LAST CALL FOR BINGO AT WATERTOWN’S ST. PATRICK PARISH?
By Steve Bagley

Watertown TAB & Press
Thu Oct 23, 2008, 12:17 PM EDT
MA

WATERTOWN – After more than two decades of operation, the St. Patrick’s
Parish bingo is in danger of closing at the end of the month.

Long-time organizer Alice Lederman has resigned effective the end of
October, and she’s taking her support staff with her. She said in a
letter printed last week’s edition of the TAB & Press that the parish
pastor, Father Fred Barr, has asked the club to contribute hundreds
of dollars to the church in fees relating to using the space, but
said the club does not have the money.

Barr declined to discuss Lederman’s problems with his requests of
the bingo club.

A bingo committee has been formed, according to the parish bulletin,
but only one person showed up at the committee’s first meeting. One
source who asked not to be named said the low turnout indicates a lack
of interest in bingo. But some bingo regulars said the low turnout
merely shows lack of interest in a bingo that isn’t run by Lederman.

Lederman said the previous parish pastors have never asked her to
pay to use the church basement.

Next week’s bingo will be Lederman’s last. She’s planning on having
a cake. "It’s sad," she said, tearing up in an interview.

The additional costs would put an undue burden on the bingo, Lederman
said. The club is organized through the state lottery, and each week
they sent a sheet to the state organization to identify how much they
spent and how much they earned. To make money, Lederman sells scratch
tickets. "You don’t make any money on the bingo," she said.

In order to turn a profit, Lederman estimated they had to pull in
150 people or so. They draw 80 to 100 these days.

Asked for comment on Lederman’s letter, Barr said, "The whole thing
has to do within the parish," and that he preferred to keep it out
of public view. "My whole role has to do with preserving dialogue
and charity."

"Dialogue, and charity, and unity," Barr said before denying further
comment.

Judging by the reaction of several players at the second-to-last bingo
night, held Wednesday, unity may be the last thing that would remain
after Lederman’s bingo closes.

The church basement at St. Patrick’s was packed with bingo players
that night, with hardly an empty chair. Lederman estimated the crowd
hovering around 100 people, but the echoing voices as old friends
caught up on what many of them noted was their only "social night,"
filled the room.

It wasn’t just the heat that warmed the room. As players won bingo,
taking in $50 a win, the room cheered and everyone laughed. No
question: the bingo players, many of whom had been going since the
game started up more than 20 years ago, are a tight group. Several
of them said they would be at a loss without their night on the town.

Bingo players and Lederman’s helpers alike see Barr’s actions as unfair
and sudden. Anna Iarossi, a resident from Auburndale, hard harsh words.

"He’s not going to heaven," Iarossi said.

Lederman said she does not know what will happen to the bingo group
after she goes.

"I can’t work with this man," Lederman said in an interview. She said
when she left her supporters were going with her, and she didn’t know
who Barr would get to replace them. "I would be very surprised if it
was one of my workers," Lederman said.

"Nobody’s going to go," said Pauline LaCava, a Waltham resident. "I
won’t be coming."

Even if St. Patrick’s bingo goes under, though, there are other
options for bingo players in town. There are regular games at the
Armenian Cultural and Education Center, the Sons of Italy and St. James
Armenian Church.

Lederman letter’s to the editor last week called Barr out on a number
of charges he is imposing on the bingo group, which must report to
the state lottery commission.

According to Lederman’s letter, Barr wants the bingo group to pay an
extra $150 weekly for use of the parish hall and coverage of heat/AC
costs, and a one-time "fair contribution" of $5,000 towards new tables
and chairs. In addition, Lederman said, no bingo players would be
allowed into the church before 4:30 p.m. for a 7 p.m. start time.

"I never paid towards the heat, I never paid towards the rent,"
Lederman said. The parish covered those costs before.

"It’s really horrible," LaCava said. "I don’t want to say it is a sin,
but it’s really horrible."

Lederman said she had been in St. Patrick’s Parish for 22 years.

"I’ve been through school there, I’ve been married there, and he
comes in, six months and I’m ready to go," she said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress