Champion News

 

Autumn has arrived right on schedule. Sudden hard rains Sunday evening washed the dust off our lush green spring growth. Persimmons are about to ripen and walnut trees that have not borne fruit in years are heavy-laden and breaking limbs. Squirrels are busy gathering those ankle breakers and the Hammons people will be buying them starting October 7th. Meanwhile, deer will be feasting on the persimmons that Grannie did not pick to make a nice green persimmon pie for some unsuspecting newcomer.

Not all the 500 students attending The Future Farmers of America Greenhand Leadership Conference on Tuesday were in the Mountain Grove Pharmacy that afternoon eating ice cream, but it was standing room only. A sea of smiles and blue jackets. There were 27 chapters of the FFA represented and many of them were in the drug store. It is heartening to see the young people who are getting ready to feed the country before long. Thank you in advance!

The brand-new Skyline Firehouse got its start back in 2020 with a grant from the Central Ozarks Council of Governments and a Community Development Block Grant from the Feds and HUD. There is to be an Open House celebrating its completion starting at 4:00 p.m. Saturday the 28th. It is a big red beauty. The Skyline VFD has long needed this upgrade, and hopes are the facility will encourage new volunteers. All our first responder volunteer firefighters have worked to make this happen and have worked protecting our lives and property, some of them for decades. Thank you for your dedication and service, and Party On! Many remember all the years of the pre-pandemic Skyline Picnics. The new firehose sits about where the old bingo parlor stood. In its last years, it barely stood, but those games—bingo, ring toss, dime toss, silent auction, duck pond, archery, bounce house, cake walk, etc. made for great community fun. The cook shack was legendary for the good food and there was always topnotch entertainment down on the stage. Local merchants were generous with donations for door prizes. The picnic was much more than a fund raiser for the VFD, it was a community gathering where seldom seen friends could reunite and catch up. The stage and cook shack are still there. We will see what happens in years to come.

We remember the old days of Dale and Betty Thomas down at ‘the end of the world’ in Yates with the Pioneer Descendant’s Gathering. Those were some good times. We are enjoying more good times with the 7th annual Pioneer Heritage Festival of the Ozarks on October 4th and 5th. Sherry Bennett does an outstanding job of rounding up young musicians for the Youth Talent Show. She is right in the middle of music all over the place and is much appreciated for her efforts. Just the other night when the sheriff was struggling his way through “The Folsom Prison Blues” at the Vanzant Jam, she came to the rescue with the lyrics on her tablet. The sheriff and the road commissioner stopped in to explain the Local Use Tax that will appear on the November ballot. It’s not an additional tax, but an accounting issue that will return to Douglas County a portion of the sales taxes paid on internet purchases and Wal-Mart pickup. That money will come back to Douglas County from the state to be allocated to the general revenue fund, the county road departments and the sheriff’s office.

This is an exciting time of the year with so much going on. Baker Creek folks over by Mansfield invite you to celebrate the harvest and autumn at their farm and pioneer Village on October 6th and 7th. This has grown into an enormous event during recent years.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers in each age division of the 5K Run and Walk at Skyline School on Saturday, October 5th. Free registration starts at 8, and the race starts at 9. All ages are welcome, including great-grandmothers of Skyline students. On October 1st, sixth grader Myson Loveless shares his birthday with the Prominent Champion who is annually reminded: “If you act like you are having a good time, soon you will forget you are acting, and you will really be having a good time!” That is also the big day for Champion Jana Brixey and the day we remember Pete Mullens. Mahatma Gandhi was born October 2, 1869. William Tucker Clark was born on that day in 2015. His grandpa Gary will celebrate on the 3rd as will fifth grader Evan Homer. The 4th of October is the special day for sisters Karen Fae Upshaw Krider and Linda Kaye Upshaw Johnston, special Champions. President Jimmy Carter was born October 1st, 1924. He is about to be 100 years old. He and Rosalynn were married for more than 77 years.

Bud Hutchison’s Memorial Trail ride will take out of Champion on Wednesday, October 9th. Riders who never had the chance to meet Bud will hear the great stories about him that go way back. Lots of ice cream will be enjoyed and epic yarns will be spun on the wide veranda of the Historic Emporium at the end of the trail in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

The fall festival season is officially open according to “Ozarks Alive!” All kinds of things are going on. The Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival has happened and the HOBA festival will start in West Plains on the 26th. Studebaker Bob Berry won a trophy at the Southern Cruisers Car Show on Saturday, reported by and photographed by Mary Goolsby who has a Studebaker of her own, a top-of-the-line 1963 Lark. The Mountain Grove square was full of beautifully restored classics and a few old rust buckets, all with their hoods up and many with old guys standing around pointing at points of interest, harkening back to their own experiences with various vintage rigs.

Bob and Mary are frequent attendees at Thursday’s Vanzant Jam where there will be only one more such gathering this month. The 40th Annual Fall Bluegrass Festival will start in West Plains on Thursday the 26th, so the Vanzant Jam will pick up again on October 3rd. Several of the regular Vanzant musicians will be featured on stage there, and many of the regular pot-luck attendees will be in the audience at the HOBA (Heart of the Ozarks Bluegrass Association) Park at 900 Bluegrass Lane on the south side of town. There will be toe tapping and pleasant reunions among bluegrass friends and fans.

