Champion News

There is no glory in defeating a weak opponent. There were no weak opponents Sunday night. Congratulations to our Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Champions! Yet, the faces of the 49ers registered sadness and disappointment that somehow evokes sympathy. They played a strong game. It could have gone the other way. “There but for fortune, go you and I,” as the song says.

The time between birthdays passes more swiftly for some than others. Skyline seventh grader Aiden Acree and third grader Makenzie Jonas have the 8th and 9th of February for their birthdays. The 13th is for Claire Shannon who has grown up and gotten married. Valentine’s Day is the big one for Shelby Ward, Champion granddaughter. Donna Mullens Gainer has the 16th for her day and the 17th is the day we remember dear Trish Davis, who left us too soon. It is a sweet day for Linda Clark, grandmother of triplets. Skyline third grader Rayleigh Harvey shares the 18th with Pete Proctor and another Champion of another generation Madelyn Boehs. If Pete were in the neighborhood still, they would be neighbors. The next day would have been Pete’s mother’s birthday. Ruby will always be remembered as a founding Champion. We miss her. We do not miss Jim Ivy. He is still around also celebrating on the 19th. Third grader Jaylee Sudderth will party on the 20th. The swift passage of time may not be evident to the youngsters, but several in that bunch know all about it.

There comes a day in February when the dog hunts for (or looks for) the shade. That was according to Champion Lonnie Krider. Dave Medlock said that his Dad said it was two days in February. Anyway, a day later the loveable critter looks to lay around by the wood stove, then back out to sun on the porch. In and out—doorman to the dog. “Is it spring yet?” asks a neighbor up on C Highway whose dog likes to watch the small herd of deer that roam his grounds. He is ready to plant. Swiftly shift the seasons! He says that on Monday, Feb 19th there will be a ‘seed swap’ from noon to 5:00 pm at the Living Lands Studio on the Square in Ava. He is doing a lot of planting and has boxes and boxes of heirloom and interesting seeds to share. Master Gardner Edie Richardson at the L. and E. Organic Farm over north of Macomb has been enjoying some of the recent mild days to get some serious planting done. She and Lee are active with the University of Missouri Extension Agency, keeping bees and teaching good gardening practices.

Great area news is that Sue’s Greenhouse up north of Norwood will start being open with regular hours this Saturday, February 17th. Her son-in-law who was seriously injured last year, is now walking again and everyone there is very thankful for all the prayers and good thoughts for him. Sue and Joe have put up three new Greenhouses with a large retail center, easier access to the building with new shopping carts, and much more. She will be open for a sneak peek this Saturday and her hours will be 9-5 Monday-Friday and 9-4 on Saturdays. She already has onion sets and seed potatoes and some starter plants. By the first week in March, she should be in full swing with lots of plants ready to go. Sue contributes significantly to the beauty of Champion.

It was on Ash Wednesday thirty one years ago when an old couple calculated that on the median date between their two birthdays they would be 100 years old. They called it their duo-birthday and took the day off from work to have a picnic. This year they celebrate their 162nd birthday on Valentine’s Day which is Ash Wednesday. Valentine’s‘ Day gives us an opportunity to say lovely things to each other right out loud. It is not all romance, but affection, fun, and appreciation. Our Skyline School extends the occasion until Saturday the 17th with and invitation to the entire school family to a Valentine’s Day Family Formal. Music and dancing from 6-8 p.m. with games, food, and prizes. They say “Bring your friends, and even your neighbors! Wear your best and put your dance moves to the test.” Sweet Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

“Go Chiefs!” Your Champion friends and fans hope that you gentlemen have been able to rest up and heal up in advance of Sunday’s big game. Thanks for all the fun and excitement.

Winter colors have their charm, adorning our rolling hills with every soft shade of gold, gray and brown. With spring just around the corner and seeds on store shelves already, Champions look forward to the garden and look out their windows enjoying today’s beauty as well. Soon enough those new and old houses and homesteads along our country lanes will disappear behind the foliage as things green up again. The more seasons we have seen, the quicker they seem to arrive.

The week got off to a great start with a call from Brock. He is the customer service guy from the White River Connect outfit, part of the White River Valley Electric Cooperative. The good news is that sometime within the next two to four months people out in the very middle of very rural Douglas County will be able to hook up to the real high speed internet–broadband, if you will. The Bright Speed BS seems to have needed a kerosene pilot light, so it will be a quality of life enhancement to switch.

More good news comes with the groundwork, dirt work for the construction of the new Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department firehouse. What a change it will be. The new facility will take up much of what used to be the picnic grounds. The pandemic put the kibosh on those wonderful picnics anyway. But, anyway, as our Prominent Champion is want to say, it is good to know that our great Skyline VFD will be here, as ever, to protect our lives and property. Perhaps the fancy new facility will entice some healthy young folks to become volunteers and the new configuration of the grounds might allow for some new kinds of community support. Meanwhile, schoolkids on the Skyline R2 School playground can watch the construction and be inspired to be architects, heavy equipment operators, carpenters, plumbers, sheet metal workers, roofers, electricians, or engineers. There is plenty of excitement and inspiration to go around in Champion.

There is hard news too. Jonnie, the friendly dog, got into a fracas with a FedEx truck or some other big, fast moving rig out on the straight stretch of Cold Springs Road and did not survive. She hated the trucks but loved the people. Steve, the driver from Mountain Country Propane would tell you that she acted like she would eat the truck, but when he got out she was all waggy and ready to be petted. She loved people. It’s a sad loss for the Old Champions. She showed up in February 2017 and became part of the family, great company for two old people. Now they have a note in the mailbox asking Brittany to honk, because Jonnie is not there to alert them. Yes, the world is full of suffering, and this may not seem like much to many. Things happen. Life changes. Change is hard.

But back to the good things, the Douglas County Herald’s reprint from the Ozark County Times of “A World Turned Upside Down” gave a good account of the epic journey of the Barry Family, from the catastrophic accident back in November all the way to the realization that life goals will just have to be accomplished another way. Rachel and Jeff purchased Jean’s Healthway back in 2020. The store has been a gift to Ava and the whole community for over 40 years. Rachel and Jeff have taken the helm for the last four years and have made it their own. It has been a good enterprise for them and continued to be a gift to the community. Their dedicated family of employees and volunteers are carrying the weight until they can do it again. Change is hard, but they are up to the task. We cannot fix everything. The Lord knows the world is in a mess, but here is a chance to be of help. If you can, do. Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

Robert Burns

January’s full moon is called the Wolf Moon. It was full on Thursday, the 25th. The 25th, known as ‘Burns Night’ celebrates the famous Scotsman Robert Burns. It must have been lovely up there on the other side of the clouds as it lit them up giving us a soft glow through the fog and mist. The Old Champion who, worried about drought, had asked Santa for mud got her wish. We stand by our preference for mud over ice though the mud has been prodigious. Champions rejoiced at 10:24 a.m. Sunday morning when the sun came out after a week of dismal dreariness. Terri Ryan encourages us with the news that we have survived the ten darkest weeks of the year from November 16th to January 22nd. In a few weeks the days and nights will be the same length, then we will move on to longer days and shorter nights. Terri retired from teaching at Skyline in 2022, but she continues to be an inspiration always advocating for patience, love and understanding. Skyline’s bookkeeper, Mrs. Karen Tamblyn, had some good advice to share recently when an Old Champion was fretting over the dust and cobwebs she was trying to get rid of in advance of a visit from beloved family members. She said, “Don’t worry about it. They are coming to see you, not to inspect your house, besides cobwebs need to be somewhere too.” It turns out she is right and when the sun shines through the cobwebs, they are kind of pretty.

February starts off with the birthday of Champion grandson Zack Alexander on the 1st. He shares the day with Glenn Cooley and Sarah Cloud. Groundhog Day is February 2nd, and the birthday of Zack’s Aunt Angie Heffern up in Springfield and Charlene Dupre, who divides her time between Jacksonville, Florida, and Norwood. That is also the day many remember a dear friend, Judy Sharon, who left us a few years ago. We miss her. Skyline School’s Angela McKay celebrates on February 5th. This is Ms. McKay’s third year at Skyline where she does double duty as a bus driver and middle school teacher. While the idea of riding loose heard on a bunch of seventh and eighth graders seems scary to some, Ms. McKay says she loves it. Our students flourish in a positive environment. February 5th is also a big day for a good neighbor over on Fox Creek Road. He has lots of cows and some good farm hands who know how to operate a bucket loader when neighbors come looking for garden amendments. Champion’s Cowboy will have his birthday on the 7th, but he may have already had his party.

