It was "business as usual," last Thursday, at the Bellerose Lanes as the local Caseys "had at" the hapless pins, in the usual Council 2345 fashion, giving notice that 1999 is going to be as good a scoring year as any seen in the long history of the local loop.

With almost boring monotony, Ye Writer must report that Chet (Wot again?) Strzepek was Numero Uno, in the Hotshot Derby, with a sizzling 620 set, built on 224 and 235 nifties, a few steps up on Eddy Hackimer's 596 total that included 200 and 207 single efforts while Bob Sheehan used a 202 solo to build a 558 trio. "Knobby" Gregory had a solid 557, a whisker up on Pat Pallisco's 555 series, showing a 219 loner while John Luger was banging out a 551 and Jim Kearney chimed in with a 544. John O'Grady dumped 526 sticks, Pat Murphy carded a 512 while Charlie Bingold and Mike Honan did a "brother act" -- both shooting 511s. Jack Price showed a 506 for his night's work and, squeezing into The Elite Section were Joe Oswald, with a 229 game, 407 two-game total, John Bartow, whose 203 loner gave him a two-game 364, and Joe Silvestri, who turned out the lights and put the key in the door with a 200 lone effort.

Team action saw Goodo's Four, with Eddy Goodloe calling signals, do a 5-2 number on the Pallbearers, minus Capt. Tom Moore while Pat Sweeney and his Starr Reporters were posting a 5-2 win over the Pat Murphy-led Whaco 2 combine. The BOSS outfit, with John Bartow in the driver's seat, blanked Eddy Hackimer's Dead Wood gang, in a 7-0 rout while the Lugerites, captained by Joe Oswald, was doing a likewise, 7-0 pasting of the Bob Mashburn-led Good Guys. Completing the action, for the evening, the Regals, bossed by John O'Grady, eked out a 4-3 nod over the Mr. C.P. forces, led by Mike Honan.