Play Meter

Centuri awarded
Centuri, Inc. has been presented an
industrial landscaping award by the
Beautification and Environmental
Control Board of the City of Hialeah
as part of a program sponsored by
the Hialeah / Miami Springs Board of
Realtors.
Centuri President Ed Miller said
the company landscaped the front of
the manufacturing facility with two
thoughts in mind-attractive ap·
pearance and ease of maintenance.
"We've created a fresh, bright look
outside- and that's reinforcing a
new, positive attitude inside," Miller
said.
The street side of the building, at
245 W. 7 (th Place in Hialeah, has
been enhanced with a rock garden·
like atmosphere which includes
stylized greenery and accent wall
covering. Larger boulders add a
dimension contrast to the bleached
pebble base, while individual plants
and trees form a visual relief against
the stone facade.
Centuri
manufacturers
video
amusement games, and employs
approximately 160 people in de-
signing and producing new games
Ben Rochetti
Rochetti tapped
Ben Rochetti has been named
director of sales for Stern Electron -
ics, Inc., Chicago.
Prior to joining Stern, Rochetti
served as a ale director for 10 years
at Empire Distributing, Inc., Chi -
cago. In his new position, Rochetti
will supervise ales in the U.S.,
Canada, and South America. He will
also be responsible for parts sales
and field service.
A veteran of the coin -machine
industry, Rochetti resides with his
wife in suburban Westchester, Ill.
continued/rom page 1
under way in September with
companies " primed and ready for
acquisition."
On two other routes, company
Vice President Dr. David R. Rockola
was trailblazing during the Japan
Trade Show in early October,
officials said. The company will
consider the alternatives of selling
licensed machines that are viable in
America, or building licensed games
in its own factory. Dr. Roc kola would
make contacts on these options in
Japan, said Gorman.
"Soon we will announce our new
video game line," Gorman added.
In its long -familiar territory of
phonograph production, Rock -Oia
Manufacturing indirectly assessed its
gathering competition, in the dis -
tributors meeting . References were
apparent to the unstated new
competitors, Centuri and Stern /
Seeburg.
And, on its new jukebox line for
the season, Rock -O la posted the
industry's first seven-year warranty
to back up the reliability of product.
"Do not be misled by new manu -
facturers in the marketplace making
statements about price," said the
vice presid e nt for sa les, who also
stated the belief that exclusive
distributor franchises will remain an
industry norm - if the practice is
given support by the distributors.
Technology was stressed in the
new phonographs presentation . And
that tool. coupled with competitive
pricing, was said to be the key to up -
coming video marketing by Rock -Ola.
Pizza Time rolls for MS
In Pizza Time Theatre 's first
National "Roll for MS" Skee-Ball
Tournament, youngsters competed
in one of three age groups at 14 Pizza
Time locations in California and the
southwest.
The children aged 12 and younger
were given three free plays per
evening, with the first for practice.
The best score from the second and
third plays was entered in the
competition. Registration was limit -
ed to one entry per child per store in
an evening, and each entrant had to
be accompanied by an adult.
After completing an official entry
card that showed his or her best
score, each child received a certifi -
cate stating "I Rolled for Multiple
Sclerosis" that shows the amount
donated in the child's name to MS.
Age categories were 10 -12, 6-9,
and 5 or under. Each store a warded a
gift certificate good for merchandise
from Jasper's General Store to the
top winner in each category. In -
dividual store winners were notified
by mail and posted in the stores.
Encouraging children's play were
Pizza Time's mascots - Jasper T.
Jowls, Mr. Munch, and the emcee,
Chuck E. Cheese. (See photo, page
1.)
Pizza Time Theatre, Inc. of
Sunnyvale, California, tabulated the
high scores from all 15 stores and the
child with the highest score will be
declared the "Roll for MS" National
Skee-Ball Tournament winner.
Throughout the 11-day compe-
tition, each store posted its high
sco re in the three different age
brackets so youngsters would know
what they had to beat m order to
win.
In conjunction with t he tourna-
ment, local sportswriters and radio
and television sportscasters were
invited to compete in their own
version of the contest with winners
to be announced.
Skee ·Ball was introduced in 1914.
At that time the alleys were 36-feet
long and cumbersome for women,
children, and senior citizens so they
were cut down to 24 feet, which was
still not a good length for general
play. In 1928 they were shortened
again, to the present 14 feet.
Philadelphia Toboggan Company of
Pennsylvania acquired the copy-
right, patents, and all rights for the
exclusive manufacturing of the pop -
ular game in 1945 and has been
producing them ever since.
This year's was not the first
national Skee-Ball tournament. Phil-
adelphia Toboggan Company records
reveal the first National Tourney
was held September 24th and 25th,
1932 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The object of the game is to attain
as high a score as possible by bowling
one wooden ball at a time up a
sloping ramp, where it must drop
into one of five scoring holes . A hump
at the end of the runway caused the
ball to "take flight" in a trajectory
determined to make a perfect score
po ssi ble. The lowest scoring hole for
ten points is the easiest to play , while
the highest for 50 points is the most
difficult. At Pizza Time Theatres a
dispenser on top of each alley
dispenses tickets that can be re -
de emed for prizes from Jasper's
General Store.