Champion News

The Pioneer Heritage Festival of the Ozarks looks like it is off to a splendid beginning.  More than a thousand people attended the first annual two day affair and organizers are pleased with the outcome.  Plans are already underway for next year.  People came from far and wide—from Silver Dollar City and the Queen City—from Champion and all over the place.  Royce and Jody Henson were out from Springfield on Saturday.  They find a way to all the excitement in the area.  Ava’s Mayor David Norman won the rifle raffle and Ron Hardesty won Butch Stone’s beautiful handmade bow and arrows.  The music and food were great.  It was a treat to see those flint-nappers and other demonstrators sharing their crafts and skills.  There were some well-heeled cowboys there, some frontiersmen, and ladies in the elegant dress of an earlier day.  The ax throwing venue was particularly enticing to young folks.  The excellent facilities there at Chapel Grove are tailor made for this kind of happening and the new festival will take a welcome place on the area’s annual social calendar.  Congratulations to all you hard working people for an event well done.  Among the upcoming dates of interest and importance on that calendar will be the Eastern Douglas County Volunteer Fire Department’s Annual Chili Supper and Auction on November 4th.  Year around, there are opportunities to participate in our communities to help make them the kind of places where we all feel lucky to live.  Champion!

Young Chase Cauthron lives in downtown Champion with his mom and dad.  He was lucky last week to have his grandmother, Starla Yekel, visiting from Cody Wyoming.  She was lucky enough to be in Champion on Wednesday when Chase led the band in “The ABC Song,” “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Row Your Boat.”  He has a nice ukulele which he plays left handed.  His grandmother was suitably impressed.  Johnny and Lori Cox came all the way from the remote exurbs of Kansas City so that Johnny could sit in on this jam.  He played “Proud Mary,” “Hobo Bill,” and “Folsom Prison Blues.”  They also came to the Vanzant Jam on Thursday and made some new friends.  Johnny is one of those distant cousins of The General, so he has a predetermined foothold in the community.  The practice he did on the wide veranda on Wednesday paid off and he was in fine form for Vanzant  Lynette Cantrell also came Thursday night and made the announcement that due to the coming cold weather and darkness, the Monday night Jam on the Square in Mountain Grove will be changed to Tuesday night at Clark’s Eatery on the south side of the Square.  The time will still be from 6 to 8 pm.  The nice folks at Clark’s will make the banquet room available for acoustic jammers every Tuesday.  “Put another nickel in, in the nickelodeon.  All I want is loving you and music, music, music.”

The Inuit people live in the Artic regions of Greenland, the United States and Canada.  These people are said to be incredible weather forecasters.  It was reported that they have issued a warning to NASA that the earthquakes and the changes in climate are not caused by global warming.  They claim that the Earth has “wobbled” or shifted, and that their sky has changed.  Certainly many people feel that things worldwide have changed and gone awry, particularly so here in the United States.  People wonder if we all believe in freedom, in freedom of speech, in peace and compassion, honor and service, how can we be in this untenable disarray nationally?  How did it happen that our military industrial money media security complex has more sway than the wishes of the people for peace and security?  An article written by Neal Gabler, a noted American journalist and historian, was shared by Bill Moyers at ‘Moyers and Company’ on the internet.  In it he states that rural votes are worth more than urban votes; white votes are worth more than minority votes; rich and middle-class votes are worth more than poor votes; old voters are worth more than young voters; single-issue voters are worth more than general interest voters; Republican primary voters are worth more than other voters; an oligarch’s vote is worth that of tens of millions of ordinary voters.  Gabler has reasons and statistics to back up these statements.  There is a big move on currently for open primaries, which would give voters more choice.  There are Supreme Court cases being adjudicated over gerrymandering.  Voter identification requirements are working more in the area of voter suppression than inclusion.  When fewer than half eligible voters vote, little wonder things get a little “wobbly.”  Some have suggested making Election Day a National holiday as a way to increase voter turnout.  We cannot make it mandatory to vote, after all, this is a free country, but making it more difficult does not seem like the ‘American way.’  It is funny how things can be presented to us as if they are good for us.  Are there more than half a dozen people in Douglas County who will benefit by the tax cuts currently being considered?  Will the rest of us pay for those tax cuts in reduced services and benefits?  Will public education foot the bill?  It has been suggested that if our elected representatives were to wear uniforms like the professional race car drivers 86 45, with all their sponsors emblazoned on their backs and sleeves, perhaps we could tell whose interest they really serve.

The waning gibbous moon seen through fog makes fall seem more upon us.  The rapid passage of time is evident as Pete and Bonnie Mullens celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary last week.  They will tell you that the years have flown by like the seasons.  The first frost of the autumn is generally figured to be somewhere between October 11th and 20th in this part of Missouri.  Those house plants that have been enjoying the great out of doors will need to be brought in.  Some gardens are still producing in spite of a lack of rain.  They are about ready to be cleaned up and put to bed for the winter with a nice blanket of manure and leaves.  Spinach and kale might have time to make before it gets too cold, though it has been pointed out by more than one Old Champion that just a little bit of olive oil in your kale makes it easier to scrape off your plate into the compost.  Then there is the firewood.  There is plenty to do.  Figure out what needs to be done next and get busy.  If you feel like you are overworked, go lol away some time in front of your computer at www.championnews.us and see how things have gone on in one of the world’s truly beautiful places over the last decade.  Or come down to the wide, wild, wooly banks of Auld Fox Creek and see for yourself while you chill out for a spell amid pleasant company.  You can consult with your neighbors and compare your progress.  Chances are pretty good that you will be ready for what comes your way in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

Clouds sailing over Champion.

Much will be written about the tragic event in Los Vegas. It touches all of us in some way. Outpourings of love and compassion may be joined by a genuine effort to make this mass shooting be the last one. The 250 Lakota massacred at Wounded Knee are scarcely remembered in history. We hope this, the worst mass shooting since 1890, will be remembered. It will take great minds to find a preventive remedy. Where are those minds? Who are they?

The Douglas County Health Department will have twenty free flu shots to give on a first come, first serve basis at the Skyline School on Friday, October 6th from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Elisabeth is the nurse who is visiting Champion and Skyline these days. She is pleasant and professional and the whole program of the DCHD is a valuable amenity for the area. The area will be full people on Saturday and Sunday for the Pioneer Heritage Festival of the Ozarks. It will be held at Chapel Grove on Highway 14 just west of Bryant Creek. It looks like it is going to be a great event and that the weather will be perfect for it. There will be lots of music, food, and demonstrations of all sorts. Dale and Betty Thomas can attest to the amount of hard work required to make a festival like this happen. This is a new happening and hopes are that it will be as long lasting and successful as the one that inspired it.

Draven Koepke is a 7th grade student at Skyline School. His birthday is on the 9th of October. Madeline Ward was born on October 10th, 2006. The driver of that red 1960-something GTO who sashays through the square with a belt squealing has a birthday on the 11th. Janet Chapin and Evelyn Wood both celebrate on October 12th, which used to be known as Columbus Day. (These days Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October, which makes it October 9th this year. Many people are now celebrating it as Indigenous People’s Day in order to promote an accurate telling of the United States’ history and to commemorate the resilience of its original inhabitants against European settlers.) Cathie Baldwin has her birthday on the 13th. Eva Clark, Jillian Hall, Twyla Friloux and Leslie Krider all celebrate on the 14th. The 15th is for Joe Moskaly and for Skyline 1st grader Keedien Curtis. There was a great picture of Pete and Bonnie Mullens on the internet on Sunday morning. Pete is celebrating his 90th birthday and his friends and family are celebrating him. Birthdays are our chance to acknowledge those special people in our lives though they are special every day of the year. Happy days to all you Champions!

