Champion News

CHAMPION –March 18, 2007

        Good news in Champion!  A purple Martin was spotted on Wednesday the 14^th.  That’s a little early for their return (they generally show up around the 21^st) but the odd weather and other unknowns have at least one of the wonderful mosquito eaters home for the season.  Geese are winging their way north and the red, red robins are bob, bob bobbing along and probably eating tons of wonderful Champion earthworms.  They are so plump they might make a nice robin pie. 

        The expected large turn-out for Champion’s First Annual Unorganized, Unauthorized  and Unannounced St. Patrick’s Day Parade was a no show.  Oh, there was the usual Saturday parade of regulars in and out of The Store throughout the course of the day and there was, no doubt, a mention of the Irish here and there, but the throngs of revelers were no where to be seen.  Most of them were out in their potato patches doing what has to be done at this time of the year to make potatoes happen.  It was the digging and seeding and the mulching that kept people off the street.  There were frantic calls for newspapers from various farmers.  Ed Henson was quoted by several regarding the use of  newspapers to keep the dirt out of the eyes of the potatoes so they could see to come up.  It has been suggested that a Champion Parade Committee should be organized so that a better showing can be made next year.  The example set by the Spotted Hog community as reported in the Spotted Hog Yearly Gazette of a number of years ago is one to be emulated.  It might be the good luck of Champion to secure Cletus Upshaw’s services as Grand Marshall.  He was the official Director of Traffic at the now famous Spotted Hog Christmas Parade and clearly has more parade expertise than any who have so far stepped forward.  It will be taken under advisement by the, as yet. unformed committee.

        A good neighbor and Champion eagle observer suggest that the Ozark Mountaineer is a good source of information for the history and points of interest of this local area.  She said that a recent issue had an excellent four page article about the West Plains Disaster including a number of photographs. Its title was “Devastating West Plains Blast Still a Mystery After 79 Years.” She said that the words to the song together with the music were reproduced there.  It costs $19.95 a year for six issues of the magazine.  Perhaps, when the cost of the sheet music to MY MISSOURI HOME has been recouped and some savings have been accrued,  arrangements can be made to get a subscription for Champion.  Someone remarked that last week’s Champion Items said, “This is the cover of the Sheet Music…….for MY MISSOURI HOME” and then there was no picture.  Well, it is an attractive item including the name of the author, the publisher and the date of publication.  The title at the top is written in an old fashioned type-face.  Then there is a picture of a farm house with a big porch and some shade trees sitting down kind of behind a hill which is indicated by some curved parallel lines.  There is a windmill in the drawing, however, and while that is not representative of this area there may be parts of Missouri where windmills are more common.  In any event the sheet music is still available to be examined by any interested party.  There has been made a description of written music as looking like hen scratches and fly specks.  It is kind of magic to people who can’t read it.  Champion Souvenir copies of MAY THE GOOD LORD BLESS AND KEEP YOU are available at Henson’s Store in Beautiful Downtown Champion.

        Mrs. Eva Powell is happy to have her daughter home again after her recent adventures out west.  She and her husband explored gold mines and desert towns and big lakes and dams.  They had fun but were glad to get home.  Many Champions have family out traveling.  The world is a dangerous place and loved ones far from home pass through the good thoughts of home folks during course of the day.  Worry is a waste of time.  “May the Good Lord bless and keep you, whether near or far away.”  Family and friends of distant travelers and US Service People abroad hold them close in their hearts with hopes for safe and speedy returns of all those precious ones.  They are full of Love and Gratitude.

        Kyle Alexander Barker was visiting with his old Grandfather and his young Grandmother on Sunday.  His favorite flavor of ice cream hasn’t been determined yet, but it won’t be long.  Ice cream preferences, songs, stories, parade reviews, and reports of happy homecomings are welcome at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717, at Champion News and at Henson’s Store in Downtown Champion.

        The Ladies Auxiliary of the Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department had their regular meeting on Tuesday at the home of Esther Wrinkles.  The recent chili supper was discussed and plans were made to make next year’s event even better.  The immediate business at hand is the Bluegrass Festival that will be held at the Wagon Wheel Bluegrass Park the first week end in June.  The Auxiliary will be providing the food for the event and plans are in the works.  Good planning is responsible for the wonderful successes of the Auxiliary projects.