Champion News

Bob Clark

Friends of Clarence R. (Bob) Clark applaud the unanimous ruling of the jury in convicting William R. Wolfe Jr. of first-degree murder of their friend on September 21, 2020. The long-awaited trial began on July 22 and concluded midday on the 25th. Guilty on all ten counts. Bob Clark was 84 years old when he was slain by a person he had helped many times over the years. Bob was a genial, good-hearted, interesting person who lived in Brushy Knob for close to fifty years. A friend writes, “Four years waiting, justice served at last. Bob Clark was a seasoned bridge player—a participant in our rotating neighborhood klatch. He was formidable when he played as your opponent and a godsend when he played as your partner. He always knew who had the aces! A kind and generous man, we miss him immensely.” When sentencing happens on October 8h, at 9:00 am, his many friends will have a chance to express to the court the positive part he played in their lives.

One of the great pieces of news coming out of the Ozark Empire Fair happening this week was that our Champion friend, Kaitlyn McConnell, won a blue ribbon for her cornmeal pie. The recipe came from a cookbook produced by the Eddie Mae Herron Center in Pocahontas, Arkansas, one of the many cookbooks Kaitlyn has referenced for her Ozarks Pie Project. She has featured Champion frequently in the nine years she has been posting “Ozarks Alive,” and is always a welcome visitor.

In the old days, school started on the first Monday after Labor Day. It starts earlier these days. Sparky Clark Shannon has been out of school for decades. His birthday is on August 3rd. Right around there somewhere is the big day for an old boy called R.D. and for his good neighbor, Connie’s younger brother. August 5th will be the birthday of Skyline School third grader Genesis Castillo. Caleb Harden is now a Skyline alumnus off to the ninth grade somewhere. His birthday is also on the 5th. Jaxton Harley will have the sixth for this big day. He will be a fifth grader at Skyline. Gina Hollingshad who went to school in Dora then taught third grade there, will have her birthday on the 6th. She is the pretty part of Whetstone which can be seen on stage at 10:00 Friday morning at the Mountain Grove Senior Center. It’s always a great show, followed by a great lunch in the big hall with lots of interesting people. Gina will be celebrated big time at the Vanzant Jam on Thursday. Champions hear good reports of the Ava Senior Center jam too. The barber shop has been a mainstay for musicians for a long time. It is nice to be in a part of the world where music plays such an important role. It is good for us.

The Olympics are another big show this week. Though parts of the opening ceremony seemed to have been widely misinterpreted by many folks here, once it was explained it just became part of the fun with big blue Bacchus. It was a depiction of a raucous party held by the Greeks in Greece where the Olympics started, and not the much-loved Italian painting. Death defying, high flying, scantily clad, dedicated athletes do what seems to be impossible. The work they do to be the best in the world at what they do makes them Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

Wednesday morning’s sudden predawn two-and-a-half-inch rain filled Clever Creek to a rushing torrent.  Spots in Cold Springs Road that had been washed out in a previous one hour long four-inch rain were washed out again only more so.  People traveling by the pavement gathered at the Historic Emporium and had a good visit.  Later in the day the creeks subsided, but by Saturday old Champions headed north to 76 were pleased to have all-wheel drive.  Wolf Pen Hollow was a challenge.  Cowgirl Blaine Denlow lives up that way.  She was busy busting mutton on the weekend.  She has some good gear that kept her from getting hurt, but it made it hard to get up after she hit the ground—hard to move with all that protection.  For a cheering section, she has in her family a couple of dazzling great grandmothers and a host of friends and neighbors.  She will be starting school in just a few weeks.  Summertime is slipping away.  Our wonderful Skyline R-2 School will have an open house on August 15th ahead of the first day of school on August 19th.  Little rural schools are a big part of the history and character of this part of the world.  How lucky we are to have this one.  Eli Johnstone was a kindergarten student last year.  His birthday was July 18th.  Eugene Elliot will be a seventh grader.  He shares his birthday is on July 30 with kindergarten student Rayven Castillo.  Skylines’ music teacher Cheyenne McIntosh will celebrate on July 29th.  We sing the praises of Cheyenne and of music education, the benefits of which are many.

Another great musician, Sharry Lovan just celebrated her birthday on the 21st.  She does a lot of good work with the Heart of the Ozarks Bluegrass Association.  Another great bluegrasser, James Woodrow Orchard, would have celebrated his 88th birthday that day.  Young Wade Day has the 27th for his big day and Reba Bishop will celebrate on the 28th.  Karen Ross had her 55th birthday in Champion some years ago when she was our much-appreciated mail carrier.

Other much-appreciated mail carriers, John and Brittiany made funnel cakes at the Vanzant Picnic.  John was particularly fetching in his fancy apron.  Check the picnic out on your computer at www.championnews.us.  Unfortunately, there are no photos of John in his apron.  The picnic was another epic success.  Eastern Douglas County Volunteer Fire Department volunteers gifted the community with a couple of beautiful evenings full of great music, good food, games, and community fellowship.  About two-thirds of all the fire departments in the Nation are volunteer fire departments.  The EDCVFD and the Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department serve us well.  Thank you.  The Skyline Firehouse is getting closer to finished.  It is a big red building with three big doors next door to the Skyline School.

The good recent rains have made the whole area verdant and lovely.  Gardens are brimming over.  In these turbulent times, with so much of the world suffering, we here have much for which to be thankful.  Felix the Farmer writes in to say he is doing fine and that he hopes our garden is doing good.  He drew pictures of watermelon, corn, tomatoes and carrots.  He has probably already learned how to braid garlic.  One lazy old gardener did not even plant any garlic last fall, figuring to (hoping to) make a trade for some with a friend.  Eavvie Hector Sharrock out in west Texas once said, “We’ve plucked and shelled, peeled and sliced With sweat dripping from our knife.  Our freezer’s full ad so’s our jars.  Not much is left but garden tares.”  The tares are not the weeds that almost jump out of the ground into the hands of grateful gardeners in these unseasonably mild wet days in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side.

2024 Vanzant Picnic

Picnic food has no calories—not the cheeseburgers, the bratwurst, the ice cream or the cobbler. That is one of the special things about the Vanzant Picnic which got off to a splendid start on Friday. Steve Moody does an excellent job as master of ceremonies, acknowledging the support of local merchants and businesses as well as the many volunteers who make this great event happen. The entertainment started with a country band Go West with Ed McCarty from over around Willow Springs doing old cowboy songs like “I’m an old cowhand from the Rio Grande.” The American Legion Post 30 out of Mountain Grove presented the Colors with Dennis Lynch doing a fine job leading the National Anthem. Whetstone took the stage with many of their favorite songs and with Joe Cash who shared “Jambalaya and crawfish pie.”

American Legion Post 30

Go West

Whetstone with Joe Cash

A fleet of side-by-sides ferried people to and from the vast parking area. Saturday’s crowd was enormous. Whetstone started the show, followed by The Finley River Boys, who have been one of the main attractions at this picnic for several years. They had to cut their second set short for a health emergency, so Whetstone stepped up to fill in with some special guests. A new Champion, attending the picnic for the first time, Carissa stirred the crowd with “The Traveling Soldier.” Tom guest-starred with “Cross the Brazos at Waco” and Sherry Bennet gave us “Steel Rails.” Sherry is “…looking up ahead,” lining up musicians for the Pioneer Heritage Festival coming in October. Bluegrass Friends finished the evening’s entertainment with banjo, bass and guitar. That “Dueling Banjos” tune was a big hit. They had special guests too, as two little tikes, somewhere around 4 years old joined them on stage for the ABC song.

Finley River Boys

Gina, Carissa, David, Sherry, and Tom

Bluegrass Friends

Bluegrass Friends with Kids

Interspersed with the music Steve Moody was on stage calling out the names of the many people who won door prizes and the excellent raffle items. All the financial proceeds from the picnic go to support the Eastern Douglas County Volunteer Fire Department. Those volunteers leave their jobs, their supper tables, and their beds in the middle of the night to do what must be done to protect lives and property. In addition to their tools, equipment and fuel, the cost of the required insurance is phenomenal. The picnic was phenomenal and the benefits to the community are precious. While meeting old friends and making new ones, picknickers were blessed with the joy of seeing children scampering about having fun the way they may have had fun many decades ago. The whole picnic is reminiscent of the old days, of the simpler times of our youth. We are grateful for the opportunity to relive some of it like Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

The Fourth of July celebrations were legion with friends and families feasting and enjoying the fun at the creeks, at the parades and fireworks displays. There were solemn serious events as well. It turns out there are more people in the world celebrating freedom from the British Empire than celebrate Christmas! They have just had their election over there in the U.K. The loser was dignified in defeat and the winner was magnanimous in victory saying that politics can be used for the good and country before party. It all sounds so civilized. The cultural wars here seem to have so far prevented many from sitting down to a nice cup of tea with “them,” even though they were all just singing that same song. Not so in Champion where the Wednesday gathering featured sugar cookies, apple pie and ice cream together with good humor and friendship among neighbors with differing views.

After the ball was over, that is to say, when the music stopped, a new band member was one of the two damsels in distress out on the Square. One vehicle seemed to have an issue with a little overheating, which the lady ultimately determined not to be so severe that she could not reach her father’s place which is relatively nearby. The musician’s rig turned out to not need jumper cables after all. The General did not have his with him anyway. The Prominent Champion had his, however, they were ineffective. The Farmer went up the hill and brought down a big tractor to give her little car a mega boost, but that did not work either. It turned out to be mold and rust on some connecting wires which were made viable again with some contact cleaner available at the Historic Emporium. For all their trouble and friendly good efforts, Claire says, “Thank you.”

