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Fire destroys New Castle landmark
Photo
Wanda Bardash owns Parkstown Lanes with her husband, Richard {not pictured]. She stands with Tony Muchicko, who is a manager at the business, as they stand in front of burning building.
By KATIE SEMINARA
A 60-year staple near New Castle, Pa., was left in ruin after a kitchen fire.
NEW CASTLE, Pa. — No more food will be served at Parkstown, nor bowling balls rolled, karaoke sung or Steelers games shown on big screens.
A small kitchen fire spread quickly Saturday morning, ravaging Parkstown Restaurant and Lounge and Parkstown Lanes on U.S. Route 224 in Union Township near here.
“I’m very upset,” said Doris Reighert, Parks- town’s head cook for 15 years.
Firefighters always came in Wednesday nights for wings, she said, but Reighert was unhappy to see them at Parkstown doing anything but eating.
“No more hot wings at Parkstown,” she said.
No serious injuries were reported, but the building was a complete loss, said township Supervisor Pat Angiolelli.
About 20 fire departments from Lawrence County, as well as some from Ohio, battled the blaze for more than six hours in temperatures that had dropped to the teens.
The business was also connected to eight apartments. Firefighters evacuated all tenants and were able to contain the fire before it spread to the apartments, though a few sustained water and smoke damage.
“It’s very upsetting,” said Angiolelli. “This is a [New Castle] landmark.”
The oldest part of the bowling alley was built in 1948, and the banquet area was added in 1964, said Richard Bardash, who owns the building and business with his wife, Wanda Bardash. The couple ran Parkstown for the past 27 years.
“It’s a lifetime of work,” he said while watching the flames in disbelief.
Bardash and Parkstown manager Tony Muchicko were gearing up to host about 200 people for a singles dance they had planned for Saturday night.
“I tried to put it out; I grabbed a fire extinguisher … but that was it,” said Muchicko of the fire’s getting out of control so quickly.
“They did everything they could; it wasn’t their fault,” said Bardash of the employees who were working when the fire started.
Parkstown was a fully equipped entertainment spot with 20 bowling lanes, two meeting rooms, a banquet hall for 275 and the restaurant that seated about 150, Muchicko said.
Bardash couldn’t estimate how much money was lost as a result of the fire. When asked if he’ll rebuild, he said it’s too soon to tell.
“We had a robust business,” he said.
He plans to meet with accountants early this week to discuss the options.
Paris Butchelle, a server at Parks- town, will be thinking about her options too.
“For 16 years this is all I’ve done,” Butchelle said.
“Now we’re all unemployed. But we’re like family, and we’ll stick together,” she said.
Patrons of Parkstown felt the same presence of family, and that feeling brought some out to the site Saturday.
Janelle Means, 22, of Sharon, Pa., frequented Parkstown for karaoke contests and went to the business to check on the employees.
“I was just here on Thursday,” Means said. “This is definitely not how I expected to see Parkstown the next time I was here.”
“It’s heartbreaking, because you come here for the family,” she said, noting that the patrons and employees share a special bond.
Parkstown opened an ice cream shop, PTown Cones, next to the bowling alley and restaurant in July 2008. As of Saturday around 5 p.m., no damage was reported in that building.
“All the fire departments have been great,” said Bardash, who thanked the community for its support as well.