Dave Bakke: Date on downtown Springfield farmers market mural is in dispute
That's some fine-looking work by artist Troy Freeman on the new mural at 406 E. Adams St. commemorating the origin of the downtown farmers market. The mural proudly says the farmers market was...
View ArticleDave Bakke: Article on local chili parlor delivered, just a little late
When Jack Kornfeld read in last Sunday's paper that Marianne Rogers is retiring from the chili business, and for good this time, he knew he had better hurry. He had a newspaper article he was supposed...
View ArticleDave Bakke: Kobe Bryant's kindness remembered by Springfield man
I do not know of any Springfieldians (Andre Iguodala excepted) who have had more face time with Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant than has Nick Rapps.That being the case, Bryant's Monday...
View ArticleDave Bakke: Sick little girl's dog replaced with act of kindness
Kids and their pets have a special relationship. For the Loving family in rural New Berlin, the bond between their daughter, Olivia, 7, and their dog, Jagger, was even more profound.About a year ago,...
View ArticleThere is reason why Jared Owen is playing golf Sunday
Jared Owen is scheduled to tee it up for 18 on Sunday at Edgewood Golf Club in Auburn. Playing golf on Dec. 6 is not the usual central Illinois activity, though it appears Jared will get a break on the...
View ArticleDave Bakke: Childhood sweethearts married 75 years, together longer
There will be an anniversary announcement in the Sunday paper for Springfield's Lola and Leonard Hill, who are celebrating their 75th on Christmas Eve. But those announcements do not tell the whole...
View ArticleDave Bakke: Santa gets knocked cold in Springfield, 1915
Looking back at Christmas in Springfield a century ago, we find that it was the year we nearly decapitated Santa Claus.I wonder if parents took precautions so their kids weren't traumatized to read...
View ArticleDave Bakke: Ray Hofman's Lego hobby fills a void, spreads joy
After his wife, Tricia, died in the spring of 2011, Ray Hofman was having a hard, hard time. They had been married 39 years and, understandably, Ray felt lost."It was two years of long, long days," he...
View ArticleDave Bakke: Lost doll replaced in most emotional circumstances
Having never been a little girl myself, I can only imagine how traumatic it must be to lose a favorite doll; a doll you sleep with, talk with and with whom you share adventures.But Emma Weber, 6, of...
View ArticleDave Bakke: Most memorable 2015 column? Two words: Burger and King
There isn't any dispute about which of my 2015 columns was the most memorable and had the biggest impact. Two words will suffice. One of them is Burger. The other is King. See? You already know.It was...
View ArticleDave Bakke: Ashland man in search of a saxophone
Todd Wallbaum of Ashland wants to buy a saxophone, but not just any saxophone. He wants to buy back the same one he sold to — someone — about 30 years ago.Good luck with that.When Todd was a student at...
View ArticleDave Bakke: Death of Roger Gross shows it's still winter in America
On Nov. 2, 2002, President George W. Bush came to Springfield to ask voters to re-elect U.S. Rep. John Shimkus.That day, our country stood on the brink of invading Iraq to oust Saddam Hussein. That...
View ArticleDave Bakke: Porsche engine purrs, and that's not good
Normally, a lost cat would not be column material. No, it would be something for the classified ad section. But this one? Well, this is so odd it might work as a column. See what you think.Springfield...
View ArticleGrace is among good people of Montgomery County
There must be a lot of good-hearted people living in Montgomery County.Friday's paper carried the story of how they have rallied to help the family of Michael and Rebecca Carlson after the Carlsons'...
View ArticleDave Bakke: Shirley's secret fortune going to deserving causes
When Clyde Bunch, executor of his aunt Shirley Ross's estate, read in her will that she wanted to leave money to a couple of organizations he didn't think it would make much of a ripple.Oh, but it did:...
View ArticleDave Bakke: Weird Lincoln-related theft in Kankakee echoes in Springfield
There was a weird, Lincoln-related theft in Kankakee about a month ago; so weird that it drew attention from The New York Times and Stephen Colbert.Normally, I wouldn't write about a theft at the...
View ArticleDave Bakke: Worries about Ms. D's restaurant premature
There has been a lot of interest focused on local restaurants lately. Some have closed, igniting a debate over supporting local vs. chain restaurants.There is one local restaurant I have been keeping a...
View ArticleDave Bakke: There must be a story behind these Easter baskets
Here is a Springfield mystery waiting to be solved. We have a decent track record in this area, but I struck out, so this one is going to take some assistance from someone out there.An e-mail from...
View ArticleDave Bakke: T.J. Meyer's movie scene hits close to home
T.J. Meyer knew he didn’t have much time left to live. By late last year, he had been battling cancer for two years. A local actor for a long time, T.J. had been asked to appear in a scene for a movie...
View ArticleDave Bakke: The Studio Show is a much-needed showcase for local young artists
"The Studio Show" is the best Springfield talk show you have never heard of. Aimed squarely at Springfield millenials, it is a welcome showcase for local young artists, filmmakers and musicians. It's...
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