Champion News

 

HOBA fun started on Thursday over in West Plains and the jamming went on until after midnight. The festival went on through the weekend with Tacie and the Sunshine Band reporting that their first time attending was awesome. “The festival grounds and the atmosphere are wonderful! We enjoyed visiting with old friends and meeting so many new ones. Thanks to the HOBA gang for having us out.” The Greenland Station Bluegrass Band echoed the sentiment. “We got to join an incredible lineup of bands in a beautiful venue with a fantastic audience.”

Friday’s fun at the open house event for the Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department included a special appreciation award from Danny Maggard and Brian McFarland with the Douglas County EMA Office. For members who were not able to attend, the internet is full of photos and videos of the event. The splendid new building was full of fire department members enjoying each other’s company, some great food and the satisfaction of knowing our vital volunteers are working in a much-improved facility. There is space for training and hopes are that some of the many new folks to the area will join in the good work of protecting the whole community.

Carol Green the “C” in the lovely trio called “TLC” has her birthday on the 6th of October. Betty Dye, past president of the Ladies Auxiliary, celebrates her birthday on the 7th. Theresa Toast, who gives us important information during bad weather, shares her birthday with Skyline kindergarten student Preslee Trujillo. Champion grandniece, Madelyn Ward celebrates on the 10th. The 11th is for newcomer Steve Conner, and the 12th is for Janet Chapin and the late Evelyn Woods Carol who used to live on Cold Springs Road. Champion Leslie Krider, Skyline fifth grader Evan Homer and third grader Tinsleigh Miller all party on the 14th. Up on C Highway, Joe Moskaly will be partying on the 15th. Happy birthday to all of you.

It happens that both Colorado and Georgia have Douglas Counties. To get to the one in Georgia one might leave the HOBA festival and wind down through Arkansas, then try to skirt Memphis to get on some rough roads in Mississippi. Do this in some moderate to torrential rain with various vehicles hydroplaning off into deep ditches. Cross over into Alabama for beautiful road conditions. The road surfaces are wonderfully smooth and the right of ways perfectly manicured. The welcome center in Georgia is enormous and well appointed. A brochure in the entryway there details the many features of Douglas County including a Butterfly Trail. It may be that Colorado’s Douglas County has a butterfly trail as well. That calls for another adventure. This adventure, all the way to Atlanta, has Booger County residents hesitant to wear their KC Chiefs gear, their team having recently trounced the Falcons. Chief’s fans are delighted that the team is undefeated so far. It is a dangerous hard-hitting game with frequent injuries. With luck players can recover quickly.

How the country will recover from the ‘biblical’ devastation of Helene is to be seen. Often in the past we have observed that catastrophic events draw people together and bring out the most compassionate and helpful parts of us. Our hearts go out to all those suffering and we do not take for granted our good fortune in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

Autumn has arrived right on schedule. Sudden hard rains Sunday evening washed the dust off our lush green spring growth. Persimmons are about to ripen and walnut trees that have not borne fruit in years are heavy-laden and breaking limbs. Squirrels are busy gathering those ankle breakers and the Hammons people will be buying them starting October 7th. Meanwhile, deer will be feasting on the persimmons that Grannie did not pick to make a nice green persimmon pie for some unsuspecting newcomer.

Not all the 500 students attending The Future Farmers of America Greenhand Leadership Conference on Tuesday were in the Mountain Grove Pharmacy that afternoon eating ice cream, but it was standing room only. A sea of smiles and blue jackets. There were 27 chapters of the FFA represented and many of them were in the drug store. It is heartening to see the young people who are getting ready to feed the country before long. Thank you in advance!

The brand-new Skyline Firehouse got its start back in 2020 with a grant from the Central Ozarks Council of Governments and a Community Development Block Grant from the Feds and HUD. There is to be an Open House celebrating its completion starting at 4:00 p.m. Saturday the 28th. It is a big red beauty. The Skyline VFD has long needed this upgrade, and hopes are the facility will encourage new volunteers. All our first responder volunteer firefighters have worked to make this happen and have worked protecting our lives and property, some of them for decades. Thank you for your dedication and service, and Party On! Many remember all the years of the pre-pandemic Skyline Picnics. The new firehose sits about where the old bingo parlor stood. In its last years, it barely stood, but those games—bingo, ring toss, dime toss, silent auction, duck pond, archery, bounce house, cake walk, etc. made for great community fun. The cook shack was legendary for the good food and there was always topnotch entertainment down on the stage. Local merchants were generous with donations for door prizes. The picnic was much more than a fund raiser for the VFD, it was a community gathering where seldom seen friends could reunite and catch up. The stage and cook shack are still there. We will see what happens in years to come.