The purpose of Constitution Week, which just passed, (Sept. 17-23) is to emphasize citizens’ responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution and to inform people that it is the basis for America’s great heritage and the foundation of our way of life. The observance also carries encouragement for the study of the historical events which led to its framing in 1787. The late Molly Ivins said, “I’d rather see someone burn the flag and wrap themselves in the Constitution than to burn the Constitution and wrap themselves in the flag.” Dale Earnhardt Jr. quoted John Kennedy saying, “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” Everyone has a right to peacefully protest. (Refer to the history that resulted in the framing of the Constitution.) We are a Nation founded by protesters. It turns out that the football player who started the kneeling during the National Anthem first started just sitting down for it. A well-known rival player, who was also a Veteran of one of our current military conflicts, wrote to him and said that, as a Veteran, he was offended by the guy sitting down during the Anthem. He was polite in his statement and received a polite response which generated a face to face meeting between the two. The upshot of it was that the Veteran told the protester that at a military funeral the flag of the deceased is folded thirteen times and then presented to the next of kin from a kneeling position. He suggested that kneeling was a way for the protester to honor the Veterans and the flag and still exercise his right to bring attention to the injustice of unarmed people routinely being killed by police. Agree or disagree with his protest, but figure that the presidential feud with the NFL most likely goes back to a billion dollar lawsuit which he won back in 1986. He sued for more than a billion, but was only awarded $1.00. By the time the Supreme Court ruled on it a few years later, he had accrued interest that brought the sum up to $3.87. The whole kerfuffle looks like a grudge—a way to punish the NFL—86-45. It seems inappropriate for the ‘leader’ of the Nation to be swearing on television. All of the attention to this matter is a diversionary tactic and takes up a lot of energy that could be spent helping American citizens in dire need and other important issues pertinent to the wellbeing of the people.

The many fall festivals around the country get folks out in the beautiful weather and meeting up with friends and neighbors. Musicians have been having a wonderful time at all the area bluegrass gatherings. It was great to see several of them back at Vanzant Thursday. There are more places for them to go in the weeks ahead, so the home folks will be glad for them to be having fun and glad when they come home. One imagines that the whole country may be steeped in the richness of live local music, though it may not be so. Around these parts we can sing, “The hills are alive with the sound of music….” even if that may not be the genre of choice.

When a few clouds act like they might sail over Champion, some people hang laundry on the line and wash their cars just hoping that the theory of positive and negative jinxing will take hold. We could certainly use some rain. Colorful fall foliage may not be in the offing this year. Fall gardens are suffering for lack of rain though gardeners are out there every morning with the hose. It seems that a tea cup of rain does more good than a gallon of well water. Things could be better here, but no one will complain considering the hardships that weather, fire, and seismic activity have brought to so many Americans and others around the world. We are indeed grateful for our blessings and sympathetic to those suffering hardships. They number in the millions. Come down to the wide, wild, wooly banks of Auld Fox Creek and you will be in one of the world’s most beautiful and fortunate places. “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. It ain’t a gonna rain no more…” but optimists hope that it will soon in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

Champions are hoping for rain.

A long dusty road to the end of Summer.

“And let us not be weary in well doing,” is a favorite scriptural quote of a favorite Champion born and raised here. He moved away for a while but came back and lives 200 yards from where he was born up there on a hill on WW Highway with one of the most lovely views in all of Champion. His admonition is adhered to nicely and is a general characteristic of the area. Ms. Helen Batten writes to say that the Douglas County Health Department is going to come to Skyline School, Tuesday, October 3rd. The nurse will be doing blood pressure and body-mass-index checks, as well as glucose screening. She reminds us that we need to fast before the glucose test. The nurse arrives at Skyline at 8:45 a.m. and is there until 10:45 on the first Tuesday of each month. This time she may also be offering flu shots if they have enough vaccine after their shot clinic of September 22nd. This is one of the many examples of well doing. Others are the wonderful little rural school that is shaping the adults who will be running things one of these days. Skyline teachers, administration, staff (Thank you, Ms. Helen.), and board members put in a lot of hours and thought dedicated to the wellbeing and advancement of our most precious asset–our children. Additionally, the Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department is here to protect our lives and our property. They are the Volunteers who leave their farms and their jobs to use the Jaws of Life to get us out of our car wrecks and to do the wellness checks that we need when we are in need. Of all the things of which to be weary, well doing is not one in Champion.

