Champion News

Cool mornings in the garden, watching birds and butterflies, get us off to a good start. Cool dry days have been good for farmers and for old Champions, but it is August. These days, August means school. There are lots of fun things coming up at our great Skyline R-2 School. August 11th the ‘Back to School Bash’ will be going on from 4 to 6 pm. ‘Open Enrollment’ will be from 9am to 3 pm on August 13th. ‘Open House’ will happen the next day from 5 to 7 pm. Summer has been wonderful, but at least one young Champion has said she is ready to get back to school to be with all her friends. Kindergarten teacher Sarah Goss will celebrate her birthday on August 13th. (That is a day we celebrate Dean Upshaw. He enjoys a good song.) Morgan Johnson was in the eighth grade at Skyline last year. His birthday is on the 14th. Skyliner Lee Borders celebrates on the 16th. School days and birthdays are days to be remembered.

Remembering the old days, we miss Cletus Upshaw because he knew the deep story behind everything around these parts. He has kinfolks with good memories. We relish those afternoons here on the north side of the Champion Square when The General and others harken back. We are grateful to the Douglas County Museum and Historical Society for all they do to keep us grounded in the past. They have an Open House coming up on August 16th that will be a chance to tour the twelve rooms of the museum again and to support that important institution. ‘Dora Historian Ozarks’ is a Facebook page that often shares photos and stories of the far eastern part of the county. Our friend Kaitlyn McConnell with Ozarks Alive shines a light on Champion and interesting places all over the country. Ozarks Watch Magazine on public television gives us a deep look into the history of the Ozarks with a particular emphasis on the music. Tom Peters over in McClurg is helping to keep old music alive in a spot that has been doing that for many years. The Douglas County Herald, even in its current diminished form, is still sharing things from 125 years ago. A famous man said, “There are people in every time and every land who want to stop history in its tracks. They fear the future, mistrust the present and invoke the security of a comfortable past, which in fact, never existed.” Another famous fellow said, “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” This quote highlights how those in power can manipulate historical narratives to maintain their control over society and shape future actions. By controlling what information is available and how it is interpreted they can influence public perception and behavior. Mother said, “Behave! Act like you have good sense.” We try and hope. Another guy said, “Education is learning how to spot the signs of history repeating itself.” Hopes are we will repeat the good and the neighborly parts.

Our friend Johnny Burkdoll visited again in Champion on Wednesday. He has a big job taking care of several hundred miles of rough country roads on this big end of the county. We have fewer people out this way and many more miles of county roads. He says Bobby Emery will be in this neighborhood soon. We will be glad to see him on his big machine and glad to have some smooth sailing down our lovely country lanes.

A large and spreading damp spot emanating from the front left side of an old ugly truck parked under a giant oak tree was visible only because the gravel there was so dry. Good fortune comes in the form of good neighbors, knowledgeable good neighbors, willing and able good neighbors. They diagnosed the problem, a loose radiator plug, and set about to reseat it and to top off the radiator with antifreeze and water. Chances are very good that without their help the old truck would not have made it the mile and a half home without something catastrophic happening. Those guys know who they are—Champions! —Looking on the Bright Side!

 

 

Significant warm Wednesday weather had the Sometimes Porch Band jamming inside the Historic Emporium where the air conditioning cooled. School girls joined The General in a sweet rendition of “I Saw the Master This Morning when he came down to wake up the world.” Once a city girl, now a country girl, young Olyvia recently moved into the stone house up on lovely Valery Lane. Olyvia sang along sweetly on “Itzy Bitsy Spider” and “Twinkle Twinkle.” She will be in the first grade at Skyline this year and is looking forward to making friends.

Kaitlyn McConnell’s blue-ribbon winning pie at the Ozark Empire Fair was a raisin and black walnut pie. She said the recipe “comes from Champion, Missouri, that little hamlet in Douglas County about which I often share and is close to my heart. I found this recipe while looking through cookbooks on the porch of the community’s rural store. It was shared by Vergie Smith for that cookbook, which was published by the nearby Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department in the 1980s.” Her Champion friends are looking forward to the release of her own pie ‘cookbook and diary.’ We can tune in to KSMU at 7:30 am on August 13th to hear her “Notable MO-ments” where she tells stories about this part of the world. The program is on every second Wednesday morning of the month. We mark it on our calendars.

Head, Heart, Hands and Health are the 4 Hs that the club celebrates. Teri Woods Walden said, “Each year the Up ‘n At It 4-H Club has a rural picnic/festival fundraiser which has been held for the past 70 years, once a year. There are no towns anywhere close to this picnic, just lots of fields, cows, a few churches and cemeteries. For a small square in a field, it has contained much history for us. My great grandma was crowned picnic queen there. My mom twirled her baton on stage. My dad first asked my mom out on the south side edge of the light there.” It is a valued annual family affair for many local families going back generations every year on the last full weekend in July.

August 1st has us remembering Elitta January on her birthday. We miss her around the bridge table and in all the good works she was a part of. Champion grandson Seamus Heffern celebrates on the 2nd and Clark Shannon (Sparky) was 66 on August 3rd, 2018. Skyline student Genesis Castillo has a birthday on the 5th and Skyliner Jaxton Harley will share his birthday on the 6th with LaVonne Carter who will be celebrated that day in the Ava Place. Dora’s own Gina Hollingshad will also have her party on the 6th, but most likely the Vanzant bunch will sing to her on the 7th at the jam. Roger Wiseman will enjoy the 8th, and Lynette Cantrell will have the 9th for her big day. She jams with her mandolin and friends out on the Mountain Grove square on Monday evenings.

Tom shared some great tunes made by the 13 musicians at the McClurg jam. “Wolves a-Howlin” at a “Flock of Birds” and “That’s Earl” headed to “Home Sweet Home” on a “Flop Eared Mule.” Tom said the potluck is lovely this time of the year with all the fresh garden produce. Good food and good music go together in a good community. Thanks, Tom.

Someone on the Savannah Banana baseball team said, “You miss every shot you don’t take.” An old Scottish Proverb: “Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead.” In stressful times, or any time, it serves us well to think of all the things that make us happy, all the things that inspire gratitude. We find happiness in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!