There is jubilation in Kansas City and in San Francisco as their football teams won their separate conference championships. Both teams sport red and gold as their colors, so it will be interesting to see how they decide on their uniforms when they meet in the Super Bowl. The players are big, tough guys who hit each other and the ground hard. Fans of a certain age struggle to stay in their chairs as they try to duck and dodge along with their favorite players, hoping not to hit the floor with a grunt. Members of opposing teams help each other up after stupendous crashes and, when the game is over, embrace, comfort, and commiserate as winners and losers. They are professionals sharing mutual respect. It is satisfying to see our local school athletes learning good sportsmanship. It will make them good citizens. Our great Skyline School has cross country track, basketball, archery and all the fun P.E. teacher, Mr. Gray, can orchestrate.

Athletic events give fans a chance to shift their attention briefly from the strife of divisive politics and the sympathy they feel for so much of the world in disarray. We are grateful for an afternoon of excitement and for the relative serenity of Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

Old Champions enjoyed sitting by the fire Monday afternoon watching the ice build up on every little branch and twig. It is a fanciful, pretty sight. They are grateful that they do not have to venture out and are concerned for all those essential people who do have to be out in dangerous weather. Farmers, fire fighters, first responders and others keep things going for the rest of us. Our new Rt. 72 mail carrier, Brittany Webster, is getting well acquainted with the route. We would be pleased to wait a day for our mail for the sake of her safety. Champions beseech all you important people to be safe. Much needed rain is on the way. We prefer mud to ice.

“There is an Old Store down the Hill, By the stove, we all sit by still. As the years come and go We all learn, and we know That Champion is the best place to blow.” So began Pat Smith’s epic poem for the birthday celebration of Champion Betty Henson. She shares her birthday with Robert E. Lee (1807), with J.C. Owsley (1943), with Dolly Parton (1946), with Edgar Allen Poe (1808), with Janis Joplin (1943), with Scottish inventor James Watt (1736) and artist Paul Cezanne (1839). All this is to say she fits well with all the creative, intelligent, talented, hardworking, productive people born that day. The community came together with two cakes, lots of candles, cupcakes, ice cream, cobblers, hot apple pie, and with many genuine expressions of affection and appreciation for the Preeminent Champion for her good humor and all her good works for the community.

At the Vanzant Jam the question may be asked, “Why didn’t Nelly just turn around and follow her own footprints in the snow back home?” By Thursday the frigid weather will have passed, and no one will be interested Nelly. She may not have been all that smart or perhaps she was just looking to be rescued. Music is full of romance, mystery, fun and good medicine. “Keep a little song handy wherever you go, and nothing can ever go wrong!” That song was popular in 1934. Rudy Valley sang it, as did Betty Boop. Music lovers often remember the first time they heard a certain song or associate a song with a certain person. Judy Russell likes Jerry Wagner’s version of “Just Bumming Around.” Judy and Eldon frequented the Vanzant jam often in the past. Perhaps warm weather will see them out again. “Once More” will always remind Champions of Lonnie Krider and Wayne Anderson. Norris Woods gave us “Life’s Railway to Heaven” and many others. Whatever our taste in music might be, it has been proven to be good for us.

There is no glory in defeating a weak opponent. So, when the KC Chiefs bested the Bills by just a little they were gracious in their victory and appreciative of worthy advisories. The Baltimore Ravens will offer a good challenge next week. The excitement of sport helps to alleviate some of the stress and anxiety so pervasive in our world these days. Eric Blair made reference to sport as a diversion in his novel, but was short sighted in 1949, when, as George Orwell, he published “1984.” He could have named it “2024.” It has taken only forty years to get to the “1984” that he imagined. The book may not be part of high school literature classes or social studies curriculum these days, but it is a worthy, eye-opening read. Dystopian novels generally portray an imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror. We are not there quite yet. We are Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

A joyful beginning to the new year comes with gratitude that Beverly Coffman Emery sustained no serious injury out on Highway 76 when her car hit a slick spot.  A trip into the ditch and a close encounter with a tree totaled her car.  She admitted to being a little sore from the sudden stop but was in fine spirits for the jam in Vanzant on Thursday.  More joy came along with the seldom seen Dennis and Sherry Lynch.  Dennis filled in for some missing musicians with several Johnny Cash songs including “A Boy Named Sue.”  Sherry beamed her sweet smile and shared the pew with Beverly and more visiting Upshaw kinfolks.  Music is good medicine.  Sherry was good medicine for our old friend Esther Wrinkles and was a great help to her in her later years at home.  Enjoy a transcript of conversations with Esther in the July 29, 2007 post on the website at www.championnews.us.  Esther wrote community columns for the Douglas County Herald for over fifty years while it was still owned and operated by the Curry family.  She had a hand in every good work in the area.  Her pies are legendary, the legend living on through her daughter-in-law, Teresa.

While shoveling a path to the woodshed, Champions were thinking about that old song, “I traced her little footprints in the snow.”  Back inside, by the fire, they looked it up and found that Bill Monroe claimed authorship under the pseudonym “Rupert Jones,” but the song was much older.  He had learned it in the early 1930s at the National Barn Dance in Chicago.  It turns out to have more lyrics and to have been written in about 1880 by Harry Wright.  This may be the same English born William Henry “Harry” Wright (1835-1895) who had a long career in early baseball as a player and a manager.  He is said to have assembled, managed, and played center field for baseball’s first fully professional team, the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings.  Considered the “Father of Professional Baseball,” he was the first to make written mention of the seventh inning stretch in a game he watched.  On these cold, wintry days we think of the ‘boys of summer’ giving fans the opportunity to stretch, to get refreshments, and to sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”  Meanwhile, those of us without ‘Peacock’ were happy to see the news highlights of the KC Chiefs’ big win on their frozen field—defeating handily the feisty frosty Floridians.  Though it may be wonderful fun and exciting to be in the stands at those big games, Old Champions think they get a better view on their tv screens, and the snacks are better.

Champion Blaine Denlow’s beautiful mother, Jaime Woods, had her birthday on the 13th and her lovely grandmother, Sharon Woods, will have her big day on January 20th.  That is also reason to celebrate Alvin Barnhart.  Skyline School’s fourth grader Paxton Elgie will share January 22nd with Brenda C. Massey.  Brenda can teach us all how to have fun year round.  Skyline sixth grader, Blake McIntosh, has his birthday on January 24th, along with Todd Jarnigan up in Washington state.  The Cowboy’s sweetheart, Joyce Coonts, will be indulged on her birthday on the 26th and Skyline Alumnus Kay Heffern Alexander will party all over Springfield on the 27th.  The 30th is for James Brixie who was 40 years old in 2012, and for charming Loneda Bennett Hutsell.  Her mother has a song to sing for that occasion and generously shares her beautiful voice with many local lucky listeners.

Some Old Champions are grateful not to have to go out in the dangerous weather and are hopeful for the safety of those who must be out in it.  John, our Rt. 72 mail carrier, and his coworkers are some of those required to be out in it.  We acknowledge their conscientious hard work and appreciate it.  Louis DeJoy does not seem to understand how things work in the country.  Or maybe he does.  ‘Anyway,’ good for John and the USPS to get the day off for the Martin Luther King Holiday.  Good for us to celebrate that important and influential man for his remarkable good works.  And good for the lessons we have learned from our forbearers.

Esther said not to worry about making a mistake in the ‘items.’  She said it gives you the chance to revisit a subject.  Last week, our last sentence ended in the middle.  The whole thing was to have been:  “Here, in warmth and comfort, people of widely divergent philosophies and political viewpoints share a feeling of gratitude for our own security and a hope for a more peaceful and compassionate world in the year ahead.”  Stay safe, stay optimistic, and stay home if you can when the weather is worrisome.  Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

The Arkansas Barefoot Boys recorded the old fiddle tune “The Eighth of January” back in 1928, and that same year Dr. Humphrey Bate and His Possum Hunters released their version of it. In 1936, Jimmie Driftwood used the melody for a history lesson on the “Battle of New Orleans,” for his high school students in Arkansas to get them interested in the event. It was not recorded until 1957. Driftwood came from a musical family and enjoyed writing songs to teach his students history in an entertaining manner. He had an illustrious musical career and did a lot of good work for the Ozarks up until his passing in 1998 at the age of 91. He wrote over 6,000 songs in his lifetime, including the “Tennessee Stud.” He won three Grammy Awards and sang for Nikita Khrushchev. His real name was James Corbett Morris–an interesting fellow.

