Finding a nice place to chill out
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on July 6, 2017 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Macon Bryan, 6, slides back toward the ball return while bowling at AMF Boulevard Lanes Wednesday with his sister Marinah, 8, and sitter Katie Gurley. This is the first time the group has been bowling together.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Bobby Heath, right, walks around the indoor track at the Goldsboro Family Y Wednesday as he and his wife, Jo, walking behind, take advantage of the facility's air conditioning.
Macon Bryan, 6, eyes the pins.
He turns his bowling ball over in his hands, working out his angle of attack.
Stepping forward, he lifts the heavy ball to his shoulder, then shoves it forward with all of his might.
The ball arcs through the air before hitting the bowling lane with an authoritative "thud."
Seconds later, all 10 pins hit the ground.
Perfect planning, flawless execution.
Macon, along with sister Marinah and baby-sitter Katie Gurley, took to AMC bowling Wednesday to have some fun away from the rising summer heat.
With temperatures approaching 100 degrees outside, the trio opted for their first bowling trip together. Macon was determined to come out on top.
"The whole way here, he was saying 'I'm going to beat you, Miss Katie," Ms. Gurley said. "At one point I was beating him, and he came up and said 'No, I'm going to turn this around!"
And turn it around he did. By the end of the game, Macon had scored a clean 100 points, putting him in first.
Macon, for his part, was clearly pleased.
"I beat you in this one," he shouted excitedly, smiling and jumping in place.
His sister Marinah, 8, said she enjoys bowling, having been many times before this one.
"I just like spending time with my friends," she said, pausing to think. "And winning the game."
From bowling to strolling, Goldsboro residents are finding ways to stay active while also staying cool.
One of those people is Bobby Heath, 78. A Navy veteran, he spent part of his day Wednesday walking around the YMCA indoor track with his wife.
Heath said that coming to the YMCA was an easy way for him to stay active without having to endure the summer sun.
"We spend about 35 minutes here every time," he said, sitting down for a break before rejoining his wife. "It's convenient, cool, it's really nice."
Heath said he also enjoys going to the gym and the pool at the YMCA.
"We do a little bit of everything," he said.
Staying active, Heath said, is simply a vital thing to do.
"I do it to stay alive," he said with a laugh.
Donavann Thornton, program director at the YMCA, said that the facility offers several programs for seniors.
Those include bingo, transportation to downtown Goldsboro for shopping trips, and home-cooked meals. Thornton said the senior program has been a success.
"Since I took over, it started slow and then it kind of grew," he said. "Sometimes we'll have 10 people, and sometimes there will be 30. It just depends."
Indoor swimming programs at the YMCA also provide a good way for seniors to exercise in comfort. Classes like Healthy Joints and Gentle Moves help to relieve pain and stiffness from arthritis and increase mobility, all in a low-impact setting.