By By RANDI K. PICKLEY / Niles Daily Star
April Fool's Days in the past have lead to some memorable pranks to Niles residents. So read and enjoy, but don't, as the saying goes, try this at home.
Angela Price, of Buchanan, was outside enjoying the warm weather. She remembered an April Fool's joke played on her by her mother and cousin. "When I came home from work, my mom and cousin had make-up on their faces and their hair was all messed up. The house was all messed up, too, with things overturned. They told me a guy broke in and beat them up, and they were crying. I grabbed a frying pan and ran outside to catch him and beat him up, screaming at the top of my lungs. My mom had to come out and tell me 'April Fool's.' At first I was upset, but after a while I thought it was funny. And, believe me, I got her back," she said.
Dorothy Tokar, a nurse, told this story: "I had this pair of prosthetic legs from a patient. I laid them on the floor beside my patient's bed. One of the staff walked by the room and saw them. He thought the patient was on the floor and ran in to help her. Then he saw me laughing." But Tokar's sense of humor didn't stop there. "My boss always called to see how many nurses were on staff for the patients," she said. "I told her how nurses kept cancelling and how short we were for staff. My boss began to panic and headed right over. I didn't tell her the truth until she got to work," she said. "Now they get leery when I'm smiling. They know I'm up to something," she added.
Jodi Ford, a beautician at Off Main Street Hair Salon not only played a practical joke, but was also on the receiving end of it. "I told my mom I was pregnant. Two weeks later I found out I was. The joke was on me," she said.
Karen Dawson got that same surprise. "I told my mom I was pregnant to tease her, but I really was. Not a good thing," she said.
Along the same line, Tom Clabaugh, of Mortgage Services, said, "I met my wife on April Fool's Day. We've been married 22 years. The joke is on her."
When asked if he played pranks on anyone else, Art Schmeltz, also of Mortgage Services, said, "If I did, I wouldn't tell."
Stretching credulity, Chris Kedik said "when I was a freshman in college, my mom told me she was really my sister and my sister told me she was really my mom. I almost kind of believed it. I wasn't too sure at the time."
Evelyn Berry from Daisy Mae's in downtown Niles, said, "My uncle was my 'party buddy,' One time I went with my folks and family to his house. He kept pulling jokes on me, but I didn't fall for them. Later, I looked out the window at his field and said, 'Look at all the deer.' Nobody paid attention, but I kept it up for 10 minutes or so. All of a sudden, everyone jumped up and ran to the window to see them. But of course, there was nothing there."
Bernice Strotter of Seniments bridal got a real scare when her former husband, a policeman, pointed a toy gun on April Fool's Day. "He thought it was funny. I didn't," she said.
And last, but not least, is one for the books, or maybe for getting booked. Chuck Imler had a running gag with his boss. He thought it might be his turn to carry the joke, and knowing that his boss was installing a new floor, Imler called pretending to be a city inspector city inspector. "I got a lady on the phone who sounded like my boss' wife. I told the woman that her husband had not filed a notice to remodel and had no permit," Imler said.
Fearing a burglar was trying to scam his way into her home, the woman, who also was having a new floor installed, had the call traced. After hearing from the police, Imler realized he had dialed the phone number and was one digit off. It was a well-to-do citizen. I called back to explain. Then I apologized in person."