When owner Bill Walkenshaw regained control of Crown Lanes a few months ago, the bowling center near Galena was in disrepair.

The lanes and machines needed cleaning and repairs were made on some of the machines.

In addition, there were very few leagues in competition for the 2009-2010 season.

“We’ve been working on the machines and the lanes, and things are fixed up and cleaned up pretty good,” Bill said during a phone conversation on Wednesday. “Work on the snack bar has been completed, also.

“Right now, we only have two leagues going, a women’s league on Monday and a mixed league on Friday night. The mixed league is almost full and we have five or six teams in the women’s league.”

Crown Lanes is an eight-lane house which, during Walkenshaw’s earlier operation, was full almost every night. “We ran double leagues some nights,” he said.

Walkenshaw also runs a Colorama session on Saturday nights. “We had a good crowd last week,” Bill said. “We expect good turnouts during the winter months.”

Bill would like to start some short-season leagues around the first of the year. “A lot of people seem to enjoy the short-season leagues better,” he said.

If you’re interested in bowling at Crown Lanes, give Bill a call on his cell phone (439-9431). I know he’ll be happy to hear from you.”

Twenty 700s rolled

No less than 20 700-plus series and 13 games of 270 or better were rolled last week, including a 300 game by Joey Alexander, 299 by David Brisco, 298 by Jake Buerge and a 296 by Ed Israel.

The 700 and up sets featured a 727 by Crystal Beeson at Bowl East. Crystal had a 276 game in her big series. Teri Lankford, who rolled a pair of big 600 sets, posted the week’s high line for women with a 278. Over at the Fourth Street Bowl, Carol Dutton rolled the week’s top series for women with a 634 and Candy Brown had the high line of 245.

B.J. Strickling topped the series charts for the men with a 763 and Kirt Roach had a 751, both at East. Chuck Anderson’s 279-726 paced the men at Fourth Street Bowl.

Leading the seniors last week were Myron Sisk (638) and Steve Wiles (611) in the men’s division and Becky Lewis (610) in the women’s competition.

Kenny Phillips (258-657 at East) and Nathan Clemons (243-659 at Fourth Street) led the youth bowlers.

Last week’s highlights

Fourth Street Bowl

Men (270-up games, 700-up series)—Chuck Anderson 279-726, Mark Robinson 277.

Women (225 games, 600 series)—Carol Dutton 225-634, Candy Brown 245-616, Lori Anderson 600.

Senior men (225 games, 570 series)—Duane Beckham 226-577, Charlie Kemp 225,William Rentchler 225-641, Bill Townsend 572.

Senior women (200 games, 525 series)—Karen Kemp 200, Sue Beckham 541, Bernice Cooke 529, Taukia Reynolds 201-202-563.

Youth bantams (75 games, 200 series)—Enzo Delaverson 88-81-242.

Youth juniors (170 games, 470 series)—Quincy Dutton 196, Zach Fort 221-171-187-579.

Address correspondence to Wendell Redden, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, Mo. 64802, or e-mail sports@joplinglobe.com.

Youth majors (200 games, 500 series)—Darrell Brisco 222-231-612, Zach Calton 556, Nathan Clemons 215-243-201-659, Tyler Meyer 226-540, Hugo Olmos 208, Kenny Phillips 239-207-635, Jeffrey Walker 502.

Bowl East

Men (270, 700)—Joey Alexander 300-745, Ethan Anderson 718, David Brisco 299-702, Chad Browning 730, Jake Buerge 298-721, Jeremy Clark 713, Ron Combs 707, Blaine Danner 278, Joey Davis 714, Bill Dickens 709, Ed Israel 296-748, Kirt Roach 279-751, Kenny Snow 279-747, Tom Stith 740, 278-728, B.J. Strickling 277-763, Jeremiah Tripp 726, Fred Warden Jr. 713, and Ron Woolsey 714.

Women (225, 600)—Linda Bailey 237-633, Crystal Beeson 276-727, Candy Brown 249-622, Margaret Kaughman 265-617, Teri Lankford 241-249-682, 236-278-666, Robyn Laubach 245-624.

Senior Men (225, 570)—Bill Byrd 226, James Lack 255-583, Myron Sisk 638 (205-223-210), Steve Wiles 611, Ron Bogue 573, Tom Fortson 593, Wendell Redden 586.

Senior Women (200, 525)—Becky Lewis 220-211-610.

Juniors-majors (200, 500)—Tyler Meyer 212-257-637, Kenny Phillips 258-221-657, Katie Phillips 221-544, Chris Nichols 521, Tadd Nichols 514.

Bantams-preps (75, 200)—Logan Vaughan 142-345.

Two roll 900 series

Chris Aker of Winnamucca, Nev., and Andrew Teall of Medford, N.J., are the 13th and 14th bowlers to roll United States Bowling Congress-approved 900 series, according to a news release from Mark Miller of USBC Communications.

The feats were accomplished within three days of each other and were the first since Rich Jerome, Jr., of Baltimore had a 900 on Dec. 22, 2008.

This writer remembers the first, rolled by young Jeremy Sonnenfield on Feb. 2, 1997, in Lincoln, Neb. Jeremy later visited Joplin and conducted a clinic at the Fourth Street Bowl.

Aker, a 47-year-old left-hander, bagged his 900 on Oct. 30. Teall, 24 and a right-hander, rolled his 36 straight strikes on Nov. 2 One bowler, Robert Mushtare of Fort Drum, N.Y., has had two 900 series. He rolled his first on Dec. 5, 2005, and his second on Feb. 19, 2006.

Address correspondence to Wendell Redden, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, Mo. 64802, or e-mail sports@joplinglobe.com.