We remember the old days of Dale and Betty Thomas down at ‘the end of the world’ in Yates with the Pioneer Descendant’s Gathering. Those were some good times. We are enjoying more good times with the 7th annual Pioneer Heritage Festival of the Ozarks on October 4th and 5th. Sherry Bennett does an outstanding job of rounding up young musicians for the Youth Talent Show. She is right in the middle of music all over the place and is much appreciated for her efforts. Just the other night when the sheriff was struggling his way through “The Folsom Prison Blues” at the Vanzant Jam, she came to the rescue with the lyrics on her tablet. The sheriff and the road commissioner stopped in to explain the Local Use Tax that will appear on the November ballot. It’s not an additional tax, but an accounting issue that will return to Douglas County a portion of the sales taxes paid on internet purchases and Wal-Mart pickup. That money will come back to Douglas County from the state to be allocated to the general revenue fund, the county road departments and the sheriff’s office.

This is an exciting time of the year with so much going on. Baker Creek folks over by Mansfield invite you to celebrate the harvest and autumn at their farm and pioneer Village on October 6th and 7th. This has grown into an enormous event during recent years.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers in each age division of the 5K Run and Walk at Skyline School on Saturday, October 5th. Free registration starts at 8, and the race starts at 9. All ages are welcome, including great-grandmothers of Skyline students. On October 1st, sixth grader Myson Loveless shares his birthday with the Prominent Champion who is annually reminded: “If you act like you are having a good time, soon you will forget you are acting, and you will really be having a good time!” That is also the big day for Champion Jana Brixey and the day we remember Pete Mullens. Mahatma Gandhi was born October 2, 1869. William Tucker Clark was born on that day in 2015. His grandpa Gary will celebrate on the 3rd as will fifth grader Evan Homer. The 4th of October is the special day for sisters Karen Fae Upshaw Krider and Linda Kaye Upshaw Johnston, special Champions. President Jimmy Carter was born October 1st, 1924. He is about to be 100 years old. He and Rosalynn were married for more than 77 years.

Bud Hutchison’s Memorial Trail ride will take out of Champion on Wednesday, October 9th. Riders who never had the chance to meet Bud will hear the great stories about him that go way back. Lots of ice cream will be enjoyed and epic yarns will be spun on the wide veranda of the Historic Emporium at the end of the trail in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

The fall festival season is officially open according to “Ozarks Alive!” All kinds of things are going on. The Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival has happened and the HOBA festival will start in West Plains on the 26th. Studebaker Bob Berry won a trophy at the Southern Cruisers Car Show on Saturday, reported by and photographed by Mary Goolsby who has a Studebaker of her own, a top-of-the-line 1963 Lark. The Mountain Grove square was full of beautifully restored classics and a few old rust buckets, all with their hoods up and many with old guys standing around pointing at points of interest, harkening back to their own experiences with various vintage rigs.

Bob and Mary are frequent attendees at Thursday’s Vanzant Jam where there will be only one more such gathering this month. The 40th Annual Fall Bluegrass Festival will start in West Plains on Thursday the 26th, so the Vanzant Jam will pick up again on October 3rd. Several of the regular Vanzant musicians will be featured on stage there, and many of the regular pot-luck attendees will be in the audience at the HOBA (Heart of the Ozarks Bluegrass Association) Park at 900 Bluegrass Lane on the south side of town. There will be toe tapping and pleasant reunions among bluegrass friends and fans.

