I recently learned of the passing of Chuck Bowen, the subject of this column. He had an extraordinary career in the Columbus area and, here again is the amazing true story of Flako the Clown.
kAm%9:D DE@CJ J@F 2C6 23@FE E@ C625 E@@< >2?J J62CD E@ =:G6 2?5 D6G6C2= E@ HC:E6]k^Am
kAmx? a_`f[ p=232>2\32D65 A@E2E@ 49:A >2<6C v@=56? u=2<6 2??@F?465 :E H2D 36:?8 3@F89E @FE 3J &EK[ 2 4@>A2?J @FE @7 !6??DJ=G2?:2]k^Am
kAmx? |2J a_`g[ x ?@E65 96C6 :? E96 %C:3F?6 23@FE E96 5:D2AA62C2?46 @7 E96 v@=56? u=2<6 >2D4@E 7C@> E96 324< @7 E96 49:A 328D :? 2 4@=F>? E:E=65 “%96 s:D2AA62C:?8 r=@H?”ik^Am
kAm%96 324< @7 6G6CJ v@=56? u=2<6 328 92D 762EFC65 2 4=@H? E9C@H:?8 2 A@E2E@ 49:A 328 :?E@ 2 EC2D9 42?[ D2J:?8 “5@?’E =:EE6C]”k^Am
kAmx 2=H2JD H@?56C65 23@FE E96 :56?E:EJ @7 E9:D 4=@H?] (9@ :D 96[ 2?5 9@H 5:5 96 86E E@ 2AA62C @? 6G6CJ v@=56? u=2<6 328nk^Am
kAm#646?E=J[ x 2D<65 {2CCJ[ @FC v@=56? u=2<6 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6[ 23@FE E96 4=@H?[ H9:49 :D 36:?8 A92D65 @FE @? ?6H6C 328D @7 v@=56? u=2<6 AC@5F4ED]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 E96 4=@H? 92D 2=H2JD 366? E96C6 2?5 FD65 E@ 92G6 2 %' D9@H :? q:C>:?892>] x?E6C6DE65[ x DE2CE65 =@@<:?8 FA q:C>:?892> %' A6CD@?2=:E:6D =:<6 r@F?ECJ q@J t55:6 E@ D66 :7 E96J @?46 A@CEC2J65 E9:D 4=@H?] qFE ?@ @?6 <?6H H9@ 96 H2D]k^Am
kAm|@G:?8 29625 E@ yF=J a_`h[ x 3682? C646:G:?8 A9@?6 42==D 7C@> 2 >2? H9@ 4=2:>65 E@ 36 E96 C62= u=2<@ E96 r=@H? – E96 ?2>6 @7 E96 v@=56? u=2<6 >2D4@E]k^Am
kAmw6 =67E >6DD286D 2D<:?8 >6 E@ 42== 9:> 324<j E96 A6@A=6 :? >J 9@FD6 7@F?5 :E 7F??J[ 2D x DFAA@D6 E96J D9@F=5[ E92E x H2D 86EE:?8 E6=6A9@?6 42==D 7C@> 2 C6E:C65 4=@H?]k^Am
kAm(92E x 7@F?5 @FE H2D G6CJ :?E6C6DE:?8[ 2?5 C62==J 36J@?5 E96 D4@A6 @7 E9:D 65:E@C:2= A286 – :E’D C62==J 2 DE@CJ >@C6 56D6CG:?8 @7 2 7F== 762EFC6 :? 2 %2==2A@@D2 !F3=:D96CD >282K:?6[ 3FE 7@C ?@H[ E9:D DA246 H:== 92G6 E@ 5@] %96 86?E=6>2? H9@ H2D 4@?E24E:?8 >6 :D 2 H6==\<?@H? HC:E6C[ E62496C[ 25>:?:DEC2E@C[ 2?5 3FD:?6DD>2? :? v6@C8:2 H9@ ;FDE 92AA6?65 E@ D66 >J =:EE=6 DE@CJ :? E96 %2==2DD66 %C:3F?6]k^Am
