It was April 13, 1988, when an Arcata High School student and relative newcomer to bowling walked into E & O Bowl in outer Glendale and rolled a perfect game.

Posing for a photo with his left hand resting on his bowling ball and his right hand forming an “OK” sign, then 18-year-old Andre Carey told the Times-Standard, “It was pretty much a surprise for everyone.”

Some may have said the same thing when Carey, now 47, decided to buy E & O Bowl — now called E & O Lanes. But having grown up down the street from the bowling alley, Carey said it was an opportunity he could not pass up. The day the property was listed in December, Carey placed an offer for it and as of March 17, he became the new owner.

“My great grandparents bowled here; my grandparents, my mom; I bowled here; hopefully my kids and grandkids will bowl here as well,” Carey said.

McKinleyville resident Ken Murrell acted as the real estate agent for the bowling alley’s previous owner Bobby Scott, who declined to comment for this story. Murrell was a friend of Carey, but he said Carey’s offer was about $50,000 under the listing price.

Murrell said the other potential buyers were offering more, but were not so keen on the bowling aspect of the property.

“I told the owner of it that we would be having larger offers coming in, but it probably wouldn’t remain a bowling alley,” Murrell said.

Carey said he had heard that other buyers were eyeing the property to convert it into a marijuana-related business, as has happened with properties throughout the county.

Murrell said he could not disclose details on the other offers, but said that there were offers from the Bay Area that were not going to keep the bowling alley in place.

“I just really applaud and give credit to Bobby [Scott] for sticking with someone he knew would do right by the kids and the kids’ bowling program out there,” Murrell said. “For him to go out of his way to make sure the kids have a place to go bowling is pretty impressive.”

Carey said that as he was the executive director of the now-defunct California Cannabis Voice Humboldt — a nonprofit advocacy group that sought to bring the marijuana industry into the regulatory fold — there was speculation that he would convert the property into a cannabis business. But Carey said he likes the bowling alley just the way it is, all the way down to its handwritten scoring.

As the building is now 57 years old, Carey said he plans on making some improvements to it such as putting on a fresh coat of paint and upgrading the bar so patrons can use debit cards.

“Eventually down the road we’d like to pursue restoring the diner-style kitchen that was in here,” he said. “Upstairs there is a 5,000 square-foot venue that used to be a bar and a dance hall. It’s got a stage. If we can resurrect that in our not too distant future, we’d love to do that as well.”

Carey said he could not have purchased the property without the aid of the Redwood Region Economic Development Commission, which helped him open his first business in 1999.

“They were a tremendous help,” Carey said.

Carey said he is planning a grand reopening event on May 20 starting at 10 a.m. that will last through the night. E & O Lanes is located at 1417 Glendale Drive in outer Glendale.

Will Houston can be reached at 707-441-0504.