WADSWORTH: Nobody plays Monopoly like Roger Polk.
Well, not unless someone else plays live on public access television against people who call in.
And unless that somebody is playing alongside a city councilman named Tom Stugmyer, who frantically scratches off Ohio Lottery tickets with a penknife hoping to give away money to the callers and jokingly shouts out “loser” if the ticket is a dud.
And that doesn’t even include the special rules if you roll a five or a 10 — or if the “mystery buzzer” goes off.
Welcome to the hourlong, confusing, wacky, fast-paced world of the Wadsworthopoly show, a citizen-produced program on Wadsworth Community Television (WCTV) that’s part board game, part call-in, part town infomercial, part talk show, part money giveaway and … all fun.
The show — which is broadcast on Channel 17 from 6 to 7 p.m. each Tuesday through May 9 — carries the humorous tagline: Win million$, thousand$, hundred$ or le$$.
“You never know what crazy idea will come in here and create excitement in town,” said Johanna Perrino, WCTV’s operations and community relations coordinator.
This particular crazy idea came about as a way to sell Wadsworthopoly board games.
Main Street Wadsworth had purchased about 1,000 of them for the city’s bicentennial in 2014.
But, at $25 a piece, they didn’t sell. About 500 were left and gathering dust.
That’s when Polk, 55, of Wadsworth Township and producer of The Ultimate Game ... Paintball show for 20 years on WCTV, stepped up.
Polk, who works as a mail sorter at the main U.S. post office in Akron, teamed up with Stugmyer, 60, the city councilman, interim director of Main Street Wadsworth and morning radio host on WWWR (97.1-FM).
The feeling was that the gregarious, silver-haired duo would be able to sell some Wadsworthopoly games by playing live on TV.
It also was seen as a way to promote local businesses, considering the board is flush with them and they get mentioned often.
The offbeat Wadsworthopoly program began its limited 12-show run Feb. 21, originating from the small WCTV studio. You have to have Wadsworth cable to watch the program live, although anyone is welcome to call in.
At the same time, the price of the board game was dropped to $10.
So far, the effort has been a success, with about 200 games being sold.
How it started
The city-owned WCTV allows anyone living in the city or township to use its studio and equipment for free.
Watching a slow-moving Monopoly game on television doesn’t exactly scream Must See TV. But then again, real Monopoly doesn’t involve winning real money.
Polk bought $2,000 worth of scratch-off lottery tickets to give away as part of the show.
“It creates excitement,” he said, adding that he doesn’t play the lottery outside the program.
Polk splits any winnings with the callers — as long as you’re willing to drive to the studio to pick up your cash. At least one person has driven there to collect 50 cents.
Polk also gives away gift cards and Girl Scout cookies.
How it works
The Wadsworthopoly set is basic.
Polk, Stugmyer and a celebrity banker sit at a desk facing the camera, with a large photo of the center of town serving as the backdrop.
The celebrities have included local Girl Scouts, Polk’s 12-year-old nephew Jaxon Dorland, and Emily Holmes, a 10-year-old Wadsworth girl whose dog won a Best of Opposite Sex honor this year at the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York.
The Wadsworthopoly game board is spread out on the desk.
During the show, Polk and Stugmyer chat with each other and the banker, and are more than willing to chit chat with callers.
On a recent night, Polk wore a red Wadsworth bicentennial T-shirt, while Stugmyer, who was headed off to a council meeting after the show, was smartly dressed in a suit jacket and tie.
The game is played just like Monopoly. Sort of.
Just like the regular game, the goal is to buy up properties and bankrupt your opponent. So far, Polk and Stugmyer are crushing the callers.
They own 22 properties to the callers’ six. They also have $3,750 in cash, compared to $769 for the callers.
Say what?
It’s not easy following along for anyone new to the game. There’s no rule book and half the time it seems like Polk is making it up as he goes along.
If you own a Wadsworthopoly game, you get four rolls.
If you roll a five, you get a chance at a $5 scratch-off.
If the mystery buzzer goes off while you’re on the line, you get a chance at the big-money scratch-off.
Polk swears all the rules are in his head.
Each week, Polk and Stugmyer play against callers, starting the game right where they left off the previous week.
The callers use the Grizzly Bear token while Polk and Stugmyer are the WCTV token.
In case you’re wondering, Trinity United Church of Christ and Warner McIlvaine Dentistry fill the traditional high-priced spots of Boardwalk and Park Place, respectively.
Using old-fashioned pen and paper, Polk and Stugmyer meticulously keep track of every caller, every roll of the dice, and every winning, or losing, ticket.
Here’s a sample of the quick banter with a caller:
Polk: Here you go, Josh [the caller]. Ooh. Ooh. Josh, you just rolled a six and a four. Tell me what that means.
Josh: I don’t remember.
Polk: Josh, you just rolled a 10.
Josh: A brain fart moment.
Stugmyer: You got a $10 card, Josh.
Polk: You got a $10 ticket coming, Josh. All right, let’s stand by. Plus, we’re going to Explore the Possibilities. [That means draw a card on the board.] While Tom’s scratching your ticket, you’ve eaten too many sweets at Carolyn’s Cupboard. You’re going to sit out one turn to rest your tummy. How do you feel about that Josh?
Josh: That’s not fair.
Polk: Well, it could be fair if you win some serious scratch here on the ticket. You’re trying to match numbers 23, 17, 13, 5, 8 and 21.
Stugmyer: So far Josh, you’re a big loser.
This goes on for an hour, with anywhere from four or five callers getting through each week.
During a recent show, Polk’s son Connor called from San Diego, where he’s stationed with the Marines. The game came to a halt — for a brief period — as Dad started asking Connor if he had received the deer meat that he had sent by overnight mail.
He had. Polk then cheerfully griped about the $133.75 bill.
Who’s watching?
Wadsworthopoly has garnered a loyal following — but how big of a following nobody knows for sure.
The same five or six callers seem to make it on the broadcast each week. But as Polk notes, the lines are always lit up when it’s time to phone in.
At the end of a recent show, Ashlee Hamrick, 14, and her grandmother Allison Taylor appeared at the studio to collect their winnings — $25 from a $50 winning lottery ticket and a $10 gift card to Antonio’s pizza.
The family — which employs four different phones to call in — has been watching since the show started. Taylor estimated that she has won $100 by watching, not to mention the two boxes of Girl Scout cookies or gift cards.
“I’ll talk to you guys next week,” Polk said as Taylor and Ashlee left the studio.
Polk and Stugmyer already are working on their next big idea as the sun starts setting on Wadsworthopoly.
And no, there’s no live Candy Land or Chutes and Ladders in the offing.
They are developing a series of Wadsworthopoly-themed scavenger hunts.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ .