The big ‘pink’ full moon, wonderfully visible in a clear sky, ushered in true hints of spring on the wings of hummingbirds. They are coming home. Coming home feels good, if it is from far away after a long time away, or just home from town or school. Home and family are great blessings. We have much for which to be thankful.

New friends are also blessings. Julie Heyer and Tom from up Webster Groves way shared a beautiful book with The Champion News. Leland and Crystal Payton, of the Lens and Pen Press in Springfield, have written “Mystery of The Irish Wilderness.” The Irish Wilderness is over around Birch Tree in Shannon and Oregon Counties—16,500 acres of Mark Twain National Forest. There is exciting reading ahead for Old Champions and 86 color photographs to enjoy. Champions wonder if the Paytons are kin to Reverend Payton who has lots of music on the internet under the name of “Reverend Payton and His Big Damn Band.” It turns out the Paytons are acquainted with another new friend, Tom Peters, over in McClurg, also a great purveyor of lively music. So, thank you, Julie, for making good connections.

Kaitlyn McConnell was able to save her grandmother’s spinning wheel from the auction last summer after her grandmother passed away. It is from the 1800s and just needs a replacement part that is available to be able to spin her cotton and wool. Dawn Stone will teach her how to spin and she will have yet another connection to her family past and the history of this part of the world we all find so special.

Champion grandson Dillon Watts had a birthday on April 12th. Studebaker Bob Berry celebrates on April 14th. On April 15th we sing that song to Dustin Cline, and remember Vivian Floyd and George Gary Jones, a couple of very interesting people, as was Myrtle Harris whose birthday was on the 19th. Wyatt Boehs was born April 20, 2010. That will make him 15 now. Time flies. Skyline 8th grader Jordan Ellingsworth has his birthday on the 23rd and the 24thi is for Jacob Moffett who will be looking for arrowheads. Mike Satterfield will enjoy his birthday on the 25th. He brings little Willow Rose to the Vanzant Jam sometimes, making everyone smile to see such a beautiful five-month-old baby. She looks like her Mother. We remember Champion Vietnam Vet Gary Proctor on the 26th. Juniper Wiltse, a resident of downtown Champion enjoys her birthday on the 28th, and Champion granddaughter Teagan Krider has the 30th for her big day. Birthday celebrations give us the chance to acknowledge the important people in our lives.

The first Second Saturday Skyline Swap Meet happened on Saturday the 12th. The next one will be May 14th, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Brushy Knob Church on the corner of C Highway and 76. Last year there were chickens, rabbits, goats, arts and crafts, baked goods and plants and all manner of things.

Champion Brixey Future Farmers of America have Farm Management Teams that are headed to the State FFA convention. The 97th Missouri State FFA Convention will be held from April 23rd to 25th, in Columbia at the Columbia Convention Center. Jana Barnes-Brixey says, “The Farm Management team got 2nd place at districts. They wanted to beat Herman, but they got 1st.” Jenna is on the team with Lydia Harden, Lane Watkins, Conner Jonas, all Skyline alumni. Jacob Brixey was on the Meats Team and they got 3rd place at districts. Soils and Agronomy Team members will also go the State Convention. These young folks are learning the nitty gritty and the business end of farming that will be feeding the nation in years to come. We thank them in advance!

The Prescott Family Reindeer Farm just celebrated the birth of a new little reindeer named Sven. He was born on April 7th, weighing 13 pounds. He is a cute addition to the reindeer family and will be a big fellow by Christmas. In a recent election held at the Junction, Mike Prescott was unanimously elected Mayor of Vanzant, which would have been a crushing defeat for The General had he not been wildly excited about shedding the heavy mayoral yoke so as to concentrate on all his other responsibilities as historian, genealogists, meteorologists and full time purveyor of fun and optimism for the area encompassing Vanzant, Denlow, and Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

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