Champion News

CHAMPION—August 2, 2010

          Champions are, by nature, students–curious keen observers with good eyes for detail and beauty.  Those are traits that come with the place.  The place has much to offer any time of any year, but these days particularly Champions have available to them an example of joinery suitable for serious study.  Anyone interested in seeing just what is under the skin of a solid building can benefit from a protracted gawk at the skeletal structure of the authentic and only Replica of the Historic Emporium on the North Side of the Square in Downtown Champion.  As seen from the vestibule of the Temporary Annex or from the portico of the Loafing Shed, the clean geometry of the structure is stunning.  One hears of an elegant solution to a math problem when doubt, uncertainty and difficulty present themselves.  The difficulty with the Historic Emporium had to do with the tenuous fragility of materials expected to be ageless when indeed they were quite old and depleted of their strength.  The Elegant Solution stands as an example.

          Examples of good neighbor fun were plentiful at the Holt Up and At It Picnic.  This event supports the 4 H Clubs, a very worthwhile program in a rural community.  Reports were that it was close to a record-breaking crowd and that everything was just lovely.  The food was good, the games were fun, the prizes were neat and the music quite pleasant.  Everybody was having a good time and that is the point of the whole thing—community involvement for the overall benefit of the community.  This is a great part of the world for just this sort of thing.

          Another chance to step up to be a good neighbor is coming up on Saturday, the 7^th.  There is to be a “three on three shoot out” basketball tournament for Sharon and Buzz Woods at the Skyline School.  The tournament play will start at three in the afternoon and before it is all said and done, there will be juicy burgers, hotdogs, music, a quilt raffle, fun and games including a pie auction and an auction that will include lots of new fishing equipment and many surprises.  Sharon and Buzz lost their home to a fire recently and this benefit will help them get started again.  They have been good neighbors and steadfast supporters of all the local fire departments and community organizations as well benefits just like this one for people in the area who have found themselves in similar situations over the years. 

          Dr. Amanda Zappler, a well-known audiologist, researcher, and instructor at the University of Texas was visiting in the neighborhood recently.  She works extensively with Veterans in the Temple, Texas Veterans Administration Hospital.  She reports that hearing loss among returning Veterans is very common.  There is much hearing loss precipitated by constant exposure to loud noise and this loss is generally in the high range of sound.  There is also a great deal of hearing loss connected to percussive injuries.  In some cases the mechanisms for hearing sound are damaged and in other cases the person is still able to hear but the damage has been to that part of the brain that assigns meaning to the sounds.  So a person may be able to hear but not know what the sounds mean.  This same person is still able to read and to communicate in that way, but there is much work that needs to be done to assure that these Veterans get the opportunity to return to a normal and productive life.  They have the Love and Gratitude of the Nation, for which they have sacrificed so much, and of Champions everywhere.

          There is an old Champion woman who spends her time naming imaginary grandchildren.  Among the names she has chosen are Dreary, Impunity, Florid, Precipitous, Rationale, Ennui, and Hearken.  Recently she has been neglecting her own work in order to spend as much time at the building site in Downtown Champion as she can without drawing too much attention to herself.  She likes to observe from the sidelines and this exposure to has been an eye opener for the old girl.  She has become a great fan of the Greek inventor Archimedes.  She now thinks that is the ideal name for a grandchild, male or female.  She would not say just which of the famous innovator’s is her favorite invention is or how it relates to the building going in Champion.  Perhaps some study of Archimedes will reveal the answer.

          Linda’s Almanac from over at the plant Place in Norwood indicates that the 7^th and 8th of the month will be the most beneficial days for planting beets, turnips and other root crops for a fall harvest.  Those will be good days to start seed beds.  Many are already bringing in considerable ‘sheaves’ and the bounty of a good healthy garden is the reward for all the planning and work that it takes.

         A note comes from Wally Hopper saying, “I wanted to let you know that I have been tracing my ancestry and discovered that the Denlow store has lots of history.  I have written a letter to State Rep. JoAnn Emerson to pursue the possibility of erecting an historical marker at that location.  You may remember seeing it on Hwy 76. It is in bad condition right now and I am going to see if there is a possibility of the state to restore it.  I found out through my research that it was built in 1899 by John Sevier Upshaw (my distant uncle) and was used as a trading post with the Osage Indians.  He was appointed an Indian Agent by Congress after the Osage Indian War.  Just thought you might like to know and I will keep you updated on the progress after my meeting with JoAnn Emerson.  Thanks, Wally Hopper.”  There is indeed much interesting history surrounding Denlow.  Cletis Upshaw was a real fount of information and he is still much missed by so many who wish for another chance to sit down with him again to hear his stories.  It will be good to hear that the General has resumed his business of keeping track of everything and keeping everyone informed.  He has the good wishes of the whole Denlow/Skyline/Champion population.  Those good wishes are extended to young Rowdy Woods too.  Little guys have their own troubles sometimes and need as many good thoughts as do Old Generals.

          “I’ll build a stairway to paradise with a new step every day.”  Sing your favorite George Gershwin song right out loud in the Loafing Shed next to the Temporary Emporium on the West Side of the Square in Downtown Champion.  Watch the good stuff happening and be glad to be a witness to history in the making.   Share your own accounts of history at Champion Items, Rt.2, Box 367, Norwood, MO or to Champion News.  Look in at www.championnews.us for a clear view of the beauty of the place.  Take a little drive in your air conditioned car some afternoon…Get out to Champion and Look on the Bright Side!