It was the perfect political prank!
It started in Pawtucket and included select people in Lincoln, North Providence, Cumberland, Providence and Johnston who were all sworn to secrecy for a specified amount of time.
It actually began last Thursday morning when people driving official vehicles from the towns and cities above pulled into the Johnston Town Hall parking lot for a well planned prank.
Suddenly, Johnston’s most recent nemesis – the uncatchable traffic stopping turkey – appeared riding a unicycle that Lt. Gov. Dan McKee, Lincoln Town Administrator Joe Almond, North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi and Cumberland Mayor William Murray greeted with gut-wrenching laughter.
“Where’s Don?” Lombardi asked about Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien, who actually spear headed the soon-to-happen clever crank. To which Joe Almond said, “He’s stuck in traffic; we’ll start without him.”
So the four men, along with the unicycle riding turkey, a.k.a. Steven Balloons of Boston Party Solutions, moved to the front corner of Johnston Town Hall and on cue Doug Jeffrey and Janet Whiteley who were inside Mayor Joseph Polisena’s office suggested he look out the window.
“Look at Joe,” Lombardi said while laughing along with the other three political pranksters. “He’s shaking his head; he can’t believe it … c’mon out Joe and meet your turkey. We captured him especially for you!”
Once the group moved to the rear of Johnston Town Hall and staffers began coming outside, Polisena emerged wearing a Columbia blue Panthers’ sweatshirt in honor of JHS’ Homecoming celebration and immediately told his clever colleagues: “You guys are nuts.”
Laughter rang out and almost sounded louder than the “Turkey Song” Steven Balloons played while riding back-and-forth and poking fun at Polisena.
Moments later, Steven Balloons presented Polisena with an autographed picture of the elusive turkey that was signed by the four men above, Grebien and other mayors from around Rhode Island.
“This is my payback,” Polisena admitted amid the non-stop laughter. “I’m always playing jokes on my friends; they’re all good guys and we all have a special bond that makes our mayors group unique.”
Once the fun filled event ended and Polisena invited the foursome inside his Town Hall Executive Chamber, he added: “These guys are crazy; that’s what makes out group what it is. I play tricks on them all the time; today, they got me for sure.” After a brief meeting the four men – Lombardi, Almond, Murray and McKee – told Polisena to “enjoy your turkey, but we’ve got to get back to work.”
The fun, however, didn’t end there. That’s because Grebien, who told Polisena he had an early morning meeting that lasted longer than he wanted and then got stuck in traffic while driving to Johnston from City Hall in Pawtucket, came smiling into the Mayor’s office.
“You guys got me,” Polisena told Grebien. “That was payback.”
The two mayors, who Polisena wanted it known are true friends just like the other four leaders, chatted, then Grebien said: “Joe, I had to search all over the place for the turkey – just like you’ve had to do with your Tom Turkey, We finally located Steven Balloons in Boston and the search was over.”
After which, Grebien, McKee, Murray, Almond and Lombardi pulled off what Polisena – as well as people inside Johnston Town Hall later concurred was THE PERFECT political prank.
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