Someone said that if you act like you are having a good time, pretty soon you will forget that you are acting and will really be having a good time—maybe having a really good time. That has been the message on a card sent to a Prominent Citizen off and on annually for a while. It turns out that he has been having a good time for all that time. Pete Mullins over there in Kansas and Janna Brixie of Skyline School share his birthday as do Skyline 4th grade student, Lydia Harden and prekindergarten student Myson Loveless. They all celebrate on the 1st of October. William Tucker Clark shares his birthday on the 2nd with Mahatma Gandhi. Tucker was born in 2015. Mahatma Gandhi was born in 1869. Tuckers old granddad celebrates on the 4th. The General’s little sisters celebrate on the 4th. That is also the birthday of Skyline 5th grader, Malachi Fulk. Skyline VFD Auxiliary president Betty Dye celebrates on the 7th, as does Vicki Trippe, another civic minded woman doing good work for her community and the Nation. Happy days to all you Champions!

Frank Martin lives in West Plains and shares this poem on the internet. “Weather exceeding all norms/ Appears in unusual forms/ The latest forecast/ First worse than the last/ Shattered scours and stumber throns” Folks who are fortunate to have persimmons growing say that the seeds all have spoons in them. This is portentous of heavy, wet snow. Meanwhile, the wind blew things around in West Plains on Sunday and across the world today floods from hurricanes have taken many lives and the homes of many together with all their possessions. Fires in the West have taken lives and homes and have scorched some of America’s most beautiful landscapes. Neighbors to the south have their world shaken apart over and over again with many still trapped in the rubble. Sarah Cloud lives in Hurricane, Idaho. She writes, “This week I see post after post bashing people who are protesting. I see a POTUS who is fueling the fire. I also see how easily your attention was swayed away from battles for basic needs of fellow Americans in DC and silence about our citizens in Puerto Rico. By all means, get mad over a few professional players, meanwhile some of us are fighting for your rights to medical coverage, tax relief, social security and education. As my child always point out, when government says, ‘Hey! Look over here!’ they are hiding something over there.” Raymond James of Leeton, Missouri writes that enrollment for 2018 Affordable Care Act (ACA/Obamacare) stars November 1st and ends on December 15th. Senator John McCain has a terminal brain cancer and a good attitude. Knowing that this is probably his last term in office, the 81 year old Veteran is free to pursue a legacy of actually representing the best interest of the Nation and its citizens. How encouraging it would be if it did not take the threat of death for our elected officials to do the right thing.

Gardening has proven to be an excellent activity this year. In spite of the recent dry spell, gardens have been wonderfully productive. Skip and Ina from over near West Plains are sharing excellent cucumbers. The seed came from MFA. The cucumbers do not get very big and do not get bitter. One Champion is grateful to friends for their having shared their favorite tomato varieties over the years. Sierra and Bailey’s grand-papa likes ‘Amy.’ It is a small (golf ball size), indeterminate variety with a rich full taste, productive until frost. Louise Hutchison, who won the First Ripe Tomato in Champion Contest in 2008, favored ‘Parks Whoppers.’ Louise won an antique blue fruit jar and two dozen canning jar lids and other prizes for her two baseball size ripe beauties. She just had a birthday on the last day of summer. Linda, who operated The Plant Place in Norwood for many years, likes the variety called ‘Delicious.’ Our Ms. Brooks shared the ‘San Remo.’ They are no longer available, but they were an incredible tomato—a big Egyptian variety. Cathy Odneal advises wisely to plant basil in with tomatoes for good results. There is time yet before the full moon to plant spinach, kale, lettuce and collards. After the moon changes will be a good time to get next year’s garlic in the ground. A few truckloads of organic fertilizer sounds like a good idea at this time of the year.

Carson and Drayson Cline have been in town for a few days. Drayson had his 4th birthday in August and Carson will have his 3rd birthday in October. At the same time he was being born in Cox Hospital, his great grandfather was over in Mercy Hospital getting a hip replacement. They are both doing well until this day. Carson and Drayson have good friends and cousins in the neighborhood. It is a delight to see them growing and learning and playing together. They remind one of Rolf Harris’s song, “Two Little Boys.” It is a sweet story of friendship and love. One says to the other, “When we grow up we’ll both be soldiers/ And our horses will not be toys/ And I wonder if we’ll remember when we were/ Two little boys.” Old sweet songs help take away some of the stress and anxiousness of these tumultuous times. It was a joy to have a favorite fiddler back at the Vanzant Jam. He gazed at the lovely Lena and sang, “I love you just the way you are. I wouldn’t change you if I could.” That is how it is in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

Clever Creek at the end of Summer.

Seth Keller drove Jim and Judy Cantrell’s wagon at the head of the wagon train.

The West Plains Wagon Club and the Gee and Haw Wagon Club of Viola, Arkansas combined to make a wagon train of four for the one hundred mile trip from West Plains to Mansfield. They pulled into Champion on Thursday the 14th a little ahead of schedule and were met by a nice crowd of people who enjoy seeing the teams and wagons. For some it is a novelty and for others it harkens back to the days when that was the way most folks got around. Absent for the second year, the much missed Clifton Luna was spoken of fondly among waggoneers and spectators alike. He was 91 and, for the first time, not quite up for the trip last year. He passed away in October. He was carried to his grave on a mule drawn wagon—just the way he would have wanted with these folks and many others in attendance.

Jim and Judy Cantrell of Norwood were the first ones in the square. Their wagon was driven by young Seth Keller. Judy said he had driven the whole way since they turned off the pavement there at V Highway. Their mules are Long Ears and Patty. Jerry Sanders has a nice driver too–Toni Amison. They are from Norwood and their mules are Sadie and Buttercup. Ken Felts’ mules are Champ and Lady. In years past he and his friend Randal Barnett would double back through Champion afterwards and spend the night on the square on their way back home to Pocahontas, Arkansas. Mr. Barnett has just had back surgery and so was unable to make the trip this year. His Champion friends will be looking for him next time. Harley Wayne Keller drove the wagon of Jerry and Diane Wilbanks all the way from John Webber’s place. Their mules are Kate, RB and Smokey. Diane had good things to say about Harley’s skill and his pleasant demeanor. John Webber said it had been foggy at his place that morning and when he looked out the kitchen window there were mule ears standing up in it—an interesting vision.

They enjoyed a rest stop for lunch and for visiting with the spectators. Among those who came to enjoy the spectacle were Johny Appleseed (he did not say where he was from), Bob Berry of Drury and Mary Goolsby of Gentryville, Butch and Dawn Stone, Arnold Ahlsteadt, Shirley Brixey of Willow Springs, Kaye and Richard Johnston of Licking, Royce and Jody Henson of Springfield, Mark Keller of Drury, John Webber, Sherry Bennett, Lonnie Curtis, Tom Cooley of Mountain Grove, Skip and Ina Downen of West Plains, Alvin Barnhart, Robert Upshaw, Dean Brixey, Fae Krider, Leo Stofer, Jeff Bartsch, Wes Lambert, Dawn Stine, David Richardson and a number of others. Dawn and David brought their instruments and did some nice picking and singing on the wide veranda there on the Historic Emporium. It was a beautiful day for the outing and, as the wagons topped the hill on their way out of town, Champions were already looking forward to next year. It will pass quickly though that leisurely pace of the wagon train tugs at us to slow down and enjoy every passing day here in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

Ken Felts of Pocahontas, Arkansas represented the Gee and Haw Wagon Club.

