March 28, 2016
CHAMPION—March 28, 2016
Off the pavement—headed home.
Old people have a wonderful advantage in life. We can close our eyes and wait a few moments, taking a few deep breaths, and open them again on a whole new perspective. The ability to see life happening through the eyes of others is a gift. It comes with experience and is called empathy. Young Champion grandchildren are experiencing the fading of a dear grandmother, maybe some of their first experiences into sadness. Oklahoma fathers are re-blossoming themselves as they watch sons bloom. Suffering siblings are endeavoring to persevere. Texas sons and wives and grand-girls, nieces and great nieces and nephews are growing, thriving, striving and succeeding in their exciting eclectic lives. Dear family in the Valley is keeping connected with reverence for the old folks, keeping their memories alive and pursuing the good lives the old folks hoped for us. An epic journey ends with an appreciation for home that has far outshone all previous homecoming appreciations. It is a Spring!—a Champion exaltation.
The first week of April is always an exciting time of the year. Skyline’s first grader, J.P Rhodes, will start the month off with a birthday celebration on the first. Bud Hutchinson’s birthday is on the eighth of the month. His friends here are always interested to know about his trail rides to come and stories of trail rides past. It was reported in the Ozark County Times that Mr. Clifton Luna had recently celebrated his 91st birthday. His Champion friends will be waiting for the wagon train to roll into town this fall—gala festivities are in the planning. Meanwhile those wishing to send greetings to the Wagon Master can address them–2512 County Road 192, Dora, MO 65637. Bud has an invitation to come home to party any day of the week and if he brings Wilma the fun will be assured. The most reliable stringer from the Goose Nibble Gazette informs that last Wednesday’s Salon was unusually well attended perhaps due to a couple of no-shows. The meeting is fluid. How many conversations can be going on at once? It was reported to have been a cacophony.
Out in Oklahoma the redbuds and some of the dogwoods are already full blown. It is beautiful to see. That is a pretty part of the country and driving through the Seminole Nation brings to mind Will Rodgers who was a great humanitarian with Native blood and heart. He said, “The money was all appropriated for the top in the hopes that it would trickle down to the needy. Mr. Hoover didn’t know that money trickled up. Give it to the people at the bottom and the people at the top will have it before night, anyhow. But it will at least have passed through the poor fellow’s hands.” Another adventurer, Carl Sagan, said, “We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers.” Following that thought, though much beforehand, George Orwell said, “In war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred comes invariably from people who are not fighting.” From “The Lakota Way” comes the statement: “When choosing a leader, we always kept in mind that humility provides clarity where arrogance makes a cloud. The last thing we wanted was to be led by someone whose judgement and actions were clouded by arrogance.”
Champion hyacinths
The internet is an innovation that has altered the nature of information available to anyone who cares to navigate it. For example, there is currently a petition being circulated in Missouri called “Stop Rex.” This refers to Rex Sinquefield whom Wikipedia describes as an American financial executive, active in Missouri politics. He is a major funder of ALEC, which readers of TCN know to be the American Legislative Exchange Council which crafts the wording of state legislation to benefit private and corporate interests. He supports an end to the income tax in Missouri and supported the group Kansans for No Income Tax which helped Governor Sam Brownback lower the state income tax significantly. As a result, according to Wikipedia, Kansas had a 50 million dollar deficit and sales tax was raised, affecting disproportionately the poor. While Champions do not, on the whole, consider themselves poor, old folks on fixed incomes spend their money on food and fuel, well taxed already. Moreover his taxation proposals would necessitate cuts in the state’s provision of services many people take for granted as part of living in a modern, civil society: public education, public libraries, and other public goods. That being said, the election on Tuesday the 5th of April contains the provision that the Board of Education of the Skyline RII School District shall raise the operating tax levy by $.58 per hundred dollars of property evaluation. That will bring the overall levy up to $3.43, which will then qualify the school for much needed matching funds from the State, unless Mr. Siquefield and his cronies can somehow pervert things to redirect or eliminate those matching funds. To be fair, Wikipedia entries about his philanthropy and the scandals surrounding him take up about the same amount of cyber space. There are good people running for two spots on the Skyline School Board and, with a small levy, there is an opportunity to make a difference in the survivability of the wonderful little rural school that ties the community together so well. Vote April 5th.
The GNG (Goose Nibble Gazette) stringer reports that there was a family from Coal Valley, Illinois at the Thursday night jam–Ollen and Sue Stephens. Ollen is a cousin of Junior Firrell, Joy Ann Coonts Firrell’s husband. The reporter indicated that they did not play or sing but that Ollen had with him a four pound banjo mute on a short handle. It was an antique mallet shaped device not unlike one with which a certain Lady of Vanzant would like to address a local accordion. Music does have great healing and comforting properties depending upon a great number of factors. Send any music, poetry or prose of an up-lifting nature to The Champion News, Rt. 72 Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717. Go to www.championnews.us for the unedited versions of TCN going back a decade. There are photographs there that show “…a land that is fairer than day, and by faith we can see it afar…” Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!