The America’s Cup parking lot “Helping the Heroes” benefit for Hero’s Rest was lively with some booming gospel music and good food. Maybe all over the country neighborhoods step up to support their local good causes like Champions—like good citizens, good neighbors. Spokesperson Carissa Rene reports: “Another successful Helping the Hero’s event is in the books! The second annual Helping the Hero’s fundraiser was held last Saturday at The American Cup. Once again, numerous businesses sponsored prizes and locals bought raffle tickets to support Hero’s Rest and honor first responders and veterans. New this year was an opening prayer from Pastor Terry Ramming, live gospel music by The Batchelor Family, and BBQ by Sheriff Sonny Byerly! Together, $3,803 was raised for Hero’s Rest! We are grateful for each and every one of you who bought tickets, donated, and volunteered to put on this event. A huge thank you to Dennis Martin for organizing this event two years in a row and also to Pam Martin for coming out to serve up the delicious BBQ’s”

September 16th has Mexico celebrating independence from Spain since 1810. The 17th is September’s full Harvest Moon. We remember Louise Hutchison on her birthday on the 21st. Champion granddaughter Zoey Louise and great niece Penelope were both born on Louise’s birthday. The 22nd marks astronomical autumn—the autumnal equinox. “Searching for Booger County” author Sandy Chapin has the 24th for his big day. Graeme Laird over in Edinburgh will enjoy a pint on the 26th. Cathy Reilly will party on the 26th and we remember Lucile Gayman on the 29th. The 29th is the big day for Becky Heston down in Austin, Texas and for Skyline sixth grader Melanie Hall. Prekindergartner Jaxson McIntosh will celebrate his birthday on the 30th. Happy Birthday to all of you.

Cathy Alsup Reilly was able to correct The General, saying that it was Mike Reilly and not Mickey who had stated that hummingbirds leave these parts on September 15th. The General said, “At 0712 this morning 23 hummingbirds bid farewell to the Vanzant metropolis and, flying in V formation, circled the city and flew off in a southwesterly direction. The rear guard of five departed precisely 47 seconds later. If I deciphered their flight plans correctly, their eta at Del Rio, TX will be around midnight on 19 Sep.” Cathy said, “Our hummingbirds are still here and if they are like past years, they will still be around a few more days. Even though I have placed a calendar out for them apparently these KY hummingbirds can’t read. They’ll probably even fly north when they do.”

Playing sports, like playing music, has long-term, far-reaching benefits for young people. Local Bears, Panthers, Pirates, Lions, Tigers and Eagles are finding themselves in the papers. Scrapbooks are being filled with the heroic exploits of our local athletes. There is no glory in defeating a weak opponent. Certainly, the first two games of the Kansas City Chiefs have been very close exciting competitions. Heart rates increased dramatically among some who struggled to stay in their chairs during the recent mêlée with the Bengals broadcast on their televisions. They will be tuned in to NBC at 7:20 PM on Sunday the 22nd to see how they do in Atlanta. In these tumultuous and unsettling times, sport offers some diversion and respite for Old Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

Some gardens are winding down and some are just getting going. The fall garden is a joy to behold in downtown Champion, replete with zinnias. Visitors from Mississippi were out playing horseshoes by the garden and photographing all the local sites. They are the parents of a young woman who has recently married a young man from Norwood. It turns out he has lots of kinfolks in this part of Booger County. The couple have settled over near Vanzant and hopes are they will be joining the jam on Thursday evenings. She has picked up her guitar again after having neglected it while attending college. The General persuaded her to play his while he went off for a candy bar. She strummed a few chords and thinks it will be nice to sit on her porch in the evening with her guitar, a smaller version. If her singing voice is anything like her mother’s, Vanzant will be much enhanced. Her parents and young nephew were headed back to Mississippi Thursday, but plan to be back often. Her dad thinks he might join the B Group for morning coffee at the Junction Store, formerly known as The Boated Goat.

Skyline’s Second Saturday Swap meet happens again on the 14th—the last one of an eventful summer. We thank the instigators, Helen Batten and others, for putting this together for the community. The Brushy Knob Church at the corner of Highway C and 76 has shared its parking lot for the event. Thanks. Garden produce, baked goods, crafts, kittens, puppies, goats and other critters and variety of fowl have made it well worth the trip out. Meet friends and neighbors there.

Ellie Strong is a second-grade student at Skyline. Her birthday is on the 14th. First grader Jackson Johnson will enjoy the 17th for his big day and another first grader, Bailey Kilgore will have the 18th. Skyline alumnus, Tanna Krider Wiseman celebrates on the 13th. She has recently solicited gallon pickle jars for the purpose of making Fire Cider. She says it is supposed to help with chest congestion and head colds for the winter. It has jalapenos, orange and lemon, apple cider vinegar and herbs. We will hope not to need it but we will be interested to hear how it works. On the 15th we remember Elmer Banks. He moved here in 1997, but before long knew the history and pedigree of many of the locals and all his neighbors. He was a gregarious interesting fellow. Another gregarious, interesting, fun-loving individual shares that day—Pat Kim Smith. She has many sterling attributes now including line dancing. Her sweetheart may give her a ride in his new pickup—a Dodge, bought on his own birthday back on the 29th of August. Patrick Mahomes was 28 on September 17th, 2023. Now he will be 29 and will continue to be our Chiefs’ superhero. Donald Krider grew up in these parts and has deep family ties here. He lives up around Peoria, Illinois and celebrates his birthday on the 18th.

Linda and Charlene are having another great sale there in Norwood on Friday and Saturday. Charlene has added to her inventory some great recent finds and Linda continues to divest herself of treasures. It seems that we cannot help but accumulate things. It is nice to pass them on. Enjoy.

The American Cup folks in Mountain Grove are hosting a fundraising event for Hero’s Rest. It is the first ever U.S. retreat center dedicated to serving first responders. It is located right here in Champion. The fund raiser is happening on Saturday the 14th with music, barbecue, some great gun raffles and the chance to support the people who support us when we need it most.

With all the political excitement going on it is good to look back at our nation’s beginnings: “Government is instituted for the common good: for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people and not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men.” John Adams said that. He was born October 30,1735 and died July 4,1826. He has been gone a long time now but his words still make him a real Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!