ROCKFORD, Mich. — You know what happens on the first day of this month? If you guessed April Fools, then BINGO — you're right!
For some of the residents at StoryPoint Rockford, on this April Fools, bingo was almost a no-go. And one resident even thought she was leaving in handcuffs.
Judy Pettenger, a resident at StoryPoint Rockford, asked Community Policing Deputy Tyler Tilson with the Kent County Sheriff's Office if she would be put in handcuffs after falling for the April Fools prank that bingo was banned.
StoryPoint Rockford, with the help of Tilson, told Pettenger and other residents that bingo was banned — effective immediately.
"What we came up with was that the local township had been trying to pass an ordinance that restricted gambling, and by an oversight, they accidentally included bingo as a form of gambling," Tilson said.
"He was serving us papers," adds StoryPoint Rockford resident Esta Katt. "Why? Because the township had passed a new law that prohibits gambling of any kind. And we all started saying, 'We're not gambling.'"
Just like Pettenger, Katt also thought she might end up in handcuffs. "They couldn't take in all of us, such a gang as we had in there, and we're quite a gang. He wouldn't have dared… I don't think," Katt said.
But both Pettenger and Katt say the whole time, they knew they weren't going to jail.
"I didn't really think we were going to go to jail. I thought we might have a little lesson in how to cure our gambling spirit," Katt said.
"Well, I knew we weren't [going to jail], but I didn't put it together with April Fools like Esta did," Pettenger adds.
That's right — it was Katt that called "April Fools." "When he got to the end of his spiel and he said we'd have to clear the table, it dawned on me — April Fools," Katt said.
While Katt caught on to the prank, Pettenger is still caught up in the handcuffs. "My kids are going to be so embarrassed," Pettenger said.
As for next April Fools' Day, "It's not something you can do twice, because if he comes next year and tries to do this, we'll know right away as soon as he comes in the door," Pettenger said.
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