Champion News

 

Two bass guitars, ten six stringed guitars, three mandolins, and two banjos plus a couple of vocalists made Vanzant’s Potluck Jam a humdinger on Thursday. On Sunday Vanzant’s entertainment came from beautiful rolls of thunder and a light shower. The thunder was distant, but lovely, in Champion where there were reports of twelve drops, and seven drops by neighbors just to the west. We remember what rain is like and are grateful for even distant thunder to remind us. We are also reminded that until we get some real rain, we need to be extremely cautious about any outside burning.

Even way out in West Texas back in the 1950’s when we heard “The Sugarfoot Rag” we knew it was time for the Ozarks Jubilee, a program we never missed on our brand-new television. It is lovely to hear it again along will all the other tunes Tom Peters shares from the McClurg Jam and the Oldfield Opry. Thanks, Tom! This week we heard that one and “Muleskinner Blues” and “I Saw the Light” from Oldfield. From McClurg we were blessed with “Seamus O’Brien,” “Oklahoma Redbird,” “The Cat Came Back,” “Home Brew Rag,” “Milk Cow Blues,” and “Great Big Taters in Sandy Land.” The potluck goodies, the visiting and all the musical camaraderie do not come through on the internet, but distant Champions are grateful for the virtual windows into the old store on nights filled with music.

“Dry and Dusty” is another great old fiddle tune and it truly speaks to current conditions in these parts. In the old days when the kids were young and there were no air conditioners, some Champions spent a lot more time at the creek than they do now as old folks, cozy and cool watching the electric meter spin. We must appreciate the farmers and merchants, construction workers and laborers of all kinds performing necessary tasks out in the heat. They are keeping the country working. Of course, those ball players, Chiefs, Royals and Cardinals are out there perspiring for glory and for our entertainment. Thanks. Most folks have a cell phone these days and have it with them when they go out. It is also a good idea to have a hat and water in the car or truck and to be sure our shoes are built for walking. Weather prognosticators seem to be saying that the worst of it is almost over. We will believe it when we feel it. Critters are feeling it too. Deer, groundhogs, squirrels and birds and all our local fauna are also at risk. All those cows out there in their fur coats huddle in the shade when they can find it.

Thursday evening had our Champion friend Kaitlyn McConnell up in the Nation’s Capital enjoying a concert at The Library of Congress by the “Creek Rocks,” a musical duo comprised of Mark Bilyeu and Cindy Woolf. They have been studying in the American Folklife Center Archives listening to songs recorded by Ozarkers many years ago. Kaitlyn and Mike O’Brian visited Champion on a Wednesday on their way to lunch at Rockbridge. She told us then that she would be going to D.C. and was only lamenting that the Capital would be militarized while she was there. We look forward to her report on the concert and on the state of the Capital city!

We are also looking forward to a visit by Bobby Emery on his big road grader. One Champion up on the North end of Cold Springs Road says when he hears that machine he will rush out and greet him with a cold beer. A neighbor further to the south on that road has chocolate chip cookies ready for him. We have confidence that if and when he gets here, he will roll those big rocks out of the road and smooth the path to Champion.

All the excitement and hard work getting ready for the start of school is paying off. Students have been busy getting haircuts and new school clothes while teachers and staff have been getting the campus ready for another great year. The Champion School was consolidated into Skyline along with Denlow and a couple of other small schools back in the 1950s. It is one of only two little rural schools left in Douglas County. School days, dear old golden rule days, will surely be some of the conversations going on at the Champion Reunion on Saturday the 30th. It is a potluck luncheon with everyone welcome. Bring a dish and join the fun down at the end of the pavement (the very fancy new pavement with the bright yellow stripes down the middle of it) on the wide, wild, wooly banks of Old Fox Creek in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

The second Saturday Skyline swap meet was the next to the last one, that is to say there will be another one, the last one, on the second Saturday of September, September 8th. This Saturday the Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department had a prominent display of firefighting gear there and added some newcomers to the membership. Dues help cover the expense of operating this vital outfit. Those first responders do not just fight fires, they work car wrecks, floods, any kind of catastrophe as well as health emergencies among the membership. Hopes are that some young folks (a subjective term) among the newcomers to the area will join the diminishing ranks of the aging volunteers. We need you and thank you in advance.

