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Husband-and-wife owners John and Cindi Mendillo, who've worked at the 24-lane bowling alley for more than 40 of those years, told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» on Tuesday they're ready to turn the lights out.

"It's just gotten to be too much," Cindi said. "I mean, (John's) 65, I'm going to be 60 this year. It really has been tough this year. We've noticed we're both slowing down, and it's just too much."

The 1379 Clark St. Road business has , when it opened as restaurant and tavern Rose Garden. It later became Fingerlakes Tavern, and in 1963 its lanes were added.

The fifth generation to own the business, John and Cindy said that along with fatigue, difficulty finding workers led to their decision to close. The alley currently employs six to eight part-time staff who either have other jobs or are in school. John takes care of maintenance, from plowing the parking lot to repairing the machines. But the workload has started to catch up with him, he said.

"I enjoyed it, but it's getting to a point where I can't physically do as much as I'd like to do on the machines," he said.

"I have to call in help now. When I have to work on it right then and there, I just physically can't do it."

The Mendillos talked about closing the business over the past several years, and almost did last year. But after Falcon Lanes in Auburn closed that February, they decided to stay open for one more season for the local junior and high school bowlers. Meanwhile, they listed the property for sale that summer. It has attracted some interest, Cindi said, but remains on the market. 

After being in her family for so many years and generations, Cindi said, it won't be easy to say goodbye to Starlite Lanes and its bowlers.

"I think that's the thing that held our family together," she said. "This has been the meeting place. I see all my relatives because they come here, and I don't mean just to bowl. This is where they come to see us. This is where we do Christmas. This is where they come for Easter. It's basically home."