The Regulars Gathering Spots Around The Valley Attract Folks Who Crave The Comfort Of Familiar Places And Friendly Faces

Whether it’s the vinyl chair of a restaurant or the round stool at a favorite bar, most of us have spots we love to plant ourselves.

For some it’s a bowling alley eatery. For others it’s a sports bar or restaurant lounge. It’s impossible to list them all.

But even a quick look shows that regardless of the time of day (and long after the day is over), somebody is hanging out somewhere.

Some of the regulars at Valley Bowl never bowl there. They hang out in the restaurant area on weekday mornings, drinking coffee and trying their luck at pull-tabs.

A group of eight or so guys in their 60s and 70s has been gathering there for 15 years now.

“He gets here a little after 8,” Mike Lombard announced through his salt-and-pepper-colored mustache, pointing toward Leon Poffenroth. “He sucks up the sweetrolls.”

Lombard is a retired salesman, and it shows.

Acting as spokesman for the group, Lombard revealed why he and his friends keep coming to Valley Bowl.

“Sandy,” he said, referring to the waitress. Then he accused one of the other guys of having a thing for her. Catching the cue, all the other guys seized the chance to harass the accused.

Lombard catches his share of barbs, though, too.

“You don’t even know what we’re talking about,” Al Ellison told him from across the table during one conversation.

“I hope not,” Lombard countered.

“Ah, you’re a 35-horse outboard,” Ellison said, ending it. Next topic.

They talk about everything from politics (“People feel sorry for Dole because he has a bad arm,” Lombard said) to gas prices (Ellison swears there’s enough oil in Wyoming to fuel the country for 500 years, but it’s getting shipped to Japan. A geologist told him).

Becoming serious for a moment, Lombard explained what drives him to spend the morning with his buddies.

“It gives you someplace to go. You have to get up each day and meet the guys.” Then he paused, and it was back to jokes again. “And it gets you away from the wife. That’s why we’ve been married so long.”

Valley Bowl has a bit of a turf war going now. A couple of months ago, a new group of seniors starting meeting there, too.

The other bunch met elsewhere for 25 years before coming to Valley Bowl.

“We used to go to Newberry’s until it closed. Our leader found this place,” said Naomi White.

The leader would be T.C. Pollard. He did some kind of coffee cost analysis and decided Valley Bowl offered the best volume deal. The slogan on Bob VanSickle’s cap summed up the philosophy - “Senior citizen - give me my damn discount.”

While some get fired up for the day with a lot of caffeine, others wind down from it with a few beers.

Late afternoons at Sullivan Scoreboard tavern on Sullivan Road, the bazillion TVs show all kinds of sports, from basketball to BMX racing to Irish lacrosse.

Steve Douglass and Manny Martinez - both big, thirtysomething guys - chill out there after days of construction work. “It’s kind of a guy’s bar during the day,” Douglass said.

The woman modeling lingerie probably didn’t hurt.

The place is lit by the glow of the neon beer signs and picture tubes. Autographed pictures of Kevin Stocker and George Brett hang on the walls.

In the corner, a group of suits from JP Realty (of Spokane Valley Mall fame) was eating burgers. The blue and white collars coexist fine. Here, they’re all just guys.

When you’re at the Scoreboard, you’re bound to run into University High School grads. Owner Scott Reckord played baseball there. Sam Parker, 35, went to school with him - but he ran track. “You meet a lot of the old athletes here,” Parker said, shaking ketchup onto his burger.

They play three-on-three basketball, volleyball and horse shoes outside when it’s warm. Inside, it’s pool leagues.

“If you don’t like competing, don’t come here,” said Steve Jameson, another thirtysomething U-Hi guy. Old habits die hard.

If anyone competes at the lounge at Percy’s Eating & Drinking Establishment at University City, it’s for the coolest nickname.

Names like Gene the Singing Machine, Elvis, Cowboy Bob, and Big Chris. Tuesday night is karaoke time, and by 9 o’clock the action is going strong.

Gene “Singing Machine” Sharp, 72, has a very Willy Nelson-esque set of pipes. When he goes up to the microphone dressed in black cowboy attire, people go crazy.

Including Big Chris. Chris Bastin is 25, and, yeah, he’s big. The former 275-pound-class state wrestling champ for West Valley wore two earrings, a backwards turquoise cap and sported a goatee. And he dug Gene.

“This guy’s awesome,” said Bastin, who always makes sure to use your first name a lot when talking to you.

Mike Penick, 27 and all GQ and un-cowboy, went up and sang a Prince tune. The Singin’ Machine watched on. That’s why Bastin “keeps a cot in back” at Percy’s. Anyone, of any age, fits in. “We just kick it. It’s cool.”

Waitresses stay there for hours on nights they’re not working - two were at the table with Bastin, Penick and company. Everyone kept likening the place to “Cheers.”

Like the TV bar, and all the Valley hang-outs, it’s a place where everyone knows your name.

Or nickname, anyway.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 4 photos (2 color)