Elvis was born on the eighth of January in 1935. He did not live as long as Driftwood, but he also had an illustrious career. Elizabeth Johnston, a Champion granddaughter, was born on January 9th. Tetter Creek herbalist, Bob Liebert enjoys the 11th for his birthday. That was also the birthday of Wilburn Hutchison. He said that one time when he was a kid, he and Fleming Gear saw a dirigible flying over the field where the Skyline School now sits. The 12th is the special day for another talented herbalist, Edie Richardson. She and Lee were Champion neighbors for a little while, and now they are good neighbors up on the other side of Norwood. The 13th is for Diane Wilbanks. She and Jerry used to join the wagon train behind their mules. We miss Norris Woods on his birthday on the 13th. He played “Hot Corn, Cold Corn” and a hundred more banjo tunes. Melanie Blankenship Upshaw also parties that day. She took some great photos of her father-in-law’s big 80th birthday party at the end of last year. Hopes are that her day is so well celebrated. Skyline School’s coach, Mr. Shane Gray, celebrates on the 13th and third grader, Joshua Eaves, will have the 14th for his big day. The 16th is for Champion granddaughter Miley Schober, and her cousin, Rese Kutz, shares the 17th with our old friend Brook Quietwood. Eight grader, Jacob Kyle Brixie will have his party on the 18th, the same day as fifth grader, Railynn Dixon, and the lovely Mary Beth Shannon. The 19th is a big day for lots of people including J. C. Owsley over in Cross Timbers, for Skyline School bus driver, Robert Hall, for Dolly Parton in Nashville, for Edgar Allan Poe, who was born in 1809, as well as for Janis Joplin, Paula Dean and Pete Buttigieg. Some folks really do not like to see their name in the paper, but their many friends and admirers will still gather to express their love and appreciation. Happy birthday you wonderful Champions!

The little winter mix starting on January 8th may be the precursor of something more serious in a second wave. Wet and 35 degrees is about the same as the weather in Scotland today. One must just imagine the bagpipes and hope for the safe travels of those who must be out in it. As we endeavor to stay informed for our own safety, we cannot help but learn of the plight of millions across the world in desperate straits for many reasons, natural and man-made. Here, in warmth and comfort, people of widely divergent philosophies and political viewpoints share a feeling of gratitude for our own security and a hope for a more peaceful and compassionate world in the year ahead. Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

Loretta Upshaw, Robert Upshaw, Elva Upshaw, Michael Upshaw, Debora Barker

Friends, neighbors, kinfolks and blood relatives from several counties and various states gathered in Vanzant on Saturday to celebrate the birthday of a truly unique individual. Born January 31, 1943, Robert Upshaw has now officially entered his ninth decade. He has done it with flair and with fanfare, good humor and with the respect and admiration of all those attending as well as scores of others. The community building may never have been so lavishly decorated. The Upshaw daughters are to be applauded. A steady stream of well-wishers came and went through the whole afternoon with only eighty of them signing the guest book. It is not that the others could not write, but that they were busy renewing old acquaintances and making new friends among the many admirers of the gentleman–The General. When the sheriff stopped by, it was a relief that he was there to pay respects and not to haul anybody off to jail. The internet was fairly awash with well wishers all that day and the next right on into New Year’s Day!

Skyline fourth grader, Pearson Matthews, had his birthday on December 30th. Charming Arne Coon and Teeter Creek’s lovely Jan Liebert enjoy the first day of January for their birthdays. Kabella Clark is the great niece of Uncle Arne. Her birthday is January 2nd, and the fair Anastasia will have a party on the third. Sweet Sami McCleary and motorcycle hoodlum Lee Ray share their birthday with The General’s nephew, David Upshaw, on January 4th. Probably David will be serenaded at the Vanzant Jam that night. The 5th is for Skyline kindergarten student Amelia Johnson. The sixth is the big day for Felix the Farmer and for Bud Watkins. Felix just had a good adventure at the Memphis, Tennessee Zoo. Bud is a Skyline VFD firefighter and a much appreciated school maintenance engineer. Skyline seventh grader, Renee Wagner, will celebrate on January 7th. These birthdays that occur in and around the Christmas and New Year holidays add to the joy of the season. You are even more reason to celebrate—Happy birthday!

If we can meet the new year with open hearts, open minds, and optimism, perhaps 2024 will be better than expected and even better than we might have hoped for. Charles Dickens said, “Do all the good you can, and make as little fuss about it as possible.” Those are good words to start a Happy New Year in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!