Landmark Texas nightclub destroyed by Ike's surge

By The Associated Press

GALVESTON, Texas — A famous Texas nightclub where Frank Sinata and Bob Hope once performed is no longer - thanks to Hurricane Ike.

The 79-year-old Balinese Room - a popular dance and gambling hall that was once a major attraction in Galveston, was washed away by battering storm surge as Ike roared ashore early Saturday.

Erected on Galveston's sea wall, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

The Balinese Room survived Hurricane Carla in 1961 and Alicia in 1983. But Ike proved too much for the Texas icon as battering waves ripped the building apart.

Dominque Joha, who managed the Balinese Room for the past year, says she is trying to absorb the blow, adding, "I gave so much of my heart to this building."

For more information see Sunday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.