Baseball has been a constant over the years, bringing joy to generations. It's the conversation co-workers have at the water cooler. It's the Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. It's important. For some it is a passion.

That's how Savoy resident Robby Cekander sees it, and that passion is what made him – with the help of his wife, Shelly – decide to take on a huge project.

About a year ago, Cekander approached the village about building a baseball diamond in Prairie Fields Park. At that time, village staff told him that even though Savoy eventually planned to build a diamond at that location, there was no funding for such a project.

DECATUR – You've been to every Farm Progress Show since you could wear overalls.

This is your first time going to one of the biggest agricultural events in the Midwest.

You're looking for something different to do.

"You win without going around blowing up about it and bragging about it, and you can lose without crying about it. Then you say, 'Well, let's start all over again.'" – Harold "Red" Grange on playing football

If not for the threat of a few whacks on the butt with a paddle from his fraternity brothers, Harold Grange might never have tried out for the University of Illinois football team. At about 160 pounds, he'd looked around at the other students trying out, decided he'd never make it and went home. But his frat brothers felt differently, and they let him know it.

Q: How did you get the art commission for the "Extreme Makeover" house in Philo?

A: The Urbana Business Association contacted me last week and said they gave my name to the show as 'an extreme quilter.' My name was then given to someone else and then another person. Last Thursday the design producer contacted me about doing some art for the show.