A Jackpot Summer Day In Sprague
Saturday’s Sprague Days parade was over.
And the little tree-lined park in the center of town had become a 5-pound bag stuffed with 10 pounds of summer.
A church group raffled a quilt. Riders on horseback slowed to accept compliments. Hungry people at picnic tables attacked barbecue sandwiches, corn dogs and footlongs. You could hear the occasional splash from a dunk tank. Someone in a clown outfit sat next to a sign that said “Clown.”
A child cradling a relaxed rabbit asked smaller kids, “Do you want to pet the bunny?”
Eying a boy with a Mohawk haircut, one uniformed Lincoln County deputy asked another what the sheriff would say if he opted for a similar style.
Kids dueled with those foam-string spray cans. And yellow and black butterflies drifted through the scene like slow brush strokes.
But now it was time to get down to business. Time for bingo in the park.
The game was 25 cents per board. Half the pot going to the winner and half to support the activities of Miss Sprague-Lamont and her two princesses. The three teenagers in shorts and blue shirts wore their sashes and crowns. Along with a couple of moms, they ran the game.
“We do it to support the royalty,” explained a friendly man who helped remind some of the novices how to play. “Our granddaughter’s one of the royalty.”
About 20 contestants sat around three long tables, a few playing multiple cards. A princess called out the numbers.
“I-18. I-18.”
“G-46. G-46.”
“What’re we playing?” someone asked.
“Regular bingo,” came the answer. i
“B-15.”
“What?”
“B-15.”
The first pot was $3.10. The next, $3.25. Game three, for $2.75, went into overtime as the grandfather and a guy from Spokane hit bingo at the same time.
Finally, after a six-number playoff - the longest one of the royalty moms could remember, the guy from Spokane won. The finalists shook hands. “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” played in the background.
Miss Sprague-Lamont brought over the winnings. The quarters had been sitting out in the midday sun and felt ready to turn molten. Soon the next game was starting.
“B-9. B-9.”
, DataTimes MEMO: Being There is a weekly feature that visits gatherings in the Inland Northwest.