It’s the end of an era as a small Kansas town bowling alley is closing its doors for good at the end of the year, and the community of Arkansas City says it’s a tough loss. “Awesome. Like, I love these people. They have just been there for my one year of venturing to a new school,” said 10-year-old Lucas celebrating his birthday at Hillcrest Lanes in Ark City. “I survived ten years. I can survive ten more,” said Lucas. His parents, Colt and Katie Rose, say it was the perfect place to celebrate their little man. “It’s been a great time. They offered us a wonderful deal, and we couldn’t pass it up,” said the Roses. But on Friday, the town got some sad news. After running the bowling alley for more than three decades, Melissa Zimmerman and her family say dad is ready to retire, so it’s time to shut the doors for good. “Our bowlers have been sad because, you know, our leagues are shutting down. And a lot of our bowlers have been with us for a long time,” Zimmerman said. “We’ve all grown up out here. Our kids have grown up out here. So the kids are sad, but they know, you know, grandma and grandpa are ready to retire. And they’re ready to have their grandparents be able to attend more of their stuff and just more family time.” Zimmerman says while it’s bittersweet, the family is ready for the next chapter. The alley will close on December 30th, and while the new owners haven’t yet announced what it will become, Lucas says he wouldn’t mind seeing things changed up. “Oh, yeah. Make a gym for sure. There’s no gym here. Well, at the rec center there is. But just, there’s a lot of people there. And you can have a whole different gym that’s here,” Lucas said. In the meantime, whether it was birthday luck or pure skill, Lucas ended on a hot streak with memories that will last a lifetime.
Source: KAKE – News
