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| “Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to play and to look up at the stars.” ~ Henry Van Dyke |
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| Vol. 19, No. 4 • Mailed monthly to over 12, 400 homes in the Gateway & Parkrose Communities Free • AUGUST 2003 | ||||||||
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FEATURE ARTICLES | |
Memo Calendar | Memo Pad | Business Memo's | Loaves & Fishes | Letters | Home |
Over 55 Bowling League attracts Mid-County residents with fun, prizes, competition and exercise
DARLENE VINSON
THE MID-COUNTY MEMO
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| David Douglas resident Ruby Cass focuses on her form trying to win a cash prize at Senior Casino bowling at Rose Bowl Bowling Center. |
| MEMO PHOTO: TIM CURRAN |
This is a special edition of Monte Carlo bowling for bowlers aged 55 and over. One blue, one red and one yellow pin are added to the rack of pins on each lane. When these colored pins appear in designated locations in the rack, the bowlers first roll is worth a cash prize ranging from $1.00 to as much as $50.00. At most Monte Carlo sessions, a strike is required to collect, but as this is a special ‘nine no tap’ version, scoring nine pins on the first ball wins the money. There are also payouts for white pin splits. Should there be a colored pin in the split the payout is doubled. These prizes range from $.50 to $50.00. Players pay $7.50 to play and can sign up for high game pots as well as the ‘Mystery Score’.
Rose Bowl Assistant Manager, Debbie Archuleta says there is a contingent of loyal bowlers who sign up for the next week of bowling as they leave each Monday morning.
Jess McFeron was the manager of the lanes until he retired five years ago. Now he volunteers each Monday morning in the summer to call the colored pins as they appear on the lanes and announce prizewinners. He takes a moment to pull us aside to let us know that Ruby Cass showed up the previous week with a greeting card and proceeded to quietly take up a collection that was then presented to him as a gift in appreciation for the time he spends each week.
Born Ruby Nydegger in Beatrice, Nebraska, Cass followed her future husband west when they were in their 20s. Herb Cass first found work in a defense plant in Pasco, Washington, moved on to Portland for a job at a box factory and hired on at Portland Gas and Coke (now NW Natural) in 1944. Ruby waited tables until an opportunity presented itself at US Bank. Over her career there she worked as a bookkeeper, teller, head teller, note teller and teller trainer. She served at the Main Branch downtown, the Stadium Branch, the Gresham Branch and the 162nd and Division Branch before retiring in 1982.
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| Keglers Ruby Cass and Aileen Percival share a laugh, while Cliff Swales waits his turn on an adjacent pair of lanes. |
| MEMO PHOTO: TIM CURRAN |
At one time in her life, Ruby made all her own clothes and counts petit point, needlepoint and making latch hook rugs among her hobbies and joked that cleaning house should also be included on the list as that seems to be what she spends more time at. But first on her list is bowling. “I love bowling. I really do,” says this energetic 78 old kegler who has been bowling for more than 50 years and is proud of her high game score of 225. During the summer she bowls this Monday morning Senior Casino format, and in the winter bowls on a women’s league team at Rockwood Bowl.
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| Cliff Swales demonstrates the form that propelled him to a first game score of 297. |
| MEMO PHOTO: TIM CURRAN |
Aileen Percival, who lives in the Reynolds School District, is one of Ruby’s winter league teammates. She and her husband also built their home in 1962. As they had 5 children, Aileen wanted to wait until the home was finished before moving in, but was convinced to move into the finished daylight basement portion in September. It was February before they were able to move upstairs. She recalls that first year having children in 4 different schools. The oldest wanted to finish at Centennial. One was at Reynolds, one was at Wilkes and one was in kindergarten at Margaret Scott. The youngest was still at home.
On this day Aileen is the winner of the first ‘Mystery Score’ and pockets $10.50. Assistant manager Archuleta draws from a deck of cards to come up with the ‘Mystery Score’. Aileen bowled a 213 her second game and was in contention for the women’s high game.
On the next pair of lanes, Cliff Swales of Gresham bowled a 297 his first game and was expecting to win the men’s high game, but lane mate, Nick Dubraval of Rose City topped that with a perfect 300 score. Dubraval was quick to note that he has a ‘real’ 300 game to his credit as well. That game was bowled last February. He waited several months for the special recognition ring to arrive, but says it was worth it.
It’s obvious this group enjoys their sport and the comradeship they find each Monday morning. When we left, McFeron was calling money shots and drawing jackpot prizes and Ruby was rolling that black and red ball right down the middle of the lane for a ‘real’ strike.
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