Harley Wayne Keller drove Jerry and Diane Wilbanks’ three up.

The wagon folks are pleased to show off their teams and outfits for the locals.

 

The Wagon Train draws an audience from far and wide.

 

There was ample time for some good visiting.

 

Jerry Sanders and Toni Amiston on their way out of the Square.

Up and over the hill leaving Champions waiting for next year.

Farewell!

The wagon train’s passing is one of the highlights of the Champion year.  While there were fewer wagons than we have seen in past years, this year was marked by the participation of a couple of young men—Seth Keller and Harley Wayne Keller.  It is encouraging to see this wonderful tradition being carried on.  Clifton Luna’s grandson has the old wagon master’s wagon and mules, but he also has a job.  Ken Felts remarked that this is a sport for retired people.  It is labor intensive, but rewarding.  Champions are zealously affected by this good thing.  Old people want young people to value what they value.  It is the same the world over.  On Sunday 280 horses and 100 pipes and drums completed the Riding of the Marches spectacle in sister-city Edinburgh, Scotland.  Thousands of spectators lined the streets to watch the re-enactment of the return of the Captain of the Trained Band to Edinburgh with the tragic news of defeat at the Battle of Flodden.  That happened in 1513—some tradition.  Morag Edward remarked that this was a good weekend in the city for anyone needing free fertilizer for gardens and allotments.

Donald Krider had his 90th birthday celebrated in a surprise party up in Elmwood, Illinois on Saturday.  They say he had a good time and played his fiddle.  Louise Hutchison, Zoey Rucker and Penelope Zappler all celebrate on the last day of summer—the 21st.  Sandy Chapin will be partying on the 24th.  Dustin Johnson is an 8th grade student at Skyline who has a birthday on the 25th of September.  Sixth grader Whitni Detherage celebrates on the 26th along with Graeme Laird over in Edinburgh.  Over in Tennessee, Cathy Alsup Reilly has a big day on the 27th and Austin’s own Becky Heston celebrates on the 29th as does Vanzant’s Lucile Gayman, who is enjoying her birthday in her own home.  Skyline pre-kindergarten student Melanie Hall has her birthday on the 30th.

Television is not holding much interest for some old Champions these days.  One did happen to pass by the screen the other day when the Governor was descending from a great height in a spotlight via a rope or zip line or something down into a crowded sports stadium with majestic music filling the great space.  And that smile!  We have not had a politician with teeth like that since FDR.  Well, Jimmy Carter had a nice smile, but he was hampered by his genuine nature.  It would seem that this fellow already is imagining himself as POTUS.  He is on the path.  Herman Middleman, who gives his street address as 86 45 Schtupp Ave., but does not say in what city, writes, “The governor was quick to call out the National Guard in a heavily militarized display of force supporting a controversial court decision.  Why such expansive military gear is necessary is a good question.  Even small towns see surplus military equipment augmenting local constabulary.  Any segment of the population could be designated as an adversary.”  Mr. Middleman goes on….and on.  Much is being said these days about the Vietnam War.  The Public Broadcasting Network has begun an 18 hour series on the war on TV.  It will be most interesting to hear how it is received by local Veterans of that conflict and others.  John McCain recently said something to the effect that wars should be a country affair—that the risks of war should be shared equally among all the people.  The sons and daughters of everyone—rich and poor—should be conscripted.  It might be that if the children of the powerful were in jeopardy, there might be more yearning for peace.  He also suggested that we pay for these wars as we go, rather than saddling future generations with the enormous debt.  Right and left wings can agree to keep our mighty bird flying.

