Champion News

 

St. Patrick’s Day was a good day to pick a spring bouquet and a good day to remember that we all came from somewhere. Whenever and however we or our ancestors arrived here, we are grateful for the beauty of the land, for its rich history, for our good neighbors, our comfort and security, and for our capacity to recognize the wonder we find in our ordinary lives in Champion. Monday morning finds fire in the woodstove again as the thermometer finally creeps up above freezing. A good stiff breeze reminds us that spring’s arrival on Tuesday has not much to do with anything other than the calendar. How many hard freezes will we have before May 10th?

Verses in the old hymn “Whispering Hope” refer to the beauty of the world and the peace in our hearts after the storm is over. Photographs of the golden light in the hour after Thursday’s storm filled the internet even as limbs and forest debris littered our lovely country lanes. Ten tenacious musicians made it to the Vanzant Jam with that many in the music appreciation section—undaunted and grateful for the fellowship and for the music. Grateful too were all of us who were spared the destruction, heartbreak, and aggravation that many up and down the road from Arkansas to St. Louis and beyond endured in the wake of that storm. We picked the sticks and limbs up out of the yard, got the lawnmowers ready for the season, and began the annual gripe about having to pick ticks out of our longhandles. Overall, as we look at the strife and suffering of much of the rest of the world, we count our many blessings.

Gardeners are busy. Felix the Farmer writes that in his garden he is growing sunflowers. Again, this year many will be planting sunflowers as an homage to Ukraine and the desperate struggle going on there. The seed packet of some planted on St. Patrick’s Day indicates they will bloom in 75 days. That will be May 31st. Hopes are some peace will bloom out before then—there in Ukraine and in many places in the world. Meanwhile, an old Champion gardener is planning a trip to Sue’s Greenhouse up north of Norwood. Champions who have made that trip already have lovely things to say about the experience. They say to allot plenty of time because there is so much to see and the air smells so good and the people are so pleasant. Closer to home, the Skyline Second Saturday Farmers Market will start up on the morning of April 13th. It is being called a ‘swap meet’ too. There is no set-up fee, so who knows what all will be available out on the parking lot of the Brushy Knob Church. It will be a chance to check out the construction of the new firehouse at the Skyline VFD across the road.

Skyline School students are out on spring break this week. They might be sleeping late or visiting grandparents or going on trips to the aquarium or some other interesting place. Some might be enjoying taking care of their horses and getting ready for the spring trial ride out of Champion on May 15th. Bud Hutchison’s Memorial Trail Ride is one of the highpoints of the season. Even people who have never set a horse enjoy seeing all the beautiful animals and hearing the tales from the trail. Andrew Hardin heads up the ride in memory of his friend Bud. He said the date for the fall trail ride has been set for October 9th. Caleb and his sisters are likely to be on their horses during their spring break. On their break, Teagan and Luxe were down from Rogersville visiting the old family stomping grounds and their Champion cousin Chase. They are the latest of many generations of their families visiting around the ancient wood stove with other area ancients. On the wide wooly banks of Old Fox Creek, at the bottom of several hills, at end of the pavement, where country roads start their winding, find Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

A visiting young man helped an old guy cut down a poplar tree that was threatening the house. The old woman wanted a tall stump upon which she planned to sit a flowerpot. It was done. Rocks and flowerpots have topped the stump over the years. Its bark has finally fallen leaving a smooth surface for a dainty female downy woodpecker to peck away. Eventually she has pecked a nice round hole. A tiny chickadee has claimed it for her own and spent the day cleaning house. Trip after trip with a few wood chips she flits up to the red bud tree and lets them fly. People without a dog find entertainment. Also, back to the visiting young man and the old guy. Sometimes old folks feel bad about having to ask for help. They need to remember being a young person who had the privilege of helping someone they venerated and how good it made them feel. Ask for it if you need it. Help if you can. Check in with your favorite old folks.

Retired nurse and crochet artist extraordinaire, Kay Dennis, has just had a birthday. Flaco Jimenez, accordionist with the Texas Tornados, celebrates his 85th birthday on the 11th. On the 23rd, The General’s fair daughter, Elva Upshaw, will share her birthday with a couple of Dons—Don Bishop and Don Powell. Champion’s good neighbor Judie Pennington will celebrate that day with some of her hometown friends. We remember Champion Troy Powell who was born March 26, 1926, and passed away on his birthday in 2001. He loved gospel music and had a wonderful smile. The 27th is for Jocelyn Downs, Skyline R2 School’s language arts and social studies teacher, and for second grader Aliyiea Trujillo. Eighth grader Braxton Mayberry has the 29th for his big day. Fifth grader Tucker Johnson shares his birthday on the 30th with his fifth grade teacher Mrs. Melissa Willhite. Your Champion friends hope all your days are happy ones.

