Flood-damaged bowling alley repaired, reopens

Avid bowler Jenny Liermann hasn’t bowled since A.J.’s Lanes in Bonners Ferry flooded.

The Naples mother of three couldn’t be happier now that the bowling alley has reopened.

“I’m glad it’s opened because it gives my children and other children something to do,” Liermann said Tuesday. “Now we are looking for more women to join our league.”

A broken waterline left portions of the nearly 55-year-old Bonners Ferry bowling alley under 6 inches of water and closed for five months. It reopened Saturday.

“I’ve improved and updated,” said owner Alan Jeppesen. “I took advantage of my down time.”

Jeppesen, who has living quarters there, discovered the water damage on the morning of June 10. The leak is believed to have occurred from a problem with the 1 1/2-inch main waterline to the building.

After replacing the lanes, which had about a foot of water underneath them, Jeppesen replaced the carpet with a glow-in-the-dark brand and updated the scoring screens to 42-inch flat screens.

“It’s basically the most state-of-the-art bowling alley in the Northwest,” he said. “The kids just love it. They keep saying ‘A.J.’s so cool.’”

The bowling alley was built in 1954 and remodeled when Jeppesen purchased it 17 years ago.

“I’ve been going through bowling withdrawals,” he said. “I missed my customers and all the families.”

A grand re-opening is planned for Thanksgiving weekend.

“Just come and see the major change,” Jeppesen said. “It’s very family oriented.”