Storms have blown in so much grief and sorrow so much loss to so many.  Time, money, and effort will improve things.  This part of the world leads much of the world in willingness to help neighbors in distress.  Find a way.  Chip in. Even just a little help makes a difference.

Currently Champion is enjoying 12 hours and 59 minutes of daylight.  Gardeners are saying it’s too wet to plow, but they are glad for the moisture.  If hard work made you rich, every farmer would be a billionaire.  An Old Champion’s grandfather (Arch Hector, Jones County, Texas) declared he would put his cemetery lots in ‘The Soil Bank.’  The Soil Bank was a USDA program back in the 1950s that reduced production of surplus commodities, helped to maintain farm income and conserved soil.  The family cotton patch got planted in peanuts and then plowed under.  Hopes are that the Agriculture Department does right by its current obligations, honoring contracts.

April 4th was the birthday of Skyline 3rd grade student Fredrick Smith.  Multi-talented Champion Miranda, born in 1984, celebrates on the 5th.  Carissa Rene at Hero’s Rest has the 6th for her big day.  She has a beautiful voice and can bring a tear to your eye with “The Travelin’ Soldier.”  The 7th is for Beverly Coffman Emery, Vanzant’s own Gipsy and fun monitor.  That is also the big day for far off Upshaw kinfolk, Margie Carr who has jumped out of airplanes just for the fun of it.  On the 8th we remember Bud Hutchison.  It will soon be time for his Memorial Trail Ride out of Champion, always a stellar event.  A friend of Bud’s wrote this: “Bud grew up in the Champion community and always liked and rode horses.  He told me of a mare he had when he was young that would kick straight back with both hind feet when he would flank her.  This was ideal for a teenage prank during a church meeting.  Bud admitted that the story was true of him backing his mare up to the church building and flanking her and she kicked the building with both hind feet during the church service.”  The friend went on, “Bud was a good friend and a good man and in later years went inside of the church houses.  This story and others are treasures and Bud shared many of his stories while we rode the roads near Champion in years past.”  Champions will look forward to sitting on the porch watching the trail riders go ambling up the hill and come back again across Fox Creek with their stories and their hankering for ice cream.

Herbie Johnston has a new fiddle!  He says it is old and sweet.  It is loud.  He hopes to be able to play it as well as it deserves.  Many of his fans believe he will have no problem doing so.  He is also appreciative of Thomas A. Peters, who is sharing a great deal of wonderful local music on the internet.  Herbie said Tom was going to make him famous.  Tom shared an exciting Monday at McClurg with young Simon and his sister Hattie Barry tripping the light fantastic to some great tunes.  Old folks out on the other end of the county appreciate the videos and very much appreciate that this great jam goes on.  Thanks, Tom.

We also very much appreciate the VFW.   Post 5993 is located on the northwest corner of the Ava square.  Linda Clark says, “It is named after Adrian Owen, post Champlin for years.  Billy Holt is the current Post Commander.  Gene Clark is Post Quartermaster, and Tommy Roberts is Post Adjutant.  The Post and Auxiliary have a lot of great people willing to serve the Veterans in the area.  The Post has made All State or All American the last five or six years.  All of the members are happy to help out any local veterans in need.”

Three and a half million people are said to have been on the streets all over the country on Saturday to have their voices heard with messages like “We wouldn’t have so many needy if we didn’t have so many greedy.”  George Orwell said, “Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” And Harper Lee said, “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”  Champion!—Looking on the Bright Side!

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