The America’s Cup parking lot “Helping the Heroes” benefit for Hero’s Rest was lively with some booming gospel music and good food. Maybe all over the country neighborhoods step up to support their local good causes like Champions—like good citizens, good neighbors. Spokesperson Carissa Rene reports: “Another successful Helping the Hero’s event is in the books! The second annual Helping the Hero’s fundraiser was held last Saturday at The American Cup. Once again, numerous businesses sponsored prizes and locals bought raffle tickets to support Hero’s Rest and honor first responders and veterans. New this year was an opening prayer from Pastor Terry Ramming, live gospel music by The Batchelor Family, and BBQ by Sheriff Sonny Byerly! Together, $3,803 was raised for Hero’s Rest! We are grateful for each and every one of you who bought tickets, donated, and volunteered to put on this event. A huge thank you to Dennis Martin for organizing this event two years in a row and also to Pam Martin for coming out to serve up the delicious BBQ’s”

September 16th has Mexico celebrating independence from Spain since 1810. The 17th is September’s full Harvest Moon. We remember Louise Hutchison on her birthday on the 21st. Champion granddaughter Zoey Louise and great niece Penelope were both born on Louise’s birthday. The 22nd marks astronomical autumn—the autumnal equinox. “Searching for Booger County” author Sandy Chapin has the 24th for his big day. Graeme Laird over in Edinburgh will enjoy a pint on the 26th. Cathy Reilly will party on the 26th and we remember Lucile Gayman on the 29th. The 29th is the big day for Becky Heston down in Austin, Texas and for Skyline sixth grader Melanie Hall. Prekindergartner Jaxson McIntosh will celebrate his birthday on the 30th. Happy Birthday to all of you.

Cathy Alsup Reilly was able to correct The General, saying that it was Mike Reilly and not Mickey who had stated that hummingbirds leave these parts on September 15th. The General said, “At 0712 this morning 23 hummingbirds bid farewell to the Vanzant metropolis and, flying in V formation, circled the city and flew off in a southwesterly direction. The rear guard of five departed precisely 47 seconds later. If I deciphered their flight plans correctly, their eta at Del Rio, TX will be around midnight on 19 Sep.” Cathy said, “Our hummingbirds are still here and if they are like past years, they will still be around a few more days. Even though I have placed a calendar out for them apparently these KY hummingbirds can’t read. They’ll probably even fly north when they do.”

Playing sports, like playing music, has long-term, far-reaching benefits for young people. Local Bears, Panthers, Pirates, Lions, Tigers and Eagles are finding themselves in the papers. Scrapbooks are being filled with the heroic exploits of our local athletes. There is no glory in defeating a weak opponent. Certainly, the first two games of the Kansas City Chiefs have been very close exciting competitions. Heart rates increased dramatically among some who struggled to stay in their chairs during the recent mêlée with the Bengals broadcast on their televisions. They will be tuned in to NBC at 7:20 PM on Sunday the 22nd to see how they do in Atlanta. In these tumultuous and unsettling times, sport offers some diversion and respite for Old Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

Some gardens are winding down and some are just getting going. The fall garden is a joy to behold in downtown Champion, replete with zinnias. Visitors from Mississippi were out playing horseshoes by the garden and photographing all the local sites. They are the parents of a young woman who has recently married a young man from Norwood. It turns out he has lots of kinfolks in this part of Booger County. The couple have settled over near Vanzant and hopes are they will be joining the jam on Thursday evenings. She has picked up her guitar again after having neglected it while attending college. The General persuaded her to play his while he went off for a candy bar. She strummed a few chords and thinks it will be nice to sit on her porch in the evening with her guitar, a smaller version. If her singing voice is anything like her mother’s, Vanzant will be much enhanced. Her parents and young nephew were headed back to Mississippi Thursday, but plan to be back often. Her dad thinks he might join the B Group for morning coffee at the Junction Store, formerly known as The Boated Goat.

Skyline’s Second Saturday Swap meet happens again on the 14th—the last one of an eventful summer. We thank the instigators, Helen Batten and others, for putting this together for the community. The Brushy Knob Church at the corner of Highway C and 76 has shared its parking lot for the event. Thanks. Garden produce, baked goods, crafts, kittens, puppies, goats and other critters and variety of fowl have made it well worth the trip out. Meet friends and neighbors there.