Sunday found old Champions standing out in the heat watching the beautiful billowing clouds, moisture laden and dark in spots, swirling about, listening to the thunder rumbling from all directions, longing for a drop in the temperature and drops of rain. Gardens three miles away may well have been drenched. J.C. Owsley had an inch in his rain gauge up in Cross Timbers. Most likely folks in Ava, Sweden, Norwood, Mountain Grove and Vanzant got a few drops while we parch out here on the Bright Side. Alas. We are reminded that there is no amount of money, oil, or gold that is worth more than having bees, trees, and clean water. Master gardener, herbalist, and master chief Edie Richardson tells us that Lee’s Bees are doing well. It’s about time to harvest and his new hive is thriving. Lee is a luthier as well and has helped our Skyliners with their music making.

Monday at McClurg featured a dozen musicians and twice that many enjoying the music and the community. “Little Liza Jane,” “Rattlesnake,” and “Red Wing,” “ Snowshoes,” “Horse and Buggy-O” and “Treasures Untold” were just some of the great tunes coming out of that little building that help us keep our spirits up. Music is a gift of joy, sweetness, sadness, hope, defiance and tranquility. We especially like the tranquility. Peace is not when everyone agrees. It is when we can respect our disagreements and still play in the sandbox together or play music together. A prominent economist and historian said, “Some things are believed because they are demonstrably true, but many other thigs are believed simply because they have been asserted repeatedly and repetition has been accepted as a substitute for evidence.” Charlie Chaplin said, “You need power only when you want to do something harmful, otherwise love is enough to get everything done.” We love music and music makers. We will also love to see Bobby Emery out this way on his road grader. “Don’t that road look rough and rocky?”

The Back to School Bash at our Skyline R-2 School was a great way to start the week. The first day of school will be on the 19th. Teahna Krider Oglesby is a Skyline alumnus with a birthday on August 22nd. The 23rd is for her nephew Drayson Cline over in Tennessee and for Skyline second grade teacher Carolyn Willhite. Dakota Watts, another Champion grandson, parties on the 24th. Barbara Krider, up in Illinois, shares the 25th with Lauren Collins, a seventh grade Skyline student. The 26th is for Reta Krider, also up in Illinois, and for Seneca Parsons, father of Felix the Farmer. Mia Trujillo, a third grader at Skyline, celebrates on the 27th. The 29th is the big day for seventh grader Brantley Kilgore, second grader Chaseton Shelton and sixth grader Jason Smith as well as for Wes (Bill) Smith and Mini Jo Henson, who lives up in Springfield, but is a Champion at heart. We remember Laine Sutherland on the 30th. Education was important to her. She worked as a curator for several universities and had wonderful stories to tell about her Champion ancestors. Kalyssa Wiseman, Champion granddaughter, and Jenna Brixey, dairy farmer and Norwood High School’s FFA President, share August 31st for their birthdays. We celebrate you all and wish you happy days.

Champions expect a happy day on the 30th. That is the Saturday of the Labor Day Weekend when the old timers and newcomers come together to celebrate Champion. It started as The Champion School Reunion years ago and has recently become The Champion Reunion. It is a potluck luncheon held in the air-conditioned comfort of the Historic Emporium on the north side of the Square. Everyone is welcome in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

Cool mornings in the garden, watching birds and butterflies, get us off to a good start. Cool dry days have been good for farmers and for old Champions, but it is August. These days, August means school. There are lots of fun things coming up at our great Skyline R-2 School. August 11th the ‘Back to School Bash’ will be going on from 4 to 6 pm. ‘Open Enrollment’ will be from 9am to 3 pm on August 13th. ‘Open House’ will happen the next day from 5 to 7 pm. Summer has been wonderful, but at least one young Champion has said she is ready to get back to school to be with all her friends. Kindergarten teacher Sarah Goss will celebrate her birthday on August 13th. (That is a day we celebrate Dean Upshaw. He enjoys a good song.) Morgan Johnson was in the eighth grade at Skyline last year. His birthday is on the 14th. Skyliner Lee Borders celebrates on the 16th. School days and birthdays are days to be remembered.

