For a sneak peak at Winona Bowl’s new television/radio ad campaign, check out the links here: FinalWBTVAd WBRadioAd
“Gobble” this up! November 19, 2009
For a look at Winona Bowl’s Thanksgiving ad, click the following link! WBPrintAd
Spare Times – Winona Bowl Newsletter November 9, 2009
The Fall 2009 publication of Spare Times is available now! Check it out here: WBNewsletterFinal2
Winona Bowl Brochure and Flyer November 9, 2009
For a look at everything Winona Bowl has to offer check out the brand new brochure and complementary flyer! WBBrochure WBFlyer
Stories from the Alley, from the Man behind the Lanes October 13, 2009
It’s 2:00 on a quiet Friday afternoon in Winona. No more than three cars grace the parking lot at Winona Bowl, one of them being my own. The lone sound as I walk into the bowling alley is the soft hum of a drill. In a matter of hours, people walking through those same doors will be hit with sensory overload. Black lights, the unmistakable sound of bowling balls making contact with pins, the smell of greasy food wafting from the kitchen, laughter and loud conversation. These are the sights, sounds, and smells that Brian Fakler has become accustomed to after 21 years at Winona Bowl.
I wait patiently at the front desk for the drilling to stop. When it does, Fakler walks out of the pro shop, joking with a customer. He greets me, and then finishes his sale. “See you tonight!” he calls after the customer. The customer reciprocates with the wave of a hand.
The ball began rolling (pun intended) on May 4, 1988. Fakler, along with four other partners bought Winona Bowl. From that original crew, Fakler and one other remain. Before buying Winona Bowl, Fakler worked full-time for an oil company while part-timing at Winona Bowl and Westgate Bowl. “I had a background in maintenance. I knew how to fix things,” he tells me. “It just seemed like the bowling alley would be a good fit.”
For Fakler, bowling was a family tradition. His dad was one of the best bowlers around. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Fakler bowled the first of his 38 perfect games in 1990. “I was lined up for my final throw and a guy two lanes over was shouting about needing a ball!” he tells me. He got the strike anyways. If 38 perfect games doesn’t convince you this guy is good, his average should. He has been in the Winona-area top 10 for the past 20 years. Last year, he held the top spot. “I’m the best bowler in the city of Winona. I know that may sound arrogant, but it’s the truth!” His co-worker laughs, but quickly nods in agreement.
Thirty minutes into our interview, Fakler’s next ball appointment walks through the door. He disappears to the pro shop, where the sound of the drill starts up again. When he reemerges, two more customers have walked through the door and are waiting patiently with me at the counter. He gets them their shoes and sets them up on lane 14. “We can’t bowl without drinks!” the customer says. Without skipping a beat, Fakler takes their orders, vodka tonic for him, gin and tonic for her, and jumps behind the bar. “You do it all, don’t you?” the man says. Fakler responds, “Jack of all trades, master of none!” He hands over their drinks and wanders back over to me.
“I remember walking from the middle school to Maple Leaf Lanes with my class,” replies Fakler, when I ask what his first memory of bowling is. By the time he was in fifth grade he was already bowling in organized leagues. “I remember the first time I shot a 600. It didn’t count! My buddy added up the score wrong, it was only a 590!” He remembers taking busses to state tournaments when he was a junior. “Those were the good ol days!” He’s still friends with many of the guys from that team to this day.
This time we’re interrupted by the telephone ringing. Fakler takes the call. A plumber approaches the counter while he’s on the phone. After he hangs up, he and the plumber talk business. All I make of it is some sort of sprinkler issue. I just sit back and take it all in. The sprinkler issues appear to be resolved as Fakler and the plumber are now taking friendly jabs at each other. They exchange goodbyes, and again he wanders back over to me.
“Is this a typical day?” I ask him. “Not at all typical!” he tells me. “I think it’s a special treat just because you’re here!” We laugh. Instead ,a typical day looks something like this: 9:00 a.m.- Fakler gets to work and takes care of the bank deposits and any machine maintenance and clean-up that needs to be done; 12:00 p.m.- Fakler starts with his pro shop appointments and oils and dresses the lanes; 4:00 p.m.- the high school bowling team starts filtering in for practice; 5:00 p.m.- Fakler goes home for “dinner with the wife” and a quick shower; 6:30 p.m.- back to the bowling alley, this time for play rather than work; 11:00 p.m.- finally returns home for the night. “Then, I get back up and do it all over again!”