Ellie Strong is a second-grade student at Skyline. Her birthday is on the 14th. First grader Jackson Johnson will enjoy the 17th for his big day and another first grader, Bailey Kilgore will have the 18th. Skyline alumnus, Tanna Krider Wiseman celebrates on the 13th. She has recently solicited gallon pickle jars for the purpose of making Fire Cider. She says it is supposed to help with chest congestion and head colds for the winter. It has jalapenos, orange and lemon, apple cider vinegar and herbs. We will hope not to need it but we will be interested to hear how it works. On the 15th we remember Elmer Banks. He moved here in 1997, but before long knew the history and pedigree of many of the locals and all his neighbors. He was a gregarious interesting fellow. Another gregarious, interesting, fun-loving individual shares that day—Pat Kim Smith. She has many sterling attributes now including line dancing. Her sweetheart may give her a ride in his new pickup—a Dodge, bought on his own birthday back on the 29th of August. Patrick Mahomes was 28 on September 17th, 2023. Now he will be 29 and will continue to be our Chiefs’ superhero. Donald Krider grew up in these parts and has deep family ties here. He lives up around Peoria, Illinois and celebrates his birthday on the 18th.

Linda and Charlene are having another great sale there in Norwood on Friday and Saturday. Charlene has added to her inventory some great recent finds and Linda continues to divest herself of treasures. It seems that we cannot help but accumulate things. It is nice to pass them on. Enjoy.

The American Cup folks in Mountain Grove are hosting a fundraising event for Hero’s Rest. It is the first ever U.S. retreat center dedicated to serving first responders. It is located right here in Champion. The fund raiser is happening on Saturday the 14th with music, barbecue, some great gun raffles and the chance to support the people who support us when we need it most.

With all the political excitement going on it is good to look back at our nation’s beginnings: “Government is instituted for the common good: for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people and not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men.” John Adams said that. He was born October 30,1735 and died July 4,1826. He has been gone a long time now but his words still make him a real Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

Champion School Dec. 15, 1915 Someone has numbered the photos and the names on the back of the photo are: 1. Oscar Krider, 2. Ella Coonts, 3. Alvin Hutchinson, 4. Eva. Hutchinson, 5. John Roads, 6. Lillia Riley, 7. Ethel Irvin, 8. Edd Sutherland or Switland??, 9. Mabel Proctor, 10. Lena Roads, 11. Glads Roads, 12. Allis Irvin, 13. Bullie? Irvin, 14. Lola Hutchinson, 15. Ople Lofton, 16. Carl? Riley, 17. Elis Suthland?, 18. Felda Proctor, 19. Floid Hancock, 20.0ple Coonts. Teacher: Ella Goodman

Excerpted from “Champion school Memories” published in 1985: “In the fall of 1892, the school board met and drew up specifications for a new schoolhouse and advertised the same for bids.” “The last day of school held at Champion was on April 24, 1959.” There are a few Champion students yet, and a few of them will rendezvous for a reunion. Last year there were five attending, but there are others scattered around the country. The Historic Emporium was full of descendants, friends and neighbors all celebrating this exceptional little spot on the map with such a rich history. Everyone is welcome to the celebration. There is a potluck luncheon at noon and plenty of visiting before and afterward. We hope to see you there, Saturday, August 31st.

The 34th Champion School Reunion was held on September 2, 2018. Scrolling through the photos there you may see Richard and Kaye Johnston, Robert and Connie Brown and Paul Brown, Harold and Eva Phillips, J.R. and Janet Johnston, Wilma Hutchison, Royce and Jody Henson, Wayne and Frances Sutherland, Laine Sutherland, Tanna, Kalyssa and Foster Wiseman, Fae Krider, Robert Upshaw, Dean Brixey, Beverly Keller Dooms, David and Irene Dooms and many others. It is a joy to see their faces and smiles again if only on the computer screen. Many are missed and good memories of them reside with the rest of us.

From “Champion School Memories” again: “In 1955, eight school districts were reorganized and the Skyline R-2 School District was formed…Black Oak Flat, Pea Vine, Pine Park, Stoney Point, Cold Springs, Brushy Knob, Denlow, and St. James.” In 1959, Champion, Fielden, East Fairview, East Dogwood, Diamond and Vera Cruz were consolidated into the Skyline district. Skyline is still going strong with more than 90 students, preschool to the 8th grade, and some recent significant upgrades on the campus. There is new flooring in the cafeteria, front hallways, library and offices. The front hallways have all been painted to match school colors. The roof is being completely replaced by West Plains Roofing. The front bathrooms are being remodeled. To be thanked are Tyler Williams for flooring, Brooks Williams, Candace Mayberry and Erica Sudderth for painting and updating. It is a bright and beautiful place doing important necessary work. Thanks! One of only two rural schools left in Douglas County, the importance of this vital institution to the community cannot be overstated.

