| Prairie
Bowl looking to upgrade pinsetters
Prairie Imperial Bowl in Craigmont is looking to update the pinsetting machines in the facility and is seeking community help to do so. The ten AMF 82-30 machines currently in use were manufactured in the late 1940’s and were used for many years at Imperial Bowl in Lewiston before they came to Craigmont. Parts are harder and harder to come by and they have pretty well scavenged the 6 extra machines that came with the 10 that are installed. The Prairie Imperial Bowl board of directors reported at the annual stockholders meeting that they felt getting updated machines was necessary to keep the place open. Their big event each year is the Bob Riggers Memorial Tournament, which is one of the biggest bowling tournaments in the area. The board and committee feel this tournament would be jeopardized if the machines aren’t upgraded. There was concern whether the current machines would hold up through this year’s event. Board of Directors chairman David Coursey and his committee of Dick Randall, Brett Arnzen and Mike Ponozzo have found a broker with ten used 82-70 series machines that have been completely refurbished. The cost is about $6,000 per lane including installation. They also recommend getting a new oiling machine that would make the lanes themselves more consistent to bowl on at another $12,000-$15,000. In all they are hoping to raise about $75,000 by late June-early July of 2013. That would give them time to get the new machines installed before league bowling starts up again in September. They also looked into getting automatic scorekeepers but they can cost as much if not more than the pinsetters so it was decided to hold off on those at this time. Prairie Imperial Bowl has league members that come from Craigmont, Nezperce, Winchester, Ferdinand, Greencreek, Cottonwood and Keuterville. They have funded the Elsie Kinzer Memorial Scholarship, which has been awarded in past years to students at Nezperce, Prairie and Highland Schools. The board is asking for monetary help from the businesses and community. Any person, persons or business or organization that sponsors the cost of a machine would get signage above that machine recognizing their efforts. Coursey can be contacted at 208-924-5470 for information on this proposed upgrade and how you can help. 
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