Bowling Alley To Roll Last Frame

East Hampton Bowl in East Hampton Village is shutting its doors at the end of June, which will not only mean there won't be a bowling alley anywhere on the South Fork, but also that East Hampton High School will likely lose its bowling team.

Regular bowlers said they were told over the past week that the bowling alley was closing. Reached on Thursday, Craig Patterson, the owner, said he would provide a statement on Friday.

Shannon Wethy, who has worked there for one year, said the lanes will shut down on June 27. The last karaoke/dance party at Star Lounge, the alley's bar, has been scheduled for June 22 at 9 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door.

Wethy said she was sad not only to lose her job, but also for the community. "What else are we all going to do when it's raining?," she said.

After hearing the news, Joseph Vasile-Cozzo, the athletic director at East Hampton High School, said he spoke to Superintendent Rich Burns about the future of the bowling team, which used the bowling alley to practice and for matches.

"The closest bowling alley is Riverhead," Vasile-Cozzo said. "The bottom line is we won't be able to have a bowling team without a bowling alley here. There really aren't alternatives."

"Losing something like that in any athletic program is tough. It's tough times for everyone, I'd imagine," he said. 

East Hampton Bowl isn't the first alley to shutter in recent years on the South Fork, as the former Westhampton Bowl remains vacant, with no movement to restore it to its old glory, as some locals have called for.

On average, the co-ed team has 12 to 14 students. The team, which has been in existence for approximately 25 to 30 years, has traditionally done well, despite its small number of players.

The team took home a league championship once, and turned out an All-State and All-American bowler, Michael Graham, according to Pat Hand, the coach. Over the last three years, the team came in second in the league and had a shot at the state title this coming year, she said.

Hand, who has coached the team for 13 years, said she broke the news to the team. "They were really bummed yesterday," she said. "It's a sad day all around."

Hand has bowled in the Ladies League on Thursday nights at East Hampton Bowl for 26 years. In addition to adult leagues, there are children's leagues on Saturdays.

However, East Hampton bowlers have been traveling elsewhere to bowl already. "A lot of the men from our men's leagues have started going up west to Sayville and Riverhead. They didn't feel our alley was keeping up with things," she said.

After years of planning, and one developer who went bankrupt trying to start it up, a new bowling alley in Riverhead saw its first bowler hit the lanes last August. The All-Star offers its customers an arcade, full bar and dinner menu, though has riled some locals recently with its proposal to put up a 32-square foot illuminated sign.