Thanks too to the Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department for looking out for our health and safety! They were just granted an award of $2,530 and used the funds to purchase battery-powered tools, including a chainsaw, Sawzall, and glass cutter, to enhance their extrication and forcible entry capabilities. The department expresses its gratitude to Jessica Miller and the FFAM family for their support in acquiring these game-changing tools. The new firehouse is beautiful, and we will be looking forward to an open house celebration soon!

Back on August 21st Skyline VFD Lieutenant Terrell Johnson had a birthday. Champion grandson Drayson Cline had one on the 23rd and his uncle Dakota Watts had one on the 24th. Skyline fifth grader Lauren Collins shares her birthday with Barbara Krider on the 25th. Barbara lives in Illinois near Rita Krider whose birthday is on the 26th. Felix the Farmer’s dad also celebrates that day. Skyline first grade student Mia Truillo’s birthday is on the 27th. Bill (Wes) Smith, Minnie Jo Henson and Steve Moody all have birthdays on the 29th. Fifth grader Brantley Kilgore, kindergartener Chaseton Shelton and fourth grader Jason Smith all celebrate that day too. Laine Sutherland and Wayne Anderson have both passed away, but they are well remembered and missed on their birthdays on the 30th. Kalyssa Wiseman, Jenna Brixey and Skyline eighth-grader Aiden Ray Hurt all celebrate on the 31st. Skyline R-2 School staff Sarah Goss and Carolyn Willhite had birthdays on the 13th and the 23rd. Happy birthday to all of you. We acknowledge and appreciate you.

Pulled pork and baked beans and other delights were the Wednesday treats celebrating a political victory and optimism in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!
 

 

Fox Creek ran backwards on Wednesday after a couple of good rainstorms so that the Clever Creek crossing north of Champion was a lake. The mile and a half trip to the Bright Side became a fifteen-mile journey, the long way around, but well worth it. Alice McClure, who had just had her 90th birthday earlier this month, made the trip down from Salem, Iowa with her daughter Carole Brown through heavy rainstorms to spend time with kinfolks and friends in her old stomping grounds, Denlow and Champion among them. Pete Proctor and his brothers were glad to see their Aunt Alice and cousin Carole. Alice and a sister in Oregon are the last two living of a family of twelve siblings—eight girls and four boys. She had some good stories to share including a trip to Heaven from Denlow when she was four years old. She says Jerry Bennett keeps up with The Champion News online up there in Iowa and shares it with her. She plans another trip next summer and her Champion friends look forward to it.

An invitation to a tea party does not come often. When it does, RSVP right away. Thursday’s event out on Fox Creed Road featured an elegant table setting, delicious teas and tasty treats. Friends and neighbors sat around a table sharing histories and stories, current happenings, ideas, hopes and plans. Thanks goes to a gracious hostess and her equally gracious mother for putting the party together. Imagine the benefits of many small, pleasant gatherings happening all across the whole nation, fostering friendship and understanding. Another friend, Ruby Adams, shares a thought: “If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can’t buy.” Will Rogers said, “We will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others.”

Champion Hovey Henson down in Houston, TX writes in to say, “My little girl Avery, (his granddaughter) was off to school this week, leaving an empty space in our lives. She was accepted to Abilene Christian, Baylor, Texas Tech and other, but chose Texas A & M because of their traditions. I am very proud of her. Dawn says that I brag too much. Can’t help it, I am totally intoxicated with her. It seems that we had her for such a short time, like it was only yesterday that she was brought to her home at one year and a month from Kazakhstan to be part of our family. I will have to get used to a 93-pound little girl being on the campus of a major university. Suck it up, grandfather. Kids grow up. Love, Hovey.” Hovey is not the only one with separation anxiety as children and grandchildren go off to school for the first time or when they leave home. In today’s world closeness has not all that much to do with geography, but lucky the family that can get together often. Phone calls and video chats are sweet, but they are not hugs and they lack a little of the preciousness of seeing loved ones in the flesh.

