CHAMPION—July 9, 2007

 

        It was Champion’s pleasure to host Esther and Raymond Howard again down from Marshfield for the day.  They joined friends for lunch at the North/South where Raymond discovered his cousin to be a principal in that going concern.  Their Grandmothers were sisters.  Perhaps this chance meeting will encourage more frequent visits.  There was no squirrel hunting, but a pleasant time nonetheless.  They reported adventures avoiding the flood waters on a recent trip to Texas to see their Grandson marry.  Champion is glad they made a safe return and they are glad to have their New Granddaughter.

        Bachelor Brothers Ewoldt, from up in Iowa were down visiting with their Champion sister.  They come every year and turn their hands to help out around the place.  They seem to like it here and say that they are also from a hilly area, but not so steep and rugged as these hills.  Their friendly smiles and dispositions must be a family trait.

        Champion has adopted its own soldier!  His name is SSG Raul Moreno Jr.  His address is: SSG Moreno, Raul,  4-319th, TF SABER  FOB NARAY  APO AE  09354  Email:  raul.morenojr(at)us.army.mil  Raul is a staff sergeant with a number of soldiers in his care.  He says that he is a religious person and that he prays every day.  He is married and has a daughter.  His e-mail said, “Dear Champion,  I would like to take this time to thank each and everyone of you there in the Champion community.  I too grew up in a small little town, Grafton N.D.  There is a lot of hard working people there in Grafton just like in Champion.  So thank you very much for the news letter, it does make me feel like home.  Well “F.O.B. Naray means (Forward Operations Base) and Naray is just the name.”  In an e-mail to a volunteer with the Adopt a US Soldier program he says, “My Solders and I are in a remote FOB here in Afghanistan.  We do not have a store.  A phone center is set up here, but it only has 3 phones.  Sometimes they don’t work and we’ll be without phones for days.  We have computer slots here, but only four of them for about 400-500 Soldiers.  We hardly see mail but once a week, even then depends on the current situation.  We would appreciate anything that you can send that we can cook without having a stove—microwavable or food that can be heated with/by water (ramen noodle, tuna packages, crackers, cookies, canned foods, beef jerky…etc.)”  There are envelopes addressed to him at Henson’s Store for any Champion who would like to write to him.  Anyone who would like to add items to the package being put together for him or to contribute to the cost of postage may also do that at the store.  The opportunity to support soldiers in the field is a gift.  Expressions of Love and Gratitude are always appropriate.

        There are eleven deaths waiting Department of Defense confirmation currently, bringing the number of US casualties in Iraq to 3606.  Sixty three of those people were from Missouri, including Corporal Dallas L. Kerns of Mountain Grove who died July 5th, 2004.

        Down at Vera Cruz, the Mill Pond, was just overrun with the same bunch of tree-huggers and old friends that rendezvous there every year on the 4th of July.  It was an excellent gathering with many old acquaintances renewed and stories of the past year past around.  New grandchildren and old timers mixed with good results.  Someone suggested that getting in the water was very like climbing into a Margarita.  That must mean cold.  There has been a lot of good fortune among the group and in the mix a story of some hard dirty dealing in Douglas County full of Murpheyisms and Shenanigans.  There was a song written about it:  (1) “There was some Dirty Dealing down in Douglas County,  It was one of those Real Estate Deals.  Neighbors met in the woods and agreed on a price  For those acres of trees and hills.  But along came a logger with a few more bucks That the seller could realize.  He went back on his word, The miserable bird, And his Neighbor has a tear in his eye!  He went back on his word, The Miserable Bird, And his Neighbor has a tear in his eye!  (2)It’s a cautionary story of Money and Glory, One designed just to break your heart.  How a Big Wheel Rolls with his land and gold  Never minding his own part In the meeting of Honor and Neighborly Trust.  His morals he’s completely forgot.  But his pocket’s full of money And he and his honey  Can just go to Blazes and Rot!  But his pocket’s full of money And he and his honey Can just go to Blazes and Rot!”  There are several more verses to it and the tune to it is kind of reminiscent of an old saw called “The Little Black Book.”  It ought to be played on a radio before it gets on the Missouri Song list.  In Mrs. Ethel (Haden) McCallie’s letter of June 24th, she remarked that she liked the emphasis on music and was interested in getting the tapes and CD’s of the songs on the List.  It sounds like a lovely notion to have a single CD with all these songs on it, but for now the List is all there is.  It goes like this:

  1. The Missouri Waltz
  2. Meet Me in St. Louie, Louie
  3. I’m Goin Back to Whur I come From
  4. The Westphalia Waltz
  5. The West Plains Explosion
  6. My Missouri Home
  7. Kansas City, Here I come
  8. May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You
  9. Walking in the Sunshine
  10. Keep a Little Song Handy
  11. Company’s Comin’ 

        “Beyond the Missouri Sky” is a collaboration between Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden and is much anticipated in Champion.  If “Dirty Dealing” makes it to the Hit Parade, it will go on the list as well.

        Neighbors over in Vanzant had a wonderful picnic on the 6th and 7th of July.  The fireworks were said to be spectacular as was all the music and food and particularly the home-made ice cream.  There were many freezers going at the same time and everyone just raved about it.  Bill and Karen Griswold hosted his brother and family visiting from Illinois for a week and impressed the daylights out of them with the fireworks display over in Norwood and then those at the Vanzant’s Picnic were just icing on the cake.  They didn’t see the Champion Stealth Parade, but Karen said they heard it was lovely.

        The Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department will have had its meeting before the Herald goes to press.  Among the items expected to be covered in this meeting will be the success of the Concession Stand at the Bluegrass Festival back in June and plans for the Skyline’s Annual Picnic that will occur the second week end in August.  Jeff Pardeck of the White River Valley Electric Cooperative has contacted the Auxiliary to confirm that another gift certificate has been awarded to the Fire Department to be passed along to one of it’s lucky members.  Look for more details of the Auxiliary’s activities next week.  Last year Susie Griswold bought the winning ticket and it was a nice welcome to her and her family.  They had just moved here from Florida.  They have pitched right in to make Champion their home and to contribute their efforts to the overall good of the community.

        Examples of Shenanigans, stealth, good humor, good pitching and good deeds are welcome at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367 Norwood MO 65717.  Any kind of pleasantry connected with Champion, past, present or future, or any musical delight or original ballad is eagerly accepted at Champion News.  Opportunities for impressing the daylights out of Champions with any of those things or any other things abound at Henson’s Store in tranquil center of the languid backwater.  CHAMPION—LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE!

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