petty managed Countryside Lanes for a short time after it was repossessed by the bank.

MOVING OUT? Skyway Lanes in south St. Petersburg will be foreclosed by the bank Aug. 30 if back taxes are not paid, co-owner Shoshana Gross said.

The center remains open with a sign on the door from the Pinellas County Tax Collector noting "levy and seizure" action.

Gross said "one corporation and a lady from Michigan" are interested in the 24-lane center.

"If we can sell and pay the back taxes, we'll stay," Gross said. "If not, we're out of here."

Her husband, Jerry, is the other owner.

- Phil Gulick can be reached at xerxes8@msn.com.

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