Demolition begins on L.S. Bowl/Skate-A-Rama in Nanticoke

NANTICOKE — If you listened closely, you could hear the sound of roller skates on the wooden floor as skaters jammed to some iconic tunes, like A Taste of Honey’s “Boogie Oogie Oogie.”

And you could also hear the sounds of bowling balls headed down the alleys, smashing into the 10 pins at the other end.

And above it all, you could hear the sounds of laughter and joy as crowds gathered week after week into the L.S. Bowl/Skate-A-Rama in Nanticoke.

But instead, all the sounds that filled the once-popular hangout in Nanticoke for decades were replaced Tuesday by the noise of bulldozers, front-loaders and dump trucks from SRI Demolition of Dunmore.

The site of the building — which was originally a silk mill and occupied an entire city block — will soon be an empty lot. Gone will be the skating rink and bowling alley and all those wonderful sounds that filled so many nights where kids and adults flocked to have fun.

Sen. John Yudichak on Tuesday said the L.S. Bowl/Skate A Rama, as it was known locally, was a symbol of Nanticoke’s resiliency.

It will soon be a vacant lot, awaiting a developer with a new idea to bring some jobs to the city.

Demolition began Tuesday on the building that once was a factory and later transformed into a bowling alley and roller skating rink that attracted patrons of all ages for decades.

“It is hard to envision it today, but this site was once a bustling factory employing hundreds of Nanticoke residents,” Yudichak said of the former Duplan Silk Mill.

“When the factory closed, the building found new life as an entertainment venue that attracted bowling and skating enthusiasts from all over northeastern Pennsylvania.”

Yudichak, I-Swoyersville, will leave office Thursday. He said time and economic downturns were not kind to the L.S. Bowl/Skate A Rama, as it too was forced to close.

“For more than a decade, the building’s glory faded, and it became a burden to its neighbors and to the city of Nanticoke,” Yudichak said.

Yudichak said ever resilient, city leaders like Mayor Kevin Coughlin, never gave up on addressing the pressing public safety issues as the building fell further and further into disrepair.

“Working with the state legislative delegation and the Nanticoke Municipal Authority, Mayor Coughlin and members of City Council put together a plan to demolish this blighted property,” Yudichak said. “Together, we have secured nearly $1.1 million in state grants to fund the remediation of this site — ranging from LSA grants to Industrial Sites Reuse Program Grants.”

Yudichak commended the work of his colleague in the legislature, outgoing Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Newport Township, and he applaud “the tenacity” of Mayor Coughlin and the city team including, City Manager Donna Wall and Nanticoke Municipal Authority Consultant Sarah Hailstone.

“Most of all, let me say thank you to the Nanticoke residents who are neighbors of the former L.S. Bowl/Skate A Rama who have been patient, but also very persistent in calling for action on this property,” Yudichak said. “And, today, thanks to Mayor Coughlin’s strong leadership — action is being delivered with the demolition of this building.”

Yudichak closed his speech by stating, “As Nanticoke and the South Valley continue to grow its economy with new jobs and new housing opportunities, I am certain City leaders will find an appropriate and productive use for this significant city property going toward.”

Mayor Coughlin said the building occupied an entire block on Washington Street, from Prospect Street to Walnut Street. He said the L.S. Bowl/Skate-a-Rama burned in October of 1991.

“This has been a long time coming,” Coughlin said. “There was a serious issue of safety because the building was deteriorating. We will now seek a developer for the property. We have already begun talking to some interested parties.”

A small crowd gathered for the news conference at the site. Nanticoke City Councilman Joseph Nalepa said he was a frequent customer of the complex in the mid 1980s.

“It was always hoppin’ here,” he said. “The skating rink was a hub of activity every weekend for nearly every teenager in town and from towns around. They even had a miniature golf course in there for a while.”

Nalepa said the owner back then, George Ellis, would also rent space for local rock and roll bands to practice.

“This was the place to go for a long time,” he said.