Remembering the old days, we miss Cletus Upshaw because he knew the deep story behind everything around these parts. He has kinfolks with good memories. We relish those afternoons here on the north side of the Champion Square when The General and others harken back. We are grateful to the Douglas County Museum and Historical Society for all they do to keep us grounded in the past. They have an Open House coming up on August 16th that will be a chance to tour the twelve rooms of the museum again and to support that important institution. ‘Dora Historian Ozarks’ is a Facebook page that often shares photos and stories of the far eastern part of the county. Our friend Kaitlyn McConnell with Ozarks Alive shines a light on Champion and interesting places all over the country. Ozarks Watch Magazine on public television gives us a deep look into the history of the Ozarks with a particular emphasis on the music. Tom Peters over in McClurg is helping to keep old music alive in a spot that has been doing that for many years. The Douglas County Herald, even in its current diminished form, is still sharing things from 125 years ago. A famous man said, “There are people in every time and every land who want to stop history in its tracks. They fear the future, mistrust the present and invoke the security of a comfortable past, which in fact, never existed.” Another famous fellow said, “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” This quote highlights how those in power can manipulate historical narratives to maintain their control over society and shape future actions. By controlling what information is available and how it is interpreted they can influence public perception and behavior. Mother said, “Behave! Act like you have good sense.” We try and hope. Another guy said, “Education is learning how to spot the signs of history repeating itself.” Hopes are we will repeat the good and the neighborly parts.

Our friend Johnny Burkdoll visited again in Champion on Wednesday. He has a big job taking care of several hundred miles of rough country roads on this big end of the county. We have fewer people out this way and many more miles of county roads. He says Bobby Emery will be in this neighborhood soon. We will be glad to see him on his big machine and glad to have some smooth sailing down our lovely country lanes.

A large and spreading damp spot emanating from the front left side of an old ugly truck parked under a giant oak tree was visible only because the gravel there was so dry. Good fortune comes in the form of good neighbors, knowledgeable good neighbors, willing and able good neighbors. They diagnosed the problem, a loose radiator plug, and set about to reseat it and to top off the radiator with antifreeze and water. Chances are very good that without their help the old truck would not have made it the mile and a half home without something catastrophic happening. Those guys know who they are—Champions! —Looking on the Bright Side!

 

 

Significant warm Wednesday weather had the Sometimes Porch Band jamming inside the Historic Emporium where the air conditioning cooled. School girls joined The General in a sweet rendition of “I Saw the Master This Morning when he came down to wake up the world.” Once a city girl, now a country girl, young Olyvia recently moved into the stone house up on lovely Valery Lane. Olyvia sang along sweetly on “Itzy Bitsy Spider” and “Twinkle Twinkle.” She will be in the first grade at Skyline this year and is looking forward to making friends.

Kaitlyn McConnell’s blue-ribbon winning pie at the Ozark Empire Fair was a raisin and black walnut pie. She said the recipe “comes from Champion, Missouri, that little hamlet in Douglas County about which I often share and is close to my heart. I found this recipe while looking through cookbooks on the porch of the community’s rural store. It was shared by Vergie Smith for that cookbook, which was published by the nearby Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department in the 1980s.” Her Champion friends are looking forward to the release of her own pie ‘cookbook and diary.’ We can tune in to KSMU at 7:30 am on August 13th to hear her “Notable MO-ments” where she tells stories about this part of the world. The program is on every second Wednesday morning of the month. We mark it on our calendars.

Head, Heart, Hands and Health are the 4 Hs that the club celebrates. Teri Woods Walden said, “Each year the Up ‘n At It 4-H Club has a rural picnic/festival fundraiser which has been held for the past 70 years, once a year. There are no towns anywhere close to this picnic, just lots of fields, cows, a few churches and cemeteries. For a small square in a field, it has contained much history for us. My great grandma was crowned picnic queen there. My mom twirled her baton on stage. My dad first asked my mom out on the south side edge of the light there.” It is a valued annual family affair for many local families going back generations every year on the last full weekend in July.

August 1st has us remembering Elitta January on her birthday. We miss her around the bridge table and in all the good works she was a part of. Champion grandson Seamus Heffern celebrates on the 2nd and Clark Shannon (Sparky) was 66 on August 3rd, 2018. Skyline student Genesis Castillo has a birthday on the 5th and Skyliner Jaxton Harley will share his birthday on the 6th with LaVonne Carter who will be celebrated that day in the Ava Place. Dora’s own Gina Hollingshad will also have her party on the 6th, but most likely the Vanzant bunch will sing to her on the 7th at the jam. Roger Wiseman will enjoy the 8th, and Lynette Cantrell will have the 9th for her big day. She jams with her mandolin and friends out on the Mountain Grove square on Monday evenings.

Tom shared some great tunes made by the 13 musicians at the McClurg jam. “Wolves a-Howlin” at a “Flock of Birds” and “That’s Earl” headed to “Home Sweet Home” on a “Flop Eared Mule.” Tom said the potluck is lovely this time of the year with all the fresh garden produce. Good food and good music go together in a good community. Thanks, Tom.