This time of the year every week end has some sterling event going on in the area.  The wagon train came to Champion on its way to Wilder Days in Mansfield.  There will be Hootin’ and Hollarin’ in Gainesville next week end and Norwood will have Farmer’s Day on the 30th.  The www.ky3.com folks have a great list of all the fall festivals in the Ozarks.  Another great website is www.heritage417.com  There you will find the full music line up for the Pioneer Heritage Festival of the Ozarks which will be held at Chapel Grove on October 7th and 8th from 10am to 5pm.  It looks like it is going to be a lot of fun.  Organizers say that entries for the Corn Bread Cook-Off should be brought to the chapel building by 11am on Saturday, October 7th.  Embroidery contest entries should be there by noon.  There will also be a period costume contest at 2pm.  Winners in the various categories will be determined by audience approval.  The legacy of the Thomas family and their many years of hosting the Pioneer Descendants’ Gathering has inspired this new festival and hopes are that it will enjoy the wonderful community participation and appreciation that Betty and Dale brought to us.  Check out that website for all the information and if you happen not to have a computer and wish to volunteer to help out with the festival or just to get information call (417) 746-4006.

Monday morning rain is a welcome sight in Champion.  The broad banks of Old Fox Creek shoulder the sweetness of pure county living.  There is a little store at the end of the pavement where country roads meet and where needs can be met for gas, feed, groceries and fellowship with neighbors.  City folks say, “I’ve laid around and played around in this old town too long, summer’s almost gone.  Winter’s coming on.  I’ve laid around and played around in this old town too long and I feel like I’ve got to travel on” to Champion!  Looking on the Bright Side!

A reminder of days gone by–Orville’s barn.

Natural and man-made disasters are much on our minds on September 11, 2017.  It has been 16 years since the attack on the World Trade Center and the United States.  It was a world changing event, though even now there are assessments of that tragic occurrence that do not agree with the official account of the facts.  The natural disasters unfolding now are mind boggling to see with fire on one side and flood on the other.  Television coverage of the storms and fires keep us involved with our neighbors.  Out here in the middle of the country, in the midst of perfect weather–if dry, most everyone is acquainted with someone who is affected by the hurricanes or the fires.  We are reminded that every part of the country is vulnerable to something.  While the power of nature is amazing, it is also amazing to see how well people respond to crises and to each other when the need is great.  There will, of course, be efforts to use these calamities to further political agendas.  It will likely turn out that there will be some entanglement between disaster relief and tax reform with the aim to make it seem as if a person who does not agree with tax cuts for corporations does not support the victims of the storms and fires.  It is sad that so many across the country are suffering and sadder that some think they can manipulate the situation for their own nefarious purposes.  America is full of smart, caring people who will not be hornswoggled.

Champions are full of anticipation for the arrival of the Wagon Train.  The West Plains Wagon Club and the Gee and Haw Club out of Viola, Arkansas gather their wagons together to make their way from West Plains to Mansfield, a journey of one hundred miles.  They generally roll in to Champion about mid-day on the Thursday of their journey.  (That will be this Thursday, September 14th.)  It is always a mystery about how many wagons and outriders there will be and how big the welcoming committee on the broad beautiful banks of Auld Fox Creek will be.  The wagon train folks seem to always welcome people of the community to look over their beautiful animals and their interesting outfits.  It is a great opportunity for young folks to see how things used to be done back before cars and smart phones.  The big difference between now and the old days is that these wagons have rubber tires and not those authentic wheels like Dale Thomas made of wood and steel.  There are also more sophisticated springs than were available on the original wagons.  Some wagons are equipped with solar collectors and radios.  Some of the travelers are more interested in the authenticity of their rigs than others.  For some it is just a matter of getting there and of sharing the experience with like-minded folks.  They always seem to enjoy being in Champion.  David Richardson will be there with his drone for picture taking.  Hopefully he will have a guitar with him for music making.  Several of his friends plan to bring their instruments and everyone is welcome to join in.  Bring your fiddles and banjos and come for the fun.  You can see several of David’s YouTube videos on line at www.championnews.us.  Look over on the right hand side of the page for Champion Videos.  There are lots of pictures there too of previous wagon trains.  There you will find photos of beloved wagon master Clifton Luna, who passed away this last year, and of Ken Felts, Vernon Crow, Jim and Judy Cantrell, Jerry and Diane Wilbanks, Bill Jackson, the Webster family, Jerry Sanders,  Jerry and Bonnie Arnold, Randall Burnet, Coy Stone, Shelby Blades, Ed Janes, Cliff Boyles, Mr. Crawford, Bryn Ulmer, Kenneth McIntosh and others.  Chances are good that not all of these people will be on this wagon train, but there may be someone new among the bunch looking for a Champion adventure.