kAm%96 >2?’D C62= ?2>6 :D r9F4< q@H6?] $A62<:?8 H:E9 9:> =65 E@ D@>6 @7 E96 >@DE 6?=:89E6?:?8 A9@?6 42==D x’G6 6G6C 6IA6C:6?465] w6 2=D@ D6?5D A24<286D H:E9 D@>6 @7 9:D H@?56C7F==J 6?;@J23=6 6DD2JD 2?5 2CE:4=6D E92E 92G6 366? AF3=:D965 C68:@?2==J] p?5 E92E 5@6D?’E 6G6? :?4=F56 2? 2AA62C2?46 @? p>6C:42’D v@E %2=6?E :? a_`g]k^Am
kAm|C] q@H6? 92D 925 2 >@DE :?E6C6DE:?8 42C66C EC2;64E@CJ] p7E6C 8C25F2E:?8 H:E9 2 E6249:?8 46CE:7:42E6 :? `hch[ 96 H2D 2? 65F42E@C 2?5 D49@@= 25>:?:DEC2E@C :? v6@C8:2 5FC:?8 E96 `hd_D :?4=F5:?8 2 DE:?E AF==:?8 5@F3=6 5FEJ 2D 2 AC:?4:A2= 2?5 6:89E9 8C256 E62496C 62C?:?8 S``h A6C >@?E9]k^Am
kAm%96?[ 27E6C D6CG:?8 2D E96 |2DE6C @7 r6C6>@?:6D 7@C 2 !96?:I r:EJ 362FEJ A2862?E[ E96 42== 42>6 E@ H@C< H:E9 C6?@H?65 ?6HD\E2=< DE2E:@? (q|{\p| h__ :? (2C?6C #@3:?D[ v6@C8:2] uC@> E96C6[ 96 962C5 23@FE 2 ;@3 2E (%'|\%' h :? r@=F>3FD 2?5 2AA=:65 – 2?5 DA6?E E96 `he_D 6>A=@J65 2E (%'| 2D 2 ?6HD 2?49@C[ C6A@CE6C[ 2?5 A6CD@?2=:EJ]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 >@C6 72D4:?2E:?8 7246ED @7 62C=J E6=6G:D:@? H2D E96 :?E6C492?8623:=:EJ @7 E96 @?\42>6C2 ;@3D] tG6? 2E E96 3:8 ?6EH@C<D[ 2 E@F89 92C5\?6HD :?E6CG:6H6C =:<6 |:<6 (2==246 4@F=5 2=D@ 36 D66? 9@DE:?8 82>6 D9@HD 2?5 5@:?8 4@>>6C4:2=D 5FC:?8 @E96C 52JA2CED] %96 D2>6 H2D ECF6 2E =@42= DE2E:@?D[ H96C6 2 ?6HD[ DA@CED[ @C H62E96C A6CD@?2=:EJ 2=D@ 9@DE65 49:=5C6?’D AC@8C2>>:?8 @C E2=< D9@HD]k^Am
kAm“#@>A6C #@@>” :D 2? 6I2>A=6 @7 2 AC@8C2> 4@?46AE E92E H2D :>:E2E65 H:E9 5:776C6?E 9@DED 2E =@42= DE2E:@?D 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJj D:>:=2C=J[ q@K@ E96 r=@H? H2D =:46?D65 E@ %' DE2E:@?D 6G6CJH96C6] %96C6 H2D 2 q:C>:?892> q@K@ @? (q#r\%' e[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ 2D H6== 2D E96 >@C6 72>@FD q@K@ @? (v}\%' h @FE @7 r9:428@]k^Am
kAm$@[ 36:?8 2 %' 4=@H? H2D ?@E9:?8 ?6H] %96C6 H2D ?@ C62= 4@F=C@A9@3:2[ @C 762C @7 6G:= 4=@H?D[ :? E9@D6 52JD – 2 4=@H? H2D E96C6 7@C =2F89D[ E@ E2<6 E96 A:6 :? E96 7246[ E@ ;F88=6 @C A6C7@C> >28:4 EC:4<D[ @C 36 DAC2J65 H:E9 D6=EK6C]k^Am
