Champion News

CHAMPION—June 25, 2007

        The official Summer Social Season was set in full swing at Skyline on Saturday with the Celebration of the 90^th Birthday of Champion’s own Esther Wrinkles.  Well over a hundred of her friends and family enjoyed refreshments and each other’s fine company for an afternoon.  The occasion was full of smiles and laughter and lots of photographs as well as some good natured humor and a fine rendition of the Birthday Song.  Among the dignitaries attending were Kerry Davis, Douglas County Clerk and her assistant, Valery.  They came out from Ava for the party as did Tax Assessor Danny Dry.  Ashley Reece flew out from North Carolina for her Grandmother’s birthday, joining her parents, Theresa and Larry, and many other family members in the celebration.  It was a pleasant gathering full of sweet reminiscences and Love and Gratitude for Esther.  She has received over a hundred birthday cards she reported on Monday and they are still coming in.  Esther raised some nice children who Love their Mother and sure know how to throw a party!  The party continued on at Esther’s house until late in the evening as she then hosted twenty-six people for home-made ice cream.  Her neighbor Robert Hamilton is fairly King of Homemade Ice Cream, they say.  Everyone agreed it was wonderful!

        It was pleasant to see Jack and Sue Slagle at Esther’s birthday party.  They are long time supporters of the Skyline Volunteer Fire Department even though they live quite East of the district.  Sue was kind enough to donate one of her beautiful quilts to the Fire Department for it’s raffle a couple of years ago.  She is currently finishing a quilt that she is making for her Grandson, Kirk, who is a US Marine currently home on leave from Iraq.  He is touring around the country visiting friends a family for a few weeks before he will go back to Iraq where he works in communications.  He is their only grandson and Jack and Sue will be glad to see him in a few days for a few days.  Champions all wish for him “God’s speed.”

        Wilma Hutchison, the charming spouse of a Champion’s double cousin, inquired about the Champion sign.  Stephanie Stogsdill called on Monday to say that the sign has been special ordered and it will be made in Jefferson City.  It will be a few weeks or perhaps a little longer before it will be given to the instillation specialists to put in place.  As soon as MODOT releases the date of the sign instillation, arrangements will be made and announced for The Dedication Ceremony.  Someone suggested that it probably won’t be long before the sign is stolen again once it is back in place since it has had so much attention.  Attention was drawn to an episode that occurred a few years ago when a Champion had described in the press, or on the radio, a certain historic hand pump that was still in use and functioning well.  Within a very short time the thing had been stolen.  The pump had to be replaced at quite a significant expense.  The new one works but without the charm and memory evoking history of the old one.  One person muttered that it’s not right to be so afraid of losing something that you wonder whether or not you want to get it to begin with. “Nobody would ever have anything.  It’s like being held hostage by vandals!”  Well, Champions won’t be held hostage and they want the new sign.  It was one of the party-going Ms. Hutchisons or perhaps the proprietor of Henson’s Store who suggested that a bad dog might be kept tied at the sign for a while.  There were only a few veiled comments directed toward Spotted Hog when the matter was under discussion.  It is nice to have some of those tensions easing somewhat.

        Saturday evening did see a spectacular rainbow draped over Spotted Hog after a brief but heavy downpour, and there were sounds of early July 4^th fire-works around the Norwood area.  No one knows how long The Champion Parade Committee has been meeting in secret.  A key member, who would like not to be identified, has reported that the secret meetings are so much fun that the committee has decided to keep the Fourth of July Parade a secret too!  “It’s going to be a Happening!”  extolled this committee-member, just at an undisclosed time and location.  “It will be ‘happening’ all the time,” he continued, “…..continually any time Champions are thinking about Freedom and The Great Good Fortune they have to live in this Fine Country!  Just come to Champion any old time and sit on the porch at Henson’s Store.  Listen for the drum and fife!  It beats to the time of Champion’s heart!”  Such emotional patriotic zeal suggest the Champion Parade Committee might be ‘tipplers.’

        A Texas double cousin inquires if there is a ‘blush of pink’ showing yet in tomato patches around Champion.  Indeed!  Louise claims to have three Parks Whoppers on her table right now (Saturday) getting red ripe.  As it turns out, she already has a blue Ball Mason jar just like the one being given as the Grand Prize for the First Ripe Tomato in Champion Contest so when she learned that the tomato being entered in the contest would be judged by the eating of it, she decided that she will not share her first ripe tomato and forego the prize.  It is to be hoped that off in the future when the Grand Prize is Awarded, that Ms. Hutch will refrain from spoiling the moment for the Real Winner with dispute.

        Young Dillon and brother Dakota are back in Tennessee after making a fine showing at the fair.  They went home with various ribbons and awards as well as some wild calf experiences.  There were bruises earned by several in that camp.  The camp seems sort of quiet without their ruckus.  Harley, weary of gooseberries and hay-making, headed back to Barbara to enjoy their own ruckus of grandchildren and community.  He said he didn’t know if they would make it back for the CHAMPION REUNION which comes up on Labor Day.  Other Champions hope they do make it, Barbara is such fun!

        A big wheel came rolling through Champion!  Carl Oscar Johnson, of West Plains was showing his family and friends the sights of the area on their way to a rendezvous at Rockbridge for Sunday dinner.  He became acquainted with Barbara Henson Cogdill when he lived in Branson and used to buy Christmas Trees from her farm there.  It was a pleasant coincidence to learn of Barbra’s connection to Champion when he happened in to the store by chance a few years ago.  The store was closed on Sunday, but the group took some pictures and visited with some locals for a few minutes.  Mr. Johnson is the Executive Director of the West Plains Civic Center.  He said that when his Mother had just become a school teacher she moved into West Plains and rented a room from the Mayor.  They were all on the veranda of the Mayor’s house when the West Plains Explosion occurred.  He said that they saw the huge fire ball and that the town was very affected by the disaster for many years.  Champions have interesting neighbors.

        Specialist Benjamin J. Ashley, 22, Independence, MO, died May 24^th, 2007.  Corporal James E. Summers III, 22, Bourbon, MO, died May 28, 2007.  Sergeant Shannon V. Weaver, 28, Urich, MO, died May 22^nd, 2007.  Specialist Justin B. Carter, 21, Mansfield, MO, died February 16, 2005.  1^st Lt. Amos C. R. Bock, 24, of New Madrid, MO, was killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on October 23, 2006.  He was with the 4^th Battalion, 320^th Field Artillery Regiment, 45h Brigade Combat Team, 101^st Airborne.  There are now 3,549 deaths of US Service Personnel in conflict in Iraq confirmed by the Department of Defense and eleven more deaths pending confirmation.  The total is now 3,560.  Champions, together with the Whole Nation, will acknowledge their sacrifice with Love and Gratitude as they celebrate the Nation’s Birthday on July 4^th.

        Come to the first ever Champion 4^th of July Secret Parade!  Please send any reviews of the parade, or any other community news to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717.

        Champion Friend Darrell Haden recently queried, “Was Gene Autry’s horse from your community?”  Answer that question or pose one by mail or e-mail to Champion News.  Elbow the hot-dog and apple pie vendors out of the way and hand deliver those things to Henson’s Store somewhere on the parade route (maybe) in The Throbbing Heart of the Community!  CHAMPION—LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE!