Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
A ball rumbled down a hardwood lane and struck the arranged bowling pins, scattering them with a crash.
“I love that sound,” said Shelley Weller, the new owner of the Wheatland Lanes bowling alley in Colfax.
Shelley, who had a grand opening for the bowling alley in May, is still meeting people who said they didn’t even know there was a bowling alley in Colfax.
Under Shelley’s management the bowling alley has opened to the public seven days a week with more leagues welcoming men, women and youths, adept and novice.
Shelley and her husband Michael are long time bowlers. At one time she competed in five leagues during the same season.
Michael grew up on the Palouse and still has family in the area. Shelley moved here 15 years ago, but the family soon had to move and follow Michael’s work in the military. They have five children, Rosemarie, 19; Wyatt, 13; Garrett, 11; Emmett, 10, and Chyanne, 7.
When Michael retired from the military, it was supposed to be Shelley’s time to do what she wanted, and her dream was to own a bowling alley.
“Didn’t realize it would be so soon,” she confessed.
After moving to Whitman County, they found the bowling alley in Colfax was for sale. At the time it was used only for league play. The first thing Shelley did was open the doors for anyone to come play.
“I knew it was going to be a lot of work,” she said.
Not only did she open it to the public, Shelley has added youth leagues and concessions.
“The best hot dogs in Colfax,” she boasted.
Shelley is also adding new events. Last month she started hosting a Monte Carlo event that pays participants for knocking certain configurations of pins over. So far she is only doing the Monte Carlo once a month, but had a good turnout for the first session in September.
With a youth league on Saturdays, women’s league on Wednesday, men’s leagues throughout the week and the public access to the lanes, Shelley sees bowlers from all over the Palouse including Colfax, Endicott, LaCrosse, St. John and Moscow. All this keeps her hopping all week long.
“I bowl less now than I did before I owned a bowling alley,” she said.
Shelley especially wanted to get the word out about women’s league and the youth league which are both still welcoming bowlers.
One of the pluses for bowling is that beginners can bowl along with long time bowlers and still compete. Less experienced bowlers are given a handicap to put them on equal footing.
“That’s why bowling is so awesome—anyone can do it,” Shelley said.
Running the bowling alley is a family affair with Michael and the four kids still at home helping out. The children are also in the youth league. In addition to the bowling alley, the family is involved with school and other activities, most recently including the fair where the kids showed steers and pigs.
“They had a whole lot of fun,” Shelley said.
Shelley has gotten a lot of positive feedback from the community. Some people have already become regulars. One couple showed up in their wedding attire after the ceremony.
Wheatland Lanes is also on Facebook with friends all over the county and US.
Shelley said she wouldn’t trade what she’s doing. When things get stressful, she can always knock down a few pins and hear that sound she loves.
“Bowling is also a great way to take out aggression,” she noted.
Recipes:
Slow Roasted Pulled Pork
5 lbs good pork, {I like to use boneless country ribs with lots of marbling}
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 1/2 tsp. thyme
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup water
Soft sandwich buns
Combine all ingredients in small bowl, rub evenly over meat
Place meat in a roasting pan, add water, slow cook for 4-5 hours on 225, serve on sandwich buns.
Easy Baked Beans
1 pound of bacon
1/2 onion
3 cans pork and beans
1/2 cup brown sugar
Molasses
Powdered mustard
garlic powder
Cut bacon into small pieces, chop onion.
Brown bacon in large skillet on stove, add onion and cook until onions tender.
Add beans, and remaining ingredients, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes.
Homemade B.B.Q. Sauce
2 1/2 cups ketchup
2 cups water
2/3 cup vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp. molasses
2 Tbsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. celery salt
2 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. cayenne
Combine all ingredients over medium heat. Stir constantly for 5 minutes.
Reduce heat and simmer for 20 min.
Chocolate Trifle
Triple chocolate cake mix {2 round pans}
2 large boxes chocolate instant pudding
1 pkg. chocolate sandwich cookies, chopped
2 cups walnuts
1 can of Hershey’s chocolate syrup
2 large tubs of Cool Whip
Make cake according to directions.
Make pudding.
1 large trifle dish, or very large glass bowl, I use glass cake stand upside down
Layer 1 cake in dish, poke holes with end of wooden spoon, drizzle chocolate syrup over cake
Next layer half of the pudding over cake, sprinkle half the cookies over pudding, add 1 cup of the walnuts.
Then spread evenly 1 tub of Cool Whip. Place 2nd cake in middle of cool whip. Repeat layers.
Add chocolate sprinkles to top of Trifle.
Jana Mathia is a reporter at the Whitman County Gazette.
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