Game one has been completed on lane 14. Their drinks need replenishing. Fakler excuses himself and returns to the bar. He hands over the drinks and greets the two new customers that have made their way to the counter. He glances over at me, “Next ball appointment! This one’s a Spongebob ball!” Off to the pro shop they go. Five minutes later they’re back, with a shiny, new Spongebob ball. He rings the sale up and right before the customers walk away, he throws in a pair of shoes and a few games for free. With smiles on their faces, the customers give their thanks and exit the same way they came.
“I love meeting with the customers,” he tells me. “It’s definitely the best part of my job.” In his 21 years at Winona Bowl, Fakler has met his fair share of them. “I wish I would have written a daily journal about what goes on here. You can’t even imagine what I witness. League players are different every year. Some of them are asses. Some of them are really nice. I see little kids come in and bowl their first game and then watch them grow up right in front of my eyes. Same with employees. They come in looking to earn a little cash while they are in high school or college. Then I get an invitation to their wedding!”
Lanes nine and 10 have been in use since midway through this interview. A young man is here practicing, for what I’m not sure. He finishes his games and leaves his score sheet on the counter. Fakler tells him to have a good weekend and that he’ll see him next week. With the afternoon crowd looming, I sense it is time to conclude my interview. As if on cue for my last question, a strike is bowled on lane 14 and the pins fall.
“Does the sound of the ball hitting the pins ever get annoying after hearing it day in and day out?” I ask. He laughs and says no! “It’s nice actually. I’ll tell you this though. I can be sitting at the bar having a conversation with someone and I’ll hear a pin get stuck or a bearing break. My wife hates it, thinks I’m not listening… and truthfully, sometimes I’m not!” Laughing, I thank him for meeting with me despite having so many other things to do.
After 2 hours of interruptions I finally gather up my things and head towards the door. The man in lane 14 shouts over to me: “Did you finally get your interview?” “I sure did! It was worth the wait!” I respond. The last thing I hear as I walk out is the phone ringing. I’m willing to bet it was Fakler who answered it.
Just Another Day… October 5, 2009
“I woke up this morning with a buzz rollin round in my brain, I haven’t been drinking but it feels pretty good just the same, it must be contagious, looks like it’s going around, it’s cool once you catch it, can’t keep your feet on the ground!” ~ Shania Twain
Never in my life have those lyrics rang more true. There is a “buzz rollin round.” But I question, if it’s the right sort of buzz… Tonight marks the night for an epic football game. Opinions and emotions are running high, and rightfully so. But, I urge you to take a step back, and look at tonight differently. Tonight could be about a giant bag of chips, dips of every flavor, refreshments that run the gamut, and friends gathering to escape the trials of life for a few hours! That’s what football is all about! And that’s the kind of buzz I’m carrying with me 
Bowling Tournament Returns After 15-Year Hiatus September 29, 2009
After a 15-year absence, Winona Bowl will revive the Tournament of Champions bowling tournament, complete with a new format and an estimated $800 purse.
Over the span of two days, participants will bowl 10 games in hopes of qualifying for the HBC-aired finals and the estimated $800 purse. The tournament, co-hosted with other local bowling alley Westgate Bowl, will take place the weekend of Sept. 26-27.
Brian Fakler, manager of Winona Bowl and tournament committee member, said, “This tournament represents the best of the best.”
The tournament is open to members of the Winona Bowling Association and the United States Bowling Congress. Interested participants should fill out the form, available at both Winona Bowl and Westgate Bowl, before Sept. 23. There is a $30-$40 entry fee.
More information about the tournament and Winona Bowl can be requested at www.winbowl@hbci.com.
Little Less Conversation, Little More Action… September 29, 2009
Apparently, my semester has officially started as I am finally being bombarded with the workload I have become accustomed to! My PR Writing class is in full swing, which means that the class work I was promising in my first post is on its way! It isn’t nearly as exciting as my epiphanies, but it does give me the opportunity of showing off my work. I promise I will still revel you with my random thoughts so keep checking back! But until then… a little less conversation and a lot more action on my part!
Boys Don’t Always Have To Be Boys! September 25, 2009
The other day a guy from my apartment building held the door open from me! *Gasp* I know, who knew chivalry still existed!?!? Now, before anyone gets the idea that this post is about bashing the opposite sex, let me assure you it is not! It is merely an insight into the female mind!
