DreamWorks

CHAMPION—September 14, 2015

Eddie Irby This is the young man whose injury sparked all this wonderful response. He says he feels lucky for it not to have been worse, lucky that the medical profession is so advanced, and lucky to have so many friends in such a great community.

        Another Monday has arrived and the universal exclamation about the Swift Passage of Time is amplified by the realization that the Wagon Train is rolling into town again!  How boundless will be Champion joy to see old friends again with their squeaking leather and jangling harness and innovated rigs sporting 19th and 21st century technologies side by side.  Welcome!  Royce and Jody Henson will come over from Springfield and other friends will come from surrounding communities to enjoy the spectacle.  The wagons generally pull into the Square just shy of noon.  The travelers take a rest and have lunch before starting out again, during which time they welcome the public to come out and see the beautiful draft animals and the interesting outfits they pull.  There will be outriders too, running interference and enjoying the trail.  This will all happen Thursday the 17th.  Come out to Champion for the fun of it.

The Vanzant Community Building was filled to capacity…

        The Champion School Reunion is still on the minds of many who attended.  Eva Lois Henson Phillips dropped a note to say how much she had enjoyed seeing all the former students.  She said that Royce and Kenneth have involved all the family in their ‘walk of ages,’ and that she was impressed that they made it the whole four miles.  It was warm.  She said that she and Bobbie Heard used to walk from her house down to Cold Springs every day during the summer.  It made her sad to see the old store there history now.  She will have to retreat to her memory (and perhaps beyond) to have Clever Creek flowing year round with clear, cold spring water.  The springs are still flowing but subtle shifts in the geology have the creek mostly underground now except during wet seasons when it can be a raging torrent.

        It was about the time of the school reunion when a neighbor up Tar Button Road had another close encounter with the Brushy Knob Bear.  She had just come down stairs to make her morning coffee and was drawing the water when she raised the shade to look out on the day.  There, not forty feet away, was 250 pounds of ursine grandeur strolling through her yard.  She lives in an area that is sparsely populated and bear sightings in her yard and neighborhood in recent years have her watchful when she is out of doors.  Some of those ‘Walkers of Ages’ (Royce and Hovie) arrived in Champion talking about the Brushy Knob Bear.  They were wary on their way and may have retreated into their boyhoods again as they wandered the old familiar road so mysteriously overgrown this year with dark places so still and quiet in the oppressive heat.  Boo!  They did not see the bear but not for want of looking.

…with an overflow crowd outside.

        Diana Windsor said, “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.”  Brenda Coffman Massey said, “…we live in a very loving community.  I would not want to live anywhere else.  I thank you all with all my heart.”  She was talking about the benefit that she orchestrated Saturday night for Eddie Irby.  Tom Hicks and Debbie Stone prepared the superb dinner and the auction was conducted by J.D. Shannon with help by Billy Emory, Steve Moody and Dennis Lynch.  It was a ‘hoot’ or maybe a ‘cluck.’  One of the first items up for bid was a pretty Plymouth Rock hen in a little cage.  Somewhere between J.D.’s skill and the generosity of the bidders it was, “Sold! $450.00!”  The crowd went wild.  Cinnamon rolls, pocket knives, peppers to pickle and turkey calls, pies and cakes, and much more went on the block.  It was a capacity house at the Vanzant Community Building with onlookers bunched around the doorways.  Eddie sat out on the porch and visited with many of the folks who had come to wish him well.  He said that he was lucky that the injury was not worse (though it was pretty bad), and lucky that the medical profession is so advanced to have repaired him in this remarkable way (still ongoing), and lucky to have the support of such a great community—or words to that effect.  He says that he reads The Champion News when he gets a paper.  His mailing address is HC 73 Box 177, Drury, MO 65638 if someone wants to send him a paper, a book, or a note.  Brenda said, “Just say thanks to everyone from Eddie and his family.”  Diana Windsor was known the world over as Princess Diana and was admired for her compassion and philanthropy.  Brenda Massey Coffman is known here and admired for her good heart and good energy…our own Princess B!

        Dale and Betty Thomas were at Eddie’s benefit.  They show up in all the good places and soon their place will be the one where everyone is showing up.  The 14th annual Pioneer Descendant’s Gathering will be October 3rd and 4th.  It is a very family friendly event with exhibits and demonstrations of the 1860 to 1960 era.  There will be music, good food and plenty to see and do.  From Mt. Grove take 95 south to Gentryville and go right on Highway 14 to County Road 341.  Go south on the county road 4 miles, following signs to the Edge of the World.  From Ava go 18 miles East on Highway 14 to County Road 341.  However you get there it will be well worth the experience.

This is the hen that brought $475.00 for the cause!

        Zoey Louise & Louise Hutchison will have their birthdays next Monday on the 21st of September.  “Every little breeze seems to whisper Louise.  Birds in the trees twitter Louise.  Each little rose tells me it knows I love you.”  Dean Martin croons it so sweetly.  Both these charming ladies are much loved, but probably only one knows about Dean Martin.

        Grandparent’s Day was a big success at Skyline.  Teacher Terri Ryan made a post on the internet thanking everyone for participating and for helping Mrs. Vivod and Mrs. Casper make the day so enjoyable.  Margaret Mead, the great American cultural anthropologist said, “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.”  That is the aim of this wonderful little rural school.  Good citizens are being fashioned there who will be running the world before long.  Robespierre said, “The secret of freedom lies in educating the people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant.”

        The cool weather this week has had people thinking about putting the garden to bed for the winter.  Some manure and mulch will have things ready for Spring again.  Linda has The Plant Place open now every Tuesday through Saturday.  She has some terrific perennial plants for sale—mums, hostas, day lilies, and the like.  She will soon have her last big sale as she will be closing the business this fall.  Good for her to get to retire at last, but sad for the area to lose another family owned business.  Linda’s Almanac is on the bulletin board at Henson’s Grocery and Gas in Downtown Champion, on the counter at The Plant Place in Norwood and on line at www.championnews.us.  It looks like leafy vegetables can be planted all week.

        Bring your garden savvy down to the Historic Emporium where you can sit out on the wide veranda and brag about your harvest.  Discuss political views there with the maximum amount of courtesy and tolerance.  Consider that the cost of everything that can be sold is dependent on political decisions and that political ignorance makes the bad politician possible…the corrupted flunky of big corporations.  The office of Karry Davis, Douglas County Clerk, is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 4:30.  Go there to register to vote.  Participate.  The broad banks of Old Fox Creek will always be open for Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!