July 26, 2010
CHAMPION—July 26, 2010
Champions find themselves curious beyond good decorum when it comes to the construction of the replica of the Historic Emporium on the North side of the Square. The great nephew of the builder of the original emporium is in charge of this building and is representing his family trade well. Sunday found the four walls up all the way to the top plate and a stack of trusses blocking the West entry to the Square. Windows and doors are framed in and the overall configuration is beginning to take shape in the imaginations of happy Champions who see that change is a positive thing. It is clear that the tenor of the place will not have changed. The Bright Side will still be in clear view. It is Champion.
The 29th through the 31st will all be good days to plant root crops for the fall according the Linda’s Almanacs from over at the Plant Place in Norwood. The turnips and beets can go in now as well as another bunch of radishes and some lettuce and greens. Champions are lucky to have such a good growing season. Last frost is typically considered to be May 10th, but it has been earlier in recent years. The first one of the Season can come as early as the end of September, but is frequently weeks later. A little planning can have food coming in out of the garden for much of the year. Linda has started the Cole crops and in a few weeks the fall cabbage and broccoli plants will be ready to set out in the garden. The Plant Place will be closed for the month of August while some remodeling happens there, but the doors will open again just at the right time. “They” say that if you see a pretty garden there is generally someone in it.
The political candidates are out in full force campaigning and a-politickin. The ladies of the Skyline Auxiliary are laying in wait for them to come knocking. Since the summer fundraiser for the fire department comes after the election, chances for the candidates to tangibly exhibit their support for the community are few and needs must be aggressively addressed. While there are certainly some beautiful babies in the neighborhood to be kissed, of more service is the purchase of big blocks of quilt tickets. This year’s quilt is called Stripes and Scraps and it is just stunning. Esther Wrinkles pieced the quilt and it has her mark of excellent craftsmanship and her good eye for color all over it. Political candidate, Mary Lou Sallee, in years passed purchased the winning ticket for the Picnic Quilt. Last year the presiding commissioner bought the winning ticket for the free power that Jeff Pardeck from over at the White River Valley Electric Cooperative awards the fire department every year. Some old Champions are thinking that their electric bill will be pretty high this month on account of the air conditioning and a hundred dollars worth of free power will be worth the dollar it takes for a ticket. The real winning ticket is the chance to be of help to the fire department. The July Mascot Monkey of the Month finally made it to Henson’s Store in Downtown Champion. It is a real cutie with patriotic attire suitable for the month of July. The Picnic Society sponsors this monthly silent auction to assist the fire department in making its big truck payment. The bidding ends at 5 p.m. on the last day of the month. There will surely be some good pictures on the www.championnews.us website of the lucky winner holding the patriotic monkey. Just now that quilt is up on the Neighborhood Events page and it is dazzling!
Summertime finds people coming and going in Champion. Visiting double-cousins have brought some fun with them from Texas and Champions took some real fun with them to Tennessee. Foster and Kalyssa were glad to see their Grammy home again and to see lots of visitors from Tennessee in Champion. There has been a young people’s meeting going on over in Marshfield and Champion has benefited from the proximity. Louise and Wilburn Hutchison have been entertaining two of Louise’s brothers from Iowa and her sister and brother in law from Oklahoma. It is pretty well figured that some serious cooking and eating has been going on in the general area. It seems that the General has been laying low for a while, however and the mischief quotient is on the low side as a result. Things will all be getting back to normal soon…whatever that may be. The picnics and summer gatherings are what Champions think about during the wet cold months of the year. There is to be a three on three benefit tournament for Sharon and Buzz woods on Saturday the 7th of August at the Skyline School. They lost their beautiful home to a fire recently and it will be a great opportunity for the community to lend a helping hand. These folks have been wonderful supporters of the Skyline VFD for years, and of the Skyline School and every community organization and cause. “What goes around comes around,” they say, and so Sharon and Buzz can look for a lot of help to come around, delivered up with much affection and genuine good humor.
Sarah Bettens is a singer from Belgium. She sings “The Soldier Song” that says, “Mother, I’m fine, everything’s ok. It doesn’t help to miss me anyway. I’ll be in your heart you know and you will be so proud to know I was strong, I didn’t let you down.” The story of the song is the story of soldiers serving today. They tell their Mothers they are fine, but Mothers know they are not. They will be needing some comforting and some understanding when they get home. Those serving in and out of uniform have the Love and Gratitude of their Nation and they will need it just like they need a Mother’s love.
Sing your own sweet or sad song out in the Loafing Shed in Historic Downtown Champion. Tell some stories of the old days to whoever is there to hear them or send those old yarns to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717 or to Champion News. There are changes going on in Champion but big chunks of the past will tenaciously hold on and before long the old and the new will be indistinguishable from each other. It will take a little time, but shoot! Champions have plenty of that going way back and stretching way out into the future. It’s Champion…Looking on the Bright Side!