Someone on the Savannah Banana baseball team said, “You miss every shot you don’t take.” An old Scottish Proverb: “Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead.” In stressful times, or any time, it serves us well to think of all the things that make us happy, all the things that inspire gratitude. We find happiness in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

On January 17th, someone posted a picture of Andrew Harden on the internet. He was standing on a bass boat out in a lake with a big fish in his right hand and a big smile on his face. It was the occasion of his 44th birthday. We see him in Champion every once in a while, in the spring and fall heading up the Bud Hutchison Memorial Trail Rides. Otherwise, he is a busy farmer and family man. He shares his birthday with Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai, another productive member of society with a great smile.

Champion Cowgirl Blaine Woods is accumulating blue ribbons. At the Hartville Saddle Club recently she competed in Western Pleasure, figure eight cow horse, barrels and flags and came home with ribbons for each event. As time goes by she will have to come up with some way to preserve all those awards, maybe in a bunch of scrapbooks or in a trunk. She might make a big beautiful blue quilt out of them someday. Meanwhile, she has a brand new cousin named after her great grandfather–Wilder Norris Woods. Congratulations!

“Come on down!” That is what Bob Barker used to say on TV. Tom says it on the internet talking about the weekly McClurg Music Jam. This Monday he said the air conditioner was on in the store, the custard was cooling in the fridge, and the pot roast was going in the oven. It is a potluck dinner at 6:30, then the music starts, good old time mountain music, from 7:00 to 9:00. Old folks at home enjoying this jam on the internet are so pleased to see so many young musicians participating with old tunes like Westphalia Waltz. They carry on an important tradition as they prepare themselves for success in whatever field they choose. It has been proven that early music training aids students in all their studies. Besides, we need the richness of the past to carry us through to a meaningful future.

Gardeners spend time out on the wide veranda discussing tomato problems and potato successes. Some of those early hailstorms and all the wet weather had some of them starting over, but some of them missed the worst part and are being pleased with the harvest. One complains that the seeds sold as ‘dwarf’ French marigolds are outgrowing the plants they were planted to protect. Every year is different. The few dry hot days in a row may help farmers get the rest of their hay in. As the countryside hums with the sounds of big machinery, we cannot but feel grateful for the hard work and perseverance of our dedicated agrarian neighbors. Folks out on Cold Springs Road would like to hear the humming of a road grader every now and then. “Don’t that road look rough and rocky?” Yep.

An aged previous president and peanut farmer said, “What are the things that you can’t see that are important? I would say justice, truth, humility, service, compassion, love. You can’t see any of those, but they’re the guiding lights of life.” Other things we heard this week were “my prejudices are better than your prejudices” and “Ignorance is the handmaiden of tyranny.” Buddhists say, “The greatest skill you can develop is the ability to stay in a good mood, even when there’s nothing to feel good about.” Most generally we can find something to feel good about like birds and butterflies in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

Birthday celebrations began early for Cowgirl Champion Blaine Woods with candy and presents and money. She was partying at the store on Saturday before heading off to the Ava Saddle Club to run barrels and flags. Her birthday occurs on Tuesday, the 15th. Her Champion friends think someday she may make a king size quilt out of her many blue ribbons. The 15th is Ruby Adams’ birthday too. She may well start in McClurg on Monday and carry her party all the way to Vanzant. She has tap shoes and a winning smile. She says that there is to be a benefit for Gene Dewitt on Sunday July 20th at 2pm at the Raymondville Community Building. There will be dinner and an auction. Proceeds will go toward cancer treatment and travel expenses. Ruby says to contact Brandy Mohrman to donate or to drop off items at the Raymondville Village Hall.

Skyliner Eli Johnstone’s birthday is on the 18th. He will be in the third grade when school starts. Ethan Alexander and Zac Heffern are kinfolks with birthdays on the same day, the 19th. That is the big day for Sharry Lovan who was out at the Vanzant Picnic Friday with Stringed Union filling the evening with her beautiful voice. John Webber might have coffee with the Junction Crowd on the 25th. Wade Day may be off on a trip on his birthday on the 27th. Reba Bishop might make it down to Champion sometime around her birthday on the 28th. Karen Ross and Cheyenne McIntosh share the 29th. Karen carries the mail. She was our Rt 72 carrier for a while and was as much appreciated then as Brittany is now. Cheyenne is a great photographer and a talented musician. She teaches music at our great Skyline School. Rayven Castillo, who will be in the second grade at Skyline, celebrates her birthday on the 30th. Happy birthday to all of you and many happy returns.