Skyline’s spring break starts on Saturday the 16th and will go all the way through Sunday the 24th. School resumes on the 25th, meanwhile all those students and staff can enjoy some good gardening days. Seed catalogues and warm days have made it exciting. The almanac says the 24th thru the 26th will be fine for sowing grains, hay, and forage crops. It says to plant flowers. The last two days will be good for root crops, but some folks will wait until the 27th or 28th to get their potatoes and beets in the ground. Weather conditions will have something to do with what they are actually able to get done. A hard freeze next week may but the kibosh on their plans. May 10th is considered the last day for a freeze in this area. The lilacs are leafing out. Maybe there will be some beautiful blooms. Some old Champions have wider walkways in their garden and smaller beds for growing things, but they persist. Farmer’s markets will soon be up and running. There will be one at Skyline starting on the 13th of April!

A charming gentleman from Cabool joined the circle at the Vanzant Jam on Thursday. He said he is rusty, that he has not been to a jam in ten years. He borrowed a bass guitar from David Richardson and shared a couple of songs. He did not sound very rusty. Art says he is more country music than bluegrass, but he enjoyed his evening and thinks he will come back again. His new friends hope so. They enjoyed a good conversation about the health benefits of music, listening to it and making it. We associate certain songs with certain people. How often does a song remind you of someone you love or someone you love remind you of a song? It happens often in Champion. Looking on the Bright Side!

 

Someone said March 4th was John Phillip Sousa’s birthday. It was really November 6, 1854, but “March forth” was a cute joke as we are now all thinking about “Stars and Stripes Forever.” “Be kind to your web footed friends, for a duck may be somebody’s mother.” Kindness cannot be overemphasized, particularly in these contentious political times.

Spring forward? Yes! Sunday, March 10th at 2:00 am clocks are to be turned forward 1 hour. Sunrise and sunset will be about an hour later. (We can just move the clocks forward before we go to bed and not have to get up in the middle of the night.) Skyline first grader C.J. Castillo can sleep a little longer on his birthday the 11th. On the 12th we remember two interesting, talented men. Geoff Metroplos was a great builder and gardener and jack of many trades. J.R. Johnston played the banjo and loved all the old songs. He passed his love of music on, and it goes on and on because of Herbie. The 13th is the birthday celebration of Trinity Castillo, a fourth grade student at Skyline. The 15th, known as the Ides of March, is that ominous day when Julius Caesar met his doom, some while back in 44 BC. More recently three sterling individuals, Sam Sonite, Ursula Donnely, and Jacob Moffett, have claimed the day for their birthday celebrations. The 16th is for third grader Lillith Jeffery and for Elizabeth Mastrangelo Brown who was 23 in 2013. Skyline’s Jennifer Trujillo will enjoy the 17th. Your Champion friends wish you happy days all.

Spring arrives March 19th. The Lady Bugs are already here. Good neighbor Judie up on Tar Button Road found her first tick on February 28. The pesky pests should at least wait until spring is actually here. She said she had read about Sue’s Greenhouse here in The Champion News but had never been there. Last week when she had a friend from Little Rock visiting, they decided to check it out. She was much impressed with the enormous greenhouses, the great variety of plants and the friendly, helpful staff. She bought her seed potatoes, her ‘hens and chicks’ to replace ones from her mother that she had lost, and several Coleus. She plans return trips. Gardeners who plant by the signs will take advantage of the 8th and 9th for planting and transplanting. The 12th and 13th will be good planting days for above ground crops. “Oh! The night was dark and stormy. The air was full of sleet. The old man stepped out in the yard and his shoes were full of feet. Oh! It ain’t a gonna rain no more, no more…” The lake at Wolf Pen Hollow has gone bone dry. Forecasts seem fickle these dry days. Mushroom hunters are hopeful for some sprinkles to spark the spores. Frying pans await.

