Bellefonte Lanes isn’t striking out, expects to remain open despite expensive repairs
Bellefonte Lanes is in need of repairs that come with a price tag that rivals how much the property sold for in 1997, but neither the property owner nor business owner believes the bowling center is approaching its final frames.
The 24-lane bowling alley that’s been open since 1960 is in need of a new roof that costs about $350,000. Harry Sickler Jr. bought the property for $450,000.
The construction of a new roof represents a sizable investment for the 92-year-old, who flirted with the idea of not renewing the business’ lease and selling the property. That idea raised alarm bells among bowlers, especially after a GoFundMe page warned of a possible closure by the end of the month.
After all, with the rapid development of Benner Pike, the property is worth more with the building bulldozed than it is with open doors.
“I got to feeling real bad. I talked to some other people and so forth. I felt very guilty about everything, so I’m going to put up the $350,000 myself,” Sickler said. “... It was something I had to do.”
Business owner Dennis Jaworski, who started working at the bowling center in September 1993 and bought the business 20 years later, gave Sickler his flowers. He described Sickler as a “great guy” that’s supported him and his family for many years.
His lease is set to expire June 30. Jaworski said he was devastated and heartbroken when he was forced to contemplate what it’d be like to see one of Centre County’s two bowling alleys close.
Jaworski, 70, has no plans of slowing down. He had not signed a new lease as of Wednesday, but said he expected to soon.
“Probably when I retire is when I don’t have anymore breath and life on this Earth. I don’t know if I’ll ever retire. I don’t see me retiring,” he said. “I’m very passionate about bowling.”
Jaworski has watched children grow up in the bowling alley, start their own families and pass their love for the sport down the family tree. Just last month he watched a man who bowled every Saturday as a kid roll his first perfect game.
History and memories are part of what keeps him going and why he’d like to see Bellefonte Lanes continue on.
“The boy broke down and had tears coming out. You can’t explain the kind of worth that gives you. His dad was there to watch him do it. The boy is 31 years old,” Jaworski said. “That means a lot to me to be here and be open and be a part of it.”
Jaworski employs about a dozen people. They’d be out of a job if the business were to close, and the nearest option for bowlers would be Northland Bowl in Ferguson Township. Absent that, bowlers would have to head out of Centre County.
Seven Mountains Bowling Association President Leonard Verbeck said it would be “devastating” if either closed. The 62-year-old who has been bowling for nearly five decades said he can’t fathom life without the camaraderie and bond he shares with other bowlers.
All of those worries are on hold while Bellefonte Lanes awaits a new roof. Better days, Sickler said, are ahead.
“It is going to be there for a long time to come,” he said. “Hopefully.”
This story was originally published April 6, 2023 at 3:53 PM.