Champion News

Skyline School Bus #4 students enjoy a Champion treat.

Wednesday a trio of the Champion Cowboy’s double cousins came ambling into the square looking for him but settling for the Prominent Champion who they mistook for his older brother. Corrine and Nadine from Hartville and Seymour, driven by Pam, daughter and niece, from Mountain Grove engaged in recollecting those glory schooldays when their East Dogwood baseball team soundly trounced the Champions right there in the sand lot now affectionately called the ‘square.’ They tarried a while, then went on about their outing.

Meanwhile, the Porch Pickers picked away practicing preferred pieces. More pleasant weather may well entice some real musicians to join in. Joann Lawrence has suggested that she may soon and will have a fiddle with her in the event some itinerant fiddler may appear. At the McClurg Jam there was “Peace in the Valley” as the “Lost Indian” and “Old Melinda” enjoyed the “Shannon Waltz” then had some “Squirrel Heads and Gravy” singing the “Milk Cow Blues.” We have Tom to thank for sharing another Monday evening with the rest of us.

Mayday! The first day of May featured our Skyline R2 School’s awards program in the afternoon and the kindergarten and eight grade graduation ceremony in the evening. Staff members are to be commended for creating such a special time for students and their loved ones. The last day of school had all the students on Angela McKay’s Skyline Bus #4 posing for a group picture (with ice cream) on the steps of The Champion Store—a great start to a great summer. Skyline’s summer school will be well underway before this gets to ink.

The last week of school was staff appreciation week. The Facebook post said, “Our teachers/special education coordinator/aides work hard every day to not only educate their students, but to make each one feel valued. Our superintendent always makes time to balance administrative duties with listening to students and staff. Our counselor is an important resource for our students. Our librarian is generous with her time that she gives to our students. Our office staff keeps things running smoothly. Our cook staff provides tasty meals for everyone, including the student favorite, biscuits and gravy. Our maintenance/custodial staff are always working to keep our school safe and clean. Our bus drivers have the tremendous task of safely getting our students to and from school. We truly have a fantastic group of people at our school!”

May the fourth be with you! The Star Wars’ reference for good luck precedes the Cinco de Mayo celebration of the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Around that time important battles were being fought around these parts, among them Wilson’s Creek in 1861, and the Battle of Clark’s Mill 1862. These days the general atmosphere around the country seems sort of contentious again, but Champions hope for sanity and civility and humor. They say not to judge a person until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes. Then they say not to worry about him, because he’s a mile away and you’re wearing his shoes.

The General informs us that “The 39th annual Denlow school reunion combined with the umpteenth bi-annual/annual Fairview school reunion will be on 24 May 2025 at the Denlow church and cemetery. Ed Williams will prepare his specialties (including fresh/recent road kills). Attendees are requested to bring a side dish or dessert. Coffee, water, and soft drinks will be provided. There will be an auction if any family heirlooms, treasures, or pet rocks, useful/unuseful items are donated for this event. I would like for all former students and/or their descendants to attend.”

Good things coming up sooner include the Second Saturday Skyline Swap Meet on Saturday the 10th. By order of Woodrow Wilson in 1909, the second Sunday in May became a holiday in honor of “that tender, gentle army, the mothers of America.” Wednesday the 14th will have equestrians from near and far enjoying ice cream on the wide veranda as part of the fun of Bud Hutchison’s Memorial Trail Ride out of and then back into Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

Vietnam Veteran Sargent Gary Lee Proctor passed away back in January. On the occasion of his 75th birthday, Saturday April 26th, he was given full Military Honors in his family resting place, the Denlow Cemetery. The American Legion Honor Guard provided the 21-gun salute and the bugle Taps, and two young Airmen from Whiteman Airforce Base conducted a beautiful and solemn flag ceremony. As an Avionics Branch test equipment monitor for the CIA Ravens in Thailand, Gary was described by his superiors as “an extremely talented young technician showing extraordinary technical abilities contributing directly to the extremely high reliability of the operation.” Back here he was just known as a great electronics and television technician and a good friend who loved to hunt and fish.

Skyline fourth grader Holden Johnson will have his birthday on May 1st just before the last days of school. Dovie Dooms and Brenda Lee Mastin have both been out of school for a while, but they share a birthday on May 2nd. Springfield Champion Linda Heffern celebrates on May 6th. Kenneth Anderson comes to the Vanzant Jam and will have that birthday song sung to him there on May 8th. That is also the big day for Susan Klepac, a generous supporter of The Champion News and for Shirley Crouch and second grader Dahlia Winter. Happy Birthday all you charming May flowers.

Helen Batten reminds us of the Second Saturday Skyline Swap Meet coming up on May 10th. From 8 a.m. to noon at the corner of 76 and C in the Brushy Knob Church parking lot you can find chickens, rabbits, goats, garden plants, crafts, whirly gigs, baked goods and bird houses. She says she will have some walnut kernels, and some folks will set up yard sale tables. This is the second year for this spring and summer event. Thanks, Helen, for getting it going again.

This week we thank Tom Peters for sharing the McClurg Jam, “Waiting for a Train,” “Boys Around the World,” “The Beaus of Oak Hill,” “Oh Danny Boy,” “Rocky Road to Jordan” and others. The first Wednesday Porch Jam of the new year has happened out on the Wide Veranda. It is about time. The Square was busy with MO Dot crews in their big trucks and fancy equipment stopping in for lunch. They have been working on WW Highway.

Kaitlyn McConnell drove through the construction to sit a spell on the porch. She had been to Ava interviewing an octogenarian and thought about other old folks out on the Bright Side. Somehow, she had missed the whole episode of Fred the Firefighter and his “baaaaaaad” attitude toward firefighting as was reported on a number of local television stations and even some as far away as Joplin. Fred was the handsome goat who accompanied the Skyline VFW Fire Chief for hours as he and many others struggled to control the biggest fire Douglas County had ever seen. An epic poem by a local Champion who also executed a dramatic reading thereof detailed the hours of hard work and dedication by firefighters and Fred alike. Kaitlyn was surprised that she was already well acquainted with Skyline’s Fire Chief and more so to learn that the recipe for the raisin walnut pie she brought to share was one Vergie Smith, the Fire Chief’s aunt, had shared in an old Skyline VFD Cookbook. The recipe will be included in the Ozark Pie Project cookbook that Kaitlyn is putting together. This pie was called “Champion Raisin Pie” and was thought to have acquired its name from the popular brand of raisins. It turns out that three brothers started growing raisins. They got good at it and decided to put them in little boxes and pouches and share them with the world. Fifty years later the second and third generation family members still continue to grow what the three brothers started there on their small farm in California. Ernest, Krikor and Kenny served as owners, operators, managers and laborers. With help from family, friends, and their loyal ranch dog Ruby, they were able to grow that small farm into something much bigger–like Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

“The storm in its fury broke today.”  That happened Sunday and while Champions have not reported significant damage, many neighbors near and far were not so lucky.  Friends checked in with each other and counted many blessings.   Concern and compassion for those suffering go along with the counting of blessings.

Some of the good news concerns Calvin Chambers and his horse herd.  As of Saturday, the 19th, his herd had increased by six beautiful little horses, among them a white one, a spotted one, and a palomino filly.  On Good Friday he and eleven others made a 9.9-mile trail ride before the rain started in.  His trail ride reports are the ones that spark envy in the hearts of people who have not been on a horse in thirty years and were then walking funny for a while after they got off.  Champions are looking forward to Bud Hutchison’s Memorial Trail Ride which will take off out of the Champion Square on May 14th.

Good Friday was also the day the third little reindeer baby joined the Prescott Family Reindeer Farm.  Photographs of these gangly and adorable little critters are some of the good reasons people open Facebook on their phones and other devices.   Farmers out on 76 Highway around Fox Creek have deep green fields filled with lots of black cows and many little black calves. They graze peacefully, overlooked by a hillside full of dogwood trees, a lovely sight.  Best hopes are that in these torrential rains the creek did not deposit tons of sand on the fields again the way the election day floods did back in November.  That is when a young farmer had his johnboat washed away.  Maybe someone way down on Fox Creek south of Ava has found it.

More loveliness came with a surprise anniversary party for Kaye and Richard Johnston. They both grew up around these parts and managed to tie the knot back in 1977.  Kaye is one of the Upshaw clan whose ancestors were early settlers.  Richard’s family has deep ties too, to Brixeys and Proctors.  His Mother, Lorene, left a treasure trove of Champion lore in newspaper clippings carefully saved over many years.  The anniversary party was not a surprise for Richard, but Kaye did not find out about it until that Saturday morning.  Their daughters orchestrated this beautiful affair starting back in March.  The Vanzant Community Building was packed with friends and family congratulating them.  Lots of good food, good memories, and sweet reunions made an afternoon the happy couple will not forget. The morning rains gave way to a beautiful day for a beautiful family.

Back in early February, Steve and Sharon Schlichting were visiting in the area and took a liking to it.  Sharon says, “Sometime real soon we are gonna take in a McClurg Jam on Monday and then Roy’s Store on Tuesday night, the Champion at noon on Wednesday and the Vanzant Jam on Thursday night, and camp somewhere in our pickup camper shell.”  They will be welcome, and then on Friday, perhaps they will enjoy the Whetstone’s music at the Senior Center in Mountain Grove in the morning where they can also enjoy a lovely lunch.  Then they could have supper at The Barn in Ava and enjoy an eclectic jam there. On Saturday they could enjoy a jam at the Red’s Pizza Joint in Norwood.  Probably any number of places sharing good gospel music on Sunday morning will be open to them.  Their new Champion friends will hope Steve will bring some of those instruments that were handmade from his family’s walnut tree.

Those of us old enough to remember Audrey Hepburn (May 4, 1929–January 20, 1993) recall her great movies and her humanitarianism.  She famously said, “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands—one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”  She was English.  Voltaire was a Frenchman (November 21, 1694-May 30,1778) who said, “If you want to know who controls you, look at who you are not allowed to criticize.”  Aldous Huxley was another Englishman (July 26, 1894-November 22,1963) who wrote Brave New World in 1932.  He said, “Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”  Facts are not generally ignored in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

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!

Storms have blown in so much grief and sorrow so much loss to so many.  Time, money, and effort will improve things.  This part of the world leads much of the world in willingness to help neighbors in distress.  Find a way.  Chip in. Even just a little help makes a difference.

Currently Champion is enjoying 12 hours and 59 minutes of daylight.  Gardeners are saying it’s too wet to plow, but they are glad for the moisture.  If hard work made you rich, every farmer would be a billionaire.  An Old Champion’s grandfather (Arch Hector, Jones County, Texas) declared he would put his cemetery lots in ‘The Soil Bank.’  The Soil Bank was a USDA program back in the 1950s that reduced production of surplus commodities, helped to maintain farm income and conserved soil.  The family cotton patch got planted in peanuts and then plowed under.  Hopes are that the Agriculture Department does right by its current obligations, honoring contracts.

April 4th was the birthday of Skyline 3rd grade student Fredrick Smith.  Multi-talented Champion Miranda, born in 1984, celebrates on the 5th.  Carissa Rene at Hero’s Rest has the 6th for her big day.  She has a beautiful voice and can bring a tear to your eye with “The Travelin’ Soldier.”  The 7th is for Beverly Coffman Emery, Vanzant’s own Gipsy and fun monitor.  That is also the big day for far off Upshaw kinfolk, Margie Carr who has jumped out of airplanes just for the fun of it.  On the 8th we remember Bud Hutchison.  It will soon be time for his Memorial Trail Ride out of Champion, always a stellar event.  A friend of Bud’s wrote this: “Bud grew up in the Champion community and always liked and rode horses.  He told me of a mare he had when he was young that would kick straight back with both hind feet when he would flank her.  This was ideal for a teenage prank during a church meeting.  Bud admitted that the story was true of him backing his mare up to the church building and flanking her and she kicked the building with both hind feet during the church service.”  The friend went on, “Bud was a good friend and a good man and in later years went inside of the church houses.  This story and others are treasures and Bud shared many of his stories while we rode the roads near Champion in years past.”  Champions will look forward to sitting on the porch watching the trail riders go ambling up the hill and come back again across Fox Creek with their stories and their hankering for ice cream.

Herbie Johnston has a new fiddle!  He says it is old and sweet.  It is loud.  He hopes to be able to play it as well as it deserves.  Many of his fans believe he will have no problem doing so.  He is also appreciative of Thomas A. Peters, who is sharing a great deal of wonderful local music on the internet.  Herbie said Tom was going to make him famous.  Tom shared an exciting Monday at McClurg with young Simon and his sister Hattie Barry tripping the light fantastic to some great tunes.  Old folks out on the other end of the county appreciate the videos and very much appreciate that this great jam goes on.  Thanks, Tom.

We also very much appreciate the VFW.   Post 5993 is located on the northwest corner of the Ava square.  Linda Clark says, “It is named after Adrian Owen, post Champlin for years.  Billy Holt is the current Post Commander.  Gene Clark is Post Quartermaster, and Tommy Roberts is Post Adjutant.  The Post and Auxiliary have a lot of great people willing to serve the Veterans in the area.  The Post has made All State or All American the last five or six years.  All of the members are happy to help out any local veterans in need.”

Three and a half million people are said to have been on the streets all over the country on Saturday to have their voices heard with messages like “We wouldn’t have so many needy if we didn’t have so many greedy.”  George Orwell said, “Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” And Harper Lee said, “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”  Champion!—Looking on the Bright Side!

          Tuesday still had people talking about the severe weather in the area during the previous week. Out in the foyer of the Town and Country Supermarket one gentleman said he and his wife were feeling very lucky not to have lost the enormous walnut tree hanging over their house. He said they have a deck to enjoy but the squirrels like to sit high in the trees hulling their walnuts, dropping the trash down on them as they try to relax. From there he shared his recipe for squirrel. He said to clean it and part it out, roll it in flour and put it in a skillet with about ‘this much’ water (he used his fingers to represent about two inches) put it on the stove slow and it makes its own gravy. He smiled in a way that smacked of reminiscence and expectation. He said he had eaten raccoons and rabbits but had never tried groundhog. Someone else said when her Mother asked, “What’s for supper?” she would say, “Cold coon and collards.”
           Skyline’s Archery coach, Melissa Willhite, (Happy Birthday, Melissa, on the 30th) reported that her students, 5th grader Chase Cauthron, 6th grader Railynn Dixon and 7th grader Paige Jonas used their spring break to compete at the 2025 Missouri National Archery Championship at the Branson Convention Center. She thanked the many local sponsors of the Skyline Archery Program whose contribution to the success of these archers is invaluable. Melissa said through their level of achievement, “they gained a wealth of experience, fun and drive to make lasting memories to pass on to their families.”
            Linda Clark shared some good information about a couple of good guys. They are Gene Clark, her charming husband, and Tommy Roberts. Those gentlemen were up in Jeff City at the Capitol being honored on the floor of the House of Representatives for their service with the VFW. Tommy was also honored for being a veteran of the Vietnam War. They received framed citations, had their pictures taken with dignitaries, and enjoyed touring the capitol building, with all its statuary and beautiful ceilings. Veterans are well represented in Ava. The mission of the Veterans of Foreign Wars is to foster camaraderie among Veterans of overseas conflicts, serve Veterans, the military, and communities, and advocate on behalf of all Veterans, ensuring they are respected, receive their earned entitlements, and are recognized for their sacrifices. (The Champion News always capitalizes the words ‘Veteran’ and ‘Mother.’ It is our policy.)
            A Champion writes that lilacs are blooming up on Tar Button Road. She says the nights are above 55 degrees. She still has not seen May apples but thinks a little rain will bring them out. All this comes with a picture she shared of her first morrell. It is tiny, so she will just watch it for a while. “It’s starting!” she says about Spring. Sunday’s rain was most welcome, though some folks got more hail than they would have liked. Gardens are calling.
           Tom Peters posts that Monday’s jam at McClurg had fourteen musicians and forty folks (people) total. A Kansas City visitor that Tom had not seen in a long time was wearing a Rosedale t-shirt had him craving Kansas City barbeque. He is supporting the Benefit Fish Fry for Jeff and Rachel Barry and their children which will happen at St. Leo’s Catholic Church on April 11th. Spread the word. Tom had shared a video of Glen Dale Robertson playing “Battle Hymn of the Republic on his banjo at the Oldfield Opry. It was a splendid rendition of a good patriotic song, which brought politics to mind. If one were to ask an Old Champion’s Mother about how to go about fixing the messy unwieldy politic of these current days, she would probably say, “It would be sort of like putting a sidesaddle on a hog, but it probably could be done if you were acting like you had good sense.” She would suggest a good read of the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise therof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceable to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” We are reminded that April Fool’s Day is all about fun. Look for reports of pranks next week. Fun is what we are all about in Champion–Looking on the Bright Side!

