Sedalia Park Board Welcomes New Member & New Bowling Alley Manager
The Sedalia Park Board welcomed a new member on Thursday, as well as the new bowling alley manager for Memory Lanes.
Marie Dennis introduced herself to the board during their 19-minute meeting Thursday at the Heckart Community Center, 1800 W. 3rd.
Dennis, who lives in Sedalia, is a native of Hughesville. Her term on the board will expire in June of 2028.
The other new Park Board member, Aaron Himes, did not attend Thursday’s meeting. His term will expire in June of 2029.
Also absent from Thursday’s meeting were Dr. Bill Woolery and President Jerry Case.
Kevin Farner did attend the meeting and introduced himself to Park Board as the new bowling manager for Memory Lanes, which is expected to officially open Nov. 9.
“I’m really excited to get the lanes going,” he said. “I’m new to Sedalia, not new to bowling. I ran a bowling center for 23 years with my wife near Buffalo, New York. We sold it when she had some health problems. So in the last six years since then, I ran one at Little Rock Air Force Base for three years, then I ran one for Oberlin College in Ohio for the last three years. So I just moved here from Ohio. I have a lot of experience. I love bowling, it’s such a good game, such a good thing to get kids into. I’m an avid bowler myself. It’s so much fun, and it’s such a cool thing to be filling in Sedalia that doesn’t have it. A city this size needs a bowling alley, a place where people can go with the families and make memories with their kids and have their birthday parties,” Farner said.
“Thank you all for considering me and bringing me here,” he told the Board.
“We’re excited to have you,” Parks & Rec Director Amy Epple responded, adding that’s she’s already heard lots of great ideas from Farner.
Epple noted that as of Thursday, there were 67 work days until the opening of Memory Lanes. “So it’s really getting real,” she said. “Brunswick should be finished before Labor Day.
“Then we’re going to get trained up on all the equipment,” Farner stressed. “I’ve been doing a little homework ahead of time, so I have some good questions to ask them.”
He added that he is close to making an offer to a potential maintenance supervisor, and he said he had a couple of positive interviews earlier in the day for a kitchen manager for Memory Lanes.
“I’m just trying to get a good team in place that can hit the ground running when we’re ready to open,” Farner told the Board.
Epple noted that Parks & Rec will take over the facility from Nabholz on Oct. 1. Then training can begin for bowling staff and kitchen staff, etc., with an emphasis in customer service. Jeff Lynde will handle E-sports at the facility.
She also noted that Memory Lanes will be open on Thanksgiving Night. Epple hopes that many who attend the Furnell fireworks display that evening will come over to the bowling alley afterwards for plenty of fun and food.
In other Park Board news, now that the drainage devices have been installed, the concrete crew can come and install diagonal parking along the south side of Liberty Park Boulevard, from Liberty Stadium Drive to the big shelter house where the road narrows.
Board member Jeff Wimann recalled an incident that happen 3 or 4 weeks earlier at the Heckart pool, whereby a lifeguard revived and saved the life of a little girl by giving her CPR before the arrival of paramedics.
Epple was familiar with the incident and said “she’s doing great now.”
Wimann, who also serves at the Sedalia Senior Center, also likes seeing busloads of elementary kids come to the Heckart for a field trip. He noted that about half of the kids have never been to the Community Center.
Plans call for school kids to come visit the new bowling alley as well after it opens.
Park Board did not meet in July, but will meet again Sept. 10.
Park Board 8/6
Gallery Credit: Randy Kirby