People in the Skyline area have something exciting to anticipate. Starting on April 13th there will be a Second Saturday Skyline Swap Meet/Farmers’ Market to be held in the parking lot of the Brushyknob Church just across the road from the Skyline School at the intersection of Highway C and 76. Helen Batten told us about it. She said it will be for small animals, baked goods, garden produce, jelly, eggs, just about anything. There will be no set up fee. Bring your own tables, tailgates or whatever from 8 to noon, the second Saturday of every month. It will be a chance to meet up with your neighbors and find some good stuff and get rid of some good stuff. While you are there you can check out the progress on the new firehouse construction for the Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department.

Out along Cold Springs Road, way out in the middle of a big field on the west side of the road, finally sprouted the tiny clump of daffodils all by themselves. They found their way there in a flood several years ago. We may have another flood someday. We might have to take the long way around or maybe just have to stay home, but for now we hope for puddles and are being vigilant to fire danger in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

Does it seem early for daffodils? They are breaking out all over in Champion. They look smaller this year, but thankfully the deer are not eating them. They go by several names—daffodils, jonquils, and some folks around these parts even call them Easter lilies. They are a real harbinger of spring. Gardeners are raising fences, hauling manure, and thinking about starting some seeds. Felix the Farmer and his bunch already have some pepper plants started. Their fall planted spinach is growing and the garlic is looking good. Champions look forward to hearing what Edie Richardson has going on at her organic farm and how much honey her honey expects to harvest this year. Some rain will really help every growing thing. Creek beds are dusty and fire danger is ominous.

March is about to arrive and with it Skyline R2 School student birthdays. Fourth grader Lotus Winter, prekindergarten Kaison Lancaster, fourth grader Ryanne Harvey, and seventh graders Abigail Grace Rystad and Gabriel Castillo celebrate on March 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th respectively. March 3rd is a big day for Dennis Shumate, who frets a lot, and for The General’s lovely daughter Deborah Barker to celebrate their birthdays. Butch and Joyce Linder have a wedding anniversary that day. Linda Heatherington and Krenna Long have birthdays on the 5th of the month and so the first five days are full of celebrations.

There is so much to celebrate. On the 14th a couple from Wires and Wood, the Springfield bluegrass band, came to the midday Wednesday jam at Champion with a big doghouse bass and a well-played guitar—Mr. and Mrs. Wright. They left a couple of CDs that will circulate through the neighborhood, and they will be welcome back any time. Charlie Lambert made it for a visit on the 21st. He has a lot of good memories of Champion and would like to be living out in this part of the country again. His friends would like that too. That Wednesday was also the day a couple of regular visitors to the Historic Emporium discovered to their amazement that they are cousins, sharing the same great grandma. Neither of them would ever have guessed. Fortunately, The General was there to corroborate.

Various forms of sniffles, bad colds, flu, and whatnot whittled down the audience at the Vanzant Jam on Thursday, but everyone who attended had a good time. Father and son Shumate and a Medlock can play faster than some people can pat their feet—lively, to say the least! Ruth Collins had the birthday song sung to her and she treated the group to a song of her own, which we hope she will sing again. Those folks recovering from their maladies have something lovely to hear when they can come again.

A nice man calling himself David Brooks interrupted a call an Old Champion was having the other day to say that she had won $8,000,000.00 and a new Chevy Tajo truck from Publishers Clearing House. He said once you enter the contest your entry is always eligible. All was going well until he told her the balloons and flowers could not arrive at her door until she had purchased a $500.00 card from Walmart or a CVS pharmacy that would authorize the bank to receive the $8M. He said he was in Springfield and his accent was almost convincing, but the phone identification said he was calling from Jamaica. The Old Champion was grateful not to have been taken in. She is also grateful for a cozy home in a beautiful part of the world with good neighbors and none of the struggles and headaches associated with a sudden significant windfall. The caller-id has been a good tool.

Champions heard a good report of the Fish Fry Benefit for the Barry Family on Friday. The folks at St. Leo’s did a wonderful job and served twice as many people as they expected. Maybe there will be a report this week about who won the quilt and the Raku vase at the raffle. It is most heartening to see the community come together to support this young family. The Jean’s Healthway family of employees and friends has been taking care of the store for Rachel while she has been taking care of her family. Jeff shared a video on the internet that tells us he is making good progress and has a good plan going forward. It smacks valiantly of courage, good humor, and optimism—what a Champion!

