A Maine community comes together to save a candlepin bowling tradition

Autumn Mowery, 20, operates the candlepin bowling alley in Ellsworth, Maine. She has been running the place by herself and needs to update the bowling alley's machinery in order to be able to hire any employees. (Sofia Aldinio for NPR)

ELLSWORTH, Maine — Pins are crashing. Bowling balls are rolling. Funkytown is playing on the stereo.

It's a typical Saturday afternoon in November at "D'Amanda's," a candlepin bowling alley and arcade in Ellsworth, Maine. The atmosphere at D'Amanda's may sound like regular bowling, but with one look, it's obvious this is not classic 10-pin big ball bowling.