Bowling inside beats the heat
Tuesday afternoon was a time for spares, strikes and a good time as dozens of children and teens swarmed the lanes of Orland Bowl.
Many took advantage of free games provided to young people during the summer months as a service to the community.
Owners Andre and Joyce Carrao have offered free bowling to Glenn County youngsters for about four years, and most can bowl one free game a day, Carrao said.
Indeed, the bowling alley on Monterey Street is cool and shady on a hot day, so parents take advantage of the opportunity to have relatively inexpensive entertainment for their children.
Orland resident Wayne Barley took his two kids, Devin and Lauren, and their friend, Gabe Wackerman, for lunch and a few frames on Friday.
“They’ve been down here a lot since school let out,” Barley said.
Orland schools struck a deal with the Carraos that provides local students with a free game of bowling daily throughout the summer.
“It’s great,” Barley said. “We’ll bowl a game and grab a good lunch.”
The alley also has a busy snack bar with hamburgers, french fries and soda for the lunch crowd, and there are some video machines to play while waiting for a lane to clear.
Teri Tuttle of Orland said she brings her family to Orland Bowl at least twice a week. Her son and daughter and their friends usually mean an entourage of five or six children.
“They play one game each, and we usually have lunch,” Tuttle said. “It takes about an hour for the games. The kids love it. It’s their reward for the week.”
Her eldest child is 8, she said, so the children are still learning the game – but they do get a strike now and then.
Leslie Burks said she brings her children, aged 4 to 13, almost every day because with five she does not have the money for going to the movies.
“Andre’s a great guy,” Burks said. “He has a great heart for the kids, and we are very thankful.”
Her son Colton, 13, said he has bowled for a couple of years and it is a lot of fun. His 11-year-old brother, Dalton, added, “Getting a strike” is fun. His highest score is a 120 to Colton’s 134.
The bowling alley is open Tuesday through Sunday and offers plenty of bowling for adults as well. There are senior leagues for people 50 and older on Tuesday and Thursday mornings plus adult tournament leagues for all ages on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
Wednesday night league teams bowl for charity and donate their winnings to the winning team’s choice of organizations, he said. On Friday and Saturday, there is a Rock N Bowl from 9 to 11:30 p.m., and Sunday offers Christian music afternoons from 1 to 6 p.m.
Once a month, Carrao hosts a Teen Message evening where seventh- to 12th-grade students can listen to a speaker and then receive free food and bowling. The next meeting is July 19 from 6:15 to 8:30 p.m.
“The economy has not done too much to us,” Carrao said. “We are the lowest priced entertainment in the area. Three can bowl here for the same price as one in Chico.”
Rob Parsons contributed to this report.