While there seems to be no end to the conflict, anxiousness, and suffering in the world, in a moment when a little joy, hope or encouragement appears, it is incumbent upon us to grab on to it for dear life. Spread it all around if you can. Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

President’s Day starts the week. Lincoln’s birthday on the 12th and Washington’s on the 22nd both get celebrated on the 19th together with the idea of the office itself. Forty six people have held that spot starting with George. Some were better than others. It is all subjective. Everyone has a favorite. Celebrate that one and hope for more of the same.

February birthdays are special. Linda Cooley’s daughter Joanna was born February 21, 1969. Karen Faye Krider’s daughter Staci was born February 23, 1983. The 24th of the month is for master gardener Arne Ahlstedt who is happy to share unusual garden seeds and for Ruth Fish Collins who shares her beautiful, velvet voice at the jam at Roy’s Store in Dora on Tuesdays and at Vanzant on Thursdays. She sometimes sings, “It was colder than a well diggers ankles in Cutbank, Montana.” Zachary Harvey is a kindergarten student at our Skyline R2 School and celebrates his birthday luckily on Feb 28th. He is lucky because if he had been born on the 29th he would only have a birthday every four years like Frankie Proctor. Some say that Frankie is only about 18 or that he has only had 18 birthdays. His Champion friends hope he really celebrates on those occasions and wish a happy birthday to all of you.

The Heart of the Ozarks Bluegrass Association (HOBA) made a visit to Cheyenne McIntosh’s music classes at our Skyline R2 School on Thursday. Alan Strickland, Gene Collins, Kelly Hines, and Tyler Chatham joined Sharry Lovan playing songs for the kids and putting instruments in their hands to give them the feel of being in a great band. Kelly Hines said the purpose of the visit was to imprint them with the joy of music. He thinks it is a path to keeping young people out of trouble. Music education has proven to be beneficial on many levels. It turned out to be an exciting, fun-filled morning for the students and for the HOBA band.

Skyline’s Valentine Family Formal met all expectations on Saturday night. The music, games, dancing, food, and fun was organized by Nurse Caitlyn. She and her volunteer helpers created an evening that will last sweetly in the memories of Skyline families. Champions! Looking on the Bright Side!
 

There is no glory in defeating a weak opponent. There were no weak opponents Sunday night. Congratulations to our Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Champions! Yet, the faces of the 49ers registered sadness and disappointment that somehow evokes sympathy. They played a strong game. It could have gone the other way. “There but for fortune, go you and I,” as the song says.

The time between birthdays passes more swiftly for some than others. Skyline seventh grader Aiden Acree and third grader Makenzie Jonas have the 8th and 9th of February for their birthdays. The 13th is for Claire Shannon who has grown up and gotten married. Valentine’s Day is the big one for Shelby Ward, Champion granddaughter. Donna Mullens Gainer has the 16th for her day and the 17th is the day we remember dear Trish Davis, who left us too soon. It is a sweet day for Linda Clark, grandmother of triplets. Skyline third grader Rayleigh Harvey shares the 18th with Pete Proctor and another Champion of another generation Madelyn Boehs. If Pete were in the neighborhood still, they would be neighbors. The next day would have been Pete’s mother’s birthday. Ruby will always be remembered as a founding Champion. We miss her. We do not miss Jim Ivy. He is still around also celebrating on the 19th. Third grader Jaylee Sudderth will party on the 20th. The swift passage of time may not be evident to the youngsters, but several in that bunch know all about it.

There comes a day in February when the dog hunts for (or looks for) the shade. That was according to Champion Lonnie Krider. Dave Medlock said that his Dad said it was two days in February. Anyway, a day later the loveable critter looks to lay around by the wood stove, then back out to sun on the porch. In and out—doorman to the dog. “Is it spring yet?” asks a neighbor up on C Highway whose dog likes to watch the small herd of deer that roam his grounds. He is ready to plant. Swiftly shift the seasons! He says that on Monday, Feb 19th there will be a ‘seed swap’ from noon to 5:00 pm at the Living Lands Studio on the Square in Ava. He is doing a lot of planting and has boxes and boxes of heirloom and interesting seeds to share. Master Gardner Edie Richardson at the L. and E. Organic Farm over north of Macomb has been enjoying some of the recent mild days to get some serious planting done. She and Lee are active with the University of Missouri Extension Agency, keeping bees and teaching good gardening practices.

