Champion News

CHAMPION—January 19, 2015

        This whole global warming thing has become a hit with some locals.  They like a 63°F Sunday on the 18th of January.  Thinking back over last summer, it seems that there were really only a couple of weeks when extra cooling was necessary here.  It was a relatively mild summer for the Ozarks, but other parts of the country registered their highest temperatures ever.  Worldwide it was the warmest year ever and every year has been like that for some while now.  The natural cycles and events that are known to influence climate do not account for the amount and pattern of warming that has been measured in the last twenty and more years according to the hundreds of scientist reporting to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change formed by the United Nations.  They say the only way to explain the pattern is to include the effect of greenhouses gasses emitted by humans.  Deforestation is another culprit.  Champions will do their part to help the situation by being informed and by finding an alternative to throwing a tire on a brush fire to keep it going.  Moreover, they will enjoy every beautiful day no matter what the cause.  Champion!

Not global warming…just a colorful sunset in Champion.

        Jacob Kyle Brixey, Skyline prekindergarten student, and Mary Beth Shannon share their birthday on the 18th.  Each can charm you with a beautiful smile.  J.C. Owsley shares his birthday on the 19th with a most prominent Champion.  J.C. has a new horse which he says will be 20 when he is 80.  He has years to go to get there and mostly likely will get there in the saddle.  Champions will hope he ambles on over this way one of these days.  Another prekindergarten guy is Jacob Johnson.  He has his birthday on January 23rd.  So does handsome great nephew, Oliver Holden-Moses, an aspiring and accomplished percussionist over in Oklahoma.  Prekindergarten teacher, Mrs. Doni Coonts celebrates her birthday on the 25th and third grader, Brook Johnson has her party on the 26th.  Skyline alumnus K Heffern Alexander will have begun her partying last week and will still be celebrating the week after her birthday on the 27th.  First grader Kimberly Wallace has her birthday on the 29th and Ericka Strong, second grade, has her big day on the 30th.  Talking about big days, James Brixey was 40 on the 30th in 2012.

        The Skyline VFD Auxiliary had a meeting on Wednesday, the 14th.  Preparations for the annual Chili Supper have begun.  It is always a fine get-together because of the good planning.  Proceeds from the Chili Supper go toward providing equipment and training for the Volunteer Firefighters.  Diane and Jerry Wilbanks had a grass/brush fire at their house last year sometime and were most complimentary of the efficiency and speed with which the Skyline Volunteer Firefighters saved their house.  After an extended absence caring for ailing family, their Champion friends are glad to have Diane and Jerry home again.  They have been enjoying these gorgeous days riding in their wagon behind their beautiful white mules down by the creek.  Diane just had her birthday on the 13th and had planned to come to Champion for ice cream as a celebration.  Something got in her way but she will get her ice cream next time she comes this way.  Last year her wonderful apple pies were the hit of the Chili Supper and her Auxiliary friends will be looking for her at the next meeting February 11, 6:30 at Henson’s Grocery and Gas in Downtown Champion.  Everyone is welcome to attend, particularly if you are in the Skyline Area Volunteer Fire District.  Get Cowboy Jack to tell you how a flue fire did not take his home recently.  Support your VFD!

        The Boys of Summer are daydreaming now about baseball.  It will be nice to be warming up in the bullpen or up on the mound, nice to run the bases or to catch a high fly out in right field, or to slide into home.  This is brought to mind by recently posted pictures of General Fast Pitch and the fellows, wearing the uniform of the Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyoming Fastpitch Softball Team of 1973.  The no-hitters attributed to the pitcher were mostly the times when he managed not to hit the batter.  He blamed the wild Wyoming wind.  There was a nice picture of Upshaw boys skating on the family’s frozen pond over south of Denlow.  General Erudite said, “Had we fallen, we surely would have broken through.”  Sunday, February 1st, he is planning to attend a formal soiree where the Patriots and Seahawks will battle it out on the flat screen.  He will enjoy cultured speculative conversation concerning the game, and sports oriented modern poetry to the tune of Miles and Monk on the HiFi, Chablis, truffles and brie—XLIX.  He will probably wear his turtleneck and a tweed sports coat.  Such a cool guy.  This is not the side of him you see at the Thursday evening Vanzant Blue Grass Jam—a multifaceted individual indeed.

        Ms. Ayn Throp writes in to champion@championnews.us to say that the reason rhetoric gets so out of hand and people seem to be crazier and more radical all over the world is that when people are only around other people who believe exactly the same thing they believe, a person wanting to get attention has to speak louder or say more outrageous and crazy things.  Her point seems to be that it is a good thing to learn what other people think and to respect the rights of people to believe as they do.  Another Champion writes, “…America has actually been self-correcting on a pretty steady pace,(we haven’t even been around that long in the scheme of things).  Of course there’s still a ways to go, but a lot more divisiveness is being promoted than I think there really is.  I have even seen quite a few changes in the backwoods Ozarks in my time here in the acceptance department.”  Mr. Cipriano had a good point the other day when he said that flip-flopping is often the result of education.  You believe one thing, learn the truth and change your mind.  It is what happened to Paul on the way to Damascus.

        Linda’s Almanac from over at The Plant Place in Norwood says that the 21st through the 26th will be a good time to prune to discourage growth.  Children in need of chores can always cut sprouts.  Old folks missing having young people to order around just have to hobble out and cut their own sprouts or let them grow.  Young Luxe Krider has made her debut at The Recreation of the Historic Emporium.  She is a real beauty and her older sister Teagan is quite fond of her.  They are destined to become great singers.  One day they will be entertaining out on the wide veranda.  Reports are that the Wednesday Morning Club is growing in numbers and enjoyment.  A pleasant time can be had almost any day, but Wednesdays are special.  “Through all kinds of weather, what if the sky should fall?  As long as we’re together, it really doesn’t matter at all” in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!