Champion News

CHAMPION—October 24, 2016

Champion East

        What glorious days are these in the fair Champion Township!  Remote from the tumultuous world outside and safe among friends, the days pass for the fortunate natives in tranquil simplicity–just doing what comes next.

        Champions have made their way to Tennessee en masse where they planned to tour Sargent York’s museum.  He was a third cousin to their Grandma Phoebe.  Then they were headed on over to Byrdstown to visit the graves of great, great and great, great, great grandparents.  When Bonnie saw the facebook posting of this trip, she reported that Pete’s grandparents were buried there as well.  They were William Dural Mullens and Sarah Marsha Jackson Mullens both born in 1843.  They had ten children.  There will be lots of stories to tell when the travelers return.  Meanwhile folks from Tennessee spent Sunday in Champion.  They are here to say goodbye to a precious lady, Mrs. Esther Howard.  She and her husband Raymond Howard of Marshfield had been frequent visitors to Champion in years past and always left the place improved by their presence.  Esther wore pretty hats and always had a sweet loving smile and a gentle laugh.

        Good things are going on at the Skyline School.  PTO members are looking at a new piece of playground equipment with the idea of getting some assistance from the Douglas County Health Department and perhaps some other help.  The middle school students are participating in “Say Something Week.”  When it comes to violence, suicide and threats, most are known by at least one other individual before the incident takes place.  Say Something teaches students how to look for warning signs, signals and threats—especially in social media—from individuals who may want to hurt themselves or others and to Say Something to a trusted adult to get them help.  Meanwhile, in Alaska, Lannie Hinote is flying along the Yukon River as ice is building up.  She says the sight always amazes her with its beauty.  The school in Mountain Village is lucky to have her teaching and coaching and she feels lucky to get to be there.  She was certainly a great asset to Skyline during her time here and it is wonderful to still be connected with her to share her great adventure.

        For people who enjoy birthdays this is a banner week.   Starting out with the Milkmaid herself, mother of Taegan and Luxe, Chase’s sister, Leslee’s spouse and Fae’s daughter-in-law, all in one dynamic young woman only 17 miles over the speed limit!  She celebrates on the 24th.  The next day belongs to Roger Miller who was born in 1936 and passed away in 1992.  He wrote songs like “You Can’t Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd, “Dang Me, and “Walking in the Sunshine.”  The father of Eli and Emerson Rose shares his birthday with his children’s great Uncle Harley who will, on the 26th, leap forward and again become older, by a solid year, than his Champion sister-in-law.  Shala, the instigator of her mother-in-law’s fantastic surprise party last week, celebrates her own birthday also on the 26th.  Nicholas Georges is a kindergarten student at Skyline School.  His birthday is on the 28th.  Miley Ludwick is a first grade student and also celebrates on the 28th.  The 29th belongs to Royce Henson and Connie Lansdown, both with deep Champion ties.  Felipe, who regularly celebrates the liberation of Cuba, celebrates his birthday on the 31st along with Cheyenne Hall, a 7th grade student and with Ms. Curtis, Skyline’s illustrious Superintendent.  Halloween is on Monday this year, so Cheyenne and Ms. Curtis will have “Happy Boo!-Day” sung to them.

        It is good to see how much information has come out about Proposition 3 on the November ballot.  For all its pro school wording the thing turns out to be pro big tobacco and the money from the tobacco tax would not necessarily go to public schools like Skyline.  Amendment 6 is another of those trickily worded political maneuvers.  The overt reasoning is to prevent voter fraud, which is almost nonexistent on the individual voting level.  The covert reasoning is to roll back voting rights by requiring photo identification.  The expense of acquiring photo ID is one that many poor people cannot afford.  Many women voters may find that they cannot vote if they have not changed their names on their IDs after they have been married or divorced.  Veterans may be impacted as well.  This is a good spot for some quotes of the week.  Scotland’s Bobby Nickelson says, “A country that encourages ignorance is not a democracy.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) said, “Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.”  Voltaire (1694-1788) said “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”

        Ansel Adams (1902-1984) said, “It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.”  People commenting as “Bold Nebraska” on the internet reported that a motorist was recently killed while driving through a cloud of anhydrous ammonia that leaked from a Magellan Midstream Partners pipeline near Tekama, Nebraska.  In Standing Rock, North Dakota heavily armed and militarized local police and National Guard are operating at the behest of the petroleum companies against people who are protecting their land, their sacred sites and the Missouri River from a pipeline that has been started without permission of the land owners.  Eminent domain for private gain is the ploy and hundreds of peaceful, prayerful people have been arrested and treated in the most degrading way.  Journalists have been arrested for reporting on the events going on there today.  Journalist Amy Goodman has had the charges against her dropped in court.  She said “Journalism is the only profession explicitly protected by the U.S. Constitution, because journalists are supposed to be the check and balance on government.  We’re supposed to be holding those in power accountable.  We’re not supposed to be their megaphone.  That’s what the corporate media have become.”

        In sporting news, the Champion Regulation Horseshoe Pitch is becoming a popular site in this lovely weather.  The persistent rivalry between the Frontiersman and the motorcycle Hooligan took an odd twist when the adversaries joined forces against the formidable team of George and The General.  They had been playing an hour or two before the newcomers challenged them, and fatigue may be one of the excuses they give for having been so soundly trounced—11 to 9.  When the game was over, George casually tossed a ringer just to add to the humiliation.  Go to www.championnews.us for a photograph of the competition.  Spectators were polite.

        Joann Hicks, Marsha Wheat Turnbull and Janice Ray used to work together in a lab over in Mountain Home.  They have all retired and rarely get to see each other so their rendezvous at the Historic Emporium on Wednesday was a pleasant gathering.  They signed the guest book and toured the Square and had good memories to share.  Marsha is from Vanzant originally and was familiar with the area.  Joann and Janice had only heard stories about the place so their curiosity was satisfied and locals were happy to get acquainted with them.  Being retired has some fine points to it.  The freedom of not having to go to work is reminiscent of happy childhood.  “Playmate, come out and play with me, And bring your dollies three, Climb up my apple tree–Look down my rain-barrel, Slide down my cellar door, And we’ll be jolly friends forever more!” in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

Hot competition at the Champion Horseshoe Pitch.