Eva Henson Phillips writes, “I wish I could have been there.”  She was talking about the recent Champion School Reunion.  “The group all looked so happy to be at the old school.  I’m amazed at the Henson clan and all walking the “Walk of Ages.’  Maybe I can be there in 2018.  Thank you for all the pictures and news for us out-of-towners to enjoy.  Our son, Bill, wants to ‘walk the walk’ with his cousins in 2018.  Our son, Barry, is waiting out the storm Irma in Florida, hoping it doesn’t come inland.  Kenneth and Dawn and family seem to be doing well in Houston.  Keep on the sunny side!”  If the coming year goes by as quickly as the current one has, we will be seeing Eva and her bunch soon.  We will be looking for the good news that all her extended family has weathered the storms well.

Young Ely Young is a prekindergarten student at Skyline School.  His birthday is September 8th.  He shares the day with a great birdwatcher who has the nickname ‘Crayola’ and with the esteemed senator from Vermont.  He is in excellent company.  Native Champion and mother of Kalyssa and Foster, T.J. Wiseman, celebrates on the 13th of September and Frances Sutherland on the 14th.  They both enjoyed the Champion School Reunion and Frances can frequently be seen on the McClurg Jam Facebook page.  She and Wayne are there most every Monday night in the company of J.R. and Janet Johnston and others.  They know how to have a good time.  The 14th is also the birthday of Sophia and Penelope’s dear old dad.  He is an annual visitor to Champion and he also knows how to have a good time.  The same can be said of Elmer Banks wherever he may be.  He and Mountain Grove’s charming Ms. Tigger share the 15th as a birthday.  They probably do not know each other and probably would agree on very little though they both can tell a good story and both have a great sense of humor.  Happy birthday all you Champions—many happy returns.

The dates for the Starvy Creek Fall Bluegrass Festival are advertised as being September 14-16th up in Conway, Missouri, but numbers of local musicians have been up there for days already, camping and jamming the nights away.  They will come home with stories to tell and accumulations of good memories.  Many interesting things happen this time of the year.  Bud Hutchison will soon have another Champion Trail Ride and come October 7 and 8, the first Pioneer Heritage Festival of the Ozarks will take place at Chapel Grove.  It will not be the same as Dale and Betty Thomas’s Pioneer Descendants Gathering which gained great steam over more than a decade down at the Edge of the World, but it will start gathering its own steam and promises to be another great happening for the area.  Dale and Betty were at the Champion School Reunion and said that they are looking forward to the new event.  Meanwhile, on Thursday or on any day, come down to the end of the pavement where country roads meet at the bottom of several beautiful hills to make your own memories.  The country roads are strewn with wild flowers and reminders of days gone by.  You might learn a new song or an old one like:  “Oh! A wild cat attackted [sic] Mammy from the rear, and Pap said, ‘Son, you have no fear.  If he ever tries to crowd her, we’ll be having wild cat chowder!’ and the covered wagon rolled along!  Rolled along, rolled along, and the covered wagon rolled along” to Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

Flower strewn country roads.