Champion News

Champion Pears in Bloom

Wednesday was one of those lovely days in Champion.  Chase led the Veranda Band inside with special surprise guest star, Sherry Lovin, who came with her big bass fiddle and her handsome husband, Jack.  Chase kicked things off with “The ABC Song”, “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”  Sherry sang, “I’m Working on a Building” and “Summer Time.”  The General was complicit and contributed significantly.  Requests from the audience came from Ethel of Omo who always favors “Gary Owen.”  Sherry has a weekly bluegrass show in Willow Springs and has the good news that the Star Theatre is due to reopen after its renovations.  She will have her first gig in Nashville soon promoting bluegrass.  She also had some good stories about growing up around here in a musical family playing the stand-up bass.  With a big family and no room inside for it, she said her dad tied the bass on top of the car and down the road they would go.  This was her first trip to Champion.  She and some friends make an appearance at Vanzant every now and then—always a treat.  There were a few empty seats in the circle there on Thursday, but still a fine time.  Music has healing qualities and there is significant need for healing in every quarter.

Heather Peugh was met with a larger than expected crowd on Thursday at the Chamber of Commerce in Ava.   She is the director of the West Plains office of Congressman Jason Smith.  Her responsibility in the four counties she administers is to assist with the wide range of requests relating to administrative agencies such as request for personnel and medical treatment records from the military or to assist with obtaining passports and visas and the like.  She said that matters of policy are handled in the Washington D.C office.  She also said that the best way to get a letter to the Congressman is to send it to her office. (35 Court Street, Suite 300 West Plains, MO 65775 or Heather.Peugh@mail.house.gov)  She will open it, scan it and send it to his office in a bundle of her mail to him.  Otherwise a letter gets delayed due to the need to X-ray the mail because of the anthrax threat of years past.  All of the issues before Ms. Peugh at the listening post on Thursday were matters of policy.  She took copious notes and kept the meeting moving positively as more than a dozen of the congressman’s constituents addressed issues of health care (H.R. 370 and H.R. 354), “right-to work” legislation (H.R. 785) Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, public education (H.R. 610 and H.R. 899), gun violence, support for Veterans and environmental issues (H.R.861 and H.J.R. 69) such as protecting the water, particularly relating to the recently reversed protections of small streams and small bodies of water.  There was concern expressed for the new administration’s flagrant disregard for the ethical behavior and protocols of our democratic system and calls for an independent investigation into the president’s business dealings, his campaign’s alleged connections to Russian influence and the like.  There were folks there of every political persuasion—some avid fans of Mr. Smith and some who strongly disagree with the Congressman’s stance on many issues, and it was comforting to see civility at its best.  One of the good things happening these days is the active involvement by people who have never been active before in their own government.  Champion!

Bailey and Violet

When young Bailey came to visit her grandparents over west of Ava last summer, she became attached to Violet, one of her Grand Papa’s chickens.  Violet has a bad leg and Bailey took the little hen under her own wing and they became friends.  Bailey is looking forward to coming back to the Ozarks this summer; meanwhile she has a birthday on March 9th.  Ava neighbor, Kaye Dennis, celebrates that day too.  Skyline’s first grade teacher, Mrs. Vivod has her birthday on the 10th.  Cadence Trimmer is an 8th grade student with a birthday on the 11th.  Mrs. Casper who is the music/art teacher of our wonderful little rural school has her birthday on the 12th.  Eighth grader, Isam Daugard, celebrates on the 13th.  Birthdays give us a reason to celebrate each other and happy days.

A stroll back through The Champion News archives of a decade ago at www.championnews.us finds a suggestion by Professor Darrell Haden that a tune called “Rock Salt and Nails” might have been appropriate listening for those times (perhaps for these times as well).  There were plans being made for the Civil War Memorial in Denlow that came to fruition and was dedicated the following year, Memorial Day, 2008.  An unsuccessful attempt was made to organize a St. Patrick’s Day Parade to rival and overshadow the pageant that was reported (erroneously) to have occurred over in Spotted Hog.  There was also a serious warning about the approach of the Ides of March.  According to Mr. Shakespeare, that is when Julius Cesar asked his famous question, “You too, Brutus?”  There is currently a postcard project underway to answer that question.  Postcards do not represent the threat that sealed envelopes do, so they might get through to the recipient in a more expedited manner.  The idea is to have everyone drop a postcard or two in the mailbox on that day, March 15th, directed to the president at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington D.C. 20500, just to let him know what you think.  Let Governor Greitens know how you feel about his budget cuts to education, as well as some of the state mandated health care regulations relating to age requirements for nursing home care.  His address is P.O. Box 720, Jefferson City, MO 65102.  Other destinations for your important input and observations are:  Roy Blunt at 260 Russell Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D. C. 20510, Claire McCaskill at her District Office 324 Park Central W, Ste. 101, Springfield 65806, and Jason Smith at his District Offices, 35 Court Street, Ste. 300, West Plains, 65775.  The social and political struggles of ten years ago were every bit as serious as they are today, but today there is a dire feeling of uncertainty and fragility to our system that is unnerving.  The nuclear arsenals of the world suddenly seem vulnerable and it reminds one of the eleventh verse of Bob Dylan’s “Talking World War III Blues.”  It says, “Well, now time passed and now it seems everybody’ having them dreams.  Everybody sees themselves walking around with no one else.  Half of the people can be part rlght all of the time.  Some of the people can be all right part of the time, but all of the people can’t be all right all of the time.  I think Abraham Lincoln said that.  ‘I’ll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours.’  I said that.”

The daffodils are still being extravagant and the ridges and high places are sporting pear trees and forsythia in glorious profusion.  Daylight savings time, spring and spring break are all just around the corner.  The indigenous peoples across America are still gathering and praying.  Down on the wide, wild, wooly banks of Aulde Fox Creek commerce is brisk at the Re-creation of the Historic Emporium and the song of the week is Roger Miller’s “Walking in the sunshine, sing a little sunshine song.  Put a smile upon your face as if there’s nothing wrong.  Think about a good time you had a long time ago.  Think about forget about your worries and your woes.  Walking in the sunshine sing a little sunshine song” in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!