The Vanzant Picnic has been held in its current location since 1967, according to well-informed sources. It is always a stellar event with great music, games, food, and fellowship with seldom seen friends. It happens this Friday and Saturday, 12th and 13th, starting at six both evenings. Linda and Charlene up in Norwood, next door to the school, will be having another of their awesome indoor sales on those days from early morning until afternoon. Saturday morning will find the Second Saturday Skyline Swap Meet in full swing in the parking lot of the Brushy Knob Church at the corner of Highway 76 and Highway C. Garden produce, eggs, live poultry, puppies and myriad other things make this a great early morning outing. Everyone is welcome to participate. There are no set-up fees. The new Skyline VFD Firehouse right across the road is coming along nicely. One of these days there will probably be a grand opening ceremony. We will look forward to it and to all the lovely summertime stuff going on.

Holiday revelers were grateful that the rain held off for all the festivities and to have our aquifers recharged, while we are mindful of the hardship the hurricane has caused many in its path. Hopes are that the wash-out spots in our lovely country lanes will eventually be repaired and visitors unfamiliar with the perils may be able to return home unscathed…Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

His Champion friends will not only correct Hovey Henson for claiming it was an upturned syrup kettle holding up the porch at the old store, but he will also be given what-for for misspelling Herbert Hutchison’s name on the back of the photo. There is no “en” in it according to one of Herbert’s distant kinfolks. Hovey is such a pleasant and gregarious fellow; he will likely be forgiven.

Skyline student Kayln Watkins had June 12th for her birthday. Hopes are she is having fun this summer. Friends at Vanzant sang that song to Sherry Bennett on Thursday, though her birthday had been earlier in the week. She smiled her sweet smile and sang some sweet songs of her own. An Old Champion, a real curmudgeon, celebrates on July 1st. Beverly Barnhart and Susan Dempsy share the 2nd for their big day. Virginia Canada has ties to Denlow and a birthday on the 5th. The Dali Lama and Janet Burns have their birthdays on July 6th. Walter Darrell Haden lived from July 6, 1931, to October 28, 2014. He was famous for his song “All the Late News from the Courthouse,” which shed humorous, if unwanted, light on Douglas County politics back in his day. Connie’s dad, Robert Brown, is one of the last alumni of the Champion School. He was 79 on the 7th in 2019. A Champion great grandson, Kruz Kutz, also has the 7th for his special day. Jenny Johns lives on her grandparents’ Centennial Farm. The 8th of July is her birthday and the big one for muleskinner William Chaffey. The 9th is for JoAnn Newberry. The ‘Newberry Shuffle” is a frequently heard tune out on the wide veranda. Skyline’s Lily Truillo has July 10th for her summertime birthday party. The 15th is for Blaine Denlow who will be four years old. She is already a mutton buster and can expect to get rodeo gear for her birthday. Blaine shares that day with Ruby Adams, a dazzling individual in dancing shoes.

Dora’s own Gina Hollingshad ushered in the Fourth of July observance with her high, clear voice in the Vanzant Jam circle on Thursday singing, “Oh! Beautiful for spacious skies.” It was a lovely way to start the celebration of events that were set in motion in 1640. It has been 384 years since the Mayflower landed. 248 years ago, we began to celebrate the Fourth of July as our day of Independence from the tyranny of the British. In 1838, Abe Lincoln said, “This task of gratitude to our fathers, justice to ourselves, duty to posterity, and love for our species in general, all imperatively require us faithfully to perform.” Those enjoyable performances at the jam will resume on July 18th. There will be no jam Thursday the 4th or on the 11th, because preparations for the Vanzant Community Picnic on the 12th and 13th will be well underway. This picnic is always a sterling event with music, food, games, raffles, and hobnobbing with old friends and new ones. Chances are good that various candidates for political offices will be in attendance. The test for earning one Champion’s vote up and down the ballot is, “Would he pull you out of a mud hole?”

Wednesday was a red-letter day in Champion. The General’s famed peanut butter ice cream was met with rave reviews. Charlie not only proffered a scrumptious frozen strawberry delight, but she was also one of the instigators of the Champion Pet Parade. A somewhat reluctant forty-pound plus boxer followed her on the parade route through the store. A young Arkansawyer traced the route with a lovely white chicken in arms. Neither the goose nor donkey appeared. Out on the porch, the band played on, joined by a big family of good singers and Kaitlyn McConnell with Mike O’Brien who had popped in to peruse cookbooks and soak up the cultural ambiance. Kaitlyn wrote, “These stops are always meaningful for me; as you sit around the wood stove in winter or on the porch when the sun smiles, you feel like you’re part of another world. I know there are stresses of life in Champion, but they seem a little farther away.”

One of the area’s chief prognosticators says that on the Fourth of July the creeks will all be down. He is not saying they will be dry but that they will be flowing big to overflowing. Saturday night’s thunderstorm dumped about four inches on Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!