Great area news is that Sue’s Greenhouse up north of Norwood will start being open with regular hours this Saturday, February 17th. Her son-in-law who was seriously injured last year, is now walking again and everyone there is very thankful for all the prayers and good thoughts for him. Sue and Joe have put up three new Greenhouses with a large retail center, easier access to the building with new shopping carts, and much more. She will be open for a sneak peek this Saturday and her hours will be 9-5 Monday-Friday and 9-4 on Saturdays. She already has onion sets and seed potatoes and some starter plants. By the first week in March, she should be in full swing with lots of plants ready to go. Sue contributes significantly to the beauty of Champion.

It was on Ash Wednesday thirty one years ago when an old couple calculated that on the median date between their two birthdays they would be 100 years old. They called it their duo-birthday and took the day off from work to have a picnic. This year they celebrate their 162nd birthday on Valentine’s Day which is Ash Wednesday. Valentine’s‘ Day gives us an opportunity to say lovely things to each other right out loud. It is not all romance, but affection, fun, and appreciation. Our Skyline School extends the occasion until Saturday the 17th with and invitation to the entire school family to a Valentine’s Day Family Formal. Music and dancing from 6-8 p.m. with games, food, and prizes. They say “Bring your friends, and even your neighbors! Wear your best and put your dance moves to the test.” Sweet Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

“Go Chiefs!” Your Champion friends and fans hope that you gentlemen have been able to rest up and heal up in advance of Sunday’s big game. Thanks for all the fun and excitement.

Winter colors have their charm, adorning our rolling hills with every soft shade of gold, gray and brown. With spring just around the corner and seeds on store shelves already, Champions look forward to the garden and look out their windows enjoying today’s beauty as well. Soon enough those new and old houses and homesteads along our country lanes will disappear behind the foliage as things green up again. The more seasons we have seen, the quicker they seem to arrive.

The week got off to a great start with a call from Brock. He is the customer service guy from the White River Connect outfit, part of the White River Valley Electric Cooperative. The good news is that sometime within the next two to four months people out in the very middle of very rural Douglas County will be able to hook up to the real high speed internet–broadband, if you will. The Bright Speed BS seems to have needed a kerosene pilot light, so it will be a quality of life enhancement to switch.

More good news comes with the groundwork, dirt work for the construction of the new Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department firehouse. What a change it will be. The new facility will take up much of what used to be the picnic grounds. The pandemic put the kibosh on those wonderful picnics anyway. But, anyway, as our Prominent Champion is want to say, it is good to know that our great Skyline VFD will be here, as ever, to protect our lives and property. Perhaps the fancy new facility will entice some healthy young folks to become volunteers and the new configuration of the grounds might allow for some new kinds of community support. Meanwhile, schoolkids on the Skyline R2 School playground can watch the construction and be inspired to be architects, heavy equipment operators, carpenters, plumbers, sheet metal workers, roofers, electricians, or engineers. There is plenty of excitement and inspiration to go around in Champion.

There is hard news too. Jonnie, the friendly dog, got into a fracas with a FedEx truck or some other big, fast moving rig out on the straight stretch of Cold Springs Road and did not survive. She hated the trucks but loved the people. Steve, the driver from Mountain Country Propane would tell you that she acted like she would eat the truck, but when he got out she was all waggy and ready to be petted. She loved people. It’s a sad loss for the Old Champions. She showed up in February 2017 and became part of the family, great company for two old people. Now they have a note in the mailbox asking Brittany to honk, because Jonnie is not there to alert them. Yes, the world is full of suffering, and this may not seem like much to many. Things happen. Life changes. Change is hard.

But back to the good things, the Douglas County Herald’s reprint from the Ozark County Times of “A World Turned Upside Down” gave a good account of the epic journey of the Barry Family, from the catastrophic accident back in November all the way to the realization that life goals will just have to be accomplished another way. Rachel and Jeff purchased Jean’s Healthway back in 2020. The store has been a gift to Ava and the whole community for over 40 years. Rachel and Jeff have taken the helm for the last four years and have made it their own. It has been a good enterprise for them and continued to be a gift to the community. Their dedicated family of employees and volunteers are carrying the weight until they can do it again. Change is hard, but they are up to the task. We cannot fix everything. The Lord knows the world is in a mess, but here is a chance to be of help. If you can, do. Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!