Champion News

CHAMPION—December 14, 2015

Pre-Christmas mud in Champion

        Once again teachers, parents, siblings, grand and great grand parents, friends and neighbors gathered in the auditorium at the Skyline R2 School, leaning forward on their bleachers, benches and folding chairs, watching intently those precious young ones (and that particularly precious one) shine in the annual Christmas pageant, this year featuring music from “The Polar Express.”  The kids did a great job….each and every one of them.  The applause, the grins and sighs of the audience smacked wonderfully of Christmas Spirit.  Mrs. Casper has been producing magical programs at Skyline while fomenting music appreciation and confidence building performance skills for a lovely number of years now.  Take a bow, Mrs. Casper!  Excitement was already high in anticipation of the first archery tournament that was coming up on the week end in Crane.  Good luck, Tigers!  Skyline students with special reason for excitement this week include prekindergarten, Rachel Prock, and third grader, Destiny Surface, who both celebrate birthdays on the 20th.  Mrs. Barker’s sister, Loretta Upshaw, had a great birthday on the 12th.  It was said to have been so great on account of her having had the chance to entertain and be entertained by The General.  Happy days all–you Champions!

        Four notches were carved into the handle of a beautiful Colt six shooter, one of a splendidly matched pair, maybe from the 1850’s.  It is a community service that Wednesday Visitors to the Historic Emporium bring their beautiful, or historic, or interesting items to share.  It is like a revolving museum.  Finally though, something other than a gun, a bow, fishing gear or a steam driven peculiarity appeared.  A Christmas gift from 1956 was proffered for study—a toy Singer sewing machine.  Ethel Leach was able to locate the identifying marks on the inside of the wheel.  She knows about these kinds of things.  Mr. Stone said he knew where there was one just like it.  Bob Leach said that a little fine steel wool and some oil would work to get the rust off the stainless plate.  Roy Lee said to add a little vinegar to help with the rust.  Ethel has a quilting ‘dove’ she plans to bring next time.  This time, visitors Hazel Dodds and her daughter-in-law, Carol Dodds, stopped in for a sit and a chat. They have been reading The Champion News and were intrigued.  Hazel had been to Champion on a number of occasions in years past.  She came with her mother who was on a tour of nostalgia way back then.  Her mother had family ties in this area and an affection for the place, as many do.  Carol lives in Springfield but is back in this area as often as she can be.  Family connections are some of the good things Champions have going.  Hazel and Carol were on their way to Dawt Mill, on one of those nostalgic tours.  Maybe they will pass back by again and be Wednesday Visitors.  Welcome home any time of the year, you people with Champion connections and affections.

        The Champion News mailbox is receiving–Rt. 72 Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717.  Recent communiques:  “11-29-15 McKinney, TX  Howdy from North Texas.  We’ve had rain since Thanksgiving…over 11 ½ inches so far…  Our yard is standing in water.  Nov. 23rd we celebrated our 50th wedding Anniversary, our picture in the Mtn. Grove News Journal.  We’re still kickin’ here, God gave me a second chance at life.  So I’m making the best of it.  My Christmas is homemade.  Made Angel ⑩, Giovani ⑨, and Natali ⑦ a homemade quilt.  Got to attend my 50th yr. class reunion in Mtn. Grove.  Class of “65.”  Tell all the Champions hello and the best of holidays.  God bless you, Always.  Still hill billies in Texas, Wesley and Karen”   This written in Karen’s impeccable script—beautiful to look at—graceful and precise.  It came with her poem “God’s Gift at Christmas” which is posted on the bulletin board at the Recreation of the Historic Emporium.  Eva Henson Phillips also writes with an elegant hand, asking, “What is going on ‘down on the farm’?  Do you cut your own tree?  We used to do that.  Mom kept them in the cold back room.  Sometimes a tree stayed until March.  We strung pop-corn and cranberries.  Had a program at Champion school.  Always fun.  Those were the days!”  She signs it “Harold and Eva.”  They live off in the beautiful area called Bella Vista, Arkansas.  Bella Vista translates to “Beautiful View.”  They like the way it looks around here too and come back as often as they can.  They have ‘family ties.’  They are Champions.

        In other news, Eulalia Jasmin e-mails to champion@championnews.us from an undisclosed location:  “Champions!  You’ve hit upon it.  Harmony is the only weapon to use against the hideous face of hatred and bigotry.  Those poor Purple People would probably have problems of their own.  Pathetic Pilgrims, like the rest of us, ponderously plugging along.  However, they are purple.  That harmony could destroy them speaks to the discordance of their existence–pitiable.”  On the same subject, a phone call from Brushy Knob was most complimentary of the notion of a space alien invasion as a tool for drawing the Nation—the world–together.  The caller spends much of his time aggravating folks on local talk radio with wisdom of the ages and folly of the times.  He referenced Edmund Burke who said, “The only thing necessary for triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.“  Another caller referenced Sheb Wooly singing about the “one eyed one horned flying purple people eater.”  Politics and purple people aside, Noam Chomsky, who just had his 87th birthday says, “…Jingoism, racism, fear, religious fundamentalism:  these are the ways of appealing to people if you’re trying to organize a mass base of support for policies that are really intended to crush them.”

        Several were late getting to the Vanzant Bluegrass Jam on Thursday because they had enjoyed the Skyline Christmas Pageant.  There was still plenty of good music and camaraderie.  Sally’s brother, the fiddler, is in a beard growing contest with his wife’s brother.  The fiddler is clearly winning, but of course he has the advantage, being musical.  The wife’s brother talks a lot (!) about music.  He and the fellows around the round table and the long table at the Wednesday confab all seem to know a great deal about music.  For example, Glen Campbell, Ferlin Husky, and Johnny Cash were all born in the same county over in southeast Arkansas.  They like Conway Twitty, George Jones and Johnny Horton.  They talked about Harrold Ralph Morrison, Marvin Rainwater and Spec Rose.  Elmer Banks, on a related subject, expressed his continued dismay that Ava Gardner had married Mickey Rooney.  Other dismay has centered on the swift passage of time and the unusually warm weather.  More seasonal temperatures will help to usher in the holiday spirit.  Come down to the broad banks of Auld Fox Creek and stand around the ancient stove to declare your place on the Naughty or Nice List.  Remember to thank your hard working, reliable and underappreciated mail carrier, who conveys your news, your checks and bills, love letters, Christmas cards, catalogues and packages.  Season’s Greetings to and from Champion!  Looking on the Bright Side!