Algonquin clown reborn as 'Lazy Bonz'
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please say hello to "Lazy Bonz," the Algonquin clown formerly known as Klutzo.
The new name was the winner in a contest held by the Algonquin Lions Club, in conjunction with Rosen Hyundai of Algonquin.
The contest was open to all local students between kindergarten and third grade.
More Coverage Previous Stories Klutzo the Clown looking for a new name [01/29/08] Former clown accused of child sex crimes dies [11/17/07] Letter: Thanks for support during identity crisis [10/22/07] Village puts smile back on clown's face [10/19/07] Local clown to return ... but not as Klutzo [10/12/07] Algonquin's 'Klutzo' retires over name confusion [10/12/07] Child pornography charges filed against children's performer [10/10/07]
Roughly two months and 120 entries later, Conrad Beech, a third-grader from Westfield School, came up with the joker's winning name, said Jerry Glogowski, the Lions Club president who ran the contest.
For his work, Conrad wins a $1,000 savings bond from the dealership.
Jerry Kautz, the man behind both Klutzo and "Lazy Bonz," is hard at work establishing the jester's new identity, wardrobe and Web site.
"There's a lot of different things I can go with," Kautz said, adding that Lazy Bonz will be a self-effacing clown and incorporate elements of Klutzo's personality.
Kautz, also Algonquin's village clerk and secretary of the Lions Club, had been performing as Klutzo for nearly a quarter-century.
He held court multiple times in hospitals, during the Algonquin Founders Days festival and the town's observance of National Night Out.
But the name was dragged through the mud last fall when federal agents busted a Springfield man -- who also worked as Klutzo the Clown -- on child pornography charges.
The incident made national news and some assumed Kautz was the Springfield Klutzo and sent him hate mail and death threats.
That made him pull Klutzo's Web site and consider hanging up his rubber nose for good.
But Kautz changed his mind once the community, family and friends rallied around him.
And now he's back, as Lazy Bonz, and scheduled to make his debut March 29, the night Conrad gets his savings bond.
"I'm looking forward to getting back into it, that's for sure," Kautz said. "It's been a while."
Not Mr. Funky?
Here are other finalists in the contest to rename Klutzo the Clown.
bull; "Cadoodles" came from Drew Lehman, a first-grader at Neubert School in Algonquin. He was the first runner up in the contest.
bull; "Crinkles" came courtesy of Maddie Dobson, a first-grader at Eastview School and Kailey McNally, a first-grader at Westfield School, both in Algonquin. They tied as second runner ups.
bull; Other names the clown committee kicked around included Klunko, Mr. Funky, Sparkles, Funzo, Squeakers and Quinn (as in Algonquin).