           How many people can fit into the Vanzant Community Building? If the building could speak, it would have a lump in its throat and a sweet happy tear in its eye for the love and support of the community and the surrounding communities filling it to the brim. Dignitaries, luminaries, emissaries, artis, musicians and the great hoi polloi mingled and remembered seeing each other there at other times. This time the Pie Supper auctioneer skillfully admonished bidders, “Don’t stop now!” and they did not. This young man, Brady Shaffer, had a great voice and a pleasant way of keeping the bidding going. Tasty pulled pork sandwiches and hotdogs fueled the crowd, and the result of the auction was a substantial sum to benefit the place where we have picnics, baby showers, weddings, family reunions, funerals, benefits of all kinds, funerals, yard sales, political rallies and were some folks go to vote.
          The biggest fire in Douglas County history encompassed 1,386.4 acres and was fought by all the area Volunteer Fire Departments. Those firefighters and first responders leave their jobs, their dinner tables, and their beds to protect our lives and property. Fortunately, there has been no loss of life or major loss of property and no reports of injuries. We have many reasons to be grateful, even amid the struggles and turmoil of modern life. Low humidity, lack of rain, high winds, accidents and careless people all make it a dangerous situation. The Red Flag is not an invitation to burn. We will all be grateful for some real rain.
           The windy week had limbs and pinecones littering our country lanes and had old gardeners transplanting little seedlings inside out of the gusts. The sea of daffodils has suffered in the wind and lack of rain, looking a little bedraggled, but beautiful yet. Redbuds are beginning to bud and other pink and purple trees along with all those Bradford pears are blossoming. Soon the dogwood trees will pop out in the woods assuring us that Spring is here.
             We are glad for all the activities of Tom Peters who has been sharing The Oldfield Opry and tunes like “Blue Night” “Wildwood Flower” and “Summertime.” We was a Red’s Pizza in Norwood on Saturday with Herbie Johnston and a number of others doing lots of great picking and Dennis Shumate singing The Blue and the Gray.” This Monday he said, “Over 40 people at McClurg tonight, including some grad students of Dr. Cameron LaBarr from MSU. Santiago came all the way from Argentina. It’s his first visit to the Ozarks.” Many of us online got to enjoy all those wonderful dancers and fiddlers playing “Fort Smith” “I’ll Fly Away” “Wes Mur’s Tune” “That’s Earl” and more. “Hell Up Mud Creek” Thank you, Tom!
            Woody Guthrie said, “Life has got a habit of standing hitched. You got to ride it like you find it. You got to change with it. If a day goes by that you don’t change some of your old notions for new ones, that is just about like trying to milk a dead cow.” Highway Patrol Trooper Hogan, as in Hogan’s Heroes, was unable to locate the great big black mama cow with a broken leg laying off in the ditch on 76 Highway on Thursday night. Standing across the west bound lane the cow did not see the little Ford Escape coming over the rise at 40 miles an hour–blam! By morning the carnage had been cleared. There is a seriously wrecked car, a calf without a mama, and a farmer without a cow, but things could be worse.
            Skyline and Norwood Archers had a good time at the State Level Archery Competition in Branson. We look forward to hearing about their experience from their point of view. Parents, friends, and kin folks have the point of view awash with pride. Every one a Champion–Looking on the Bright Side!