kAmq@H6? D2JD E92E 2D 2 ?6HD >2?[ 96 92?5=65 6G6CJE9:?8 7C@> “C:A\2?5\C625” pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD H:C6 DE@C:6D E@ 4@G6C:?8 =@42= ?6HD 2D 2 C6A@CE6C[ :? 255:E:@? E@ 5@:?8 25G6CE:D6>6?ED 2?5 D6CG:?8 2D 2 3@@E9 2??@F?46C]k^Am
kAmpE (%'|[ 96 5:5 :E 2== – :?4=F5:?8 2AA62C:?8 2D u=2<@ E96 r=@H? @? E96 v@=56? u=2<6 D9@H]k^Am
kAm|C] q@H6? C6>6>36C65 9@H r92??6= h 2AAC@24965 9:> H:E9 E96 ;@3] “(2??2 36 2 4=@H?n” E96J 2D<65] w:D 2?DH6Ci “$FC6P |@C6 >@?6JP”k^Am
kAm*@F D66[ |C] q@H6? 2?5 9:D H:76[ $J5[ 925 2=C625J >256 2 42C66C @FE @7 5C6DD:?8 FA 2?5 A6C7@C>:?8 H:E9 2 EC2G6=:?8 EC@FA6j $J5 2?5 r9F4< 925 6?@F89 25G6?EFC6D 2D 2 A6C7@C>:?8 4@FA=6 E@ 7:== 2 E9@FD2?5 >@G:6 C66=D[ 3FE E92E’D 2?@E96C DE@CJ – E96 6?5 C6DF=E H2D[ :7 2?J@?6 H2D AC6A2C65 7@C E96 56>2?5D @7 2 %' 4=@H?[ r9F4< q@H6? H2D C625J]k^Am
kAm“*@F 4@F=5?’E >2<6 2 >:DE2<6[” q@H6? D2:5 @7 =:G6 E6=6G:D:@? :? E96 `he_D] p?5 2D 2 ECFDE65 r@=F>3FD >65:2 A6CD@?2=:EJ[ q@H6? E9C:==65 E@ 9:D ?6H C@=6 @? 3692=7 @7 E96 A@E2E@ 49:A 4@>A2?J]k^Am
kAm“$2G6 J@FC 328D 2?5 255 FA J@FC A@:?ED[” u=2<@ H@F=5 D2J E@ E96 <:5D ?62C E96 4@?4=FD:@? @7 9:D 3C@2542DE] ':6H6CD 4@F=5 H:? AC:K6D =:<6 E@JD 2?5 82>6D[ 6G6? 3:4J4=6D[ :7 E96J D6?E :? E96 A@:?ED @? E96 324< @7 E96 v@=56? u=2<6 328D]k^Am
kAm“r=@H?D 92G6 2=H2JD 366? 2 A2CE @7 6?E6CE2:?>6?E[ D:?46 E96 62C=:6DE 4:C4FD[” |C] q@H6? D2:5[ H96? x >6?E:@?65 E96 >@56C?\52J 6G:= 4=@H? A6CD@?2 762EFC65 :? 3@@<D 2?5 7:=>D 762EFC:?8 492C24E6CD DF49 2D !6??JH:D6 2?5 E96 y@<6C] “%:>6 492?86D 6G6CJE9:?8] w@H 4@F=5 J@F :>28:?6 2 >2D4@E 36EE6C E92? 2 4=@H?n”k^Am
kAmp?5[ 3@JD 2?5 8:C=D[ E92E :D r9F4< q@H6?[ E96 AC@F5 C62=\=:76 u=2<@ E96 r=@H?[ @? E96 324< @7 J@FC v@=56? u=2<6 49:A 328[ E9C@H:?8 9:D EC2D9 :?E@ 2 32CC6= E92E D2JD[ “5@?’E =:EE6C]” $2G6 J@FC 328D 2?5 255 FA J@FC A@:?EDPk^Am
kAmk6>m|:4926= q:C5 :D 2? 2DD:DE2?E AC@76DD@C @7 >FD:4 2E u2F=<?6C &?:G6CD:EJ 2?5 C25:@ 9@DE @? dg_ (pr" U2>Aj u| hg]d H9@ 2=D@ 6?;@JD v@=56? u=2<6 AC@5F4ED 7C@> $FA6C u@@5D] s@?’E =:EE6CPk^6>mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us.