Recently I came across an article, oddly enough on CNN, that was not only humorous but also, very accurate! I’d be willing to bet that 96% of the female population would agree with it! The title of the article? ”18 Things to Teach Your Sons About Women.”
#1 on the list:Pick your battles! So very true! There are some you’re never going to win guys, and the sooner you admit that, the sooner you can get back to your football game!
#2: Walk on the outside (closer to the street) than you’re female companion. If you think it’s something girls don’t notice, you’re wrong! It’s the little things like this that make us love you more!
#3: Saying “You’re being crazy” is never an appropriate response, unless you want her to go postal on you. If you learn nothing else from this, please at the very least remember this one!
#11: Find out what her favorite flower is.Again, it’s the little things! Side note: give her flowers on days other than holidays, we love that kind of stuff! P to the s, my favorites are star-gazer lilies and Gerber daisies, in case anyone is wondering 
#13: Smiling and nodding aren’t the same as listening. Enough said.
#17: You will never completely understand women. Women don’t even understand women, so you’re really out of luck on this one guys! Sorry!
For a full list you can check out this link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/personal/09/23/tf.teach.sons.about.women/index.html
Now for some of my own additions!
#19: Beautiful, Cute, Hot, and Pretty can’t be used interchangeably. There is an appropriate time for each one, I promise. For example, on your wedding day, hot should not even be in your vocabulary! Beautiful is definitely the way to go! Caution: Women have varied opinions on the word cute so be sure to figure that one out before you bust it out! (I am actually a big fan of the word )
#20: Be confident not cocky. Again, there is a big difference! One is an attractive quality, the other, not so much, hopefully you know which is which!
#21: Open doors! Call me old school if you will, but a simple gesture like this goes a long way!
If any of you have any additions to the list feel free to leave a comment!
And to any of my male readers, compile your own list and leave a comment! I’d be very interested in hearing what I could learn as well! Because. let’s face it, women don’t understand men just as men don’t understand women!
An Ear for an Ear! September 21, 2009
So, my last post should have fulfilled your fruit fix, but my parents always told me to eat my vegetables, so for this post we will visit the veggie portion of the food pyramid! More specifically, I’m going to talk about corn. Yup, corn!
If you’ve ever looked at corn while it’s still on the cob, and I mean really looked at, you had to of at some point thought, this stuff is weird. Think about it, you pluck it off an 8 foot stalk, peel away layers of green husky stuff, and then underneath there is this odd looking bumpy, yellow thing. And the weirdest thing about it, is that somebody looked at that and said, “Let’s eat it!” To that person, I say thank you!
Ah, but corn is more than just edible and tasty! It can provide you with an afternoon full of fun! This past weekend I drove to Shakopee, home to Valley Fair and Canterbury Downs. But come fall, you can find Sever’s Corn Maze! You walk through a cleared away path of real corn stalks and are welcomed with a carnival like atmosphere dedicated to its surroundings: corn! Get a handful of kernels and head to the petting zoo and let the likes of kangaroos, camels, zebras, monkeys, and ostriches nibble from your hand! Grab a map and conquer the huge, themed corn maze (this year’s theme: pirate adventure)! Without the map I can assure you that you will get lost amidst the stalks of corn that tower overhead, but perhaps that is half the fun?! And what would a corn festival be without corn on the cob? Buttery, roasted corn on the cob is among the impressive food available at the small festival. Walk around as you gnaw, systematically (yes, I know you have a certain way you eat your corn!) on your cob and check out all the other fun stuff Sever’s has to offer: magic shows, animal rides, sand art, pumpkin launch, pig races, straw bale maze, giant slide, hay rides, and more! And if you can believe it, I’ve saved the best for last! Imagine a humongous sand box… now imagine it full of corn kernels! It’s called the corn pit, and it is something everyone should experience! I left that corn pit with corn coming out of my ears (pun intended!), a layer of corn pollen coating my entire body, and the biggest smile on my face! Sure, i’ll probably be finding corn in strange places these next few days (first spot: the washing machine) but it was worth it!
To most of us who reside in the midwest, corn was merely something we drove by on a boring drive to grandma’s. But, after my day at Sever’s, the next time I make that drive, maybe I’ll pull over and have a little impromptu corn fest of my own! And I’d suggest you do the same!
Let’s face it, we could all use a little corny in our lives every now and then