We remember Woody Guthrie on July 14th. He was born in 1912 and a great deal of the music he wrote and sang could have been written about the times we are living in today.

Tom tells us that Monday had eleven musicians among the 36 people enjoying a lovely summer evening at McClurg. They started off with “You Are My Sunshine” and went on to “Soldiers’ Joy,” the “Carroll County Blues,” and many others. Tom also tells us of a new evening jam sessions Friday evenings in Brownbranch at Beaver Creek Campground. He says there is good music and delicious food in a nice setting with good folks.

Eddie ate dynamite. Good bye Eddie. That is guitar wisdom from a young Arkansawyer who was helping a Champion learn guitar tuning—EADGBE. There is always something to learn. Someone asked what the difference was between ignorance and apathy. The response was, “I don’t know, and I don’t care.”

The 59th annual Vanzant Community Picnic with all its music, food, and fun was the product of a lot of hard work by a lot of good, dedicated people. The Eastern Douglas County Volunteer Fire Department, firefighters from other departments and community members join to make it one of the stellar events of the summer season. A survey went around asking how many years people had attended, what they liked best about it, what they might like to see happen again and if they would consider helping to plan the 60th picnic next year. Hopefully communities all around the country are coming together like this to support good works. Many in our country and around the world are struggling and suffering for many reasons. Optimism comes with the acceptance of those struggles and the trust that there is still light ahead. This year our picnic was dedicated to Beverly Emery who was a beacon of positivity, a real Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

On Monday evening dancers were cutting a rug in McClurg. Tom has shared some great videos of the music with tunes like “Sally Gooden” and “Sourwood Mountain” and other old standards. When he is not eating watermelon, he is making a good archive of the local good stuff. Old folks who seldom get out after dark are grateful that he takes the time to share the evening on-line with them. Thanks.

Young Watson and his brother Grayson had their first introduction to The Champion Store on July 2nd. Their grandparents, Regina and Terry Hopper, figure it is an important part of their education. They live up in Norwood but have old Champion connections and like to visit the ancient stomping grounds. Charlene Dooms and Wilma Hamby were on a similar venture that day. They had driven up Cold Springs Road past the place where Goldie Dooms, Charlene’s mother, had lived and then up past Wilma’s folks’ place, Ruth and Orville Hicks. Orville’s old barn is still standing but just barely. Wilma says her brother Punk is living out in Oregon in a good situation and appears happy and is still singing. He was part of the legendary trio of yore when he and Harley Krider and Larry Wrinkles lifted their voices in sweet harmonies to charm even Champion birds. Champion seems to linger in the hearts and good memories of people with any amount history here.

Beverly Coffman Emery

The General plied the ladies and his Prominent cousin with his legendary homemade peanut butter ice cream. The cousin had his plans to get to town for baler parts delayed by the ice cream and the reminiscing with Charlene and Wilma. Young Fox Creek Farmers got in on the unusual frozen concoction and much enjoyed it. After building fences since early morning, they were ready for a break and a treat. They had stories to tell about their trip to Leadville, Colorado.

Few attended the old Tree Huggers Jamboree down at the Millpond this year, but it was nevertheless a sweet reunion with bratwurst, banana pudding, reminiscing and speculation about the future. Reshaped by recent flooding, the beautiful place still had room for multiple family and friends gatherings. Eloise Curry is new to the neighborhood. Her family moved here from Oklahoma City a few weeks ago. She is getting ready to have her second birthday and her big brother Eli will help her celebrate. They had a good time playing in the water and making new friends. Down by the rippling water an old friend shared a phrase she had learned from another old friend: YOLO! It needs to be said emphatically. It means You Only Live Once!

The excitement of the 4th of July celebrations has been tempered significantly by tragic events across the whole country. The terrible fireworks incidents, gun violence, democracy’s peril, and the catastrophic events in central Texas have given everyone pause. We know the incredible power of water and are grateful for our own first responders who have rescued vulnerable campers there at Veracruz in recent weeks. We will hope for the safety of all those working in recovery efforts everywhere.

On a day that was already sad for so many reasons, friends have learned of the passing of Beverly Coffman Emery. She had a hand in all the good works around her community and did it all with grace and courage and with the wonderful smile and laughter that will stay with us. Her kindness, her style and flair for fun and her great gift for spreading it around will always be remembered. The Vanzant Picnic will not be the same without her. It is happening this Friday and Saturday evenings. Her place for years has been at the table selling raffle tickets, greeting everyone, signing them up for the free drawings and getting the party started. She would want us to have extra fun for her. Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!