Champion News

CHAMPION—October 6, 2014

        Champion pumpkins are frost free and ready for the season…ready to be turned into jack-o-lanterns and pies and lattes.  They will be sitting around being decorous on bales of hay or next to dried corn shocks and chrysanthemums.  Some will stand alone on the porch and be all the decoration the changing season needs.  Some will wind up as chicken feed and some will have their seeds roasted for snacks.  Champion Pumpkin!

        See what children can do with pumpkins at the Skyline Fall Festival on the 17^th of October.  That is a week from Friday. There will be lots of fun and games for the whole family.  The school and the Skyline R2 School Foundation have a big push on to collect some funds to replace the aging water fountains in the school.  All you alumni, here about and far-flung, and residents of the school district, past and present, are invited to participate in the upgrade.  Cool, clean water for the kids seems like a worthwhile project.  Come to the Fall Festival, Friday, October 17^th, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., or contact the school to find out how you can help. 

        Angela Souder grew up in Romance and works for Douglas County Health Department.  She will be in Champion from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. on the last Tuesday of each month doing blood pressure checks.  She can give you a reading of your body mass index and she can test you for carbon monoxide.  She may be bringing a ‘lung age’ machine with her next time.  It is a device that can evaluate the health of your lungs.  It is free and a great service to the eastern areas of the county to have this assistance to help people take a more active part in maintaining their own good health and Champions appreciate the attention.  The Health Department offers free blood pressure readings at Skyline School on the first Tuesday of each month from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m.

            Crystal Miller in grew up in Brixey.  Her family ran the store there for many years.  Todd Miller had the good fortune to win her heart and they have been making beautiful music together for a long time now.  He plays the banjo and Crystal plays the standup bass and sings.  She has a beautiful clear voice.  When you see “Hunter Creek” on the playbill, that is Todd and Crystal, together with some other nice folks.  To illustrate how quickly time flies, their son Eli is now twelve years old.  Crystal has recently had back surgery and is in Cox Hospital.  Her family and friends are sending her their prayers and best wishes for a good outcome and a speedy recovery.  Crystal Miller, Rt. 5 Box 590, Ava, MO 65608 is the address for well-wishers to send those cards and notes of encouragement.  She grew up in Brixey, lives over on Hunter Creek, but she is a real Champion.

        A note came from Pete Proctor saying his birthday is in February.  Champion Birthday Records show it to be on the 18^th of that month.  The report of a recent birthday for him proved to be a ‘test’ just to see if he really reads The Champion News.  Good job, Pete!

        In all the excitement several birthdays have slipped by unnoticed.  Who could have imagined that former President Jimmy Carter might share a birthday with a Prominent Champion?  The President is now 90 years old.  The Champion is younger but shares many of the laudable traits of the Nobel Peace Prize winner.  They are both accomplished wood workers, both civic minded with oversight to democratic elections.  Mr. Carter observes elections in developing nations around the world.  They also fancy well turned out brunettes and good home cooking.  They are organizers, delegators, good citizens, neighbors and friends.  Some have differing ideas about whether Mr. Carter was a ‘good president,’ but none can dispute he is a good man.  Meanwhile The General, another good man, has been hosting dinners, parties, picnics, peanut butter ice cream socials and assorted shenanigans in observance of various birthdays of his kinfolks.  His mother-in-law, Lucile Gayman, got the full treatment according to Shirley Squitiero who reported that the family had made a big wonderful deal of her Mother’s birthday.  Then came the double wingding of his sisters’ birthday.  Elizabeth Johnston and Tanna Wiseman did what they could to make it a surprise but their mothers found out and attended anyway.  Friends and family poured in from Springfield, Elkland, Drury, Champion and other places in a throng of about thirty to wish the Upshaw twins a happy day.  Eva (Coon) Clark has a birthday coming up on the 14^th.  She grew up in Champion and broke hearts around the country.  She became a nurse and recently made a trip to Eastern Europe with the Doctors Without Borders.  She worked in Albania, Macedonia and Germany and found it to be a great experience.  More recently she helped Gary celebrate his birthday on the 3^rd and/or the 6^th.  She has grandchildren who were birthday shopping for her down at the Pioneer Gathering.  Birthday excitement is Champion.

        The Pioneer Descendant’s Gathering was another splendid event.  Saturday morning started out pretty cold for the campers there, but the day warmed up as the steady stream of visitors poured trough.  The stage coach and wagon rides were very popular as were all the demonstrations of the various crafts and skills of times past.  Friends who only see each other at this event were well met.  The music was sublime as so many area talents came out to share their gifts.  A Prominent Girlfriend, one of those well turned out brunettes, made her singing debut with “You Say it Best When You Say Nothing At All.”  Applause! Brava! Champion!

        A reader wished to call TCN to task for plagiarism, having said, “The power of willful ignorance cannot be overstated.”  The reader was right, that string of words had been lifted from an on-line narrative about industrial animal production back during the debate of the so called “Right to Farm” amendment.  It was an anonymous positing, so no credit was given to the author.  Dr. Joe Dispenza, prominent neuroscientists, says, “In the age of information, ignorance is a choice.”  George Bernard Shaw wrote, “Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”  Another anonymous person says that we are attached to what we know.  Liberals and Conservatives alike must now contend with another powerful group drawing activist from both sides.  These are the Selfservatives—another bit of selective lifting.

        Linda’s Almanac can be found on the bulletin board at Henson’s Grocery and Gas over on the North Side of the Square in Downtown Champion.  It is also on line at www.championnews.us and on the counter at The Plant Place over in Norwood.  There is good information there about when to prune to discourage or to encourage growth.  It says that the 16^th to the 18^th will be good days to harvest crops.  The weather forecast looks good for a frost free period until then.  Hopes are that Bud Hutchison’s Fall Trail Ride will be rain free on Wednesday.  There will be folks out on the spacious veranda at the Historic Emporium to see them off about ten that morning and to welcome them home in the mid afternoon.  Happy trails, fellers!  Friends following the adventures of J.C. Owsley imagine him singing, “I ride an Old Paint, I lead Old Dan. I’m off to Cheyenne to do the hoolihan.”  He’s been off to Old Jeff lately, doing good work for far thinkers and his efforts are lauded by Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!