Blaine Denlow says she would rather stay working at Wolf Pen Cattle Company than to go off to preschool. She is a mutton busting trooper though, so she will do well. Hopes are that all our Skyline Tigers get off to a good start. They are lucky to be in one of the two rural schools left in Douglas County. It is a dynamic little outfit with a talented, dedicated staff all working to help these young folks grow up to be solid citizens. B.D.’s great-grandfather, grandfather, father and brother are all Skyline alumni. Her Top Hand there on cow farm happened to have a battery-operated impact wrench and just the right socket to fit the lug nuts as an old neighbor labored to change a tire. He was just passing by and thought he could be of help. He was. One of his grandmothers was over in the Senior Center in Mountain Grove on Friday and heard about his good deed. She said she is proud of him and agrees that he is a real Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

The Champion School Reunion is coming up at the end of the month. It always occurs on the Saturday before Labor Day. Alumni, their families and friends always enjoy this gathering. It is a chance to catch up with everyone’s news and to share stories of the bygone days and of old well-remembered Champions who are no longer with us. It happens out on the wide, wild, wooly banks of old Fox Creek, at the foot of several hills, where country roads meet the pavement. Everyone is welcome.

Champions who, for one reason or another, were unable to attend the Mountain Grove Heritage Festival on Friday or Saturday have The Wright County Journal to thank for sharing so much of the festivities online. The many, many pictures and stories almost transported us. Neighbors who attended said there was a huge crowd, that the little town transformed itself into a wonderful street party, full of arts and crafts, great food and music and the sense of community that makes this part of the world a beautiful place to live.

Preserving the garden’s bounty is hard rewarding work that will pay off in the cold months until planting time again next year. While they are at it, those canners might sing, “…sowing in the noon time and the dewy eve, we shall come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves.” You can almost hear it. Can you hear it? Zachary Poteet of the Clear Sound folks can help you if you are having trouble. He is in Mountain Grove on Tuesdays and Thursdays offering free hearing tests, repairing and adjusting hearing aids. He is making friends and doing important work. Zachary was working in the Springfield office back in July when a driver confused his brake pedal with his gas pedal and crashed into a column that damaged the building. He said it was startling and they were all grateful that no one in the building was seriously injured.

A sweet surprise blew into the Champion Square on Sunday in a little red car. Kaitlynn McConnell stepped up on the wide veranda with her pie box and a pie to share. It was a Peach Macaroon pie, the 58th pie she has made from the many community cookbooks she has collected for her Ozarks’ Pie Project. It was delicious, though a couple of fellows insisted on calling it Peach Macaroni. Online Kaitlyn shared a sentiment that needs to be said often. With her permission, we share it here. “How do we overcome chasms that feel can’t be bridged? No low water crossing or iron bridge can span the divides that seem to separate us in this highly charged political world. But really, that’s not a new thing: There have always been misunderstandings, prejudices and injustices – here in the Ozarks, too. While I wish it wasn’t so, I think it’s human nature to put up barriers with those we don’t know or feel are different or wrong. I don’t know how we fix problems that ends of a spectrum feel are insurmountable. I do, however, believe that we only come closer to greater understanding by reaching out with a bouquet of love and a desire to find common ground. Believing the other side is the enemy will never help convince anyone of anything besides reinforcing hatred. I worry about those divisions in the Ozarks (and the greater world) and what that means long-term. Life has never been, nor will ever be, perfect. I’m afraid there will always be those misunderstandings and prejudices and injustices. We can’t fix how others perceive these realities, but we can look inside and be better – for ourselves, and for the world. Those thoughts perhaps aren’t only about the Ozarks. But it’s where we can start.” Another talented journalist, Molly Ivins (1944-2007) said, “Listen to the people who are talking about how to fix what’s wrong, not the ones who just work people into a snit over the problems. Listen to the people who have ideas about how to fix things, not the ones who just blame others.” Pete Seeger said, “It’s very important to learn to talk to people you disagree with.” We can agree these folks are Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!